Tarptent Double Rainbow Review

Updates to the Double Rainbow

This tent went through some major renovations this year, including increased headroom, waterproof zippers, larger gear pockets, and a higher water pressure rating. It is also $10 more expensive than the previous version we tested, ringing up at $299. See an outline of the updates below.

• Increased Headroom — Width of top strut increased by 33% to increase headroom inside the tent.

• Fly & Floor Redesign — Fly edge lowered and bathtub floor raised, meant to reduce splash inside.

• Increased Packability — This version has a stuffable tent body and separate, foldable top pole.

• Waterproof Zippers — The vestibule zippers are now designed to be fully waterproof.

• Bigger Stash Pockets — The stash pockets integrated into interior doors are now much larger, addressing a gripe we had on the previous version.

• Water Pressure Rating Increased — This version's fly has a 5,000 mm hydrostatic head pressure rating, and a 3,000 mm rating for the floor.

We are in the process of getting out and testing this updated tent, so in the meantime, the following review refers to the previous version.

Hands-on Review of the Double Rainbow

A Double Rainbow, what does it mean??? We think the Double Rainbow means an outstanding price-to-weight ratio as well as quality materials and construction. However, it can be difficult to set-up and can become less weather resistant due to user error.

Comfort

We were pleasantly surprised how comfortable this tent is for its weight - it earned a 7 out of 10 for comfort. It has the highest space-to-weight ratio of all the tents in this review, although the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 2 is nipping at its heels. We like its non-tapered rectangular floor plan and double door/vestibule construction.

The 30.5 sq. ft. of interior floor space, two 7.5 sq. ft. vestibules, and an impressive 43-inch peak height give two people enough space to enter easily and to sit up comfortably. There is slightly more interior volume and floor area than the in the Copper Spur HV UL 2 or the Big Agnes Rattlesnake SL2 mtnGLO. One downside is the measly little pocket on each side of the tent — it is hardly big enough to fit a pair of sunglasses.

Ease of Set-Up

At first glance, the Double Rainbow appears very easy to set-up — just feed the one pole through the sleeve and stake out the corners and doors, right? Wrong. We highly recommend reading the instructions before setting up your Double Rainbow. You do the things we mentioned, but you also have to tweak and clip the Tarptent to make sure that it will, in fact, be weather resistant. We made the mistake of not clipping the corner clips to the stake cords, and not clipping up the bathtub floor on the inside, and came back to our tent with pools of water in it after a rain storm.

The Double Rainbow comes with six stakes and no extra guy line to reinforce it in strong winds. The Copper Spur has a similar pole configuration and is slightly easier to set up than the Double Rainbow. The easiest tent to set up we tested is the REI Half Dome 2 Plus.

You are able to pitch the Tarptent in "self-supporting mode" by inserting two trekking poles into sleeves at either end. This feature is useful in rocky areas where it's difficult to insert stakes or where there aren't rocks or logs to substitute stakes. However, our testers rarely used this feature. We also like the way the Double Rainbow's vestibule awnings can be configured. We like the Hilleberg Anjan GT's ability to "fastpitch" its fly without a separate footprint.

Weather Resistance

The Double Rainbow is less weather resistant then we initially thought. We pitched the Double Rainbow alongside a variety of other tents including the Hilleberg Anjan 2 GT and the MSR Hubba Hubba NX in a serious wind and rain event with winds gusting between 35-40mph. We were disappointed when we returned to find the Double Rainbow completely blown over and the other tents standing and perfectly fine. We suspect this problem has to do with the stakes.

The Tarptent's cylindrical shaped stakes do not seem to have as much purchase as the chevron shaped DAC stakes that Big Agnes uses, and the fact that they were driven into softer clay/dirt means they just pulled right out when put under pressure.

Be sure to reinforce your stakes with a large rock. Other than that we do think that the Double Rainbow's silicone impregnated materials are much stronger than other tents like the lightweight Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2.

