Twenty-Five Years of Trekking Pole Shelters

Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar on the GR5 Through The Alps in 2018

Recent years have seen an upsurge in tents designed to be pitched with trekking poles. This isn’t a new idea however. I’ve been using trekking pole tents and tarps for twenty-five years. Before that I had used poles to pitch tarps as cooking shelters on walks in grizzly bear country where cooking in the tent porch was not a good idea. These camps were usually in sheltered forested areas rather than open windswept places so stability wasn’t a key consideration. The main use of a tent was mostly to keep off insects while sleeping.

Tarp used as a cooking shelter at a wet camp in the Yukon Territory, 1990

I soon thought about using trekking poles for my main shelter. Why carry the extra weight of tent poles as well? Searching round for something suitable I came across a shaped tarp called the Basha-Tent from a long-gone tiny British company called Kathmandu Trekking. This could be pitched as a pyramid with a shorter pole holding up one end as a doorway. I took this on a two-week walk in the Queyras Alps in 1999 and was impressed at how it stood up to storms and how roomy it was for the weight (1.2kg with groundsheet and pegs). Far roomier in fact than tents that weighed a fair bit more.

Kathmandu Trekking Basha-Tent in the San Francisco Peaks on the Arizona Trail in 2000

The next year, 2000, I took the Basha-Tent on the Arizona Trail. On many nights I slept under the stars but there were enough camps in strong winds, and even once sleet and rain, to make me glad I had it.

GoLite Cave 1 in the High Sierra in 2004

After the Arizona Trail I was hooked on trekking pole shelters for long-distance walks. At the time the ultralight movement was just getting going with GoLite producing Ray Jardine’s minimalist designs. In the early 2000s I used one of these, the Cave 1 tarp, on two-week walks in the Uinta Mountains in Utah and round Glacier Peak in the Cascade Mountains in Washington and on a 500-mile walk in the High Sierra in California. On these walks I didn’t need insect protection and was mostly camping in woods so a tarp was adequate. The Cave weighed 794 grams with groundsheet and pegs.

Mountain Equipment AR Ultralight tents on the GR20 in Corsica in 2005

In the 2000s outdoor brands started to make tents that pitched with trekking poles. Mountain Equipment had one, the AR Ultralight, which I used on the GR20, which I walked with Cameron McNeish in 2005. I wanted a tent with a door I could close on this trip as we would be camping on sites with other people most nights. I took the two-person version without the inner to save weight. I think it weighed around a kilo with groundsheet and pegs. Cameron took the smaller AR Ultralight 1 with the inner, the latter a wise choice for protection against the dustiness of many camp sites. After windy nights I woke with a layer of dirt covering everything.

GoLite Shangri-La 1 on the Pacific Northwest Trail in 2010

In 2010 I hiked the Pacific Northwest Trail that runs from Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains to the Olympic National Park and the Pacific Ocean. This was likely to be a wet walk (it was!) and there were likely to be mosquitoes in places (there were!) so I wanted a double-skin tent. GoLite had expanded by then and produced several good models from which I chose the Shangri-La 1, a sloping ridge tent with a mesh inner. It weighed 963 grams and stood up to torrential rain. I still miss GoLite.

The MLD Trailstar at a very wet and windy camp on the Scottish Watershed in 2013

A year later I discovered the trekking pole shelter that has been my favourite ever since, the Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar. This hexagonal shaped tarp is similar in design and size to the Basha-Tent but even more stable and weighs 767 grams with groundsheet and pegs. After using it on the 2012 TGO Challenge across the Scottish Highlands I knew it would stand up to big storms so in 2013 I took it on my Scottish Watershed walk. As this was in midge season I used it with a mesh inner for a total weight of 1.16 kilos. It performed brilliantly in some severe weather. It has since been used on long walks from Yosemite Valley to Death Valley in 2016, from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean on the GR5 in the Alps in 2018, and through the Colorado Rockies for 500 miles in 2019 plus several more TGO Challenges and many shorter trips. It’s still going strong.

The MLD Trailstar below Mount Whitney on the Yosemite Valley to Death Valley walk in 2016

All the above shelters used two trekking poles, although with the Basha-Tent and the Trailstar one was just to hold a doorway open. The last two years I’ve been using a single pole tent, the Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL, which I like very much. I took this on my recent Cape Wrath Trail walk and it performed well. It weighs 1020 grams. On other trips I’ve just used the outer with a groundsheet, brings the weight down to 865 grams.

