Equipment Spotlight: Henry Shires Tarptent

After years with a heavier tent I recently picked up a Henry Shires Double Rainbow Tarptent. I had heard good things about the Tarptent - the low cost and weight (a mere 2 lbs and 10 oz) really made it look great for those longer backpacking trips. After spending three weeks in the tent this summer, I am thoroughly impressed by its simplicity and spaciousness.

The Double Rainbow sets up easily and quickly with only one carbon fiber pole. On average it only took me about 3 minutes to set it up no matter the terrain. It sleeps two, has two zippered mesh doors with vestibules for keeping boots and other gear dry. I did miss having a net gear loft above, but the other features of the tent more than make up for it.

The double vestibules and mesh sides made it easy to open the tent up for a cool night breeze and the mesh netting kept out even the tiniest no-see-ums. The tent was subjected to some pretty significant wind gusts and held up with no problems. The interior stayed dry through a number of rainstorms with the exception of one occasion when a bag was placed too close to the wall on the interior (user error) resulting in some water dripping off the top layer of the tent through the mesh section near the floor.
        

From sandy beaches in Hawaii to rain forests in Alaska this tent has been a pleasure to use.

You can find out more about the Henry Shires Double Rainbow and other Tarptents here.