Recommendations on bivy tent

Re: bivy tent-> Tarptent Moment DW

In about a month Tarptent will release their Moment DW one man tent with a ripstop nylon inner tent. (Only mesh inner tents are out now in the Moment DW.)

The DW has 2 doors and one larger vestibule for pack storage and cooking (at the same time). A "crossing pole" is optional to make it freestanding &/or support a snow load.

I have the original Moment single wall tent and it is THE best solo tent I can find. Had it 3 seasons now. Getting the Moment DW next month for 4 season use. I modified a TT SCARP 2 for winter as well. Lots of room for two.
 
Re: bivy tent-> Tarptent Moment DW

In about a month Tarptent will release their Moment DW one man tent with a ripstop nylon inner tent. (Only mesh inner tents are out now in the Moment DW.)

The DW has 2 doors and one larger vestibule for pack storage and cooking (at the same time). A "crossing pole" is optional to make it freestanding &/or support a snow load.

I have the original Moment single wall tent and it is THE best solo tent I can find. Had it 3 seasons now. Getting the Moment DW next month for 4 season use. I modified a TT SCARP 2 for winter as well. Lots of room for two.

Just watched the video for this. Pretty cool and very versatile for it's weight. A little small in terms of floor space compared to the Rainbow, for instance, but would seem like a very good choice and with the new interchangeable inner walls between noseeum netting and breathable nylon (now where have I seen that before...), even more versatile... Bears a close look, no doubt.
 
True, the Tarptent Rainbow is a bit larger than the Moment and has a large vestibule but it is not nearly as wind resistant, or as light.

I'm a geezer so weight becomes more important to me each year. :D
This year I'll be solo hunting/backpackingg in northern Nevada's Ruby Mountains with my new Moment DW. Here's hoping I won't need to carry snowshoes.
 
True, the Tarptent Rainbow is a bit larger than the Moment and has a large vestibule but it is not nearly as wind resistant, or as light.

I'm a geezer so weight becomes more important to me each year. :D
This year I'll be solo hunting/backpackingg in northern Nevada's Ruby Mountains with my new Moment DW. Here's hoping I won't need to carry snowshoes.

Rainbow is 34 oz. with a floor of 23 ft. square. It is quite wind resistant if guyed out properly and pitched with an end into the wind.

Moment is also 34 oz. with a floor of 18.1 ft. square. With optional 7oz. additonal weight pole, it is freestanding and 'snow load' capable.
 
Re: bivy tent-> Tarptent Moment DW

In about a month Tarptent will release their Moment DW one man tent with a ripstop nylon inner tent. (Only mesh inner tents are out now in the Moment DW.)

The DW has 2 doors and one larger vestibule for pack storage and cooking (at the same time). A "crossing pole" is optional to make it freestanding &/or support a snow load.

I have the original Moment single wall tent and it is THE best solo tent I can find. Had it 3 seasons now. Getting the Moment DW next month for 4 season use. I modified a TT SCARP 2 for winter as well. Lots of room for two.

Litehiker, I have been considering the Moment for awhile. Where did you get the info that it would be coming out with a nylon interior? Would you by chance know about the new weight?? I was about ready to pull the plug on it but maybe I'll wait now. I guess I can call Henry and inquire. I currently have the contrail but I need to have a freestanding setup and the contrail is just a wee bit small and I like the side entrances better. It is easier for an old guy to get out......:D

Randy
 
Moment DW and Rainbow

The Moment DW presently is available with only the net inner tent. While talking to Henry Shires, the designer and owner of Tarptent two weeks ago he said they are finalizing the production of the new ripstop inner tent for the Moment DW and it should be availabel in late August.

The Moment DW is a true double wall tent while the Rainbow is a single wall tent, Even with the liner the Rainbow is not a double wall entirely B/C the liner does not cover the door netting, just like my single wall Moment liner.

Therfore to even come close to a Moment DW (with ripstop inner tent) for winter weather the Rainbow will be heavier, albeit with a larger floor than the Moment DW.

I presently have the original single wall Moment but it apppears it will no longer be manufactured now that the Moment DW is on the market.
 
A double wall (DW) design will most often end up being more comfortable in the long run, than a single wall design, to spend time in. No doubt about that.

That said, with just me sleeping in the very well ventilated Rainbow, in the clouds all night, in very moist western Washington, I wake up to very little to zero condensation in the Rainbow. In dry climes (most of which are dryer compared to Western Washington), I think condensation with be even less of an issue. I can also get all of my gear (pack, boots, and large longrange rifle) in and on the tent floor with me if I deem necessary for some reason due to the very large and comfortable floor size for a single person tent.