MLD SoloMid XL on the Cape Wrath Trail, 2024

I’ve tested other trekking pole shelters in recent years. Four of them are pictured below. I particularly like the Hilleberg Anaris and I’m delighted to hear that a solo version is planned. 

Hilleberg Anaris on a week-long walk in Knoydart, 2023

Vango Heddon 100 in the Cairngorms, 2021

Durston X-Mid 1 in the Cairngorms, 2023

Sierra Designs High Route 1 in the Cairngorms, 2022

I haven’t stopped using tents. Aside from testing them for The Great Outdoors magazine I often use one for short trips where weight isn’t that important. I wouldn’t take one on a trip of more than three or four days though.

Lightwave Sigma in the Cairngoems, 2023

I wrote about all the tents and shelters I’ve used on long walks from 1976 to 2019 here.

Ten Years of the Trailstar

Quinag, September 2015

On my walk with Tony Hobbs last month (see here) I realised that my Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar is ten years old and this deserved an acknowledgement. So here it is. In those years I've reviewed many tents and tarps but none has supplanted the Trailstar as my favourite for long walks. Indeed, I've used it on every walk of more than a few nights (and quite a few shorter ones) since 2012. It's travelled well over 2000 miles and been used on hundreds of nights and in some big storms and has never let me down.

Below Fuar Tholl in the NW Highlands on the TGO Challenge, May, 2012

Why do I like the Trailstar so much? Because, it's very light, roomy, and amazingly stable in stormy weather. I also like - no, enjoy, - the versatility. As it's a tarp rather than a tent it can be pitched in different ways. In particular it can be raised or lowered according to the weather - high for airflow, low too for wind resistance and to keep rain from blowing under the edges. 

A low pitch in very wet and windy weather above Loch a' Bhealaich on my Scottish Watershed walk, July 2013.

 

 

The Trailstar does have a big footprint but I don't find this a problem as it's easy to pitch over rocks and bushes. I've even pitched on small sites with one side halfway up a bank. Working out how to pitch on awkward terrain is much more interesting than pitching a tent with a fixed shape.

On the TGO Challenge, May 2014. A wet and windy site in the Cairngorms.

I love the feeling of contact with nature and the landscape the Trailstar gives.It's airy and open. I usually sleep with my head at the door so I can look out at the night sky. If wind and rain disturb me I can quickly shift to the back, out of their reach. I do have a mesh inner which I use in midge season though. There are limits to how close I want to be with some of nature!

TGO Challenge, May 2016. Beside Loch Morar.

At 3500 metres below Mount Whitney on my Yosemite Valley to Death Valley walk, October 2016

On the GR5 Through the Alps, September 2018.

TGO Challenge, May 2019. Below the Mamores.

High in the Colorado Rockies, August 2019

After all this use the Trailstar is still in good condition. Only the little MLD label has faded and frayed. I smeared sealant over the seams when it was new - straight out of the tube, no messing with thinning or multiple layers - and it has never leaked. I'm hoping to be using it for many years yet.

On the Moine Mhor, Cairngorms, May 2022

Tents and tarps I've used for long-distance walking over the decades

In the Wintergear Voyager on the Continental Divide Trail in 1985

A few weeks ago I posted about the packs I've used on long-distance walks. As that proved popular here's a round-up of the various shelters I've chosen over the years.

Starting out with ridge tents I then went to domes and hoops as curved poles became standard and then back to ridge tents when designs arrived that could be pitched with trekking poles. Most recently I've abandoned tents altogether and gone for shaped tarps. The tents I used in the early days would still be fine now though. What's changed is the materials. Modern shelters weigh less for the same space whilst being tougher and more durable.

My first backpacking tent was a single-skin ridge tent with no vents and no porch. The condensation was horrendous! I never used it on more than two-night trips. Next came a Saunders Backpacker II sloping ridge tent which was double-skin and had a big porch. I took this on the Pennine Way in 1976. Whilst it performed okay the sides did bellow in and out in strong winds as they were unsupported.

The Ultimate Tramp on a winter camp in Snowdonia

Wanting a more stable tent for my first really long walk, Land's End to John O'Groats in 1978, I chose another sloping ridge tent but one with side guylines and an A-pole at the front, the Ultimate Tramp. This proved excellent. I wasn't a photographer when I did that walk - my cheap compact camera broke in the first few weeks - so I have no pictures of the Tramp from it. I did find the photo above in a box of old prints, taken a year later, by which time I'd acquired another camera.

