Tarptent Stratospire

This has been on my mind since I got the SS Li:

How do those who have it pack it in their pack? I am used to being able to fold and pack my Duplex in the top of my pack but the struts in the Li (or any SS) prohibit this without removing them (a pain).

So obviously need to re-think my packing...curious as to how others have dealt with this.

I've packed various strutted Tarptent models vertically inside my pack for many trips. Slid outside the pack liner on the left side. I rarely detach inners even if shelter is wet - the inners dry in minutes once repitched.

Density wise, it's not much different than any other gear so doesn't affect balance at all. Especially as I tend to carry my water bottle on the opposite side.

Means shelter can be deployed/packed quickly with everything else kept separate.

It hasn't changed the way I pack anything else.

I've never packed a shelter vertically, partly because I've never had a shelter that wouldn't pack horizontally. But, assuming you can keep the pack balanced, it makes some sense to pack vertically as it means that more things are easily accessed at the top of the pack. I wonder why that never occurred to me before @Mole's post?

WilliamC said:

I've never packed a shelter vertically, partly because I've never had a shelter that wouldn't pack horizontally. But, assuming you can keep the pack balanced, it makes some sense to pack vertically as it means that more things are easily accessed at the top of the pack. I wonder why that never occurred to me before @Mole's post?

Click to expand...

Yep. Assuming you usually pack shelter inside main pack, then having it vertically inside pack beside the main liner makes accessing other stuff simpler.

Try it? A soft non-strutted shelter makes it tricky to tidily slot down the side I suppose, but a long narrow stuffbag will help. And cuben is stiffer than sil too.

Mole said:

Try it? A soft non-strutted shelter makes it tricky to tidily slot down the side I suppose, but a long narrow stuffbag will help.

Click to expand...

The Dirigo has a strut (at the ridge), which means you have to fold and roll it really carefully to fit horizontally in an Arc Blast so I was already considering packing it vertically next time out; I just hadn't cottoned on to the advantages.

Packed the SS2 and Scarp2 vertically, usually place them in the middle of the pack then form my "sleep stuff sack" (quilt, sleep mat, sleep clothes etc) in a ∞ type shape around it

As Mole says, it's easier and quicker to try than it is describe it

Finally got around to using the SS Li and noticed several QC issues. I'm writing this up in one of my blog posts for first impressions but figured I'd share here too as I want to know if anyone else has come across any of these issues.

One velcro tab that holds the vent shut was barely sewn on...holding on by a few threads.
Two of the adjustable straps for holding the inner floor in place basically came apart in my hand...threads just came loose and hooks came off.
Another floor strap (the non-adjustable one) was a little more than half sewn into the seam. It seems secure for now, but still not good for a $700 tent.

While these are minor things I am now a little concerned about the total integrity of the tent...what else is going to fall apart and then fail.

Not good. Sounds like a Friday afternoon job.

Not acceptable on $700 tent . I would take Henry S to task over the sloppy QC . A few yrs ago
on my sil Strat 1 the mid panel tie outs were not well secured . It's not exactly rocket science
to check over an expensive tent and to confirm properly made . Only takes a few mins if that .

Mole said:

Not good. Sounds like a Friday afternoon job.

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One strap they already replaced...it was something I found right out of the bag. The second one failed this trip. I already fixed the velcro tab.

Currently working on mods to improve the ease of removing the inner...so looking for inspiration. The current hooks and tiny elastic loops are just horrible.

Are they the standard glove hooks onto little rings?

If so, it's fast and easy when you get the technique. Twist them and push toward the ring and they just pop off.

Practice makes perfect...

Mole said:

Are they the standard glove hooks onto little rings?

If so, it's fast and easy when you get the technique. Twist them and push toward the ring and they just pop off.

Practice makes perfect...

Click to expand...

No rings...just tiny loops of elastic which is what makes them tough

Ah. A bit fiddlier, but try the same technique. Should slide off ok. Mld use the hooks inside their shelters. My inners have justloops of elastic or grosgrain.

DuneElliot said:

Finally got around to using the SS Li and noticed several QC issues.

Click to expand...

eek. haven't noticed anything on mine but now paranoid and will try to get it up again tonight to check over these specific areas.

I've had a couple of practice pitches now and am definitely getting better. Couple of notes:
1. rigdeline is much better with poles at 125cm than 120 cm; much less saggy.
2. can't use an extra-long guy on the pitchlock corner: adding a longer guy line tends to lift the pitchloc struts off the ground! I've settled on the existing guy + a 30ish cm extension guy (which continues the line of the fly) for deploying in strong wind. But because there's a strong upward component to the pull, the pitchloc corner needs a better peg than the supplied 6" easton.

Agree totally re pitchlock guys.
And 6" Eastons just suck.
At 9" they are great.
6" don't hold well in many soils. Must be to do with their thickness v length. Other 6" pegs hold fine. And 9" Eastons hold better than the good 6" pegs.

I found msr groundhogs better than the gold Easton’s on my recent pitchings on quite hard Mallorca ground. Couldn’t get the Eastons deep in. Ti nails were good too but I only had 2 of those which I used for the apex lines.

Just got back from 11 days in Northern Spain on the GR1 and Sierra de Guara where I used the Strat 2 for the first time, with the "solid" inner, which actually has half mesh doors.

