Did Tarptent Just *PERFECT* This Tent? | Tarptent Rainbow Sil-Poly

[@wolfeadventures]

Thank you for showcasing Tarptent shelters. You were one of the few channels to show these great tents Tarptent doesn’t have the marketing team like some of the other tent manufacturers do but I would say as far as ingenius tent designs, quality and the sheer number of shelter options available they are second to none. There is a Tarptent that would fit everyone’s needs.

[@BackcountryExposure]

Thank you! They are some of my all time favorite tent designs!

[@rodoutdoors]

Nice update. I dig silpoly. I appreciate that it doesn't sag in damp conditions and packs down small.

[@kookkamajunga]

I have the rainbow Li and it’s been bulletproof for years. Best tent on the market.

[@rodrev_hiking6757]

1000% agree .im using it in Norway and Iceland and it handled every Wind and downpours like a champ. There is no better UL tent on the Market. Not the Xmid and certainly no Zpacks can compete with the DoubleRainbow Li

[@jasongergal9215]

Like to see this compared to the new freestanding Durston.

[@BackcountryExposure]

If I choose to order one I’ll look at doing that.

[@jorisev]

I wish they'd make a double wall rainbow. I know they do the Double Rainbow DW, but they don't do the 'single' Rainbow DW. It also seems that they removed the additional grommets for vertical trekking pole support in all DW, Li and Ultra versions - which is a real shame. If they sold a Rainbow DW sil-poly with those grommets, I'd buy one.

[@ManivanAdventures]

Yeah, I would have bought one long ago if they had double wall version of this

[@albertgavieres7852]

Thanks for posting as I’ve been waiting for this! Just sold the xmid1 silpoly for one of these. I liked a lot about the xmid but the inner footprint is just too small.

[@gman963]

That's a pretty innovative design with the option to clip the tent to the trekking poles at the base.

[@BackcountryExposure]

It’s come in handy a few times when I’ve been in really loose sand or rocks and stakes don’t want to hold.

[@LostAgainwithJim]

I’ve used that feature with my nylon Rainbow a few times in the high sierras in spots where stakes aren’t really effective. It’s pretty great.

[@simpler_times81]

Nice. I love my Sil-nylon Double Rainbow. I wouldn't upgrade just for the fabric. The silnylon is great. Due to the arch shape I've never had any issues with sag. It doesn't seem to hold anymore water than my silpoly xmid 1 either. One day I'll get the Double Rainbow Li

[@jadenm]

When i need a new tent, tarptent will be my first stop. They seem like solid tents.

[@DaveOffGrid]

If I were in the market to pick up a 1p freestanding tent this would prob be my #1 option. Amazingly versatile! Glad to hear they maintained weight with the Sil Poly version!

[@BackcountryExposure]

Seriously a great tent!

[@SanJava]

Nice review. The sil-poly is a great update. I do wish they had increased the fabric at the peak with a slightly longer cross pole. I think a slightly wider peak width would be a great livability improvement for this tent. I am curious to know if using the extra guy-out points increases interior space significantly. The guy-out point on the back of the tent is placed pretty low.

[@zakafx]

If I was looking for a seminfreestanding tent, this would be the one. Thanks for showing it to us.

[@zakafx]

Do silpoly tents compress as good as silnylon tents?

[@robd.9481]

Thanks for your very thorough review. While not 'perfect' i do think it's a REALLY good design. Im so glad they moved to silpoly. I think Henry could improve it with a bit wider top cross bar (headroom) and a back wall ventilation feature without adding much weight. So much to like about this tent. Small footprint, no sag/much absobtion when wet, can be free standing for platforms, reasonable cost, reasonable weight, great 1p floor width, great clearance above your head and feet, and i like the awning feature. Ive been looking for a great tent for my AT thru hike and while their are lighter options i think the superior livability of the Rainbow is worth the weight penalty over some trekking pole supported options. 👍

[@davidcooper8390]

Tarptent makes some great well designed shelters. It is a lot of space for not a lot of weight.

[@anninwhack1998]

Thanks for bringing more great info on tarptent!

[@rodrev_hiking6757]

I love my Lithium DoubleRainbow. Its so freakin amazing

[@JarradShaw]

What an amazing tent!!!