Both those ridge tents weighed around 1.8kg and had polyurethane coated flysheets that weren't that durable. As I didn't think the Tramp would last another long walk I looked for something else for my next trip. I also admit to being seduced by the new flexible pole hoop and dome tents that arrived around 1980 and which gave more space for the weight and it was one of these that I chose for the Pacific Crest Trail in 1982.

Wintergear Eyrie, Pacific Crest Trail, 1982

The Wintergear Eyrie was a two pole dome tent with a third pole for the porch. It was also single-skin and made of Gore-Tex. In the dry conditions of most of the walk it worked really well but in rainy and snowy weather in the Cascade Mountains near the end of the walk there was rather too much condensation for comfort. It was quite heavy at 2.26kg but very roomy and easy to pitch. The tent didn't last much longer than the walk though as soon afterwards it leaked badly in a Scottish downpour. It was the only time I ever used a single-skin tent on a long walk.

Wintergear Voyager, Continental Divide Trail, 1985

I used another Wintergear tent, the Voyager (still available from Terra Nova), on the Continental Divide Trail. This three-pole semi-geodesic dome was very stable and roomy but also quite heavy at 2.7kg. For the first 500 miles it housed two of us as my friend from the PCT Scott Steiner accompanied me. After that I had to carry it myself. It was the first time I'd used a tent that pitched inner-first, which was useful on nights when I wanted shelter from bugs or a breeze but rain was unlikely. Using just the inner there was never any condensation.

The Phoenix Phreeranger, Canadian Rockies walk, 1988

For my next two long walks, the length of the Candian Rockies and the Yukon Territory south to north, I chose a tent from a new British company, Phoenix Mountaineering, the successor to Ultimate, whose Tramp I'd used a decade earlier. This was the first single hoop tent I'd used and I liked the space, the weight (1.8kg) and the stability, even if the nine guylines could get tangled. The Phreeranger is the only tent I've used on two long-distance walks. I really did like it!

Phoenix Phreeranger and all my gear, Yukon walk, 1990

After four North American walks I returned to Europe for my next one, the Scandinavian mountains from south to north. Appropriately I chose a Scandinavian tent for this, the Nallo 2 from Swedish company Hilleberg. This two-pole tunnel tent weighed 2.2kg and was very roomy and stable. It needed to be the latter as this was by far the stormiest long walk I'd done so far. (It was soon to be surpassed). Like other tunnel tents it was best pitched rear to the wind for stability. There was one night when the wind changed and started pushing the sides of the tent against me and flexing the poles alarmingly. I got out into the black wetness and turned the tent ninety degrees. The shaking stopped and I went back to sleep. The Nallo 2 was the first tent I used with a silicone nylon flysheet rather than a PU coated one. Every shelter I used after the Nallo 2 was made from this light durable material.

Hilleberg Nallo 2, Scandinavian Mountains walk, 1992

I loved the Nallo 2 and I was impressed with the quality but I did wish it weighed less. At the time it was the lightest tent Hilleberg made. However not long after my Scandinavian walk the company introduced a solo tent that has been one of my favourites ever since, the Akto. This single-hoop tent weighed 1.7kg (the current version is made from lighter materials and weighs a little less). I chose it for my walk over the Munros and Tops and really tested it as this was even stormier than the Scandinavian Mountains walk. The Akto came through fine and I've since used it on many Scottish walks, including several TGO Challenge coast-to-coast crossings of the Highlands.

Hilleberg Akto, Munros and Tops walk, 1996

After two wet and windy walks I wanted to go somewhere warm and dry for my next trip. I'd really enjoyed the desert sections on the PCT and CDT so a return to the SouthWest USA seemed a good idea. After the Munros and Tops walk I did a two-week trip in the Grand Canyon with the Akto and realised that excellent though this tent was it wasn't needed for a desert walk where rain was very unlikely and I could sleep under the stars most nights. Also, I was now using trekking poles regularly and wanted to use them as tent poles too to save some weight. Designers hadn't caught up with this idea yet. So when I decided to walk the Arizona Trail I looked for a tarp rather than a tent and ended up with a shaped one called the Kathmandu Trekking Basha-Tent, which could be pitched as a pyramid. With a groundsheet and pegs the weight was 1.2kg, far lighter than any tent I'd used yet it was also far roomier than any of them too. I used it to keep off the wind on quite a few nights, which it did very well, and just once some rain and wet snow.

