The variety of ultralight double-wall backpacking tents with a path weight of three lbs or much less which are accessible at this time has grown considerably, pushed by client demand and advances in cloth and materials applied sciences. When you desire 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 stop 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 at all times have their advocates, the overwhelming majority of backpackers desire freestanding and semi-freestanding tents that don’t require a lot follow or superior website choice abilities to arrange. Ease of use typically trumps a couple of ounces of added gear weight when it comes proper right down to it. See for your self, under on this sortable desk.
Tent Materials and Supplies
The lightest-weight ultralight double-wall tents are nonetheless made with DCF (Dyneema Composite Materials), which is extra of an artificial laminate made by gluing collectively elements than a woven cloth. Along with being very light-weight, it’s rather more waterproof than typical tent materials and doesn’t sag when it will get moist. The downsides are that it’s very costly and bulkier to pack, taking over extra space in a backpack than typical tents do as a result of it doesn’t fold like a real cloth tent.
An growing variety of ultralight double-wall tents are produced from polyester, together with a fabric known as siliconized polyester, abbreviated silpoly. They’re additionally manufacturing facility seam-taped, so that you don’t should manually seal the seams with silicone or pay further to have the producer achieve this. The benefit of utilizing a polyester tent over a nylon one is that the fabric stretches much less at evening or when it will get moist, making it much less noisy when it’s windy or drier inside when it rains. Siliconized polyester is extra sturdy over time, particularly when saved between makes use of, than polyester coated with polyurethane (PU), which tends to interrupt down extra shortly when saved moist or uncovered to vivid sunshine.
The desk above doesn’t embody tent fashions which were end-of-lifed by producers, lots of whom are nonetheless making an attempt to do away with previous stock.
Abstract
To summarize, there are extra ultralight and light-weight double-wall tents accessible at this time than ever earlier than. When you’re available in the market to scale back the load 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 may keep on with a double-wall tent with solely a slight weight penalty.
Double-wall Tent Benefits
- Simple to arrange
- The inside tent prevents inside condensation from making your gear moist
- Can be utilized in all three-season climate situations and gentle winter climate
- Vestibules present lined gear storage in poor climate
- Deep bathtub flooring forestall 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 could be cumbersome and awkward to pack
- Hotter in scorching climate
- Take longer to dry as a result of they’ve extra floor space
- The inside tent could grow to be moist when pitched in rain, though some double wall tents could be pitched fly first to maintain the inside tent dry
See additionally:
SectionHiker by no means accepts fee for gear evaluations or editorial protection. Whenever you purchase by means of affiliate hyperlinks on our website, we could earn a small fee at no further price to you. Assist us proceed to check and write unsponsored and unbiased gear evaluations, mountain climbing and backpacking FAQs, and free mountain climbing guides.
