Tarptent Dipole LI 2 Person Tent: geni.us/FPm4

It's been said before, but I'll say it again: Thank you for the metric conversions!

But I totally believe that cost is the "one problem." 😂 As the gear designer said, "High quality, light weight, and cheap... pick any two."

Wow $800 was a shock to hear. I suppose it's true no matter the product, be that a tent, a CPU or a car. We always pay 2x more for the number 1 item with a 10-15% increase in performance over the number 2 item. That 10-15% improvement can be everything you're looking for though, so it's really a balancing act on if the features are worth it for you.

I'd love to see a longer term review and some comparison videos. It's really too bad you'll have to send it back and we won't get a better idea on if the tent is worth it over other options.

The regular (non pro) Xmid accommodates 2 wide pads. I considered the DIpole Li, but you can buy almost THREE of them for the same money. No clue why the Xmid Pro was made smaller than the original Xmid. At some point lightweight gear gets as expensive as just buying a damn horse or lama and taking all the stuff you want...

I use the Double Rainbow Li for me and the wife. Two wide pads easy and comfortable.

Frankly I never understood how 20 inch width can be sufficient for hikers. I completely support the idea that 2 person tent should support 2 25 inch wide pads

I started watching this by accident but started really enjoying it because of your personality and the production value! Good work, I hope they give you the tent..... They should really give you the tent......... Tarptent, Give him the tent!!!

Thank you for all of the great info every week! ♥️

I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your objectivity. It is great to give an honest assessment, even though you have no financial incentive. Thank you so much. This builds a lot of credibility.

Great review. I think you sold me on this one. I have been looking for a tent a bit bigger than my Duplex so I can take my bride backpacking and have her enjoy herself. I can easily justify the price. I just think of how many nights in a hotel it costs. It only costs 3 to 4 nights in a hotel and unlike you, I get to keep it for more nights. lol. And I would like to see more on it from you.

It really is incredible what Henry Shires has produced in all of the tents he designed. I am also happy top 10 does not have an affiliate program. There is no need to have people give biased reviews of these great tents.

I LOVE my Dipole LI2!! I have size 14 feet and with a 3” pad and my quilt my feet constantly brush against the ceiling of my Duplex. I also purchased the DuplexL but it did not really help. Found the Tarptent and I have no contact with the tent ceiling!! The additional room also takes away the claustrophobic feeling at the end of the tent where my head lies. The windows are icing on the cake. FOR ME, this tent was worth the price!

Your review of the Xmid matched my own experiences, and I ended up with the Dipole for exactly all the reasons you listed. So happy with it!

Very nice of you to include metric units! That way I can grasp everything

This seems like an argument FOR the regular X-Mid 2P, which is 52" wide and runs $300 at this time. Plus it's incredibly storm-worthy!

Glad you finaly found this gem👑! If I 've saw this before buying my Triplex, it would have been my first choice. I really love the side windows making it "a room with a view"

We have a tarp tent and have had it the last 5 years. We LOVE its roominess and its easy to care for

I would gladly pay $800 for a tent like this if I was commonly sharing a tent but since most of my backpacking is done solo or with other solo backpackers I wouldn't be able to justify getting rid of the duplex which is lighter, CAN accommodate a 2nd person when needed (you can lower the poles to make more floor space), and is a palace for one person. Nice review though! I have always had an eye on Tarp Tent as they seem to have interesting ideas. I would like to know how well this one packs down though since some of their stuff packs weird (I think it was the Notch Li that couldn't fit horizontally in a backpack).

Great post my friend. I always enjoy tuning into your newest post and getting your perspective.

