Weatherproof-ness of trekking-pole shelters

[Poser]

I’ve used these types of shelters extensively in alpine storms, winter storms, high winds etc. in fact, I had a pretty good storm come in on me just last night while I’m a 6x9 tarp with a single trekking pole support: wind, rain, hail, sleet all night.

 

[wind gypsy]

Most good pyramid style tents when set up right will be more weather resistant than common 3 season freestanding shelters like the BA copper spur or MSR hubba line.

 

[Jac]

Last year on sheep hunt in northern bc we brought 3 tipi that set up with trekking pole. Worked ok, easy to setup on hillside with uneven ground. When the weather got bad the wind blow the rain under the sides of tents and we got wet. Also leaving a trekking pole at camp when hiking kind of sucked.

 

[Kevin_t]

I’ve been watching a Dual pole tunnel tent and Silex in wind for the past few days . Anything from a solid breeze to pretty darn windy. I’ve watched and been in both DCF and nylon variants .

Honestly, Silex and Eolus do really really well. DCF does a bit better until max wind speeds I’ve seen . Using all stake outs or guy outs they all do well . The tunnel is a bit more stable in constant strait line winds but not enough to make me even really consider it for the weight penalty . Perhaps , if the only conditions I experienced were high winds every day then maybe ... but otherwise not just the weight advantage but the entrance etc lie in other systems . So to answer , I think trekking pole tents can outperform most poled tents excluding the hardiest of them ..


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[Jac]

One thing I will say for the most part tipi are pretty large. We had 2 person tents and the night of the storm the guy sleeping by himself in the tent had enough room to move to the other side of the tent and avoid the weather. The tent my brother and I were in was pretty tight and the guy on the windward side was getting a lot of spin drift

 

[PathFinder]

The kind of shelters mentioned throughout this thread are, in my experience, far more weather resistant than regular tent pole types. I won't use a typical tent for that reason.
1. The tipi style ones fare the best in bad conditions
2. They require a little more practice, but they're more adaptable.

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[Gunnersdad49]

Supertarp with annex. We had about 20 mph winds that just suddenly stopped, and then got 6” of snow overnight on this trip. Super light and simple shelter. I have no reservations about using this anywhere I could use a backpacking dome tent

 

[Jac]

When the wind was blowing as hard as it was I want my body weight holding that tent down

 

[Fins_N_Tines]

So I have personal experience with the Tarptent Stratospire 1 which uses 2 trekking poles. I will say this will beat most standard poled tents in weather. Reason is it has a tensionor system on both ends that make it drum tight. Also think of trekking poles as amazing for anything putting load on the tent like snow. poles will bend and give under pressure, but a trekking poke will not since its standing in the ground.

Also, not all trekking pole shelters are created equal. Many shelters will fail under crappy weather.

 

[RCB]

Also, not all trekking pole shelters are created equal. Many shelters will fail under crappy weather.

Could you elaborate a bit on your experience? Would like to not buy one of these shoddy shelters.

 

[Fins_N_Tines]

Could you elaborate a bit on your experience? Would like to not buy one of these shoddy shelters.

Ok, yes I was trying to refrain from this statement, but I will just say it. There is only one trekking pole shelter I would use if weather is a concern is the tarptent Stratospire 1 or 2. The reason is most trekking pole shelters inherently have issues in high wind with flapping noisy fabric. Again, the reason the SS1 and SS2 work so well is Tarptents patent pending pitchloc ends which is the reason this shelter performs so well in high wind becasue it allows you to get the tent fly extremely tight. I've had mine in 40 - 50 MPH winds and it held strong and tighter than other 2 or 3 poled backpacking 2 person tents. I also would not hesitate to use it in winter with snow. Its the reason Tarptent advertises it as a 3+ season shelter. However, for the one person version it weights 2lbs-6oz which definitely isn't the lightest 1 man shelter on the market. Its a give and take. If they removed the pitchloc ends, which are small carbon fiber rods, the tent would weight less, but than wouldn't perform as well in weather.

