![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC0nX7Br9B2jZlLJWNPflPmXp0nz6N6Wryd2DeZdcdlER4gB0_GY_CAcyoU1e7LrtWoccCekc_NziBdN7c12fiPknBaqx8Cmc1iDwi-dXn_Q3nSWoldzivhHNRMUXqYEhSZuDKUDauCZ-Hw0cEeVf9DyTQg0WY3hSDKq1OqneCL6iqfKkcDBkiA0HAjcAo/w640-h426/Trekking%20pole%20shelters-9.jpg) |
Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar on the GR5 Through The Alps in 2018
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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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0JbguoVCQ4L-87zPqw4uhzDGuchRxdcTPnNUuGFoQXXPU7CXUlsafvKAUKsSXQl9qpq0N7HDsV8Ui3wvssp12_ynhvUV8fTwsLWzoM0vthGeH9XyW7dqinOKR8NeJc2prOSnc-CDM3FT-z2gZY07LX9qFeUArvo5_awUVIkvy6gywWm-8nsauF6gMBlR/w640-h426/trekking%20pole%20shelters%2016.jpg) |
Tarp used as a cooking shelter at a wet camp in the Yukon Territory, 1990
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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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4scrjBr2Bfg7cmkKiQB3ddTGwotnHDsQKokGoh5LUiKJg_7St4FgdgamLv-jcK0GOtM1nrVum7hZiD5UW9aMLxgPJf6R5fHkY1rB138i5SuUAt8hixdvg6Qsdabnkzc94drkFdfnU5VajBlfH-APF3ClKVgVTL9_GNR2B3yt33csDd9lZvuuSoaMQwkNY/w640-h428/Trekking%20pole%20shelters-1.jpg) |
Kathmandu Trekking Basha-Tent in the San Francisco Peaks on the Arizona Trail in 2000
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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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbWNlCaifBlh7Rg4gIXKbTjIuWvHe-uGl8Y7m-bR2Y2gtC42G6PRckEau6Y63ZTErxg39xnirURBmzhySDIbf3IUV2lr4bSKxsmHrdUiWnICkHU0pv2mx32MCZJhGgjkqk1v8ltMfFLLx-BDecFAbK9GtWnlKuMcMCZPucCaI7YZFo3q0r8-UVrt3YBZu/w640-h432/Trekking%20pole%20shelters-5.jpg) |
GoLite Cave 1 in the High Sierra in 2004
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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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6p41fBTV3MWpd3JGmJJSqW_KLKsq_KoyvNdKPGrmAIupwt7rlaQ1ya3UWKjfFjBbr-r3Hoxii_Lr_Bco2VsvA6xj12qy8SnlRIL5nCJJ_Mtai9MIYSD-okpP75OqiZd3pEOLwTVYDURwA0mndtaRQ9mjolEFXXxaA8-hbQRayBbY9I0tHMuXbewtTbUq/w640-h426/Trekking%20pole%20shelters-4.jpg) |
Mountain Equipment AR Ultralight tents on the GR20 in Corsica in 2005
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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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmWm4tbwWopqmFv8q16p0OMseYPgY57SnE_fKLBeJRYYdSjkblXA7eU4QyVKGnJi_Lq2cHVpUUnAlKS1JFvvt9CEdiLnpiOlbpEtmIGdrpgdL7E7OV2Wy7yiRhcFybbHBdTgiP-PahwY5vpvyxf2NWMxNoR6DP8ej5jDf5Br7_W-Ao6i3J-I9QGvEHWB1/w640-h426/Trekking%20pole%20shelters-2.jpg) |
GoLite Shangri-La 1 on the Pacific Northwest Trail in 2010
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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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNIvId5csKH8AcrDL1E1WKg2zkM82Kga0k7Kd4NcWZaPwGQE-ewSGycbnlQNzgFOfpnrn9Tda_TZE5XdS3RhanePLPp_JxQ1tdu6ryHdGWIFQWEOSXtzLWXaOhAfa7jzYwqMkfCJjFSwZwhWgAcRFP7bddXW8u0jZ66N-bz4WtfJ6bdXyq2dFwib3j8WEA/w640-h426/Trekking%20pole%20shelters-6.jpg) |
The MLD Trailstar at a very wet and windy camp on the Scottish Watershed in 2013
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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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifiB-sE1ksiY9Ovrc5Lz0YP0ATMDc3dRpV2YyUcAjurIqiTKCOG1LnaW0-jSmHngXSqDLNRawFjqybfu-ZiRsROdAUdONpCkQe-MkQmD9gt4MrLeetHqCMkrxQ5GiLKgTss_peS0Lqw1Hzz6crevaRpoe-BU6uvToWl9K508-okQsSJqS5l3VfiNoIrT3_/w640-h426/Trekking%20pole%20shelters-8.jpg) |
The MLD Trailstar below Mount Whitney on the Yosemite Valley to Death Valley walk in 2016
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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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZvGo644Ge-JeD1it443Jo8Au8sG_C74w2S7qzI6wLU6_tMO0SSYKY-__OWa7ydimZg276TsOay8RDJm5xqWnXIj3__uHzTmOnKPoO_NgHe-8eJmQAxXcL943vZTlkevdUsNn_8b4epmquU6Aj0b6b9sXokEQ3x3E_E5aDYo0FQQsX2P91AVq9jDumDDh/w640-h480/Trekking%20pole%20shelters-13.jpg) |
