Head to head
Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo vs Tarptent Double Rainbow
The Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo gives each person more floor — 26.3 sq ft against 15.3, which is the difference between roomy and standard. The Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo is the lighter carry at 26 oz, and the Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo is the cheaper of the two at ~$260.
Six Moon Designs Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo | Tarptent Tarptent Double Rainbow | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Ultralight | Ultralight |
| Rated capacity | 1-person | 2-person |
| Floor area per personestimated | 26.3 sq ft (roomy) | 15.3 sq ft (standard) |
| Floor area | 26.3 sq ft | 30.6 sq ft |
| Vestibule area | 8.5 sq ft | — |
| Peak height | 49 in | 42 in |
| Minimum trail weight | 26 oz | 35.9 oz |
| Packed weight | — | 39.5 oz |
| Weight per personestimated | 26 oz (trail weight) | 17.9 oz (trail weight) |
| Pad fitestimated | 1 × 25 in pads fit | 2 × 25 in pads fit |
| Fits sleepers up toestimated | 7ft tall | 6ft 10in tall |
| Doors | 1 | 2 |
| Freestanding | non-freestanding | non-freestanding |
| Poles | trekking poles | carbon |
| Wall type | single wall | single wall |
| Season rating | 3-season | 3+-season |
| Floor hydrostatic head | 3,000 mm | 5,000 mm |
| Packed size | — | 16 x 5.5 in |
| Approx. price | ~$260 | ~$284 |
Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo
Twenty-six square feet for one person is the roomiest per-person figure of any solo shelter here, and at $260 the Lunar Solo is also the cheapest serious trekking-pole tent. One pole at 49 inches, a hexagonal footprint, a full vestibule that rolls back, and 20D silpoly that neither stretches when wet nor degrades in UV the way silnylon does. The one-door, one-pole layout means the pole stands near the middle of the entry, which takes a couple of pitches to get used to, and the seams arrive unsealed unless you pay Six Moon $35 to do it.
Best for
A solo hiker who wants space and a low price more than the last few ounces.
Tarptent Double Rainbow
A single carbon arch pole and a top strut, six stakes, and you have a 50-inch-wide shelter that takes two 25-inch pads — which almost nothing at 36 ounces does. The fabrics are the surprise: 20D silpoly and 30D nylon 66 both rated past 5000 mm, which is twice what most ultralight tents carry, and the polyester fly does not stretch when wet. It is not freestanding on its own, but two 55-inch trekking poles make it so, which is a useful trick on a platform. Floor area here is computed from Tarptent's published 88 by 50 inch floor, because Tarptent lists dimensions rather than area.
Best for
A pair on wide pads who want high waterproof ratings at an ultralight weight and a fair price.
Rows where the two differ are tinted. Specs are the makers’ own; floor area per person, weight per person and pad fit are our arithmetic on them.