[@camping_guru_uk]

That trekking pole trick is sick as the youth might say 😂

[@jenniferj7588]

I still like my 2 poly 4 stake tents with trecking poles no messing with a sleeve or extra poles to bring .And if need more stakes get them from the woods on the way to camp you will have something to do with your time in the woods ...And you could do toggles if hammok camping if needed too...Most times or all the time you bring tecking poles so why carry extra poles just a thought..

[@PrybarCommando]

Great review

[@Spotog28]

Love the video! Thanks for doing this review. Do you have any experience with the moment DW?

[@BackcountryExposure]

I have one I’m borrowing from a friend that I’ve used a few times. It’s good but not my favorite for space.

[@hoser7706]

Great breakdown. Thanks! Have you used the Double Rainbow before? Just curious on its space vs weight

[@tlgrimmy]

I've got a bit of a tent addiction and had always wanted to try a Rainbow series tent. I've got an X-mid Pro 2 and a Z-packs Offset Solo on top of a number of freestanding non-dyneema tents already, so I couldn't quite talk myself into another pricey dyneema shelter, ha! This one really got me pumped because the weight is so low for it not being a dyneema trekking pole tent, and the floor is 4" wider than its DCF cousin, which sounded awesome. The overall footprint will be smaller than my Z-packs Offset Solo as well and the Rainbow can roll both doors back (which the Zpacks can't do, of course). Should be delivered tomorrow:). It would be fun to see a comparison between this and the Dipole 1 DW and hear your thoughts about their strengths/weaknesses. I ended up going for the Rainbow because it seemed like the overall headroom and liveable space was better for a similar weight and I wasn't concerned about it not being a true DW shelter like the Dipole. I'm seriously tempted by that Dipole 2 Li in dyneema though, ha! Just think I would've preferred to see a 1.0oz DCF floor on it after some troubles with pine needles on my Durston with a similar 15D floor material. My wallet and other sellable possessions are trembling...

[@panhandlejake6200]

An FYI if using tents with sleeves for the poles - the sleeve can freeze to the pole (particularly if used during the shoulder seasons). This makes it hard to remove the pole when taking down the tent. I have had to warm the sleeve with my hands - not pleasant......

[@BackcountryExposure]

Totally aware that can happen. Haven’t personally had that happen to me. Maybe that’s a benefit of using carbon fiber pole option?

[@wolfeadventures]

A little bit of silicon lubricant applied to the mating surface beforehand helps with this.

[@tt-of4xv]

Compared to the xmid 1 non pro it seems you get more space ? wind resistance is probably similar without trekking poles (less solid structure but lower profile), better with, worse in humid conditions due to the single wall design. Weight is similar with the carbon poles (not sure if they're as sturdy as the aluminium ones though). It looks like a very good tent for bikepacking.

[@kevinj.4847]

I have both the xmid and the rainbow and it’s night and day difference in space! I tried the xmid first and didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would for various reasons. The rainbow was easier to setup, way more usable room, and has some optional things like a gear loft (they call it the Rainbow Roost). The only downside is that I backpack in very wet conditions and in cooler weather and the condensation is a real problem in single wall tents no matter what. The optional liner helps to a point, but I have to be extremely careful or my sleeping bag gets wet. Xmid is definitely better at ventilation and is much cooler in the summer. Personally, I’m considering the new double wall double rainbow now. Way more room, great ventilation, and double wall!

[@henkka_95]

@@kevinj.4847 have you used with condensation liner?

[@brycewalburn3926]

I recently bought the SMD Lunar Solo, and now you're making me reconsider that purchase. My bank account is not happy with you 🤣

[@48GradN0rd]

Seems nice, but do you have any updates on the double rainbow dw ultra? Really interested in the new fabric.

[@BackcountryExposure]

Not much new to report. The UltraTNT is a great fabric though.

[@jmax850]

@@BackcountryExposure maybe you could do a video ranking the fabrics and touching on the pros and cons

[@boredandagitated]

40” wide 1 person? Woah! Some tent companies called that a 2 person tent just a little bit ago!

[@sk-wx1cf]

I really like this, especially the size, for a one-person tent. However, I had the Tarptent Double Rainbow Li and i really did NOT like threading that long pole through the sleeve. Why couldn't they use hooks? Then it would be perfect!

