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Looking for a lightweight 2 person tent...want midge and tick protection, any reason this wouldn't be the best option for the money?
https://alpkit.com/products/tarpstar-2-pyramid-tent
TIA 😊
Paul
I'd need to see the dimensions, and think it would depend on your height. That kind of design can be very good, but there's a lot of 'dead' space round the edges and in the peak. I've spent months at a time living out of similar tents, and just got back from a 10 day trip, but my model is significantly bigger.
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For me personally, that Tarpstar looks too small.
Pitched size: 250cm x 200cm x 130cm (L x W x H)
Not for me, but could work for others. The 250cm is a bit misleading because of the angle of slope of the flysheet. Best to try out before using in anger.
It looks really low, and you'd better hope it isn't wet , windy. I have a big 'laavu' tent as per the above but it's not the optimum solution for many things.
I too have tried some of these and found the edges too low. I see that there are some designs that have mini-poles or pitched in a way that 'raises' the edges with a vertical wall.
I also wonder if a two pole design, while more susceptible to side winds, offers much more bang for buck on space and who carries only one pole?
Finally, my Alpkit Delta while not a great tent weighs less than that - and is a 'traditional' poled tend that has served me well for a decade and is now finally delaminating....
The 1 person Tarpstar that they have recently put on the website looks to be a better option than the 2-person.
With the 2-person, there is no vestibule & it looks to me that opening the fly when wet will result in water running onto the inner.
The 1-person has only 'half' of the inner, so the other half of the fly can be used as a vestibule & opening the fly in that area will not cause water to run on the inner.
It looks like some of the other Alpkit tents would be more suitable, in my opinion.
A lot depends on how light you want & what it is being used for.
I'd always err on the side of a bit more space in case you are stuck inside the tent for any length of time. So, something like a Naturehike Cloud-up 3, for two people.
For that kind of money, I'd be looking at the Lanshan Pro 2 or the Cloud Up 2.
Both get consistent good reviews.
i just got a cloudup 2, only had 1 night in it so far, but very easy to put up. A big change from 20years ago