Kathmandu Trekking Basha-Tent, Arizona Trail, 2000

Having enjoyed using a tarp I took another one on my next walk, a 500 mile circular walk through the High Sierra starting and finishing in Yosemite Valley. I didn't reckon I needed the space or stability of the Basha-Tent so I took an even lighter tarp, the GoLite Cave. The weight with pegs and a groundsheet was 794 grams. Most nights I slept under the stars but I did pitch the Cave a few times when it looked like rain.

GoLite Cave, High Sierra, 2004

Using trekking poles for pitching the tarp was a success so I was determined not to carry tent poles on future long walks. However my next long walk, the Pacific Northwest Trail, went through country where it could be wet and windy and where mosquitoes could be a problem. I wanted something with doors I could close so I went back to a tent, a sloping ridge tent in fact that looked very like the one I'd used on the Pennine Way over thirty years earlier. However because it was made of silnylon and could be pitched with trekking poles the GoLite Shangri-La 1 only weighed 963 grams.

GoLite Shangri-La 1, Pacific Northwest Trail, 2010

The Shangri-La 1 had an inner, the Nest, that could be pitched on its own, which I did at camps where mosquitoes were biting but there was little chance of rain, the first time I'd had a tent that enabled me to do this since the Voyager on the CDT 25 years earlier. As the Nest was made of mesh rather than solid nylon it was even better than the Voyager inner as it meant I could see out whilst safe from the bugs.

GoLite Shangri-La Nest, Pacific Northwest Trail, 2010

I returned home for the next long walk, the Scottish Watershed. This high exposed route could be very wet and windy (it was) so I wanted a shelter that would stand up to big storms. I remembered how good the Basha-Tent had been in strong winds so I looked for something similar and found the Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar, which is amazingly stormproof yet very light. Knowing midges were likely I paired it with an OookWorks mesh Nest, which could be hung inside. The total weight was 1.16kg and like the Basha-Tent the room was more than I needed. At times the weather was as wild as on any walk I'd done and I was very glad of the Trailstar's wind resistance.

Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar, Scottish Watershed, 2013

After the storms of the Watershed I fancied another dry walk so my next one was from Yosemite Valley to Death Valley. I hoped to sleep under the stars most nights and I didn't really need a storm resistant shelter like the Trailstar. I took it anyway as it had become a favourite and it was so light. As I wasn't expecting mosquitoes I dispensed with the mesh inner and just took an ultralight Tyvek groundsheet. The total weight was just 801 grams. I did have some big winds in the desert that made the Trailstar worth carrying but overall I could have managed with an even lighter, smaller tarp like the GoLite Cave.

Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar, Yosemite Valley to Death Valley, 2016

Whern I wrote this piece I ended it "my next walk? Probably the Trailstar again". It was, on the next two long walks in fact.

The first was 400 miles on the GR5 through the Alps from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean Sea. Again I was expecting mosquitoes as it was another autumn walk and I took the same setup as on the Yosemite to Death Valley walk. The weather was wetter and windier than on that walk though and I used the Trailstar every night.

Trailstar on the GR5 after a thunderstorm, 2018

The second was another 400 mile walk, this time through the southern Colorado Rockies on the Continental Divide Trail, a section where I'd been forced to take a lower route by blizzards and deep snow on my CDT hike in 1985. I took the mesh inner because there were likely to be mosquitoes early on, as there were, but only for the first week.

Trailstar in the Colorado Rockies, again after a thunderstorm, hence the drying waterproofs, 2019

Tarps & Shelters: My Award-Winning Feature

Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar in the Cairngorms on this year's TGO Challenge

Last week I was given an OWPG Award for Excellence for the following feature, which appeared in the June 2013 issue of The Great Outdoors. Thanks to James Reader at The Great Outdoors for sending me the file which I couldn't find on my PC (probably buried in a backup somewhere). As it appeared over a year ago prices may have changed. My opinions haven't.

