Tarptent
Tarptent StratoSpire 2
No citable rating — see why we hide some.
The StratoSpire's hexagonal footprint is the reason to buy it: six small fabric panels under balanced tension, which is a far better shape in wind than the four big panels of a square mid. Inside there is 31.1 square feet on a 52-inch floor that widens to 62, plus 25.6 square feet of vestibule split across two sides, and it is genuinely double-walled with a choice of mesh or solid inner. Thirty-nine ounces, $339, and two trekking poles that can go handle-up or tip-up depending on their length.
Floor area per person
15.6 sq ft
Standard — 14 to 17 sq ft each — the normal two-pads-and-no-spare-room fit
Weight per person
19.4 oz
from the trail weight of 38.8 oz
Peak height
48 in
Approx. price
~$339
Pads: 26.0 in of floor width each — 2 × 25 in pads fit.
Length: a 86 in floor leaves room for a sleeper up to about 6ft 8in once you allow six inches for a foot box and a pillow.
Best for
Exposed camps where a square mid gets loud, and pairs who both use wide pads.
Specifications
- Type
- Ultralight
- Rated capacity
- 2-person
- Floor area per person(estimated)
- 15.6 sq ft (standard)
- Floor area
- 31.1 sq ft
- Vestibule area
- 25.6 sq ft
- Peak height
- 48 in
- Minimum trail weight
- 38.8 oz
- Packed weight
- 43.8 oz
- Weight per person(estimated)
- 19.4 oz (trail weight)
- Packed size
- 16 x 5 in
- Interior floor width
- 52 in
- Pad fit(estimated)
- 2 × 25 in pads fit
- Fits sleepers up to(estimated)
- 6ft 8in tall
- Doors
- 2
- Vestibules
- 2
- Freestanding
- non-freestanding
- Poles
- trekking poles
- Wall type
- double 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
- ~$339
Features
- Hexagonal footprint with balanced tension lines for wind
- 52 in floor widening to 62 in, fits two 26 in pads
- 25.6 sq ft of vestibule across two sides
- Choice of mesh or solid inner, both separable
- Vestibules flatten for pitching in tight sites
In its favour
- Hexagonal geometry handles wind better than any other trekking-pole shape here
- Fits two 26 in pads, the widest pad pair this catalog supports
- Double-walled with a solid-inner option for cold or dusty camps
- 25.6 sq ft of vestibule is more covered space than a Copper Spur has floor
- Over 5000 mm on both fabrics
Against it
- Two trekking poles required, with an adapter needed for some pole lengths
- The hexagonal fly needs more ground than a rectangle for the same floor
- 38.8 oz is heavy for a trekking-pole shelter next to the X-Mid 2's 31.3
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
- The vestibules are described by owners as just huge and quite impressive — the stand-out feature in direct comparisons
- Owners expect it to be more stormworthy than a big-panel mid because of its flat sidewall angles, and the hexagonal shape backs that up
- The hexagonal footprint fits into gaps more easily than a rectangle of similar area, which owners raise when discussing site selection
- A ten-year-old example reaching the end of its functional life is the normal report, not an early failure
- It fits two wide pads, which owners doing solo-plus-gear arithmetic specifically value
- Tarptent's own quality record carries across the range — owners who own a Rainbow expect the same from this
Common complaints
- Setup is more complex than the Tarptent alternatives owners compared it against, and they say so
- It is heavy for a one-person use case at 38.8 oz, and owners looking for a solo shelter notice
- Tarptent moved production and one owner reports a problem period coinciding with that, plus frustration at how quietly it was disclosed
- Trekking poles must be a compatible length or you need adapters, which owners have had to sort out after the fact
- The footprint is bigger than an X-Mid's even though the hexagonal shape fits gaps better
The StratoSpire's case is geometry. Six panels under balanced tension is a better wind shape than four big ones, and owners expect it to be more stormworthy than the rectangular mids for exactly that reason. Its vestibules draw the most direct praise in the whole catalog — just huge and quite impressive is one owner's summary when comparing designs side by side.
The hexagonal footprint is a mixed blessing that owners describe accurately: bigger overall than a rectangular shelter of similar floor area, but easier to fit into an awkward gap because the shape can be tucked. That is a real, non-obvious advantage in forest camping.
The costs are setup complexity and weight. Owners who compared it to simpler Tarptent models chose those specifically because the pitch is more straightforward, and at 38.8 ounces it is heavy for solo use. One owner also records problems dating to when Tarptent moved production and is unhappy about how quietly that was communicated — a single account, but a specific one.
Questions people ask about it
Is it harder to pitch than an X-Mid?
Owners who compared them say yes — the hexagonal shape with two offset poles takes more getting right than a rectangle. Once learned it is a six-stake pitch, and owners note the complexity matters less when two people are doing it.
Is it better in wind than a rectangular mid?
Owners expect so and explain why: flatter sidewall angles and smaller panels mean less area to flap and better tension distribution. It is the reason people who found the X-Mid noisy in wind look at this instead.
Do two wide sleeping pads fit?
Yes. Tarptent quote a 52-inch floor widening to 62, and say it fits two pads up to 26 inches each. Owners doing the arithmetic for themselves plus gear confirm it.
What trekking poles does it need?
Two, and they can go tip-up or handle-up. Owners have had to buy adapters after discovering their poles were the wrong length or shape for the pockets, so check before ordering rather than after.