Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL Evaluate

Backside Line

The Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL is one in every of our favourite funds tents for severe ultralight backpackers and thru-hikers. This tent is extremely mild, weighing a few pound with none equipment and a pound and a half with tent stakes, guylines, and the pole extender. It’s small and straightforward to stuff wherever in a backpack, making it an awesome selection for these low on house or utilizing low-volume backpacks. 

Despite the fact that the SoloMid is definitely a one-person shelter, we had been shocked to search out that there’s a ton of flooring house. We had been even in a position to comfortably share this tent with a big canine and all of our gear on a backpacking journey within the Petrified Forest. Due to the easy design, this tent does require a bit extra talent to make use of efficiently. It’s quick to arrange, however the pitch will be finicky, and care is required to keep away from waking up in a puddle on moist nights. 

General, the SoloMid is topic to most of the advantages and downsides of a pyramid-style tent. With care and follow, this tent is an absolute steal for skilled ultralight backpackers attempting to save cash to spend on their subsequent journey.

Consolation

Despite the fact that the Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL has an enormous footprint, its sloped partitions end in a tent solely appropriate for one individual. A part of the testing course of concerned measuring the ground dimensions to calculate the overall footprint space. After we did this for the MLD SoloMid, we had been shocked to search out that it was bigger than most of the two-person tents in our lineup. We even re-measured it!

Certain sufficient, the ground house is big, and we had been in a position to match an average-sized grownup, gear, a German Shepherd Canine, and a small terrier inside this tent comfortably. That mentioned, between the middle pole and sloped partitions, the SoloMid is definitely a one-person tent. The excellent news is that with over 4 ft of peak peak, there may be loads of room to sit down up in the course of the tent. 

From a door standpoint, both one or each doorways will be opened to extend residing house. This additionally gives choices when getting out and in of the tent. Other than this, the SoloMid is an ultralight tent with a streamlined design, so its options, corresponding to pockets, are restricted. Patrons might select to buy add-ons corresponding to attachable flooring and inside nets, however this may improve the general weight and value of the tent.

Climate Resistance

The material of the Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL is waterproof, however consumers ought to beware that seam sealing prices further, and no flooring would require shut consideration to campsite choice. Like many ultralight manufacturers, MLD affords a spread of customization, together with whether or not or not their tents come seam-sealed. Those that don’t select to pay further for this feature might want to buy the provides and spend an hour or so doing it themselves. 

We opted to check the seam-sealed model of this tent, and since the climate was dry on our backpacking journey at Petrified Forest, we examined the climate resistance by spraying the MLD tent with a hose for a couple of minutes. We particularly focused the seams to see how they’d maintain up. As soon as we concluded the check, we discovered that the within of the material was fully dry. 

We really feel assured that with correct seam sealing, customers will keep dry from above. Nonetheless, as a floorless tent, you will need to concentrate on the dangers of flooding. Campsite choice is essential to make sure that a pleasing evening of tenting doesn’t finish in a puddle. We do like that the sides of this shelter naturally pitch low to the bottom, which helps to cut back splashback from rebounding raindrops. Lastly, the pyramid-shaped design naturally stands up nicely to wind. That mentioned, although the chance of collapse is low, we had been smacked within the face for a number of hours when tenting within the badlands by the flapping material.

Sturdiness

Excessive-quality supplies, a easy design, and the dearth of a flooring make for a sturdy design with the Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL. The principle factor customers want to concentrate on is zipper care. Despite the fact that Silpoly weighs a bit extra, we desire it over DCF for long-term sturdiness. DCF tends to develop small holes when the strands get caught and pulled. Silpoly can nonetheless get small holes, however we discover it occurs much less usually. 

One other enormous benefit of this type of tent is the dearth of a flooring. This requires the next diploma of talent when avoiding flooding, however the profit is that there isn’t any want to fret about ruining the underside of the tent. Campsites which have a big rock in an ungainly spot are way more usable with a tent just like the SoloMid as a result of there isn’t any flooring to puncture. The mid form of this tent additionally ends in a really sturdy construction that can shed snow with out collapsing and maintain as much as excessive winds. 