TARPS & SHELTERS

Chris Townsend spends some time under the lightest shelters for backpacking

Tents are the standard shelters for most backpackers. They provide protection and a feeling of security. So much so that many tent campers regard tarps and tarp-like shelters with horror. I take the opposite view. I much prefer a tarp shelter to a tent and have spent hundreds of nights using them. The reason is because tarps are so much more versatile. I like as little between myself and the outdoors as possible (my ideal night out is under the stars with no shelter at all other than a sleeping bag). With a tarp I can open it out for good views and more space when the weather permits and close it down to keep the weather out when the wind and rain picks up. Tarp shelters also have better ventilation and so less condensation than tents and are roomier for the weight.

There is actually no clear dividing line between a tarp, a tarp-like shelter and a tent. I reckon that if a shelter can only be pitched one way it’s a tent. If it’s a flat or shaped sheet with no zips or door then it’s a tarp, and if it’s shaped and has zips or a door but can be pitched in different ways then it’s a tarp-tent or tarp shelter. Here I’ve looked at ten tarps and tarp-tents.

A big objection to tarps for summer use is that they’re not insect proof. However there are insect netting inners that can be attached inside a tarp to overcome this problem. This is my preference. Some people like bivi bags with mesh hood.

Bivi bags are also popular for use with small tarps as they protect your sleeping bag from rain that enters at the side or entrance. I prefer a larger tarp that can be pitched down to the ground with a low door and still leave enough room to live comfortable inside. Shaped tarps are best for this and my choice for British hill conditions where horizontal wind-driven rain is not uncommon. Flat tarps are fine in forests though, where the rain is generally vertical. There they can be tied to trees too.

ADVICE & INSIGHT

Modifications & additions

No tarp or shelter should be considered as a finished item. All benefit from modifications and additions. They may need seam sealing, groundsheets, insect netting, extra/replacement pegs, trekking poles, extra guylines. In the reviews I’ve listed the extras I think each one needs. If seam sealing is required, the sealant needed depends on the fabric. Silicone nylon can only be sealed with silicone sealant like McNett Silnet. Extra guyline attachment points on large panels of fabric can greatly increase stability in the wind. There are various ways of doing this, including bunching fabric round a smooth pebble and tying on a guyline. I like Shelter System Grip Clips (ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/shelter_systems_grip_clips.html) which are easy to use and don’t damage the fabric.

Pitching practice

There is no right way to pitch a tarp or shelter. It all depends on the weather conditions. Pitch high for space and ventilation, pitch low for stability and weather protection. Even shaped tarps and ridge type shelters can be pitched in a number of ways. It’s sewn-in groundsheets and fixed-length curved poles that mean a tent can only be pitched one way. This versatility does mean that tarp shelters are not quite as easy to pitch as tents, at least until you’ve had a little practice. A little imagination is required too. There are many possibilities. A few hours spent trying out different shapes will be very valuable out in the wilds.

KEY FEATURES

Size

The correct size is one that will provide adequate protection for the number of people who will sleep under it. I reckon 1.8 x 3 metres is the minimum for a solo tarp that will be used without a bivi bag.

Shape

Flat tarps are the most versatile but require the most skill to pitch in a weather-shedding configuration. Shaped tarps are easier to pitch in tent-like shapes with low or small entrances to keep the weather out.

Seams

Unless they are taped, seams need sealing to prevent leakage, which can be more noticeable when there is no inner tent to repel drips. Pitch the tarp and apply the sealant to the outside of the seams.

Pegging/guyline points

Plenty of pegging points and guylines are needed for stability with most tarps – large sheets of nylon can catch the wind easily. Adding extra ones is a good idea with many tarps.

Pegs

Pegs are under more strain with tarps than on many tent designs and so need to be secure. Tubular, V-shape and Y-shape pegs hold best, with a minimum length of 16cms.

Weight

Tarps are mostly quite light but remember you have to add the weight of any extras – groundsheet, bug netting, pegs. Even then a tarp shelter will weigh less than a tent of comparable size.

Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar Silnylon    Best Buy   ***** 

$210  (c.£137)

mountainlaureldesigns.com

Likes                 storm resistance, ultralight, roomy, versatile, cost

Dislikes             only available from the USA and there is a waiting time, seams need       

                        sealing

The Trailstar is a simple-looking five-sided shaped tarp. The design is less basic than it appears however as the curved shape of the Trailstar means it’s amazingly wind resistant – far better than most lightweight tents – when pitched with a low profile and the sides down to the ground. Last year it stood up to the big winds and torrential rain on the TGO Challenge better than, I think, any backpacking tent would have done. If the wind isn’t very strong it can be pitched with a higher profile for more headroom and a bigger door that gives better views of the outside world. And if the wind picks up the profile can be lowered from inside. For maximum ventilation and views it can be pitched with the edges well above the ground and two sides raised to form a huge entrance.