I considered the Dipole Li but went with the Double Rainbow Li, the arch pole makes it so incredibly stable and it has an incredible amount of head and foot room while fitting two wide pads

The way I have been setting up our ZPacks Duplex when its both me and my better half on the trail together is that I use one 25'' pad and one 20'' pad and I connect them with the thermarest coupling straps. Both sleeping pads are full rectangle so it really makes a contiguous and reasonably generous space. If you take the time to find some sticks and run the end wall guy lines out you can really open up the headroom on the Duplex as well. I bring Dyneema twine with and just use whatever is around to make the up and over angle and it really works well. The interior of the tent is filled side to side with sleeping pad and we find it quite comfortable. There's still room on the ends to place items, and if condensation might be an issue I just keep everything in the pack. We are both average build, I am 5' 9'' 165 pounds, so I do think that, that helps make it all fit. I use the Duplex wether it's just me or both of us. I've ditched my other tents at this point. As a solo tent the Duplex is a castle and works well enough for the two of us. If I was sharing the tent with someone that I didn't want to be cuddling next to then that would be a different story! But, it is usually just myself and my pup, and on occasion my better half and the pup, and he is small enough to not be an issue.

The Double Rainbow Li is $649 vs the SilPoly Double Rainbow at $349. And its 840g all in vs 1083g. So, not even a *huge* weight saving. And its bulkier. I am hoping there's a SilPoly Dipole 2 on its way, as well. It would be a much more approachable price on what is a really ingenious design.

Thanks for including metric measurements. 👍

I dont like camping or hiking ir anything like that, but youtube recommend your channel and im enjoying it

Great vid and thanks for giving Tarptent recognition. Have always felt that they just don't get the credit they deserve. VERY innovative products.

I truly, dearly appreciate you putting the metric measurements in the corner, it really helps me understand what you're saying!

Funny how the weight issue has evolved over the past few years. In 1989 I had a patrol course in the army. Four men formed a patrol and had a 3 man tent (1 man on guard, he doesn't need space in the tent). The tent weighed 11 kg (24.25 lbs) and could be divided into three packaging units. Sure, there were lighter civilian tents back then, but you couldn't spend the night in winter at 3500 meters (11482.94 feet) in the Alps. In general, the weight didn't bother us much, we had so much material (weapons, ammunition, radio, ammunition, food, ammunition, sleeping bag, ammunition, clothes and ammunition to lug around, it didn't make any difference anymore. But I had a lot of fun getting to know your experiences - thank you very much.

I love my Tarptent. I've had a Rainshadow 2 since 2009 and have taken it a lot of places. It weighs way less than most peoples' single man tent and fits 3 comfortably. Just make sure you pitch it the right direction into the wind and get the guy lines super tight!

Great video, as always. I replaced a 25 year old 2 person Kelty tent with a Paria Arches 2P. I have been pleased so far but plan on buying a 3 person tent in the future too. I camp with 2 dogs but they are rather large so a 3 person would fit us better. I’ve had my eye on some Tarptent 3 person models so I appreciate the review just to see the quality. Thanks and keep up the great work.

There's a saying in the construction field: _"Good, fast, cheap. Choose two"_ Same type of situation applies to tents. If you want perfection, you have to pay for it.

Bought a tarptent rainshadow back in 2004, and believe it or not it is still going good, testament to the build quality.

Always appreciate your vid's, Stephen. Thanks.

I'm an X-Mid (not pro) owner and I love it! The Dipole is the only tent that makes me want to upgrade but the price keeps it out if my budget. The weight and space are awesome but the windows are the coolest feature for me. Great review and a strongly worded email was sent on your behalf...lol

I've never understood the obsession with light weight for regular backpacking. An extra 2 or 3lbs is barely noticeable, and the increase in comfort is huge.

Nice.. I'm currently using a Ozark trail 3 person tent. 6lbs

Really helpful review, thanks! I twould be great to have a "stress test" review of this tent. A couple nights is one thing, but to really earn that price tag, I'd want to know how it holds up on, say a 2-week backpacking trip in variable weather.

