jime
New member
Does anyone have any information/feedback on the Henry Shires Tarptents...specifically the Cloudburst 2? How does it handle rain, humid weather and how durable is it?
Thanks for any feedback!
Thanks for any feedback!
Henry Shires Tarptent
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poison ivy
Well-known member
I love, love, love my Shires tarptent. (I have the Squall though, not the Cloudburst.) I have been extremely happy with it -- have used it in rain and in pretty strong winds and it's held up like a champ. This will be my third year using the Squall.
As with any tent, it can have condensation issues on those humid, wet days... but it's way better than other tents I'ved used. I occaisionally wake up to find the interior walls a little moist... but never to the point where water is dripping on me (which has happened with other lightweight tents.)
Overall, I think it's a fantastic tent and Henry Shires' customer service has been outstanding. I'd highly recommend getting one.
- Ivy
As with any tent, it can have condensation issues on those humid, wet days... but it's way better than other tents I'ved used. I occaisionally wake up to find the interior walls a little moist... but never to the point where water is dripping on me (which has happened with other lightweight tents.)
Overall, I think it's a fantastic tent and Henry Shires' customer service has been outstanding. I'd highly recommend getting one.
- Ivy
zman
New member
Cloudburst 2
I have the Cloudburst 2 and have used it twice this fall-
It is very lightweight and easy to set up- interior space is more than adequate for two large males and most of our gear( I am 6' and like a lot of room, hiking patner is a bit smaller) -
Second time we used it was in November on a couple of inches of wet snow- very dry, no problem with condensation- looking forward to the spring and summer to really put it through it's paces-
It is a great compromise between a simple tarp without bug protection or good weather protection and a full blown tent which would be 2+ pounds heavier- I have the attached floor with bug netting and it does take a bit of fiddling to get the proper adjustment. other than that its a breeze to set up-
So far no regrets and I love how light it is!!
I have the Cloudburst 2 and have used it twice this fall-
It is very lightweight and easy to set up- interior space is more than adequate for two large males and most of our gear( I am 6' and like a lot of room, hiking patner is a bit smaller) -
Second time we used it was in November on a couple of inches of wet snow- very dry, no problem with condensation- looking forward to the spring and summer to really put it through it's paces-
It is a great compromise between a simple tarp without bug protection or good weather protection and a full blown tent which would be 2+ pounds heavier- I have the attached floor with bug netting and it does take a bit of fiddling to get the proper adjustment. other than that its a breeze to set up-
So far no regrets and I love how light it is!!
hikerfast
Active member
are those tarptents bug free?
poison ivy
Well-known member
Cold River Bob
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I to have the tarptent, Have had it for two years and love it. You can get it any way you want, and can be put up in a couple of min.Well worth the money.
Charly
New member
WOW!
I really like those.
And he even has plans on the site to make your own....very cool!
I really like those.
And he even has plans on the site to make your own....very cool!
Jay H
New member
I have a Cloudburst 2. If you get the sewn-in floor, it is bug proof. I have used it at 6000ft in Wrangell St Elias and although it did stand up to the winds (I'm guessing 30-40mph gusts), I wouldn't want to spend an extended trip with those conditions constantly, myself. However, it is not a 4-season tent and isn't entirely made for above treeline camping (which we were doing in AK).
Other comments I have on it is that stitching is coming out on one of the guylines and my cinch sack has exploded. I suggest to be very very careful when you get the silnylon sack wet, seems like any tear or rip, becomes a hairy mess, my sack has exploded. As far as my guyline, I don't know exactly when the sewing started to come out but it was certainly after camping in AK that I noticed the sticting coming out and there was another problem right from the start, one of the pole holders stitching is out such that I have to put the longer front pole in a certain direction or else it'll catch on the stitching and wont come out of the pole sleeve. It's a nuisance but it's been like that since day one and talking to HS, I didn't want to send it back in just for this.
My other gripes is it is awkward to get in/out with the center guyline mounted, it's HUGE, it's not the best temp when trying to bushwack camp, it's actually longer than some tentsite platforms (like at 13 falls in the White Mtns, I had to sort of stake my tent outside the marked stone rings there on one of the campsites that we stayed at.)
having said the above, I still like the tent as it has done what it's supposed to do, be a lightweight below-treeline shelter for 2.
Jay
Other comments I have on it is that stitching is coming out on one of the guylines and my cinch sack has exploded. I suggest to be very very careful when you get the silnylon sack wet, seems like any tear or rip, becomes a hairy mess, my sack has exploded. As far as my guyline, I don't know exactly when the sewing started to come out but it was certainly after camping in AK that I noticed the sticting coming out and there was another problem right from the start, one of the pole holders stitching is out such that I have to put the longer front pole in a certain direction or else it'll catch on the stitching and wont come out of the pole sleeve. It's a nuisance but it's been like that since day one and talking to HS, I didn't want to send it back in just for this.