With only a little practice it can be pitched quickly too. It does cover a large area but this doesn’t matter as there’s no fixed shape. I’ve pitched it with one side halfway up a high bank and over mounds and logs. Using a trekking pole as the centre pole I’ve found 120cms one about right for a high profile pitch and 100cms for a low profile one. A second pole is needed to hold up one side for a doorway. Even with a high pitch the door can kept low to keep any rain out. A low door also gives privacy if you’re using the Trailstar on a campsite.

Whether pitched high or low there’s plenty of room inside for gear storage and cooking for two people. Used solo there’s enough space to spread out all your gear and still have bare ground.

In my opinion the Trailstar is close to perfect. There are just two drawbacks. Firstly it’s only available from the manufacturer in the USA and there’s a waiting time. Secondly you have to seal the seams yourself (a tube of silicone sealer is provided). The last didn’t take me very long though.

Style                shaped tarp

Fabric              silnylon

Size                 4.6+ sq.metres

Poles               trekking

Pegs                    optional 5x 23cm Easton tubular, 5x 16.5cm titanium skewers or own

                       choice

Makers Weight   482g without guylines or pegs      

TGO Weight        485g without guylines or pegs, 770g with guylines & pegs

Modifications/Additions seam sealing, trekking poles, pegs

 

Alpkit Rig  7   Best Buy   *****

£50

alpkit.com

Likes                   size, light weight, guyline points

Dislikes              nothing

Of the flat tarps tested this is by far the best because it’s big enough to provide enough space when pitched in a storm-resistant configuration and has masses of reinforced guyline attachment points – eight on the body of the tarp and 16 round the edges. It can be pitched as a ridge, a wedge, a pyramid, a lean-to and with the edges down to the ground or raised high for ventilation and airiness. As a solo tarp, it’s roomy and there is ample space for two under it. The main seam is taped so there’s no need to spend time sealing it. The Rig 7 is lightweight too and compact when packed, though it is hard to squeeze it back into the provided stuffsack. The price is low. If you want to try a tarp this is the one to go for. And if you’re already a fan of tarps this is the best flat one I’ve come across.

Style                     flat tarp

Fabric                   30D silicone nylon

Size                      2.8 x 2.4m

Poles                    no

Pegs                     no

Makers Weight    514g

TGO Weight     507g

Modifications/Additions   trekking poles, pegs, guylines

Rab Element 2   Recommended ****

£110   

rab.uk.com

Likes                lightweight, roomy, two doors

Dislikes            no guylines

Rab’s new tarp shelters are in fact rebadged Integral Designs ones (both companies are owned by Equip). The Element 2 is a simple ridge design that pitches with trekking poles. There’s a zipped door with small mesh-covered protected vents at each end. The Element 2 is quick and easy to pitch and for maximum protection it can be pitched down to the ground. Pitching it higher, so there is a gap between it and the ground, gives better ventilation and more headroom. In really fine weather both doors can be opened for airflow through the shelter. One side can also be fully opened as well and raised up to make a lean-to type shelter if you have four poles. The Element 2 is roomy for one and adequate for two. Stability is quite good, though the big unsupported sides do billow in and out in strong winds and the ridge line can sag a little. To counter this I suggest adding guylines at each end and on the sides.

The Element 2 comes with a tube of seam sealant. I haven’t used this and the shelter has kept out heavy rain. However, seams can open slightly so it would be wise to seal them for long-term use.

The Element 2 is a versatile shelter that could also be used in place of a bothy bag as it’s so easy to pitch. Rab suggests that it’s ideal for digging into the snow in winter. For midge season there is an Element 2 Bug Net that can be pitched inside the Element 2 (or similar shelter). This costs £90 and weighs 880 grams.