The difference in the square footage of the floor size between the 23 ft. square Rainbow and 18.1 ft. square Moment DW is enormous. To put it in perspective, the Rainbow floor space is 27% greater than that of the Moment DW for no additional cost in weight. More space for the same weight equals more comfort and relaxation and rest when using your shelter, which can translate into how well you can sustain hard hunting.

In addition, the height of the Rainbow is 44" as opposed to the 39" height of the Moment DW. Again, this translates into more comfort while using your shelter.

The Rainbow is simply a much larger shelter in head room and floor space for the same weight as the Moment DW and I have had zero problems in the worst of moisture conditions with it. The Rainbow also has a large and very adjustable vestibule. In addtion, with it's true 40" continuous width, two standard 20" pads can be placed side by side so it can work for two people in a pinch if that became necessary.

Additionally, the Rainbow can be made to be freestanding if trekking poles (something you should already have with you) are used at the ends at ground level to tension the floor widthwise as is shown in Henry's video for the Rainbow. I use my trekking poles everyday and so if I was somewhere that I had to have a freestanding tent, I would simply weight the collapsed tent with some rocks or something while I was gone hunting for the day. But, I would do the same with a freestanding tent. You would obviously never leave a freestanding tent freestanding while gone for the day--one gust of wind and there goes your freestanding tent. So, you wouldn't treat the two much differently if in an area where you couldn't stake them down.

I've seen staked, otherwise freestanding, and partially loaded tent be blown into a crevasse while their owner was away summiting (ahem...'I have this friend'...;) ). This kind of story is pretty common in mountaineering circles and the typical solution is to use trekking poles and crevasse rescue pickets for stakes and/or load snow onto the collapsed tent with your snow shovel before leaving camp for the summit. Typically, you may want at least your crevasse rescue pickets with you, if someone fell into a crevasse and you need to set up an anchor to get them out, so the best solution often ends up being to simply pile snow onto the collapsed tent while you are gone. I'm not aware of a pretty, perfect solution to this dilemma, freestanding or not no matter what kind of terrain you are in. And the Moment DW requires an additional 7 oz. pole to make it freestanding, making it significantly heavier than the Rainbow, when you can accomplish the same by using trekking poles when in the tent at night with the Rainbow.
 
JMDN,

I agree the Rainbow is well ventilated, like my singlewall Moment, and the Rainbow has more floor space, much like the TT Contrail I used to have.

But now I'm going to use the new Moment DW for solo winter camping and don't want the added weight of my Scarp 2. Where I'll be in Northern Nevada and my Spring Mountains above 8,000 ft. I'll need that double wall.

Even here in the Spring Mountains outside of 'Vegas it gets humid in a tent in winter. But my SW Moment is just TOO well ventilated for winter and won't keep out spindrift snow. I do have SMC snow stakes for winter. I carry just one in summer for a potty trowel & "sand stake" when necessary. Otherwise I use MSR Ground Hog stakes.

I think I'll have no trouble slipping my Browning A-Bolt inside my GTX camo pants and laying it alongside me in the Moment DW. I use my GTX parka zipped up to put over the foot of my sleeping bag to keep frost off the foot and give a bit more warmth.

Boot liners go inside my bag as do my closed cell neoprene divers' socks. Those socks keep my boot GTX insulation dry from the inside. I hate bitterly cold feet in the morning.
 
Hey Airborne, don't like the gov issued?

Foreign attitude adjuster... I like it!


The gov issued bivy bag is pretty good, only issue is that it does not seal up completely. In nov I am going on an ibex hunt here in New Mexico. The Florida mountains are loaded with rattle snakes! Their is a significant chance that they will still be out during my hunt. Last thing I want is to wake up with a rattle snake as a pillow.
Other than that the mil issue bivy bag works great.
 
Re: Moment DW and Rainbow

The Moment DW presently is available with only the net inner tent. While talking to Henry Shires, the designer and owner of Tarptent two weeks ago he said they are finalizing the production of the new ripstop inner tent for the Moment DW and it should be availabel in late August.

The Moment DW is a true double wall tent while the Rainbow is a single wall tent, Even with the liner the Rainbow is not a double wall entirely B/C the liner does not cover the door netting, just like my single wall Moment liner.

Therfore to even come close to a Moment DW (with ripstop inner tent) for winter weather the Rainbow will be heavier, albeit with a larger floor than the Moment DW.

I presently have the original single wall Moment but it apppears it will no longer be manufactured now that the Moment DW is on the market.

Just to let anyone who is interested in the Moment,
I spoke with Henry yesterday about the modifications of the Moment. Henry said that they will be available in about 3 weeks and the weight difference between the mesh inner and solid inner will be about 3 ounces. So, this will be my new set up.

Randy
 
I use a US army gortex bivy cover Got it for 45$ on amazon I can fit every thing but my pack in it with me works well if your not claustrophobic:D
 
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