Before I buy a Lunar Solo...

[Boab]

In a bizarre twist of forward planning, I maybe able to afford a Lunar Solo next month. Before I buy one, are there any other lightweight one person tents, around the same amount of money, that I should also be considering...?

Given that I'll need a pole, should I also be looking to replace whatever pegs come with it, with some fancy Ti or carbon ones?

Alternatively, is anyone getting rid of a lightweight one person tent, a Lanshan 1 Pro for example, that I could take off their hands...?

[Lazarus]

trekker stealth - one for sale in classifieds

[Boab]

trekker stealth - one for sale in classifieds

I canny find one for sale, all the search results point to ones that have sold?

[Lazarus]

Must have imagined it but i though shaf -redefined cycles had one up for sale

i cannot find it either now so I assume my error
I would not order one if in a rush as mine was delayed - love it in use mind .

[Boab]

I would not order one if in a rush as mine was delayed - love it in use mind .

Can you sit up in it...? That's my only concern with that one, as the Lunar Solo has a bit more head room.

[JohnClimber]

Lunar Solo gets my vote for whenever I'm tenting it.... like this weekends WRT....

Mainly because of it's fantastic midge net, but the doors can be opened to give my favoured open bivi experience

[redefined_cycles]

Must have imagined it but i though shaf -redefined cycles had one up for sale

i cannot find it either now so I assume my error
I would not order one if in a rush as mine was delayed - love it in use mind .

Yup... sorry, I retracted after actually realising how amazing it is. How tall are you Bob?

I reckon mine will handle the winter nicely as its the slightly heavier one...

[fatbikephil]

Deschutes or Gatewood with a mesh inner? More flexible as you can use it with a lightweight bivvy bag or even a groundsheet.

[Boab]

Deschutes or Gatewood with a mesh inner? More flexible as you can use it with a lightweight bivvy bag or even a groundsheet.

Might be more flexible, but it's also a damn sight more expensive...

[whitestone]

Lunar Solo is £245, weight is 730g
Gatewood is £170, weight is 300g, Borah Gear bivy was £71, weight is 175g

Just saying

[lune ranger]

Most weather you don’t need a bivi with a Gatewood. Maybe 7 or 8 times out of 10 I just use a tyvek groundsheet.

[Boab]

After the last few experiences in the bivy bag, I want a tent. The Gatewood Cape and Serenity Bug Tent are a bit too spendy for me at the moment.

[fatbikephil]

Prices of the SMD stuff has fair shot up, I recall my Deschutes was £160 and the mesh inner £120 in 2017..... Just seen they now do a dyneema version £500 saves you 145gs!

[Lazarus]

Can you sit up in it...?

yes but only just and i am 175 cm -stlill need to be careful especially getting in and out.
Noth west england based if any use for you to try.

it can also be used as a tarp only so i like this option - one day i may even use it like this.

[JohnClimber]

Lunar Solo is £245, weight is 730g
Gatewood is £170, weight is 300g, Borah Gear bivy was £71, weight is 175g

Just saying

Lunar Solo is £245, weight is 730g - comes with midge net and no ground sheet
Gatewood is £170, weight is 300g, - No midge net
Borah Gear bivy was £71, weight is 175g - Can't site up in it

Just saying

One word of warning.... Don't buy the Lunar Solo pole, it's rubbish and very flexible but one of Stuarts poles from here at Bear Bones in the store, he'll cut it to size for you

[restlessshawn]

Often see people slag off the pole but in actual use mine has been fine, it’s a little flexible if you stand there flexing it which I don’t . After it survived the worst weather I’ve ever camped in for a night on Rum I don’t worry about it. How would a stiffer pole help?

[Lazarus]

there are so many punchlines to that line I dont even know where to start

[Lazarus]

Borah Gear bivy was £71

I priced it at about £100 - last year when i looked and that was getting it bought for me in the US and brought over so no import duties
Did not find an EU distributor for it.

[middleagedmadness]

Think I paid £110 for the borah including import tax about 18 months back , there is a eu dealer Stu posted them
Up on here but can’t temper the name , the price comes out the same as buying from the states including import tax

[sean_iow]

After the last few experiences in the bivy bag, I want a tent. The Gatewood Cape and Serenity Bug Tent are a bit too spendy for me at the moment.

The Serenity bug net is really quite small, if you look at the dimensions of the floor it's only 214cm long x 66cm wide. That's not much bigger the a full length mat. This was the reason I've made my own inner. With the Serenity I think you'd have to blow your mat up and sort your kit before you get inside.

The Lunar is IMO the best usable space per £ for the weight there is. You can easily sit up inside, sort gear, blow up mats etc.

Obviously having said all that I didn't buy one I have the Deschutes BUT if I lived somewhere where I'd want insect protection, so basically anywhere north of the Isle of Wight I'd have bought the Lunar Solo.

[Boab]

Right, that's it, doubts assuaged, I'm buying a Lunar Solo, plus a pole from Stu. Do I need fancy carbon or Ti pegs while I'm at it, or are the ones that come with it OK...?

[whitestone]

Note I said "was £71" - we got our Borah Bivvies in Jan 2018, managed to avoid import duty and VAT but got the £8 "release" fee from the carrier so should be £75.

John - I can sit up in my bivy though with an inflated mat in there it can feel like there's some resistance.

Prices going up? I paid £150 for the Gatewood in April 2019, it's £170 now from the same supplier (ultralightoutdoorgear), possibly currency variations at the time they bought them as well as general inflation.

TBH, I don't think you'd go wrong with any of the SMD shaped tarps.

[sean_iow]

Right, that's it, doubts assuaged, I'm buying a Lunar Solo, plus a pole from Stu. Do I need fancy carbon or Ti pegs while I'm at it, or are the ones that come with it OK...?

I don't think they come with pegs? For my Deschutes (basically the same but without a floor and the netting door) I use ti v's for the 5 corners and a bigger stake for the front guy. For the corners I think anything will do but I'd recommenced something bigger for the main guy. There's pictures of my pegs in another recent thread so you can see the size of them.

[Boab]

For some reason I thought it came with pegs, will have to add those to the spreadsheet, along with seam sealant...

[ScotRoutes]

While you're at it...

The LS works best (especially for taller folk) if you use one or both of the mid-panel tie-outs. I've use sticks as props, I've used bike handlebars too. The other option is to buy another short pole from Stu.