[@tarptent]

Pole clip tent design is never as strong/wind resistant as pole sleeve design. A continuous pole sleeve fully supports the fabric from end to end whereas clips only can only support the fabric at the clip connection which then puts more stress on the clip points and leaves the rest of the fabric free to move around in the wind.

[@LostAgainwithJim]

It looks like the interior pocket is bigger than the older model? That’s probably my only complaint about my Rainbow. That pocket is kind of dinky.

[@BackcountryExposure]

Yes it’s bigger and more useful

[@bjbeck11]

40” width is a sweet spot for a 1 person roomy tent. Almost a new category 1+? Just picked up a Duplex Lite that has the same width - Awesome tent. Love my Double Rainbow for 2 people or nasty weather, Double rainbow is bomber.

[@BackcountryExposure]

I’m hoping the standard double rainbow gets the polyester treatment soon as well. 40” really is a sweet spot.

[@jmax850]

@@BackcountryExposure why the standard Double Rainbow over the DW?

[@joannemaass5068]

Did you have to seam seal?

[@kaspersergej]

I was looking recently at tarptents. With this particular model I‘m torn. It has poles and the pack size is not small, at the same time it‘s not free standing either - thus not sure if it makes sense for it to replace my xmid or the decathlon fully freestanding one I have.

[@BackcountryExposure]

Folded and rolled in 4ths, you can get this super tiny for pack size. Poles on the outside of your pack and you’re golden.

[@maximusjoseppi5904]

I dunno.. for that weight you can just rock a tigerwall UL 2 and not have to deal with single wall. I think 1 person tents are rarely worth using cause you're carrying 80-100% the weight of a 2 person but you're cramped. And let's be honest, most of us aren't hiking 10+ miles a day, go for the 2p even if it's 3-8oz heavier

[@briandoolittle3422]

A tiger wall UL 2 is 6 oz heavier than this tent. Sure that's not a ton, but its not true that its the same. In my experience Big Agnes tents cant handle moderate wind. Ive had a pole break on a copper spur in 20mph winds. The second time I took it out in moderate winds (probably ~30mph), the thing was bending and collapsing so much (even with extra guy lines) that I ended up taking the rain fly off so the wind would go through the tent. That was a very unpleasant night. Ive had the Rainbow in 30 mph winds repeatedly with little movement and no problems.

[@maximusjoseppi5904]

@@briandoolittle3422 my tigerwall platinum has been in 40mph gusts on a beach... do you know how to pitch a tent in high winds? sounds like user error and a defective 1 off. and i stated in the original comment that a 2 person will weigh the same up to 8oz more... but you get a tent twice the size.

[@briandoolittle3422]

@@maximusjoseppi5904 I set up tents in high winds all the time. Its not user error. I have only ever had this problem with that tent. The copper spurs poles where wafer thin and couldn't hold up to much of anything. Running guylines from the ridge helps in a lot of wind scenarios, but if the wind is coming down on to the tent from an angle above, the guylines do very little to support the flimsy pole. This is a potential issue in mountains where winds can come over a pass, rush down a mountain slope and hit you from a downward angle instead of level. This is a fairly common scenario in mountain terrain, and it's the scenario that caused me problems both times with my copper spur. The rainbows pole is stiffer, and the fabric has less stretch, so the tent stays more static. The tiger wall 2p is nowhere near twice the size. The Tiger Walls floor length is 2 inches shorter, 86 vs 88, while its width is 12 inches wider at the head (about 33% wider) and 2 inches wider at the foot (about 5% wider). That all comes out to a 14% bigger floor area, not 50%. 6 oz is more than a 14% difference in weight.

[@maximusjoseppi5904]

@@briandoolittle3422 🙄 people on the Internet 🤣

[@ronaldlemmer8491]

I have been looking forward to the 2 person in sil/poly-----rumored for this fall. With thinner materials, it may come in at say 36OZ down from 41---currently, the 2 person and the DW weigh essentially the same so looking forward to see some weight savings

[@BackcountryExposure]

Between that and the new Dipole 2 DW, there’s some sweet options coming!

[@Plummchild]

I literally just bought one of these 2 weeks ago 😭😭 (I'm 99% sure it the sil-nylon very.)