My other gripes is it is awkward to get in/out with the center guyline mounted, it's HUGE, it's not the best temp when trying to bushwack camp, it's actually longer than some tentsite platforms (like at 13 falls in the White Mtns, I had to sort of stake my tent outside the marked stone rings there on one of the campsites that we stayed at.)
having said the above, I still like the tent as it has done what it's supposed to do, be a lightweight below-treeline shelter for 2.
Jay
Rick
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I've seen a few on the AT and heard Seema rave about hers. I have been thinking on and off for years about getting one, and figured I would just bite the bullet this year, but a new tent has caught my eye - It is the MSR Fling
It is a pound heavier than the Cloudburst (plus sewn in floor), but doesn't have the guyline in front that Jay mentioned. It seems just as cavernous as the cludburst and has a front door w/ mesh.
The big plus is that it is also freestanding for those times where you are on a rocky area (which is tough with many of the ultralights, which are all non-freestanding)
I have pretty much decided to get one with my REI dividend next month. But I'd be glad to write up a review of it, after I have a chance to use it this spring.
It is a pound heavier than the Cloudburst (plus sewn in floor), but doesn't have the guyline in front that Jay mentioned. It seems just as cavernous as the cludburst and has a front door w/ mesh.
The big plus is that it is also freestanding for those times where you are on a rocky area (which is tough with many of the ultralights, which are all non-freestanding)
I have pretty much decided to get one with my REI dividend next month. But I'd be glad to write up a review of it, after I have a chance to use it this spring.
Jay H
New member
As far as the center guyline, you don't need to use it if it's not raining, I don't use the center unless you need to extend the beak....
I know the newer cloudbursts have been redesigned too, such that they got rid of the center guyline and now have 4 guypoints (instead of three L, middle, R) such that it hopefully fixed the center guyline problem... I just checked out HS's website and saw a picture of the opening and door end of the Cloudburst...
jay
I know the newer cloudbursts have been redesigned too, such that they got rid of the center guyline and now have 4 guypoints (instead of three L, middle, R) such that it hopefully fixed the center guyline problem... I just checked out HS's website and saw a picture of the opening and door end of the Cloudburst...
jay
marty
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Here are some reviews of the Cloudburst. Some may be older versions. I have heard the current version is just a tad better, including ventilation:
Cloudburst - Backpackgeartest.org
Regards,
Marty
Cloudburst - Backpackgeartest.org
Regards,
Marty
Gris
New member
Dont get sucked into the nano-ounce counting "lightest is rightest" marketing hype! IMO something like a mesh tent under a tarp is INFINITELY more versatile (use your tarp for quick trail-side weather protection, sleep under the stars in your mesh tent if bugs out, sleep just under tarp w/ super ventitalion if no bugs, etc., etc., etc.) If you look around you can get good ones for something like $50-75 each. Just be sure to get last year's model of bug tent (2-man size is best) and a WP silnylon tarp approx 8x10 big enuff to cover the thing.
sli74
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Rick said:
I have the older version of the Squall and the older version of the Cloudburst and LOVE them both. Now that I have both, I prefer the Cloudburst for the extra usable headroom it has . . . Brian and I and all our gear fit very comfortably into the tent, we can both sit up in the Cloudburst at the same time, which is harder in the Squall. I have the sewn in floor and the zippered mesh doors since I am bug-phobic . . .
The tent Rick posted also looks very nice and Rick, I am looking forward to a gear report on the MSR tent. I also considered a bug net with a tarp for the versatility but the ease of set up I find with the Henry Shires beats fumbling with multiple parts, specifically setting up in the rain, which we have done numerous times. When the weather is really nice and there are no bugs, we usually just "cowboy" it . . .
I would buy another Henry Shires tent in a heartbeat. Highly recommend it.
sli74
jime
New member
So far sounds like the majority have had good luck. Gris, what do you recommend for a bug tent? Something like the OR Bug Bivy?
Thanks all for the real world accounts! I appreciate it! It's good to know what you can expect and not expect with one of these.
Thanks all for the real world accounts! I appreciate it! It's good to know what you can expect and not expect with one of these.
Gris
New member
NO! something big enuff for two & w/ a bath-tub floor like the Beta-bug, liar-2 nest or best of all what i have MSR bug insert. Seema's right tho, you have to know how to set up a tarp if ya wanna be able to do it fast, but once you master it nothing beats it - the ventilation alone makes it the hands down winner IMO.
jime
New member
Okay, thanks, I'll check out those options as well!
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