Tarptent Rainbow

It does bring some 'joy' :) And honestly, our gear should be fun and bring some joy. * Caveat - it is a pretty niche tent - it is not perfect or even the best choice for all conditions. But for the conditions that I have used it in it has been great. * Caveat - I really like the Tarptent Double Rainbow Li and the Startospire 2 Li.

I use a Tarptent Rainbow, which sets up in a couple of minutes, and is green. I don’t use a torch or light a fire and having found a flat, dry spot and cleared it of sticks and stones I set up the tent in the last of the light. (Avoid hollows if rain is likely.) I perform a quick wash/wipe of feet etc before I get into my sleeping bag/quilt.

I had a Tarptent Rainbow that I loved for drier trips with little humidity, but when I took it on a trip in the Appalachians, a place where it was humid and where we were surprised by a late night mountain storm, I was miserable with the amount if condensation that formed inside the tent. I also live in a pretty humid area, and I ended up selling the tent because more often than not I was camping in conditions that led to lots of condensation, and that was a dealbreaker for me. I ended up getting a Big Agnes Fly Creek 2, and it’s not perfect but it works well in those humid conditions—but the trade-off is that it’s heavier than a UL single wall tent. Others might have different and better experiences with single wall tents but I just really couldn’t stand the condensation.

Condensation is a non-issue with the tent because of the steep angled walls. Moisture that builds up will just run down the wall and drip off the edges. Of course you do need trekking poles. If that's not your thing, I would also consider Tarptent Double Rainbow and Hilleberg Niak.

Personally I really like my Tarptent Rainbow 1p. It has great head room and ventilation, I’ve been able to share it with a friend and with the carbon pole it weighs around 980g. Light enough that I’ve carried it to sleep overnight outside a small U.K. airport to catch an early flight, saving the cost of a hotel, and put it in my carry on.

I have the TarpTent Double Rainbow, and the Double Rainbow Li. My experience is broadly the same as every review ever written. TarpTent are superior in quality and more flexible in use. When ZPacks learn how to sew a straight line, their tents may improve too.

I went for a Tarptent Double Rainbow as a middle ground between weight 1.2kg for a 2 person tent with good space, vestibules for rucksacks, hybrid single/double wall, and cost. The Li (DCF) version wasn’t available then, but it’s something I might consider now if I was in the market for a new tent.