Note: Before I get a bunch of blow back, this analysis does not include true tipi shelters. I am referring to 1 and 2 man tents that use trekking poles for support only.

 

[TBHasler]

Ok, yes I was trying to refrain from this statement, but I will just say it. There is only one trekking pole shelter I would use if weather is a concern is the tarptent Stratospire 1 or 2. The reason is most trekking pole shelters inherently have issues in high wind with flapping noisy fabric. Again, the reason the SS1 and SS2 work so well is Tarptents patent pending pitchloc ends which is the reason this shelter performs so well in high wind becasue it allows you to get the tent fly extremely tight. I've had mine in 40 - 50 MPH winds and it held strong and tighter than other 2 or 3 poled backpacking 2 person tents. I also would not hesitate to use it in winter with snow. Its the reason Tarptent advertises it as a 3+ season shelter. However, for the one person version it weights 2lbs-6oz which definitely isn't the lightest 1 man shelter on the market. Its a give and take. If they removed the pitchloc ends, which are small carbon fiber rods, the tent would weight less, but than wouldn't perform as well in weather.

Note: Before I get a bunch of blow back, this analysis does not include true tipi shelters. I am referring to 1 and 2 man tents that use trekking poles for support only.

I agree with this. I run the stratospire I and it’s been bombproof in rain, snow, hail and winds. One man tent that is roomy for 1 and the vestibules (2) are huge. I often keep partners gear in one of mine.
Lastly, the hiking poles are generally much stronger than the tent poles coming with the ultralight tents and the design of the stratospire directs almost 100% of the load bearing vertically which is what the trekking poles are designed to withstand.
I won’t use any freestanding tent over this design and feel like it’s one of the best out there to withstand any number of sketchy conditions.

 

[captsully]

Anyone have experience with a zpack duplex? Reviews have been good, just cant find one to buy.

 

[Mike Islander]

Anyone have experience with a zpack duplex? Reviews have been good, just cant find one to buy.

Tons of great reviews by through hikers on YouTube. They usually get 150 - 350 nights out of them. Excellent weather resistance and wind resistance.

A few triple crown hiker reviews.

 

[sneaky]

Anyone have experience with a zpack duplex? Reviews have been good, just cant find one to buy.

There's usually several for sale at any one time over at backpackinglight in their gear swap forum

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[bozeman]

How do you ‘dry out’ you shelter when you take your trekking poles with you hunting? Leave them behind? No longer dual purpose then????

 

[sneaky]

I don't carry them with me all the time when I'm hunting. They're really in my arsenal of things that come in handy on heavy pack ins and outs. I don't use them all day every day. It's way easier to just pack one extra trekking pole for use if you need it every day instead of taking poles out of your shelter every time you leave to hunt.

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[Bl704]

How do you ‘dry out’ you shelter when you take your trekking poles with you hunting? Leave them behind? No longer dual purpose then????

If I'm portable, throwing them over some shrubs/rocks or hanging out up like a canopy, late morning to mid day while taking a break / snack. A good breeze and or some sun and it's dry in no time.

 

[Mike Islander]

How do you ‘dry out’ you shelter when you take your trekking poles with you hunting? Leave them behind? No longer dual purpose then????

If you carry your trekking poles when you day hunt, then you buy the carbon tent poles from Zpacks. $60 for both poles and a total weight of 5.2 oz for both poles. I have one of these poles that I use for my Zpacks Pocket Tarp. They are bomber 11 mm hand laid up carbon. 5-piece collapsible, 11" collapsed. I had a 10 mm pole before this and stopped using it altogether. The Zpacks pole is much stiffer than any pole I have used, and I've made my own and also owned several different brands. For this price these are the best choice I know for any tent that uses 48" length trekking poles.

 

[Randall]

If available, you can cut a stick to support the shelter if you want to take your poles.