Twenty years of backpacking adventures with Tarptent

Spring cleaning of equipment cabinets. A combination selecting, donating, storing, remembering, donating, restoring, “yeah-no, yeah-no……I’ll decide on that one later”, and more memories.

During a recent upheaval, among the Dusty MSR Whisperlite Stoves, indestructible Thermarest CCF mats, bomb-proof Macpac Pursuit backpacks and ironically named Northface Superlight Sleeping Bag (it tipped the scales at a goose feather under 2 kg/4.4 lbs ), I came across my very first Tarptent shelter, the Squall. .

One of my all-time favorite pieces of gear, I purchased the Squall in late 2003. Weighing just over two pounds (1 kg), this classic two-person tent accompanied me on many far-flung trips during the rest of the year. the 2000s. It summarizes the five qualities that I have always looked for in my hiking equipment: simplicity, functionality, durability, lightness and value for money.

Since those days, I’ve carried other Tarptent models on a wide range of adventures, and alongside some equally worthy tarps and Mids from Mountain Laurel Designs, they’ve been a mainstay of my backpacking kit for everything , from gentle overnight stays to multi-problems. months through hikes.

Here are some of my favorite Tarptent images from the last twenty years.

Tarptent Squall – Cotopaxi Circuit, Ecuador, 2004.

Tarptent Squall – Camped on a misty Chiu Pass (5,224 m/17,139 ft), Ganden at Samye Monastery, Tibet, 2006 (featured in Wanderlust Himalaya).

Tarptent Squall – Erg Chebbi, Sahara Desert, Morocco, 2008.

Tarptent Squall – Overlooking the Barphu Glacier – Rush Phari Trek, Karakoram Range, Pakistan, 2008.

Tarptent Squall – Jotunheimen Traverse, Norway 2009 (featured in Wanderlust Nordics).

Tarptent Squall – Altai Tavan Bogd, Western Mongolia, 2009

Tarptent Squall – GR20, Corsica, 2009 (featured in Wanderlust Mediterranean)

Tarptent Contrail (abandoned) – Cape to Cape Track, Western Australia, 2010.

Prototype testing – ProTrail and Aeon Li

After using Tarptent shelters for a decade, I had the pleasure of meeting Henry Shires – founder and co-owner of Tarptent – ​​​​​​​​in person at the PCT Kickoff (Lake Morena, California) in 2014. During the In the following years I tested a few Tarptent single-person shelters – namely the ProTrail (2014) and the Aeon Li (2018/19). After many hikes in varied environments, both tents are still going strong.

Tarptent ProTrail meets “the hidden side of the Moon” | Crossing the Cordillera Blanca, Peru, 2014.

Tarptent ProTrail – Crossing the Cordillera Blanca, Peru, 2014.

ProTrail Tent | Cocuy Circuit, Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, Colombia, 2015.

Tarptent ProTrail – Arthurs Range Traverse, Tasmania, 2015 (with MLD SoloMid lower right) (Featured in Wanderlust: Hiking Legendary Trails).

Tarptent Aeon Li – Australian Alpine Track, NSW & VIC, Australia, 2019

Tarptente Aeon Li – Alta Via 2, Dolomites, Italy, 2019.

Stratospire 2 tent

In preparation for a long trip to Iceland and the Balkan region last year, I purchased a Tarptent Stratospire 2 (“Silpoly” model). Given the contrasting environments that we were going to experience, I was looking for a “multipurpose” type tent, storm resistant, comfortable, relatively light, compact and good value for money. The Stratospire 2 fit the bill perfectly and proved rock solid in the face of long periods of high winds and pouring rain during the Icelandic leg of the trip.

Tarptent Stratospire 2 – Hornstrandir Loop, Iceland, 2023.

Tarptent Stratospire 2 – Iceland Traverse, 2023 (featured in Wanderlust Nordics).

Tarptent Stratospire 2 – Albania, Peaks of the Balkans Trail, 2023 (featured in the upcoming Wanderlust Mediterranean).

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