I've recently purchased a TerpTent "Moment" and used it in Colorado. Here's "The Report". I had a Contrail for three years and liked it a lot - except in high winds, where it tended to flap a bit. When the Moment came out I realized that it would be a much more aerodynamic shape so I sold the Contrail and bought the Moment. Plus it's a light single wall 3 season solo tent, a genre of which I've grown fond. In Colorado, near Arapaho Pass at 11,500 ft. (about 3,900 M.) I camped in sustained 35 - 45 mph. winds and the tent was very stable. I had it guyed out at both sides from the provided guy loops on the single hoop but I doubt it was necessary. Just a precaution at that altitude. While the tent was very stable and had absolutely NO flapping it was a bit breezy in barely sub-freezing temps due to its excellent venting around its lower perimeter. I closed the upwind vent of the two peak vents with its Velcro closing strips to cut down the breeze and still retain top venting. The tent weighs only 4 oz. more (at 28 oz.) than the Contrail but has many adventages (IMHO) not the least of which is its greater stability in high winds. An option,which I bought, is the aluminum crossing pole that goes from end to end to make the tent free standing. I got it for sea kayaking when I'd be forced to camp on big, flat rocks with no hope of staking it out. This tent pitches even faster than the Contrail with only two stakes needed in most conditions. The design and quality of the Moment is outstanding, with many details that show how much work Henry Shires put into its design. I really like the fact that the highest point is in the tent's center, where it is most useful. Yeah, the Moment has some of the Hilleberg Akto's design elements but it has its own unique design as well, setting it apart from the Akto. The TT Scarp 1 is a closer "relative" of the Akto, both in shape and in that the Scarp1 is, like the Akto, a double wall tent. But it too has its own very nice design elements not found in the Akto.
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| Edited: 13/11/09 23:06 |
In Colorado, near Arapaho Pass at 11,500 ft. (about 6,000 M.)
Nice report Eric, shame about the arithmetic. 
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Eh, er, make that about 3,900+ M. Sorry, must have been a brain fart. Correction edit done. BTW, when I DO get to 6,000 M. it's in a pressurized airplane, sipping a Heinekin.
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| Edited: 13/11/09 23:07 |
OK Eric, have you tried the moment in this country yet please?
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"Old Boy", Do you mean have I tried the Moment in rainy Merry Olde? No but I'd like to do just that. The great thing about the Moment is its excellent ventilation. The not-so-great thing about the Moment (in cold wind) is its ventilation. But that's what keeps condensation to a minimum in a single wall tent. For a solo tent for the UK I'd actually recommend the new Big Agnes Sand Creek 1. It's a new silnylon double wall tent with a mesh inner tent. Or there is the Tarptent Scarp 1 because you have the option of either a netting mesh inner tent or a ripstop version for winter.
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 I recently used my new Moment in the 100 mile wilderness in Maine .Great tent and quicker to set up than the Contrail. The Moment also now has a roof liner to avoid any misting in heavy rain and be a bit warmer in the cold and cooler in the sun. Henry used this set up on the TGO challenge this year.Bit cool he said but held up to UK conditions. Old Boy, I think this is great tent with lots of headroom and certainlyfine for 3 seasons for the UK . I did buy the outside overarching pole for all round conditions. The Scarp 1 would cope with all UK conditions but I didn't need that. I give 70mph winds and snow a miss if I can or hide behind big rocks.
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Here are a couple of shots of the Scarp and the Moment. Both tents are mine but my mate has used my Moment over in Canada recently (3 week kayaking trip) and a couple of days ago on this trip whilst he is waiting for his Moment.The first night the air temperature was colder (down to about -5c) but with little wind, just enough to keep both shelters bone dry.The second night was windy from about 9 pm till about 6 AM ( we were up at 5:30 AM because we both had to work later in the afternoon)The air temp on the second night was around zero, the ground was frozen from about (AM onwards.I slept on the Scarp the second night, Yair slept inside the Moment inside his eVent bivvy. No idea what the wind speed was because my Scarp was drum tight and when I got out to have a pee the wind was taking a break..FrancoPhotos Yair Kellner (Panasonic TS1)sorry, we were at 1740 m only... (this is Australia after all)
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Franco, thanks for the pictures. Intend to use my Moment during the winter in the UK and if I get caught in some unpleasant weather I will see how it goes. Feel sure it will be okay as it seems so solid.