So my take is everybody is getting to carried away with ultra light backpacking. Now if you are going to do a long through hike then I can understand. But for backpacking in general I want a good tent that can handle what mother nature can throw at it. I use an MSR zoic 2 person tent. Strong, robust handle the wind, rain, snow. It wieghs 4 pounds. Pretty light for all the protection it brings. Any way you do it get out and backpack. 🎒

Love my Tarptent. I have the Hogback for the whole fam damily plus doggo. Definitely going for the Dipole next

I found this video very interesting, even as someone who does wildly different camping. It's interesting seeing how different the mindset of backpacking is to the historical reenactment that I do. The contrast is humongous, with your having to worry about carrying weight where we in the SCA sometimes bring u-hauls for our week-long basecamp setups. The idea of what's a big tent is wildly different as well, where my current modern 8ftx12ft (2.4mx3.6m) tent is considered on the small end and is barely being enough space for my two-person camping needs, which includes a clothing rack, armor storage, a table to get ready, a bed, and any other stuff we need. I will agree that $800 for that tent is really expensive, while some historically-adequate mid-size canvas tents (like around the 12ftx14ft range) can be a grand or two.

X-Mid Pro 2 is more 1.75 man tent… however the regular X-Mid 2 does fit 2 dbl wide pads, is dbl walled and only $300.

I remember camping in a "2 person" tent which was maybe a bit on the small side but adequate for two people to sleep in. However, we had both decent size backpacks and very limited room in the vestibule(? the extra space that often exists between inner and outer tents in conjunction with the doors) so we had to either have them beside us (leading to us having to lie closer together) or by our feet (leading to having to lie scrunched up)

I run the Notch solo which is very similar - i Love it!

I own a Tarptent Contrail - bout in 2010 I think, then bought a Stratospire 2 in 2013. They are both excellent - only issue is the weak clips and elastic in the corners for the tent to fly. But they have served me really well. Had Franco seam-seal the SS2 before delivery. Then spent 2 weeks camped up around Blue Lake over New Years with my wife, and it was awesome!. Have plenty of times used the SS2 fly, and the MSR Hubba Hubba inner as a team for hiking.....

I was an assistant scout master and it was one of the most satisfying things I ever did in my life. The Scout Master had two boys in the troop and most of the assistants had a son in the troop. We tried to go camping just about every month. The Scout Master came up with some rules and methods that made us a great troop. (1.) There always had to be two leaders there to do anything. (2.) All the fathers were invited to come camp with the troop. (3.) The adults planed and cooked their own food. This one thing turned the boys of our troop into young men and into young cooks. (4.) The boys could not afford high end gear for camping. We had to make use of standard equipment and much of it was old. The tents we used were Timberline TL-2 and TL-4 for the leaders. They were not the lightest but they sufficed. We camped in all kinds of weather, it was cold and wet many times. (5.) Keeping dry was a priory. I can remember going on a camping trip to an area the Annapolis Naval Academy had and we knew it was going to rain hard. We cut thick plastic sheets for each tent. We cut them about a foot larger in both directions than the floor area and put them inside each tent. It worked like a good tub floor and keep the sleeping pads and bags dry, even with water rolling past. (5.) Sleeping pads were a necessity and we supplied the standard foam pads and in cold weather had the boys bring 2 sleeping bags. (6.) We hiked in the rain and quickly learned not to wear cotton sweat shirts. sweat pants and blue jeans. When they got wet, they stayed wet. Clothes made of Wool, nylon and polyester were better to have in the rain. The Scout uniform was not a bad choice, it had quick drying cotton nylon blend. (7.) For a trip to the Appalachian Trail I bought a expensive Gore-tex rain suit and quickly learned that a poncho worked better. While hiking in the new rain suit I got completely wet from the inside by sweat. Where a plain cheep poncho worked better because it had air movement that helped. (8.) Keep your feet as dry as you can and wear liner socks.

Running metric conversions are appreciated! Thanks!

I’ve been looking at the double rainbow either Li or DW bc we’re tall too which adds a whole extra consideration. This dipole is fascinating too. One thing I’ll give tarp tent which I think is a big advantage is w the ventilation design they make these great windows that help see out. It adds ventilation gives a look at great views and cuts down on claustrophobia. I’d be very interested in a long term review. Ps TT let him have it for a while or give him a great big discount!!

I watch your videos from France and I really like them. a nice tent indeed. personally I think the panels are wide and that's probably a weakness in the wind. My tents: xmid 2-person (at the top), aeon li (I'm very satisfied except for the condensation), and Tarptent Notch (for more difficult weather conditions). Congratulations

My dad taught me: 'gear is a person'. So a 2p tent, I treat as a 1p tent and a 3 is a 2. It has always treated me wel. Nowadays i tend to bivy bag + tarp if I'm by myself. ~400g+300g gives me a less then kg shelter for under $150. The best option for a brokie student like me, but bivvys certainly aren't for everyone.