Style                           ridge tent

Fabric                         30D silicone Cordura

Size                            3.8 x 1.4 metres, max. height 1.1 metres

Poles                          no

Pegs                           6 x 17cm V angle

Makers Weight          632 grams

TGO Weight             613 grams

Modifications/Additions: end and side guylines plus pegs, trekking poles, seam sealing

Rab  Silwing  ***1/2

£80

rab.uk.com       

Likes                        very light

Dislikes                    no reinforcements in centre

The Silwing is a catenary cut, seven-sided tarp with eight reinforced pegging points at the corners and edges. It can be pitched with one pole but I think is best used with two – a long and a short one – and pitched as a sloping ridge. Unfortunately there are no reinforced patches on the main body of the tarp so it can’t easily be pitched with a pole at the centre or anywhere inside. I tried but the slick fabric just slides off the pole. It could be tied in place but this bunches up the fabric. The cut of the Silwing means it’s pretty wind resistant. However, to keep out rain it needs to be pitched fairly low to the ground or, if it’s not very windy, as an asymmetric lean-to. The seams aren’t sealed and whilst they have repelled heavy rain so far I would seal them for long term use.

Overall this is a good tarp for solo use, though I would use a bivy bag as well to ensure my sleeping bag stayed dry.

Style                         shaped tarp

Fabric                       30D silicone Cordura

Size                          2.4 x 2.13 metres

Poles                        no

Pegs                         no

Makers Weight       355 grams

TGO Weight     321 grams

Modifications/Additions    trekking poles, pegs, seam sealing

Luxe Sil-Rocket   Recommended   ****

£140      

backpackinglight.co.uk

Likes                      lightweight

Dislikes                 short pegs

The Sil-Rocket is a versatile tarp-tent that can be pitched as ridge-tent style shelter or opened out to make a much roomier, better-ventilated tarp. Luxe suggests pitching it with just one pole at the door end but I agree with UK distributors Backpacking Light that it’s much better to use a short pole at the foot end as well. Otherwise it’s hard to avoid pushing your sleeping bag against the fabric. There’s ample room for one and when opened out two could sleep under it. In the latter configuration you can’t close the door zip. If necessary the pitch can be changed from inside the shelter though it’s easier to do it from outside. The Sil-Rocket comes with fairly short pegs. I’d replace at least some of these with longer ones for added security. Wind resistance is quite good but the sides do move a great deal in strong winds. Adding guylines to these would reduce this.

The Sil-Rocket is good value as it comes with an inner nest that can be pitched inside whether in ridge-tent or tarp configuration. This nest can be pitched on its own in dry buggy weather.

Style                      ridge tent/shaped tarp

Fabric                    40D silicone ripstop nylon

Size                       inner 2 x 1.2 metres, tapering to 80cm at foot

Poles                     no

Pegs                      11 x 13cm V-angle

Makers Weight     1152g – tarp 540g, nest 478g, pegs 104g, stuffsacks 30g

TGO Weight        1150g – tarp  546g, nest 478g, pegs 99g, stuffsacks 27g

Modifications/Additions   trekking poles, longer pegs, side guylines

Luxe Sil-Shelter  ***1/2

£140

backpackinglight.co.uk   

Likes                    very roomy

Dislikes                not that stable

Style                        tarp-tent

Fabric                     40D silicone ripstop nylon

Size                        2.75m x 1.75m tapering to 1.44m, 1.2m at high point

Poles                      one curved hoop, trekking pole also needed

Pegs                       9 x 13cm V-angle

Makers Weight      1008g

TGO Weight    1044g

Modifications/Additions   longer pegs, side guylines

The Sil-Shelter really is half-tent, half-tarp. It comes with one curved pole so the back looks like a tunnel tent. However a trekking pole is needed for the front end, as with a tarp. Some variation in the pitch at the door is possible with two trekking poles – open up the door and use a pole to support each side – but not overall. The inside is cavernous with easily enough room for two people plus all their gear. There’s good headroom too. The Sil-Shelter is easy to pitch, though I did find the curved pole had to be bent so much to clip it in place that I was worried it might crack. The pegs supplied are on the short side and I suggest replacing some with longer ones.

The big unsupported sides and the single guyline at the front mean that stability in the wind isn’t that good. Adding a second guyline at the front plus side guylines would improve stability but I don’t think a shelter this shape could ever be really wind resistant so it’s best used on sheltered sites.

Terra Nova Competition Tarp 1     ***1/2

£50

terra-nova.co.uk  

Likes                       very light

Dislikes                   not very big

The Competition Tarp is as basic as a shelter can be, just a flat sheet with eight attachment points on the sides. It can be pitched as a lean-to or a ridge tent. In either configuration it can be pitched high for good ventilation and headroom or low for better weather protection. The small size means it’s hard to get full protection though, unless you pitch it so low you have to crawl underneath it, which isn’t very comfortable and means you’re in contact with the fabric. I’d rather use it with a bivi bag and just have it covering the head end so there was space for cooking, sitting and gear storage.

