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I’m not going to get into the why and wherefores of tarptents … you’ll know yourself whether they’re the thing for you. There’s advantages and disadvantages when compared to a simple tarp or a fully enclosed tent, your own priorities and circumstances will ultimately make your mind up for you.

This is a Lunar Solo from Six Moon Designs in the US. As the name would suggest, it’s a 1 person shelter with plenty of space. It requires 6 pegs and a single pole to get it erected … which can be done in about one minute with a little practice. The ‘fly’ is Silnylon as is the floor, they’re fastened together by way of sewn in midge netting. There’s also a netting front door, so it’s fully waterproof and perhaps more importantly fully midge proof too.

Getting the thing up couldn’t be easier. Peg the four corners down, insert the pole and then peg the front and rear out. A fine tuning of the ladderlock pegging points should see it tight and very stable. You can open either one door on the fly or both … with one left closed you still retain a good sized porch area. It’s surprisingly roomy inside, if you weren’t giants and were good friends then two can just about fit and sleep in relative comfort. There’s more than enough room for a single giant inside even if they want to sit up!

Vestibule/porch fully closed up. Plenty of room to store your gear and cook.
One side of the door open, see still plenty of storage space.
Outer joins groundsheet. Although single skin, condensation isn’t really an issue.
Whole front tied back … ideal for those midge infested summer evenings.
Big vent at the apex helps with the condensation issues.
and it’s midge proof too!
Packs down to not much … tips the scales at 748g inc lines.
It’s slightly early days for the Lunar and me yet but I’m hoping for great things. It’s reasonably light, quick to erect, roomy and keeps the winged teeth at bay. The construction is top notch and you can tell that someone has obviously thought about the design and what they wanted to achieve. I’ll report back once it’s had a few more outings and let you know how we’re getting on.

Six Moon Designs can be found By Clicking Here

4 Comments

  1. gairym says:

    Fella, this looks nice! Looks like an almost perfect balance between silly lightness and practicality. It's the first thing I've seen since buying my SMD 'Skyscape Scout' that I think I might like the look of more!

  2. Michael_S says:

    If you were to choose between the Lunar Solo and the Bearpaw Lair with Pyranet, which one and why? I'm about ready to buy…so thanks

  3. Hi Michael … tough question.

    I honestly can't say that one is better than the other in general terms but it's fair to say they both excel in certain areas. If you're wanting something that's simple to pitch, will keep the rain off you, the bugs away and give you lots of undercover storage/cooking space then the Lunar is superb. However, if you want something a little more versatile then the Lair can't be beaten. For me the option of using the inner during summer and just the tarp in winter means I can always keep my kit weight as low as possible.

    I suppose my ideal shelter would be a Lair and PyraNet but with a few custom add ons. I would have a silnylon 'door' added to the front of the net and 12" silnylon extensions on the other 3 sides. I'd also add an extended beak to the Lair but only a half size one. Those mods will obviously add weight and cost but I think they'd make a great shelter even better.

    If you'll always require bug protection and a groundsheet then the Lunar might be the best bet but if your requirements will vary, then the Lair set up is very difficult to fault. If weights an issue just remember that the Lunar will weigh less than a combined Lair and Pyranet … although there's not that much in it.

    Hope that helps.

  4. Michael_S says:

    thanks! That was what I was thinking too. For my use the Lair and a Pyranet with 4 silnylon 10" sides would be perfect. Some summer trips in the Western US are fine with just the Lair, but during mosquito season,the Pyranet would be essential.

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