I own this tent. Purchased on Friday, November 4, 2022. I love this tent!!! I have Many tents - this is the best one, period. Save the expense of buying many tents and get this one. Slept in it for several weeks - it's great for all the reasons in the video. The tent is built in the best tent manufacturer, all the fit and finish are excellent. It's a Joy to sleep and be in. Buy once, cry once. Cost was $857, but if I had it to do again .... I would be way ahead $ wise by not getting so many other tents.

I always enjoy your videos, no B.S. just facts. As a guy quickly closing in on 70 trips around the sun, I find the evolution of backpacking tents fascinating and at times laughable. I understand light weight for thru hikers, but for weekend warriors ( Or for us retired folks who prefer Tuesday-Thursday) I will carry my double wall. A few extra lbs is still quite manageable for this old guy. The money I save allows me a gourmet meal at a nice restaurant when I come off the trail Thursday afternoon. Life is good no crowds, peace & quiet and a jingle in my pocket. Thanks for another great video.

The area i hike in has tents stashed everywhere. I buy them cheap at goodwill and thrift stores. I will put a tent inside a tent, inside another tent. Depending on the season. I hate carrying a tent, it’s weight you can shed if you know where you are going and what is already there. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise

No regrets about price when I paid for my Double Rainbow Li. It wasn’t my first tent… it was my 6th. While price doesn’t always mean better, one has to consider the very real cost of materials, labour, shipping to and from China, etc. No regrets. Love my Tarptent!

Thanks for the Video.

The tents you seem to use all have what might be described as good ventilation. To me they look b(@@dy freezing! Could you do a similar comparison for something you would use 3/4 season where it's cold , wet and windy? Or out of your interest? I had a Mutha Hubba a few years ago for an autumn trip to Sweden but had to buy a more appropriate tent while there without flappy side vents that let the cold wind through.

That’s why I picked up the BA tigerwall platinum 3p, it was on sale so I picked it because me and my nephew are both 6’3 220+

Awesome advice wow...incredible videos here on the topics involved

I am happy with my Ultramid 2 with insert - Its not the lightest with the floored insert, but you can split it up on two backpacks and its 76“ wide.

Light tebt and collapsible items always equal fun

Good morning from California ☀️

We use a 25" and a my I'm our Durston pro. He is coming out with a 50 something inch floor in the version I have heard.

I have been eyeing this tent since it was announced a year ago. At 6'-tall, my quilt toe box hits the inner wall on my Lanshan 2, even if I sleep alone, diagonally. I otherwise love it. My wife? She thinks it is too crowded for us. She doesn't like it at all. I can live with a damp tow box for several days, but not on a planned through-hike on the Long Trail this September. In 2021, I bought a 4p DCF mid tent from Locus Gear with the 4/5ths inner for trips with my wife. Clearance is no issue, but after I include a Tyvec ground sheet I am up to roughly 3 lbs. I could lose another 4 ounces using a 1/2 inner. But that is still a bulky, heavy tent for one hiker. And the 1/2 inner is not free. The Durston X-Mid Pro 2 has that acute, angled wall hitting either your face or feet, unless you sleep diagonally. It is a no-go for me/us. But the Dipole 2 seems to solve all issues for me/us. Having bought gear that was hyped up on UKposts one year only to see it get hyped-down the next year, I wish I could see how this tent performs in heavy weather. If it performs well, I could justify the price. That mid tent cost me twice as much with the inner tent and freight. I am willing to invest in this hobby, but I am middle-class. I don't like making big purchases that backfire. This tent has so many pros that I can handle the price...if it can handle rough weather. I sure wish I could get a storm review. Why are none of the tent makers beside Tarp Tent making ultralight 1p and 2p tents for guys taller than 5'-9"? (The DupleXL does not qualify, in my book.) I don't understand it.

