Discovering the best tent for a backpacking journey is all the time tough. You must steadiness packed dimension and weight in opposition to livability and the way effectively it stands as much as wind and rain. I’ve all the time erred on the aspect of a sturdy tent over any weight issues, which is why I really like the Hilleberg Akto, however I do not all the time want the Akto.
There’s a brief season in my neck of the woods known as summer season, when storms are much less doubtless and temps do not drop a lot beneath the 60s. That is once I’ve been utilizing the Lunar Solo, Six Moon Design’s flagship ultralight one-person tent. After a number of late and early summer season journeys across the north woods of Wisconsin and Michigan, it has proved itself a succesful shelter. It weighs simply 2 kilos, packs down fairly small, and checks a complete lot of different containers on my tent want record.
Loads of Area
{Photograph}: Scott Gilbertson
There is no such thing as a one tent to rule all of them, and looking for one is a mistake. You are higher off with two tents, realizing the constraints of every and utilizing every when it is the perfect for the job. Which is to say, I really like the Akto, however I additionally assume Six Moon Design’s Lunar Solo is great for summer season journeys while you prize touring gentle over withstanding intense storms.
That is to not say the Lunar Solo will not preserve you dry. It’s going to. The silicone nylon, or silnylon, is loads waterproof, although you will both must seam-seal it your self with some Seam Gripor have the Six Moon Designs workforce do it for you earlier than they ship it, which prices $35. My testing tent arrived seam-sealed, however being sufficiently old to recollect while you needed to seam-seal nearly each tent, I’ve accomplished it sufficient occasions to say it is not onerous must you select to DIY it.
The Lunar Solo is single-wall, single-pole tent meant to be pitched with a trekking pole. This makes for a really small and light-weight tent but in addition has two potential drawbacks: structural integrity and condensation. Extra on these in a second. As soon as pitched, the Lunar Solo affords 26 sq. toes of dwelling area and a peak peak of 49 inches, and the vestibule affords 8.5 sq. toes of extra gear storage. Total I discovered the Lunar Solo to be loads spacious for one particular person with gear. The rear wall expands out barely, providing you with a spot to stash ceaselessly wanted gadgets with out pushing them up in opposition to the tent wall.
The 20D silnylon and mesh partitions really feel as sturdy as something you will discover at this weight, except you wish to go together with a Cuben Fiber/Dyneema tent, however to my thoughts the excessive worth of Cuben places it in a distinct class. The ground of the Lunar Solo is a extra strong 40-denier (40D), and has a bath form to assist guarantee water would not get in. The rear of the Lunar Solo has a 6-inch mesh portion between the ground and the primary wall that helps with air flow.
Any single pole tent goes to battle in wind, regardless of what number of guyline factors it affords. I did discover the Lunar Solo compressed a great deal once I pitched it in excessive winds on the uncovered shores of Lake Superior. It was admittedly not an incredible campsite from a seeking-shelter standpoint, not one I might choose if I wasn’t testing the wind resistance of a tent. But it surely did persuade me that the Lunar Solo wants both a trekking pole or a heavier tent pole than the ultralight pole Six Moon Design offered. (I did a great portion of my testing whereas bikepacking so I did not have trekking poles.)