In order for this shelter to be weather resistant, it needs to be set up perfectly and all the clips on corners and inner walls need to be done up properly. The single wall roof and mesh vents at the ends could offer better protection against serious rainstorms. The mesh ends have elastic loops that create a minimalist 3-4" bathtub floor. We found that strong rain combined with compacted soil creates splashback that can hit the mesh wall, some of which can then enter onto the floor. To a large degree, it's possible to mitigate this problem by tightening the pole adjustment strap on the windward end of the tent — that lowers the fly closer to the ground. The extent that splashback occurs depends heavily on campsite selection. As always, protected sites with soft, absorbent ground are best. You need to seal the seams with SilNet Silicone Seam Sealer or something similar.

Another major problem with this single wall construction is that it is much more prone to condensation than a double wall tent that allows air to move more freely along the fly. We were disappointed that we woke up to significant condensation or frost on cooler mornings. We discovered that if we left the rainbow's mesh unzipped there would be less condensation.

Durability

The Tarptent Double Rainbow ranked in the middle of the pack for durability. While we felt the heavy-duty 1.3 oz/yd2 (44 g/m2) silnylon holds it own, we were not fans of the waterproofing. The Hilleberg Anjan GT 2 Person and the Big Agnes Rattlesnake SL2 mtnGLO took home the highest marks for overall durability — these are the two tents we'd look at if we didn't want to go shopping again for several years.

Weight and Packed Size

The Double Rainbow weighs in at 2 pounds, 15 ounces, and is one of the lightest tents in our review, alongside the Big Agnes Fly Creek HV. The other top two lightest backpacking tents we tested are the Big Agnes Rattlesnake SL2 mtnGLO and the NEMO Dagger 2, followed by the MSR Hubba Hubba NX.

It packs down relatively small but is harder to stuff into a pack than most tents because its body has a small cross pole that is attached, so needs to be packed strategically.

The Double Rainbow and Big Agnes Fly Creek have the smallest packed size.

Limitations

The Double Rainbow, though awesome, suffers from a few small drawbacks. As we mentioned, its single wall design is more prone to condensation than double wall tents and ultralight shelters. The tent is made in one single piece that cannot adapt to environmental conditions, such as campsites that don't allow an ideal pitch. The tents found in our Ultralight Tent Review are the most adaptable type of tent. In general, the Double Rainbow has a series of small features that would benefit from refinement but don't seriously reduce its performance.

For example, the zippers are small and hard to grab. We added pull cords. Velcro strips along the vestibule closure help to remove tension from the zippers, but we've found that clips or toggles are easier to use and are more secure. The vestibule doors roll to the sides and are secured with two small strips of Velcro that are not as easy to use as the elasticized toggles found on many other tents. The mesh door closure would also benefit from an elasticized closure. As is the case with all ultralight two-person tents, the Double Rainbow has enough space for two 20" wide sleeping pads and a couple of inches of space on each side. Two broad-shouldered, strapping lads might consider a wider tent. Other tents with two doors offer slightly more interior space, but they weigh 30 ounces more on average.

If you're looking for tents you won't have to "dress up", we enjoyed the thoughtful details on the REI Half Dome 2 Plus and the Big Agnes Rattlesnake SL2 mtnGLO.

Best Application

We think the Double Rainbow is a great choice for any backpacking adventure. It would be perfect for dry, warm environments where condensation isn't as much as an issue, and it would have a chance to dry out more easily.

Value

The Double Rainbow is a great value! Retailing for only $289, it is the least expensive fully enclosed tent under 3 pounds that we have used. If you are looking for a value car camping or tent for short backpacking trips, check out Best Buy winners, the luxurious and spacious REI Half Dome 2 Plus and the uniquely-featured Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight 2.

Conclusion

This shelter is a solid, comfortable, and lightweight option - for a great price. We were disappointed in its performance in high winds and rain and the amount of condensation we experience. These problems can be solved by reading the set-up instructions and making sure your tent is staked down really securely. You can abate the condensation problem by opening the mesh - if you're willing to sacrifice bug protection.

How To Get It

The Double Rainbow is not sold by major commercial or online retailers. You can order it directly from Tarptent.