Thnx for the metric conversion. I paid €1875 euros for my tent, and that was a really good deal! If i wanted it with more extras I would have paid almost €3800

Maybe it's just me, but I am not sold on DCF for tents (and less so for packs). It is prone to puncture, abrasion, stretching/de-lamination, and just stuffing/rolling. So not only expensive, but delicate as well. Silnylon or some of the better silpolys (Durston) deliver much better bang for the buck, and the weight differential is typically only a few ounces. As you say, 50 inches wide is MINIMUM for two people; 60 inches is more comfortable. Then there is storm worthiness. All it takes is one night in surprise bad weather to make a backpacker think again about a few ounces more for a sturdier tent. TLDR: TT Cloudburst 3 is a far superior "ultimate tent". Still only 4lbs, including the third pole and Winter liner for heavy weather. 3.25lbs in Summer mode. Costs less than DCF, too.

I have the old Tarptent Squall 2. That this is awesome. Two can fit in it, but for one this thing is the Tasmahall.

I have had a HS Rainbow Tarptent for about a decade. Great tent for one person and a dog, but something roomier would be wonderful some days.

TarpTent is by far my favorite ultralight tent company. I've got the Aeon Li, and Double Rainbow Li. The double rainbow is still one of my favorites, not only can it fit two wide sleeping pads, it has tons of head room, but can be used as a free standing tent! Yes, I bought the CNOC carbon trekking polls to go with this tent as they can extend long enough to create a foundation for this tent to stand freely.

Always enjoying your videos!

Great review! Thank you for your honest opinion.

The more tents I’ve used and the more I research other tents the more I realize there is no perfect tent. There are a lot of really good options out there but nothing hits all the marks for me.

I've had My Stratospire 2 since 2015 and it's a wonderful tent.

When I need an actual 2P tent, it’s because my wife is with me and we’re not doing super long miles. So, my go to tent in that case is a Klymit Maxfield 2. On my scale, all in with stakes and the footprint (needed for fast fly setup), it’s 4lbs 6ozs. It actually fits both our 25” pads and we divide the weight between us. It’s also more durable than my big Agnes fly creek, which doesn’t fit both our pads. Because of where we hike/camp, trekking pole tents just aren’t an option for us. For my solo trips, I just went out on a limb this year and bought a Zpacks Free Duo. But that’s an entire different creature.

Great review! Looks like a great tent. The $800 price tag is a deal breaker for me, though. Same with the Z Packs Duplex. I've been using the Durston X-mid for several years, on the AT and the Florida Trail, and at around $300, IMHO it's the best value in this category. To be fair though, I'm 5'10", 170lb, so I don't need as much floor width. Thanks for thorough review!

What a great thorough review!

as others have stated, I think the Durston X-Mid 2 is the king of all lightweight tents. price, weight, comfort, and reliability in bad weather are all great. I want to like the Dipole 2, but the strut ventilation sides seem very sus -- something you would have to regularly monitor, especially if the weather turns south and not something you want to be doing in a thunderstorm in the middle of the night

I have only been out in 25 mph wind (I’m betting the gusts were a bit faster) and it was fast enough that the tent I was in was blowing the tent wall onto my face. But this was a traditional tent. I really liked my Tarptent Duo I had.

Plus, it's currently out of stock. That's always a good testimonial, in my book. Nice review. Thank you.

I've got to say that's impressive, nearly as large as my Drifter 2DP at a faction of the weight, if I was doing more backwoods hikes I'd probably cough up the money, but I've grown to love my travel trailer with comfy bed too much and only do a few weekends of tent camping a year with the Boyscouts half of which are car camping during the summer where I use my ginormous family tent as the high ceilings keep me cool later into the day.

Nice tent hear good things about the company. Prices come down over time. I’ve got a Nemo and a Durston so I can wait

I am new to the hobby and started getting stuff. Thanks for your Videos! But I got a different tent, the lanshan 2 pro. A trekking pole tent under 200 Euro! So to start, this price beats every other option, for the moment ;)

Would have loved to see what the set up was like... That's the #1 thing for me on these UL trekking pole tents.

I’d love to see you review the Tarptent Double Rainbow Li.

