Tents, Hammocks, and Tarps

Warbonnet Outdoors has quite a large selection of hammock tarps, enough to suit anyone’s preferences. The Minifly is a 132″ x 91″ hex-style tarp with “short” doors that weighs 11.75 oz (2000mm, 20D silpoly). It’s basically a stripped down and lighter weight version …

The Sierra Designs Backcountry Bivy is a spacious bivy sack that is large enough to hold a thick air mattress and a cold-weather sleeping bag. It has a U-shaped zipper that provides access at the head-end along with a mesh panel that …

Recently on walkabout in the southern highlands of Scotland, I idly pondered how many nights I have spent under the Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar. I am not affiliated with Mountain Laurel Designs and am rarely given gear to test or review. I …

The REI Flash Air 2 Tent is an ultralight two-person tent with two doors and two vestibules that weighs 1 pound 15 ounces if pitched with trekking poles (regular tent poles are also included). It is a single wall tent with lots …

The Eureka Solitaire AL is a lightweight single-person bivy style tent that comes with durable aluminum tents poles. Weighing just 2 lbs 10 oz, the Solitaire AL costs $115 and provides backpackers with an interesting alternative to other solo backpacking tents costing …

Gossamer Gear’s “The One” ultralight 1-person tent is an ultralight, single-walled trekking-pole tent that weighs 22 oz. It has a spacious interior that’s a palace for one, with excellent ventilation to help prevent internal condensation. Factory seam-taped, there’s no need to seam seal …

The Terra Rosa Gear Hoodless Sleeping Bag Cover is made out of a soft grade of Tyvek called 1443r, which is a breathable, waterproof fabric with a very soft hand that feels like silk. It’s amazing stuff and doesn’t feel like house …

The NEMO Hornet Elite 1 Tent is an ultralight double-wall tent that only weighs 1 lb 7 oz. It’s ideal for solo backpacking or bikepacking trips when you need a shelter that packs up small, but provides better wind and weather protection …

The Hilleberg Tarp 5 is an unconventional, five-sided tarp that weighs 11.3 oz, including guylines and line tensioners. Most backpacking and hammock tarps are four-sided rectangles or six-sided hexagon shapes, so a five-sided tarp is a real departure from the norm. That’s …

The ENO SubLink Hammock Shelter System contains all of the components necessary for backpacking with a hammock, except foam padding or some other insulation to keep your back warm at night. If you’ve never hammocked or want to get into backpacking with …

The REI Trail Hut 2 is a two-person tent double-wall tent with two doors and two vestibules. It’s exceptionally easy to set up with a freestanding dome structure and includes a ground cloth to protect the floor from abrasion. Priced at $199, …

The REI Flash 1 Air Tent is a one-person ultralight trekking pole tent that weighs 20 oz and costs $249. It’s a single wall tent with a side entrance and a large vestibule for gear storage. Myriad venting options increase airflow to …

The Seek Outside Eolus Tent with Nest is a 36.9 oz-tent that pitches with two trekking poles. It is very large for such a lightweight two-person tent, making it extremely livable and comfortable, especially for taller individuals, or people who have to …

The Hilleberg Mesh 1 Tent is a spacious single-person A-frame style bug bivy designed to be used under a tarp. While it’s frequently bundled with Hilleberg’s Tarp 5 Backpacking Tarp (see review), it can be used with any rectangular tarp to form …