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 GREAT pictures Franco!
Bedouin
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I thought I remembered that Henry Shires himself used a moment for the TGO Challenge and made some tweaks to it in line with his personal experience of UK weather?
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Yes Henry used a Moment on the TGO. He had installed a 'liner" in his , this will be available eventually as an accessory.The liner is the roof part of an inner. Like this : FrancoOne of my pics :
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 GREAT pictures Franco! Bedouin Yeah, I particularly like you kept the shutter open and then walked around with a torch, produces an other-worldy look.
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Thanks but the first two shots are not mine, Yair Kellner (my mate) took them. Franco is my real name...Franco
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The prototype Moment liner is nice for times when condensation would be a problem and might even add some warmth if there was no wind. As for catching mist-through I think I've solved that problem by coating the top 1/2 of the Moment's canopy with a 5:1 mix of odorless mineral spirits to GE Silicone II. Problem solved with a 1 oz. weight gain. I cut off the grosgrain ribbon ties for the door closures when I replaced them with an toggle on elastic setup which is faster to use and more secure. Inside I cut off the ribbons that held the end triangles back and added an elastic piece W/ a loop on its end on the bottom hem of the triangular end flap. The loop hooks on the existing snap hook at the netting pockets. Faster and more secure than the slippery ribbons - and can be done with one hand. To partially overcome the "breezieness" of the Moment I'll use the left over grosgrain ribbon to make small loops on the bottom hems of the canopy at the mid-point each side of the main hoop. This stake-down of the canopy bottom edge should keep out more wind as well as make additional tie-downs for very high winds. I saw this in a thread on Backpacking Light where a customer had TarpTent put them on at the factory.
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I guess this has been asked many times, but if for a tarptent, you put in a ground sheet, I see you have an external ridge pole, not using hiking sticks, and you have a insect-blocking mesh inner, how does that weight compare to a tent such as the Vaude Power Lizard and the lighter Terra Nova as as my current tent a Laser Comp?
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NigelTarptent is the name of the brand, not a description of a particular model.All of the current range are fully enclosed shelters including some double wall versions, like the Scarp visible in the night shot.The Scarp is a convertible 3/4 season shelter, about the size of your Laser but designed for 1 ( or 2 in emergencies)The Moment is a hybrid shelter, so fully enclosed, floor attached to the fly via mesh and with a full mesh wall/door.The extra cross pole is designed to cope with some snow and may help in strong winds.The standard version (without the extra pole) is around 830 g including pegs. I use it (and recommend) the pole guylines so two extra pegs.(I do not use an extra groundsheet) http://www.tarptent.com/moment.htmlThe really isn't "the best" tent, just what you like.With the Moment I like the small packet size and the fast (and dry) set up. Good ventilation too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWZQKivY2SAFranco
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 I have used quite a few (to my £ cost) single-skin set-ups in the UK and abroad... To me, the arseing about with them, together with tarp/bivvy combo's is just not worth it at the end of what are generally (for me) long days. Will it drip on me, wind-blown dust etc etc all apply....just when I want to relax and settle... If I was backpacking in the Sierras or more stable conditions I would go for one in a 'moment' (sic)...as they make sense.. But a Laser Photon at 700g ish blows them mostly out of the water in the UK for me. If I had one; I don't...I use the Scarp almost exclusively at the mo...and it does the work. Those few extra 100g's can be lost from my midsection in a couple of days of willpower. That night shot is the biz mind you Franco  And I will still buy a Sublite sometime for the US..
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