MLD SoloMid XL on the Cape Wrath Trail, 2024
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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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyUVQAlBU3Fyh7eadIvWja_RAfe0fbeNLI5PEAjee3uJF8Fj2YJ7FoOdI8-TUGHS-8csEKM5MVXXu73FkzfxvH7rVXiIc8kKRZI9bCEXRQJk_ebrXpBKW1zq1wZLCLgFSxUoMh35BaTTJYT5MLaBsLObxG16DMfgSpJhPtYSmdiU98QGiyvVnHBHIDH7Hq/w640-h480/Trekking%20pole%20shelters-11.jpg) |
Hilleberg Anaris on a week-long walk in Knoydart, 2023
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Vango Heddon 100 in the Cairngorms, 2021
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![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3yiympJTNXiPu6FZJx5q8riTsszhBvOOvP-GsW86msIYiBZ2Fus_gC0vBuZv4P2DXMDdwEtluWfZHA3aJU_SCf7hxmsTLslURLCvWVsodB41rJshZmOh8gW9B1dbfL16gIRKW2DtYFtc1UtdRlwLIEhnvziuincVu5TQi7UVYrlx7_sYoXATktDCNhZX/w640-h426/Trekking%20pole%20shelters-14.jpg) |
Durston X-Mid 1 in the Cairngorms, 2023
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![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia0i5Lng7PWQuItPF1uLzUfQjcHjDeBudV39T-GxG5UOgIfpSlJOXq-cfTEgE2Bv-d9cDOyEIX0QEBmgy7eY1SOlo4tFlnI-YduawYoa0EjyjwSUDeSU9HrX2DgN8ej7kNUwWE9Y7zJ__Tn4M2c0ifmZzkwWqVsuwpQvNYHFbQEwXTy77u27VLkDXU5AYD/w640-h426/Trekking%20pole%20shelters-15.jpg) |
Sierra Designs High Route 1 in the Cairngorms, 2022
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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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeZhBm4cKCbDfkbGPumc78ux35hEb9O-lznHyDAccmUgUFfpgF6Xd91F_ThN6iy1bXR2eu4u6s0i5vMDuVvR_zPfv17sHatppPiudQh4fVXVFyeenSWbZOQFDiSuFC5TYg2crlygpPXPc4YfICsIhmZWXbrwZosG5F1T_z7rlD0-R2Uc5SeKVUXf-Acud/w640-h480/July%20dawn.JPG) |
Lightwave Sigma in the Cairngoems, 2023
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I wrote about all the tents and shelters I’ve used on long
walks from 1976 to 2019
here.
I've had a single trekking pole Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo for the past 9 years. I'm certain there are better trekking pole tents out there, but i've never felt it was somehow lacking, so it's still going strong!
ReplyDeleteLooks a good design
DeleteI also miss Golite Chris. Hope your recovery is quick!
ReplyDeleteHave you tried any tar[p tents from Trekkertent, the "one man company" based in Scotland? If so, what are your thoughts?
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried, or in fact even seen, a Trekkertent. However David Lintern recently tested one for The Great Outdoors and was impressed - https://www.thegreatoutdoorsmag.com/review/trekkertent-saor-review/
DeleteA great article which brings back memories. Interesting to see that you have the pole inside the Cave 1. With the poles outside, it’s a good shelter for an MLD Bug Bivy. I used that combo for 2 weeks in midge season in the Cluanie, Cannich, Strathcarron, Glen Shiel area and found it to be very good. However, the Cave 1 weighs more than a Trailstar so I haven’t used it recently. Also, the Cave is a bit of a faff to pitch well with the poles outside. I like to get the back wide and low so that the rear beak almost closes off the back. I pitch the front high and narrow so that the front beak is close to horizontal. Then the front becomes a good place to shelter from the wind while drinking tea and enjoying the view. As the Cave doesn’t need to stretch to pitch well, I can’t help wondering whether a DCF version would work.
ReplyDeleteThanks for these interesting comments. I never used the Cave with the poles inside but then i never used it with a netting inner. Like you I stopped using it when the Trailstar came along.
Delete