The most important draw back to tents just like the SoloMid is the quantity of stress on the zipper. As a result of it’s a non-freestanding tent, there may be a whole lot of pressure wanted to maintain it upright. This pulls on the zipper, which may result in further put on and tear over time. Zippers are already the primary a part of any gear to wear down, and that is very true with a pyramid tent. We do like that there’s a buckle on the backside to cut back stress on the zipper, however we might recommend that anybody who makes use of this tent deal with the zipper with care to increase the lifetime of the SoloMid.

Portability

One other enormous profit to the easy, streamlined design of the Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL is how simple it’s to pack. No poles and no inside bathtub imply one much less factor to hold. After we weighed the MLD SoloMid on our scale, it got here in at simply 1 lb and seven ounces with tent stakes and pole extender within the storage bag. That is extremely mild, even in comparison with shelters that price lots of of {dollars} greater than the SoloMid. The load-to-price ratio of this tent makes it a compelling selection for ultralight backpackers. 

Unsurprisingly, we additionally discovered that the SoloMid packs down actually small. This makes it simple to stuff in any pocket of a backpack. We discovered this to be helpful on our journey to Petrified Forest, as we needed to carry all of our water for your complete journey. We had been in a position to stuff the SoloMid into some artistic areas, leaving room for the additional water firstly of the journey. We used the stuff bag on this journey, however as a result of the SoloMid doesn’t embody very many items, it’s extremely simple to only shove the tent unfastened right into a pocket. Utilizing a trekking pole as an alternative of devoted poles additionally reduces the variety of “issues” to hold. General, weight and portability are very sturdy areas for the MLD SoloMid.

Ease of Use

The Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL may be very quick to arrange as a result of its easy design, however it additionally requires follow to get pitch. After we timed how lengthy it took to set it up, it took us about two and a half minutes. 

That mentioned, one problem with many mid-style shelters is studying how you can pressure the corners and angle the middle pole to get pitch on the corners. Oftentimes, what occurs is that if the corners are staked out as a parallelogram as an alternative of as a rectangle, one or two of the corners shall be curved, and the opposite two shall be very sharp. This adjustments the quantity of headspace contained in the tent. It takes follow to get it proper, and even then, it will probably rely on the lower of the person tent and the day.

As talked about in different sections, customers additionally have to be way more conscious of the place they’re pitching the tent. Simply slapping it down wherever may end up in an disagreeable evening if it rains. Selecting a campsite that’s not in a melancholy is essential to keep away from flooding. Likewise, campsite choice additionally performs an enormous position in avoiding condensation on the within of this single-wall tent. 

We admire that the MLD SoloMid may be very adjustable to the person’s wants, however it will probably additionally make the preliminary use time-consuming. If further isn’t paid for seam sealing, that might want to occur earlier than the primary journey. We additionally needed to spend an additional 10-Quarter-hour measuring out, reducing, and threading the guylines the primary time we used the SoloMid. It is a one-time factor, however nonetheless one thing to think about, significantly for newbie backpackers. In conclusion, the SoloMid may be very quick to arrange for skilled backpackers, however isn’t essentially the most beginner-friendly as a result of extra sophisticated pitch and consideration wanted with campsite choice.

Ought to You Purchase the Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL?

We love that the Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL is extremely light-weight, quick to arrange, and sturdy in contrast with a way more reasonably priced price ticket than its ultralight opponents. That makes the SoloMid an unimaginable selection for ultralight fanatics who need to get monetary savings on their subsequent thru-hike. 

That mentioned, the SoloMid affords a really totally different expertise from extra conventional shelters and can doubtless not be the only option for newbie backpackers. It additionally won’t be appropriate for anybody mountaineering with a accomplice.

What Different Finances Tents Ought to You Think about?

If the Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL is a bit too ultralight and minimalist, we’ve got examined loads of different funds tents that we advocate testing.

Six Moon Designs Skyscape Scout I Evaluate: Weighing a few pound greater than the SoloMid, the Skyscape Scout additionally affords extra safety from the weather through a bath and bug internet. This tent is an effective compromise between the advantages of an ultralight shelter and the consolation of a standard design.

Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo Clothing store Evaluate: For an ultralight tent for 2, the Lunar Duo gives a hybrid double-walled expertise. It has loads of house inside and likewise makes use of trekking poles to avoid wasting weight.

River Nation Trekker Tent 2V Evaluate: Novices on the lookout for a lightweight tent on a funds ought to take into account the Trekker 2V. Despite the fact that it’s a trekking pole tent, the pitch is simple to arrange and the absolutely enclosed design makes it simple to decide on a campsite.