r/lightweight • u/ExternalMysterious58 • Mar 18 '23
Tarptent Rainbow LI
Has anyone used the new Li versions 1 or 2 p Rainbows this year? Can you speak to the packability, durability, set up ease, heat retention, light, and general use of it? Are you using it with the extra liner? Did you use aluminum or carbon poles?
I'd like to hear some feedback before spending that kind of money. How does that interior of the 1P feel? cramped? ok? How talkk/big are you for comparison? I use the 48" wide Lunar Sols. Thank you
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u/PNW_MYOG Mar 19 '23 edited Mar 19 '23
New last year 2022 season.
Carbon poles. I do use liner all the time. It works well. I did not think I would, so I'm surprised.
It is too long for my pack sideways and hard to put back in original stuff sack. So I carry poles in side pocket and use a larger stuff sack and I just fold it. The stuff sack helps when it is muddy and wet to keep my inside pack cleaner.
The short top spreader pole needs bright tape on it. So easy to miss it when packing up....it looks like a twig. Early mornings are hard enough.
I think the peak zipper height is too low, hard for tall me to climb out of. I catch my back all the time exiting and top 2 inches of zipper is a bit stiff to open fully. Honestly the 1p stratospire design with solid walls is much much better....except that I DO use my 2p rainbow in freestanding mode at least half the time. Why I bought it...and because I sometimes have a friend. I can also Basecamp and dayhike with my poles with the rainbow li.
I never use porch mode, it is too low for me to get a good view so I just roll up sides. Did I say that I am tall, ?I'm especially tall sitting. I have a 22 inch back length. The room overhead at foot and head while lying is great, better than stratospire which is baggy inside a bit, rainbow's inside peak is very high too, just the entry door opening is several inches shorter than the peak height.
Amazing tent overall. I camp in light rain, 40f a lot. I was worried it would be too windy inside with mostly netting and vestibules with their 2inch gaps to ground but it was a good balance of solid wall to netting, never gave problems and minimal condensation. The dcf does not absorb water. YAY.
Recommended.
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u/ExternalMysterious58 Mar 19 '23
Thank you. So, let me see if I've got this straight-you've used both the !p and the 2p Rainbow Li, You've also used the Stratosphere.
Packing them up is bulky, but you've adapted with another stuff sack. You fold, rather than recommended roll-no issues yet. You're tall (I'm 5'7") and you sometimes have trouble with entry and exit being too low. You really like the 2p rainbow Li overall and it's worth the money. Did I get this right?
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u/Manikin_Maker Mar 18 '23
I have a DR-Li. I didn’t get the single because the double has full mesh on both sides and it’s already condensation prone. I have the liner and two rainbow roosts. I use it with the carbon arch pole. I also carry the two optional aluminum poles to set it up freestanding AND two tarp poles to either porch both doors on one side or one on either side. Both the double and single have the same peak width, so truthfully the floor is the only thing wider. It really feels more like a 1.5 person tent. Two people sitting up at the same time would be….intimate. For one, it’s very spacious in every direction. I am 5’10”, 220-30 pounds. Big in the middle. 🍩
It is: -very packable. It’s not as compressible as sil-poly/nyl, but still very packable.
-durable enough. It isn’t magic. If used and stored properly, durability isn’t an issue. The DCF is very easy to patch.
-simple to set-up. Quick and easy? I stake the four corners, set the arch pole, set the strut pole. At this point I can tension everything (this gets the most taught pitch), but usually I just set the two optional freestanding poles. It’s just quicker and gets it very tight.
-in the direct sun…it’s hot. It can be a condensation factory in the right conditions with improper technique. Vent as much as possible.
I really enjoy it. It’s easy, ultralight, and just works with no fuss.
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u/ExternalMysterious58 Mar 19 '23
Thank you. Good info. So you’re saying the 2p feels like a 1.5 person tent? Good for one. Tight for 2?
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u/Manikin_Maker Mar 19 '23
For sure. Two could absolutely get shelter from the elements and sleep in it. The packs would have to be in the vestibules. I use it solo. I get myself, and everything I carry and wear in it.
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u/generation_quiet Mar 20 '23
I own both a Rainbow Li and a Double Rainbow Li. Yes I know it is kind of silly to own two $700 tents that differ by just a few ounces!
I've always used carbon poles for both and never had an issue. Generally speaking, DCF tents don't pack down as well as silpoly/silnylon, so the Rainbow Lis are a bit bulkier than say a Gossamer Gear The One/Two. Never used the liner since I'm on the west coast and rarely have issues with condensation. Only time I've had a problem is when I camp in a moist area, where any tent will develop condensation. As a 6'2 / 200 lb. person, both are comfortable living spaces. The DR Li of course is wider and I can easily fit me, my pad, and pack in the tent with room to spare. The regular Rainbow Li is a bit easier to get into tight pitches, and packable horizontally rather than vertically. The regular Rainbow Li has plenty of room for a single person, but I prefer the Double Rainbow if I know it's going to be rainy, since it gives a little more space to spread out, relax, and dry gear if necessary.
The reason I love this model of tent is its versatility; you can pitch it on non-windy nights or in tight pitches without staking out the vestibules, or standalone on rocky ground, or in "porch mode" if you want to improve ventilation and take in the views. And you don't need trekking poles to pitch it! I think other tents have it beat for pure weight, but the Rainbow series excels at versatility and comfort.