By the time I'd paid postage and import duty to the UK my tarptent stratospire was over $800 dollers. Love using it and it's my favourite tent when I'm touring on my bike. Compared to the hilleburg tents $800 isn't bad.

I know this is a backpacking channel, but when my girlfriend and I go bike touring, we bring a 3 person tent. It's just very nice to have extra room to put your luggage dry inside. It does weigh 2.7 kg or 6 lbs, but it's a high quality double wall tent which sets up in a couple of minutes, so for 310 euros we're very happy with it for our purposes. It's the Forclaz MT900 3 for anyone interested.

I have this tent in a single person and although I've not used it yet I hear it's bombproof with the two additional guy out lines. Tarp Tent is meticulous in their design and execution. And the single person is a small footprint for all that interior room, something that is very important to me.

The north face tadpole! I still have mine from the late 90’s. Yeah, it’s heavy but can’t rag on a 30 old tent on my book. I’m totally looking for a newer, lighter and two person tent by the way though! 😂

I had the StratoSpire2 several years ago and ended up selling it because of durability issues. It was a palace when it comes to space, though. I've since switched to Six Moons Designs shelters (Lunar Duo Outfitter, Lunar Solo LE, and Deuschetes Plus tarp). They're certainly not the latest and greatest, but they're lightweight, affordable, and can fit me and 1-2 medium dogs. To me they're a great budget friendly option. BTW, I spent around $350 in 2003 money for my MSR Missing Link and wore it out. In 2023 money that'd be about $570. So I guess $575 would be my limit now.

I rently picked a Dipole 1 Li for my solo hike of the JMT this year. Haven't had a chance to try it out yet but it looks nice. Normally I hike with my partner and we use a Triplex. Only 3 oz more than a Duplex but so worth it for the extra room. Using the second set of trekking poles to raise the side tieouts gives some extra headroom to keep the tent out of your face.

The Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo I think accommodates a similar space at a much lower price and a slightly heavier weight. Instead of carbon poles creating ventilation windows at the floor, they use a small arch pole to increase the headroom at the peak. It weighs in at a slightly chunky 2.6 lbs, but the floor space is 54"x90"..... Not bad for $395. Note, it does not come seam sealed for that price.

Good job

I had gone through this same tradeoffs and decided on the Double Rainbow LI over the Zpack Duplex. I consider the extra 10 oz. my "luxury item" and the extra space is worth it to me. I did wait for the blem option to save some money. I cannot find the blemish so that choice was well worth it. It's good to see this video as there are plenty about the duplex and the Durston and while not 19 oz., these Tarptent options are not 2+ pounds either

dude i just found your channel and i love it! great videos and subbed

I agree with a lot of what you say in your review, I too need room for 2 25” pads. This tent may check off your requirements but for me it failed in its primary purpose, being a shelter! High volume and straightish sides make it poor in strong winds. I am searching for similar things, but so far I am still finding that a 3 person tent is needed for 2 people to be comfortable

Currently thru hiking the ECT with one. That was the only way I could justify one. I’ll let you know if it survives the longevity.

Lanshan Pro 2 can accommodate a 20" and 25" wide pad. Good enough for my wife and I, but not me and a friend. I still prefer hammock camping: just set the tarp up high enough and you don't even need to hunch over to change. Hard to beat the weight, though.

sling fin portal!!!!!!!!! I've comfortably spent many nights in it, with 2 full grown adult men- and it has one thing which you dont cover- excellent bad weather performance- especially wind. I'm in the UK where we get huge amounts of wind and unpredictable rain. It never misses a beat and in my eyes is perfect

I do not really get ounces, so I tend to use the grams which you kindly put on the screen (thank you!). However, there is probably some mistake because Zpax has 19oz. = 539g (the lightest tent), but on the screen we see 765g... I think the weights in grams were switched between Zpax and Dipole @MyLifeOutdoors

Thank you for including metric measurements! It's greatly appreciated. Since you are one of the few hiking youtubers that also cater to more budget options, would you consider testing the decatlon forcaz mt900 tarp tent?

Coming from using a Hilleberg , the TarpTents price tag seems almost comforting.