Hi,

I am after some advice

I am just starting to get a bit of kit together so that I can go out walking with my father and brother in law. I have some kit a good amount of kit so I am almost ready to go BUT need a shelter/tent/tarp

 Can anyone give me there opionions on the TarpTent Unltralight Shelter Squall 2 (http://www.tarptent.com/squall2.html) made by Henry Shires.

I have been offered one at a good priceand just don't know if I should go for this or the Coleman Rigel X2.

 Both have there advantages and disadvantages in my eyes, they are both under 1kg in weight and both have enough space for me to take daughter with me giving her some room to sleep

 Any advice and help would be GREAT

Alan

First thing I'd do is get started with the walking before you worry about what sort of shelter you'll use.  If you're out with father and bro-in-law, what do they use, is there spare space for you, and since they presumably have some sort of agenda for you to be joining them, what do they think of the options for the places they have in mind.

Walking generally starts with day trips, no shelter needed.

Pete. 

Thanks for that Pete.

 I should have explained that I have been camping for many years and have done walking in the past (wife and children kinda stopped a lot) and that I am "getting" back into it but equipment and things have changed so much.

 They have various different options for shelter ie they both have bivi bags and tarps, they also have small man tents.

 It was my brother in law that suggested I put a post on here as he wasn't sure which was the best of the 2 for me to go for.

Any advise will be great

Alan

Is there a reason why you are looking at single skin tents? I would have thought that 2 people in a 2 man in common British conditions would generate a lot of condensation dripping on you. People have said this about the Coleman Rigel (don't know anything about the other specifically).

weight and cost basically

 Both are under 1kg and both can be brought on a fairly tight budget. I have been looking at other tents but as soon as you start adding an inner and a fly they are going up in weight

 I am slo looking for it to be large enough for me and my eldest daughter when she comes out but will be light enough for me to use when out on my own. which will mean I only have to buy 1 shelter rather than 2

Hi Alan. I have a Tarp Tent Contrail. I was going to say that using a tarp-tent is easier if you have camping experience, but that shouldn't be a problem with you. Like all single skin tents, you have to avoid the walls. Saying that, condensation isn't always a problem. The design of the Contrail is good. Any condensation runs down into the mesh, and avoids the groundsheet.

I use the Contrail as a one night/weekend shelter when the weather forecast is favourable. I wouldn't have one as my only year round shelter. That's maybe just me though.