Trekking pole tents have been a favourite within the ultralight neighborhood for a very long time. However they aren’t all the time sensible. Hikers who don’t use trekking poles, have to arrange a basecamp for day hikes, or take pleasure in multisport adventures the place it’s not sensible to convey poles (like bikepacking) want freestanding choices. The Six Moon Designs Lunar Orbiter is a stable entry-level freestanding tent, although it misses a few of the nicer options accessible from different one-person tents available on the market.
Six Moon Designs Lunar Orbiter At-a-Look
MSRP: $425
Supplies: 20-40D silicone polyester
Weight: 42 oz.
Flooring house: 21 sq. toes
Circumstances of Evaluate
I examined the Lunar Orbiter whereas canoe tenting and backpacking throughout the fall in Canada.
Freestanding vs Trekking Pole Tents
The Lunar Orbiter is Six Moon Designs’ first freestanding tent. Six Moon Designs is well-known on path for its excellent trekking pole tents. So why do you have to take into account a freestanding choice as an alternative?
Freestanding tents enable for an unbelievable diploma of flexibility that’s simply not accessible with trekking pole setups. You’ll be able to pitch a freestanding tent with zero stakes if wanted. This lets you arrange on sandy or rocky surfaces or picket tent platforms with out having to get inventive along with your pitch. Freestanding tents are a more sensible choice for journeys the place you don’t want trekking poles in any respect. Raft journeys, canoe tenting, or bikepacking all profit from freestanding tents. In the event you desire to hike with out poles or with a single pole, it’s foolish to hold them simply to arrange your tent.
They’re additionally simple to pitch. Trekking pole tents require exact tensioning and stake placement to get a taut pitch, whereas the pole structure of freestanding tents all however ensures a taut pitch each time with no fussing.
Lastly, even when the one sport you do is backpacking, there are numerous conditions the place it’s nice to arrange your tent with out taking your poles out of fee. Need to go tag Mt. Whitney whereas tenting at Crabtree meadows as a facet journey in your PCT thru-hike? You’ll both have to hold your trekking pole tent up with you, depart it unhappy and flat on the bottom, or hike the tallest mountain within the decrease 48 with out your trekking poles. This isn’t a difficulty with freestanding tents.
Freestanding tents are a little bit heavier as a result of separate poles. In case your objective is the lightest attainable base weight, you may wish to keep on with trekking pole tents.
The Lunar Orbiter’s beneficiant gear loft
Lunar Orbiter Options
A number of Storage: The Lunar Orbiter options two small mesh facet pockets, one on both facet of the tent. These are good for storing your headlamp or different small gadgets you may want in a single day. There’s additionally a detachable gear loft. In the event you actually wish to trim your weight, you’ll be able to depart it at dwelling, however it’s a improbable place to retailer moist socks or different damp gadgets of clothes in a single day. Two vestibules present a number of choices for outdoor gear storage.
Brief Poles: At simply 15 inches lengthy, the poles of the Lunar Orbiter are compact and simple to stow. They’re brief sufficient that I might match them inside my pack if I needed to. The shorter size makes them splendid for bikepacking. It additionally means they’re much less more likely to catch on branches if you happen to’re bushwhacking on a backpacking journey.
Brief poles are simple to search out house for on any backpack.
Sturdy Supplies: The 20D silpoly used for the majority of the tent physique is significantly thicker than most of my different tents and seems like it would face up to years of abuse. The poles are sturdy sufficient to take a beating.
I additionally just like the design of material pockets to carry the tent pole ends and it’s nice that the Orbiter makes use of a sleeve to feed the poles by means of. I’m assured I might re-sew any torn pockets on the path simply, which isn’t an choice for the flamboyant clips utilized by different firms to connect poles to the tent physique.
This tent would simply stand as much as a number of thru-hikes.
Pockets in your pole ends are simpler to restore your self than proprietary clips.
Lunar Orbiter Execs
Sheds Climate: The tent physique is nicely designed to shed wind and water, with no awkward spots for water to pool on high of the tent. The pole design retains the tent steady throughout huge wind gusts. The bath flooring can be good: it’s deep sufficient to maintain you dry, even if you happen to arrange in a puddle.
Packs Small: The Lunar Orbiter is compact. The physique of the tent folds down small in a devoted stuff sack. The poles are brief and simple to stow on the within or outdoors of a pack. You’ll be capable to discover house for this tent even if in case you have the tiniest backpack.
Straightforward Setup: The Lunar Orbiter is fast and simple to arrange. The pole sleeves have yellow ribbon sewn in, which makes them simple to search out in the dead of night. It’s simple to slip the poles into the pockets that maintain them with gloves on.