On the whole, it went well, the plus points are obvious: size and weight. It also handled one night of very bad weather very well.

Pitching took a while to get used to. I still find it difficult to get the inner tent to go where I want it if there's only a small flat spot to pitch on. The overall space required to pitch properly is much bigger than I'm used to which led to some failed attempts to squeeze into small areas. I can get good separation of fly and inner and no sagging to speak of by doing a second check round the guys and pegging and tightening everything up. I added longer guys to the apex and the upper part of the pitch lock ends. Raised poles to around 123-125cm. In fact I felt I was overstretching it at first and was worried about breaking the zip so I backed off a little in that respect.

Other downsides: one of the supplied pitch lock guys shredded after a gust of wind one night. The tops of a couple of the Easton pegs came of when I was trying to pull them out using the cord.

On a couple of nights the temperature was below freezing and there was condensation inside the inner so that I got a wet head when I sat up and brushed against it (definitely didn't make contact with the fly). Never had this before in any tent. There was also a lot of condensation on the inner fly every night which added significantly to the weight even after wiping it down. The small vents and low to the ground fly make this inevitable I think.

The internal space and door configuration is a bit unusual and it looks as though it is set up for 2 people to lie in opposite directions.

All in all though I'm happy with it. But the advice from people on here about improving the set up was invaluable; so thank you!!

Stuart,
try pitching the tent the way I do. That way you first put the floor area down where it is flat, the vestibules will go over the not so flat bits afterwards.
As for the pegs, two points to keep in mind
1) when inserting , treat them like a nail , in the sense that you need to push them in hitting them square otherwise they can bend , just like a nail (no, nails are not "faulty" )
2) before extracting the peg, give it a nudge with your foot. That way they will be loose and come off easy.

Franco Darioli said:

Stuart,
try pitching the tent the way I do. That way you first put the floor area down where it is flat, the vestibules will go over the not so flat bits afterwards.

As for the pegs, two points to keep in mind
1) when inserting , treat them like a nail , in the sense that you need to push them in hitting them square otherwise they can bend , just like a nail (no, nails are not "faulty" )
2) before extracting the peg, give it a nudge with your foot. That way they will be loose and come off easy.

Click to expand...

I appreciate you stopping by and helping with the pitching problems, but quite suprised there was no comment on the QC issues I was experiencing.

I don't work at TT, I am in Australia watching what the TT team in Nevada City is doing.

You don't represent TT or have any commercial interest in the brand anymore Franco?

Yes I do but I only look after (part time) the sort of problems I addressed and or suggest what shelter will work better and if,but I don't make them nor sell them.

(i did pass the ball to someone that could help...)

DuneElliot said:

Finally got around to using the SS Li and noticed several QC issues. I'm writing this up in one of my blog posts for first impressions but figured I'd share here too as I want to know if anyone else has come across any of these issues.

One velcro tab that holds the vent shut was barely sewn on...holding on by a few threads.
Two of the adjustable straps for holding the inner floor in place basically came apart in my hand...threads just came loose and hooks came off.
Another floor strap (the non-adjustable one) was a little more than half sewn into the seam. It seems secure for now, but still not good for a $700 tent.

While these are minor things I am now a little concerned about the total integrity of the tent...what else is going to fall apart and then fail.

Click to expand...

Hi CJ, can you contact us please. I see your order from last August and I know we sent you a strap last September but it would be good if we could see what else we can help you with. Happy to pay for any repairs needed at that end. Thanks.

Just as an FYI to people outside the US, we do try very hard to QC everything and CJ's Li was from the very first batch - #8 out the door at product introduction. We also have a policy that ALL tents leaving the US go through an additional QC check. CJ's order shipped to an address in Wyoming and we had no idea it was going outside the US.

Henry Shires
Tarptent

hshires said:

Hi CJ, can you contact us please. I see your order from last August and I know we sent you a strap last September but it would be good if we could see what else we can help you with. Happy to pay for any repairs needed at that end. Thanks.

Just as an FYI to people outside the US, we do try very hard to QC everything and CJ's Li was from the very first batch - #8 out the door at product introduction. We also have a policy that ALL tents leaving the US go through an additional QC check. CJ's order shipped to an address in Wyoming and we had no idea it was going outside the US.

Henry Shires
Tarptent

Click to expand...

Henry, It's CJ, can you please edit post not to include my given name.

I appreciate the feedback Henry. I did have it shipped to the US as I was living there at the time. I was leaving for the UK in October and didn't want to have to worry about import duties.

All but one thing has been fixed now though...thankfully it was stuff I easily could do myself (or one of the things you replaced before I left) or I would have been in contact. I do appreciate the level of customer service TT provides. The corner tie-out on the inner seems solid enough to hold so won't worry about that for now.

I did send an email (from my nomadic.pawprints address) a week or two ago about getting some of the extensions for the magnetic door tie backs but haven't yet heard back. I've seen others having issues with those popping loose when brushed against or in windy conditions.

Dang, TT pulled my "first impressions" review and posted it on their FB page for all to see (and no I didn't send any of it to them so a little surprised at it's appearance). A little surprised as it wasn't all "this tent is 100% perfect" but definitely appreciated in many ways as it is nice to know they are wanting to get real reviews out there, and also good for my unknown blog too. Either way, a feel good moment for me tonight.