The very low weight of this tarp means it could be carried to extend the porch of a tent or as a separate cooking shelter. I’ve carried a similar tarp on walks in grizzly bear country where it’s unwise to cook in or near your tent. This is not something likely to bother backpackers in Britain though!

Style                      flat tarp     

Fabric                    silnylon

Size                       1.4 x 2.4 metres

Poles                     no

Pegs                      no

Makers Weight     290g

TGO Weight    261g

Modifications/Additions      trekking poles, pegs, guylines

MSR Twin Sisters Recommended  ****

£140

cascadedesigns.com      

Likes                   size, stability, two doors

Dislikes              no guylines

The Twin Sisters is closer to a tent than a tarp but does fit in this review as it can be pitched in different ways – either as a ridge tent or with one side raised as a lean-to tarp, though this does require four poles. It comes with two tent poles but trekking poles can easily be used instead to save weight. MSR describes it as an ‘all season mountain shelter’ and to that end it has snow valances for winter use. It’s also designed so the two poles are relatively close together and the side panels form triangles not rectangles. This means these panels are smaller than on many tents and less prone to deforming in strong winds. Overall stability is good but it can be improved by adding guylines to each end.

The Twin Sisters is easy to pitch. There are doors and covered vents at each end so through-ventilation is possible. The valances do restrict ventilation though so condensation is more likely than in airier shelters. Protection from the weather is excellent.

The Twin Sisters has ample room for two people but is light enough to be carried for solo use. I think it’s an excellent shelter for use in the snow but I’d prefer not to have the valances for summer use.

Style                         ridge tent

Fabric                      30D ripstop silicone/polyurethane nylon

Size                         4.1 sq.metres, 2.9m long, 1.8-1.5m wide, 1.1m high

Poles                        2 DAC

Pegs                         8 x 16cm V-angle

Makers Weight        n/a

TGO Weight    1443g complete, 1103g without poles

Modifications/Additions   guylines

vauDe Wing Tarp UL   ***1/2

£145

vaude.co.uk

Likes                       lightweight

Dislikes                   quite expensive

The Wing Tarp is an asymmetric, seven-sided, shaped tarp that can be pitched in a number of ways. The instructions suggest pitching it as a wedge-shaped tent with one trekking pole. I found it difficult to follow these instructions though I eventually managed to follow them. Pitching like this involves clipping sections of the fabric together so the tarp forms a rectangle. This seems a waste of the available room so I wouldn’t choose to pitch it like this. The resulting wedge-shaped shelter has no door or ventilation either – good for protection but rather negating the whole point of a tarp. I’d rather have a short pole at the rear and a long one at the front and plenty of space. The Wing Tarp is big enough to pitch like this with good headroom, the edges down to the ground and a small door to keep out the weather. It can of course be pitched in other configurations.

There’s nothing wrong with the Wing Tarp but it is expensive compared with alternatives.

Style                        shaped tarp

Fabric                      40D ripstop silicone/polyurethane nylon

Size                         4m x 3.4m, variable

Poles                       no

Pegs                        8 x 15.8cm square

Makers Weight       659g

TGO Weight    650g

Modifications/Additions  trekking poles

Vango Adventure Tarp        ***1/2

£30

vango.co.uk  

Likes                    low cost

Dislikes               heavy pole & pegs

Vango’s Adventure Tarp is designed mainly to be used as an extension to a tent, which it does very well. Used on its own the unusual shape means thought is required to pitch it so it provides good protection. I found a tapered ridge the most effective shape. That this tarp isn’t really aimed at backpackers is shown by the heavy steel pole and pegs. The pole is fixed-length too, which isn’t very versatile. The Adventure Tarp does have taped seams and attached guylines and is easy to pitch. The tarp alone is relatively heavy but the price is low, making this a reasonable choice for experimentation or for extending the door of a tent for base camp or car camping use.

Style                     shaped tarp

Fabric                   70D polyester

Size                      2m x 3m on one side & 3.75m on the other

Poles                    1 steel

Pegs                     6 x 19.5cm steel pins

Makers Weight   1.32kg

TGO Weight       1.24kg   tarp 733g

Modifications/Additions   trekking poles, light pegs