The variety of ultralight double-wall backpacking tents with a path weight of three lbs or much less which can be accessible in the present day has grown considerably, pushed by client demand and advances in cloth and materials applied sciences. In case you choose a double-wall tent over a single-wall tent as a result of it’s extra spacious, hotter, much less drafty, and has a separate inside tent and rainfly to forestall inside condensation switch, you possibly can have it with only a slight weight penalty in comparison with a single-wall tent.
Whereas ultralight single-wall tents will all the time have their advocates, the overwhelming majority of backpackers choose freestanding (See: What’s a Freestanding Tent) and semi-freestanding tents (See: What’s a Semi-Freestanding Tent) that don’t require a lot observe or superior website choice expertise to arrange. Ease of use usually trumps a couple of ounces of added gear weight when it comes proper all the way down to it. See for your self, beneath on this sortable desk.
Tent Materials and Supplies
The lightest-weight ultralight double-wall tents are made with DCF (Dyneema Composite Materials) which is extra of an artificial laminate than a material. Along with being very light-weight, it’s way more waterproof than standard tent materials and doesn’t sag when it will get moist. The downsides are that it’s very costly and is bulkier than standard tents to pack, despite the fact that you’d count on the other.
Most ultralight double-wall tents are nonetheless made with extra standard materials together with ripstop nylon. These are often coated with PU (polyurethane) or its variants together with PeU (polyether urethane), which is turning into more and more common. These waterproof coatings permit tents to be manufacturing unit seam-taped so that you don’t must seam seal them your self, one thing that quite a lot of single-wall tent producers, together with Six Moon Designs, Lightheart Gear, and Tarptent require to this present day with their silnylon and siliconized polyester tents.
Silpoly, which is siliconized polyester, is a relative newcomer to the ultralight tent scene however is being adopted by increasingly more light-weight backpack makers together with Durston Gear and Tarptent. Like DCF, it doesn’t sag or stretch when it will get moist, which has all the time been an issue with silnylon.
Among the tents listed above, together with these from Huge Agnes and MSR, additionally embrace carbon fiber tent poles to save lots of weight. These grew to become accessible about 5 years in the past and have confirmed dependable, so increasingly more tent producers are adopting them.
Abstract
To summarize, there are extra ultralight and light-weight double-wall tents accessible in the present day than ever earlier than. In case you’re available in the market to scale back the burden of your backpacking tent however are hesitant to get a single-wall tent as a substitute of a double-wall one since you’re involved about tent condensation or ease of use, relaxation straightforward. The burden distinction between ultralight double-wall and single-wall backpacking tents has narrowed significantly and you’ll keep on with a double-wall tent with solely a slight weight penalty.
Double-wall Tent Benefits
- Straightforward to arrange
- Internal tent prevents inside condensation from making your gear moist
- Can be utilized in all three-season climate situations and delicate winter climate
- Vestibules present lined extra gear storage in poor climate
- Deep bathtub flooring stop flooding if water swimming pools beneath
- Much less drafty as a result of much less airflow is required to mitigate condensation
- Simpler to arrange on rock ledges, sandy soil, or picket tent platforms
Double-wall Tent Disadvantages
- Tent poles might be cumbersome and awkward to pack
- Hotter in sizzling climate
- Take longer to dry as a result of they’ve extra floor space
- The inside tent could develop into moist when pitched in rain, though some double wall tents might be pitched fly first to maintain the inside tent dry
See additionally:
SectionHiker is reader-supported. We independently analysis, check, and price one of the best merchandise. We solely earn cash if you buy a product by our affiliate hyperlinks. Assist us proceed to check and write unsponsored and unbiased gear evaluations, newbie FAQs, and free mountain climbing guides.