Tarptent
Tarptent Double Rainbow
No citable rating — see why we hide some.
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.
Floor area per person
15.3 sq ft
Standard — 14 to 17 sq ft each — the normal two-pads-and-no-spare-room fit
Weight per person
17.9 oz
from the trail weight of 35.9 oz
Peak height
42 in
Approx. price
~$284
Pads: 25.0 in of floor width each — 2 × 25 in pads fit.
Length: a 88 in floor leaves room for a sleeper up to about 6ft 10in once you allow six inches for a foot box and a pillow.
Best for
A pair on wide pads who want high waterproof ratings at an ultralight weight and a fair price.
The size run
One design, 2 capacities. The numbers at the top of this page describe the Double Rainbow; every size has its own figures below.
| Size | Sleeps | Floor area | Sq ft each | Vestibule | Trail weight | Packed weight | Floor L × W | Approx. price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow | 1 | 22 sq ft | 22.0 | — | 28.8 oz | 32.3 oz | 88 × 36 in | ~$269 |
| Double Rainbow | 2 | 30.6 sq ft | 15.3 | — | 35.9 oz | 39.5 oz | 88 × 50 in | ~$284 |
Specifications
- Type
- Ultralight
- Rated capacity
- 2-person
- Floor area per person(estimated)
- 15.3 sq ft (standard)
- Floor area
- 30.6 sq ft
- Peak height
- 42 in
- Minimum trail weight
- 35.9 oz
- Packed weight
- 39.5 oz
- Weight per person(estimated)
- 17.9 oz (trail weight)
- Packed size
- 16 x 5.5 in
- Interior floor width
- 50 in
- Pad fit(estimated)
- 2 × 25 in pads fit
- Fits sleepers up to(estimated)
- 6ft 10in tall
- Doors
- 2
- Vestibules
- 2
- Freestanding
- non-freestanding
- Poles
- carbon
- Wall type
- single wall
- Season rating
- 3+-season
- Fly fabric
- 20D silicone-coated polyester, over 5000 mm
- Floor fabric
- 30D silicone-coated nylon 66, over 5000 mm
- Floor denier
- 30D
- Floor hydrostatic head
- 5,000 mm
- Approx. price
- ~$284
Features
- Single carbon arch pole plus a top strut
- Two side doors and two vestibules that roll fully back
- 20D silpoly fly and 30D nylon 66 floor, both over 5000 mm
- Freestanding with two 55 in trekking poles
- Seam sealing kit included at no extra cost
- Sold as the solo Rainbow and the two-person Double Rainbow on one design
In its favour
- 50 in of width takes two 25 in pads, which tents twice the weight often cannot
- Over 5000 mm on both fly and floor, roughly four times the lightest nylon tents
- Polyester fly holds tension overnight rather than sagging
- Trekking poles convert it to freestanding for platforms and slabs
- $284 for the two-person, seam-sealing kit included
Against it
- Single wall — the inner surface is the outer surface, and condensation lands on it
- Tarptent publishes no vestibule area figure
- Needs a full six-stake pitch to hold its shape
- Floor area has to be computed from the dimensions, because Tarptent does not publish it
Written from the published specification sheet, not from owner reports.
What owners report
Drawn from archived owner discussions, not from a test of our own.
What owners like
- A fourteen-year-old example is still going after at least five long thru-hikes, which is the strongest longevity report in this catalog
- Owners rate it as less fussy to pitch than the trekking-pole alternatives they compared it against
- It has a larger floor surface than a Copper Spur, which owners point out directly
- The small footprint is specifically valued — it fits pitches that bigger shelters cannot use
- Porch mode at each vestibule is a feature owners like the idea of and rate when they use it
- Owners who moved on to other Tarptent models still describe the Rainbow as nearly as good as the day they bought it after a decade
Common complaints
- Condensation catches people out — an owner moving from the two-person to the solo version describes being worked over by it
- It is described as cramped by long-term owners despite the floor area, particularly in the older silnylon version
- Wind performance is asked about repeatedly and nobody in the discussion has a confident first-hand answer for the lightest version
- The carbon poles have a specific failure mode: the metal connector getting stuck inside the pole
- It is not a true two-person tent according to owners who have lived in one, despite the name
The Double Rainbow's headline quality is longevity. One owner describes a fourteen-year-old silnylon example that has been on at least five long thru-hikes and is still working, and separately describes a decade-old Rainbow as nearly as good as the day it was bought. Nothing else in this catalog attracts reports like that.
The design's practical virtues are consistent too: it is less fussy to pitch than a trekking-pole mid, it has more floor than a Copper Spur, and its footprint is small enough to use pitches that bigger shelters cannot. The porch mode at each vestibule is a genuine feature rather than a name for a big flap.
What owners warn about is the single wall and the honesty of the two-person label. Condensation worked over an owner who moved from the two to the one. Long-term owners call it cramped, and at least one says flatly that it is not a true 2P. And the carbon pole has one known failure — the metal connector seizing inside the tube — which is worth knowing because it is not obvious.
Questions people ask about it
Is the Double Rainbow really a two-person tent?
Its floor is 50 by 88 inches, which takes two 25-inch pads — better than most tents at this weight. Long-term owners still describe it as cramped, and at least one says it is not a true two-person. It works for two people who have agreed it will be close.
Is condensation worse than in a double-wall tent?
It is single-wall, and an owner moving between the two-person and the solo version describes getting worked by it on a bad night. The porch modes and a good site help. If you want to be dry inside without thinking, buy a double-wall tent.
What goes wrong with the carbon poles?
The specific reported failure is the metal connector becoming stuck inside the carbon tube. It is not common, but it is the thing to check on a secondhand one, and it is the argument for the aluminium pole options if you value repairability.
Is it freestanding?
Not on its own. Tarptent is explicit that it needs at least 55-inch trekking poles to become freestanding — 57 is better. Without them it is a six-stake pitch like any other non-freestanding shelter.