[@BackcountryExposure]

The nylon is a little transparent and the ripstop is bigger. The ripstop on the polyester is a really tight grid and it’s not transparent at all. That’s how you’ll know. But also on your order I bet the new sil-poly update says sil-poly on the order.

[@Pasequale100]

could i also support the copper spur with trekking poles on the sides?

[@BackcountryExposure]

No. It doesn’t have the grommets and space in the fly to allow for it.

[@Pasequale100]

@@BackcountryExposure Thanks a lot! Do you know a (semi) freestanding tent which can be supported by trekking poles?

[@BackcountryExposure]

@@Pasequale100 do you mean trekking poles only? Or additional support like I showed in this video of the Rainbow? Cause the rainbow and double rainbow tents are semi freestanding and have the option to add the trekking poles at the peak for added stability.

[@Pasequale100]

@@BackcountryExposure i mean additional support like for the Rainbow. I ask this question because the Rainbow is hardly available in Europe for an okay price ;) So i was asking for Rainbow alternatives.

[@boredandagitated]

@@Pasequale100some of the Slingfin tents allow you to use trekking poles to strengthen them for snow and wind loads. But they’re pretty different from this tent and aimed towards being durable and expedition ready

[@franky12]

What would be your perfect 1P lightweight tent?

[@BackcountryExposure]

I really really love the Dipole 1 Li. It’s a pretty incredible 1 person tent.

[@EZPrAnCs]

God dangit! I just bought a different tent because it was silpoly and tarptent didnt have the rainbow in silpoly 🙄

[@BackcountryExposure]

What did you get?

[@EZPrAnCs]

@@BackcountryExposure the six moon designs lunar solo....I would have bought the silpoly rainbow if I knew it was coming out! Hahahaha they weigh essential the same with a pole, stakes, and lines

[@GhostObsessed]

6ft 4in here, If it doesn't have a 94in long floor its not worth considering

[@kmichaelp4508]

I don’t think so. For the price I’ll take a durston.

[@pyronymph-868]

I just wish it came in prettier colors. Green is good if going stealth but that's ruined with the blaze orange sleeve. Even gray and turquoise would be a nice color combination. 😒😕

[@BackcountryExposure]

I get that. This color has been Tarptent’s brand for years and years. Unlikely for them to change that up.

[@woodchip2782]

I like that colour. It makes the tent stealthier. I live in a region that is flat with sparse woodland, stealth is the game.😊

[@Ane_Rikke]

If you asked for - and received something for free (and you did not have to pay for an expensive item of equipment) this IS a sponsored post. It’s as simple as that in my mind…

[@BackcountryExposure]

Okay. I mean I did explain how the item came into my hands, and was transparent about that. Would you rather I just not be upfront and leave it to your imagination?

[@970zfinest]

sil_-poly is going to over take dyneema. dyneema isnt all that i worked in a a factory that ran machines wove dyneema. its over sold

[@dangerpudge1922]

I like Tarptent as a general rule, but... Everything about this tent looks depressing, and 6 stakes to pitch? Meh. Single wall? Double meh. I'm happy they made it because I'm sure it'll appeal to some folks, but as for me, I couldn't be less interested in this thing.

[@jmax850]

They offer a liner to make it “double walled” and it can be pitched with 2 stakes and 2 trekking poles or no stakes if you don’t want to use the vestibules (or fly). With that said, yea imo the Double Rainbow is a better buy, but this is still great.

[@andreasweber7828]

Tarptent also makes the Moment DW (Li) which can be set up with two!! tent poles to make it free-standing. And that’s double-walled

[@Truth-Seeker75]

TarpTent’s are known for their busyness, sloppy floors, and regrettable packing size. Pass as well.

[@Truth-Seeker75]

I’d personally NEVER own a TarpTent regardless of price or performance after a conversation with the owner and found him to be rude, aggressive, dishonest, and unethical.

[@jessegpresley]

Yawn.

[@porkshank13]

I have emailed them twice and both times the responses were polite and blazingly fast.

[@Truth-Seeker75]

@@porkshank13 Good to hear that. I had the same experience until recently and now I’m hearing all kinds of stories from others who received angry, rude and threatening responses.

[@porkshank13]

@@Truth-Seeker75 Both my communications with Henry were in the past month.

[@cavemandancer]

Why exactly were you talking to the owner when you never owned a tarp tent...I call BS!!!