Darkish Inside: The thick, darkish inexperienced silpoly makes this tent fairly darkish inside. It is a optimistic in a whole lot of methods. It’s simpler to sleep throughout the daytime if you’d like a noon nap. It’s extra non-public for altering in busy campgrounds. However it does make it really feel fairly dingy inside compared to a few of the mild and ethereal tents available on the market.
An extended vestibule guyline means that you can pitch this tent nearly wherever.
Actually Freestanding: The one a part of the tent which actually requires staking to arrange is the vestibule. Even then, the vestibule has an extended guyline, which makes it simple to arrange on rocky floor or tent platforms. One of many largest benefits of a freestanding tent is which you could set them up nearly wherever — and that is very true for the Lunar Orbiter.
Roomy: There’s loads of house on this one-person tent. My 6’2 associate can sit up contained in the tent and lie down with out touching the ends. There’s additionally two vestibules, which offer you loads of house to depart your pack and sneakers outdoors of the tent.
Improbable All-Round Journey Tent: This tent most likely received’t be the one which I attain for when happening ultralight backpacking journeys. I personal nicer, lighter-weight choices for when weight actually issues. However this tent actually shines as a bikepacking tent. The brief poles make it simple to connect them to your handlebars, and the tiny compressed dimension of the tent physique means that you can stash it simply wherever in your bike.
This tent excels when dimension is extra essential than weight and for journeys the place you received’t have trekking poles. In the event you’re a backpacker seeking to increase your modes of journey, you’ll wish to take into account the Lunar Orbiter.
Lunar Orbiter Cons
Comes with Chores: That is my largest criticism with this tent. It isn’t seam-sealed. In order for you your tent to be absolutely weather-proof, it is advisable to purchase seam sealant (not included with the tent) and seam seal it your self, or buy SMD’s $35 seam-sealing add-on. I hate seam sealing; I all the time find yourself sticky and with grime caught to my seams. Many comparable tents at this worth level come customary with taped seams — no extras required.
This occurs nearly each time you take away the poles.
Pole Finish and Shock Twine Design: The shock twine for the poles is connected to a small finish piece. This small finish piece simply will get caught within the cloth pockets used to carry your poles. I ended up having to yank on the shock twine to take away it from the pocket a number of occasions. That is going to wear down my shock twine shortly and isn’t nice for the lifetime of the poles.
Not the Lightest: 42 ounces isn’t horrible for a totally freestanding tent, however there are definitely lighter tents accessible for the same worth (see comparable tents listed on the finish of this text).
Built-in Mesh and Rainfly: The bug mesh is sewn into the sil-poly outer a part of the tent. That is the norm for trekking pole tents, however many freestanding tents have a separate inside. The combo design saves weight in concept, as much less cloth is used.
Nevertheless, many tents with the same or lighter weight have absolutely separate outers and inners, which provides you much more flexibility. I’m prepared to surrender the choices afforded by having a separate inside and outer if it’s a really mild tent, however the Lunar Orbiter isn’t mild sufficient to justify that sacrifice.
Pegs slide simply out and in — even if you don’t need them to.
Storage Sack Design: The stuff sack for the tent physique is ok. Nevertheless, the storage sack for the poles is just not nicely designed in any respect. It’s primarily a tube with two openings within the center, with one designated for the poles and the opposite for the stakes. There’s no method to shut the opening to the sack.
Your poles most likely aren’t going to slip out, however dropping stakes is an actual concern, particularly if you happen to retailer your poles on the surface of your pack. I’m careless sufficient that my pack incessantly finally ends up at unusual angles once I’m taking a break (or once I fall over on path), and I actually don’t belief that my stakes are safe sufficient within the authentic storage sack. It’s a small element however looks as if an oversight.
Total Worth
This tent is a stable single-person freestanding shelter with huge versatility. In the event you’re contemplating any adventures that aren’t ultralight backpacking, it’s an ideal option to have in your gear closet. Nevertheless, if you happen to’re in search of the lightest tent in your cash, you’ll wish to preserve looking. This tent can be let down by a couple of small design selections, such because the pole storage sack design and lack of seam waterproofing.
Total, this tent is a good introduction to light-weight backpacking (and different multisport strategies of tenting). Nevertheless, if you happen to’re heading out on a month-long hike, you may want one thing lighter.
Store the Six Moon Designs Lunar Orbiter
Comparable Shelters
Durston Gear X-Dome 1+
- MSRP: $378
- Weight: 34.7 oz
Massive Agnes Copper Spur HV UL1
- MSRP: $429.95
- Weight: 38 oz
The Six Moon Designs Lunar Orbiter was donated for goal of assessment
No responses yet