OK after advise on a new tent . Currently have a hooped bivi ( Nemo Gogo SE ) but can't stand the condensation any longer .

The two I'm most interested are :-

BIG AGNES Tiger Wall UL 1 Tent

MSR FreeLite 1 Person Tent

Would appreciate any feedback on either of these or weather there is a better alternative for this sort of pack weight .

I'm not really a tent man but continue to be very impressed by the Exped Vela.

Does look a good substantial tent but a bit too weighty for what I need

They do a UL version at 1.2kg - 1.4kg.

Six Moon Design Lunar Solo LE user here. Love it. Every time I think about buying a new one, I don't, this is ace.

I was just going to suggest Lunar solo.

What do you use for the pole and how does it go on for condensation ?

On of the BearBones carbons. Nothing else worth using.

Condensation, it all depends on how well ventilated the pitch is. If it's still, there's a little bit of wiping at 4 or 5am over your head. Apart from that nothing worth worrying about.

Had it in all sorts of weather so far.

I nearly bought a Lunar Solo but in the end went with a Gatewood Cape instead as I wanted the versatility to use it without the groundsheet bit (a Deschutes Tarp would also have done the job for me but the Gatewoood was reduced). I really like it and am pretty much sold on the Mid type tent/tarp concept. I use it with a Bearbones carbon pole and some ti pegs and it's very light but still spacious. If I was buying now I'd seriously consider a Lanshan 1 from China, it looks like a great option if you don't mind the whole buying from China thing.

That's supposed to be very good for the money.

My tent is an all in one with a 40d groung sheet built in. Put it up in a downpour and keep your insides dry.

I've not tried either of the two the OP has listed but they appear to be pitched inner first.

For me, in UK weather that's a disadvantage. I've got a deschutes with bearbones pole and I use a myog inner.

I can pitch the outer in any weather whist still in my waterproofs, chuck all my gear in under cover and put the inner up. The inner stays dry that way.

I'm also weary of the complicated poles those tents use, but that's probably just showing my age

I bought a Luna Solo a couple of years ago for hiking in the US. I read the instructions and watched multiple videos on setting but after nemerous attempts on the perfect grass of the lawn I couldn't get a decent pitch with the bathtub floor standing up so i thought there'd be zero chance in the back country.
A couple of hiking friends have had the same issue and returned their tents for a better alternative. In my case I got a Trekkertent Stealth 1 and couldn't be happier with it.
From all the forum threads I read on pitching the Luna Solo the concensus seemed to be you'll get one good pitch in 20 and will never be able to figure out what you did differently in order to replicate it.
For OP. of the two tents you've listed , I wouldn't spend my own money on either.

To Woodsmith - what length was the pole you used? They recommend a slightly longer pole for more recent versions that lifts the bathtub up a bit. I originally got a pole slightly too short from Stu and had to order a longer extender.

u02sgb wrote: ↑Wed Nov 11, 2020 5:57 pm To Woodsmith - what length was the pole you used? They recommend a slightly longer pole for more recent versions that lifts the bathtub up a bit. I originally got a pole slightly too short from Stu and had to order a longer extender.

I was using an adjustable trekking pole and tried all kinds of lengths.

Had a MSR FreeLite 1 Person Tent, used it once on a windy night then sold it on. I've tried a number of similar tripod hub poled tents which have the same issue with wind stability.

Tom has a Lunar Solo which he loves. We've also used various versions of the F10 Helium tents which are good in the wind, but not exactly spacious, though they have a good weight to price ratio.

woodsmith wrote: ↑Wed Nov 11, 2020 5:50 pm From all the forum threads I read on pitching the Luna Solo the concensus seemed to be you'll get one good pitch in 20 and will never be able to figure out what you did differently in order to replicate it.

Do you think folk are going to start a thread every time they pitch their Lunar Solo without a problem? I mean, I can do so if you think it would help give a more balanced picture.

Could you then set up a tubeless tyre inside in the dark with your eye closed

I have the stealth as I like the outer first approach, that its UK made and tested and the fact you can just take the outer if wanted [ so a tarp.]

I bought a Lanshan 1 Pro off here, rather than buying a new Lunar Solo, which was the plan; I've also got one of Stu's carbon poles for it too. I've used it four times, once in the garden and on my last three BaM's, only on my last bivy was the pitch sub-optimal and that was my fault for not paying attention when pegging out. I really like it, although it does appear to be very prone to condensation, which hasn't been an issue so far; although might be on multi-day trips.

Honestly I've found that I can get condensation issues with any tent depending on conditions. The worst ever was with my Trekkertent Stealth 1 when I managed to get the outer covering of my sleeping bag soaked but again I think that it was the conditions and pitch rather than the tent itself that was the issue. One thing I have found though is that when condensation inevitably rears it's ugly head the shape and layout of the inside of the tent becomes a big deciding factor about how much moisture is transferred from the tent to my sleeping bag. That's what made the Stealth so vulnerable to that sort of problem in my experience, it was pretty much impossible to avoid contact with the wet tent due to the long but low layout and having to exit out of the front past the pole. I don't have the Stealth 1 anymore and don't miss it. YMMV.

I’ve got a Lanshan 1. I’ve never used the inner (just a v lightweight bag cover with a bug net built in. No real issues with condensation or anything. I’d recommend it.

Thanks for all the advice , although now I'm even more confused it seems one mans best tent is another's worst nightmare . Going to stick to the Tarp for one nighters but for multiday rides I'm getting to old for too many nights under a tarp so I'll have hedge my bets and choose , no rush I'm not going anywhere this month .

I would add, if possible try and see some pitched in real life before you decide - difficult I know - as some of the ultralight tents are tiny when you see them, which is partially how they keep the weight down.

Where are you based? There's a good spread of members across the UK here with most of the main tents between us, you might be able to meet up post lock-down to see some examples.

Bear in mine with size, in the UK there's a fair chance that on a multi-day ride that you may end up in the tent all evening sorting kit, cooking etc. as it will be chucking it down In the US they sit around campfires in the orange glow drinking craft ale, hence the size of their tents is just big enough to lay down in as they are only in it to sleep

I have an MSR carbon reflex 3. It is annoyingly hard to beat. Only 1.1kg and massive inside. The kicker is the price, but as with everything - you only get to pick two out of three of the top options - weight, price and size.

I got it for camping with my son and it has been just amazing for that. If I was buying again I would probably look at a Big Agnes though for the ability to erect it freestanding as this would have been handy a few times.

I have recently been looking to get a one person tent for solo trips and tbh it is just so hard to find anything that is substantially lighter than the MSR but still offering decent levels of comfort. My choice has now narrowed down to either take the MSR or use a Gatewood cape and bivvy bag, which saves me around 400g but at the expense of a lot of space and no bug netting.

If I was buying one of these little one-man tents I would opt for something like a Lanshan1 as it has a separate inner and outer. If you get a one-man tent where the bathtub floor is attached to the outer wall then condensation will run down and pool in the bathtub - when the inner and outer are completely separate to you do end up with a slightly heavier setup but the condensation can then run down the walls to the ground without filling the bathtub and getting on your gear.

If looking at a Lanshan I would get the 3 season inner as I really don't think a 4 season inner is neccesary, even for Scotland in the winter.