Mountain Hardwear Solitude Tent

I'm not sure if Mt. Hardwear even sells this tent anymore (I think the new TriLight 1 is their replacement) but here goes: the Solitude is a very well constructed, storm worthy, and relatively roomy one person tent. It is of a unique, off set floor design, more trapezoidal than a symetrical design. I've used it for three years now and have sat through many a rainstorm in it with not one leak. Its low profile handles wind gusts with barely a shudder. There is minor condensation near your feet, but nothing big. Almost the whole inner tent body is mesh so it is very well ventilated with the fly off for those summer nights when rain isn't expected. It has enough room for your boots and a water bottle under the vestibule, and enough room inside to bring in a change of clothes, a book, and your personal gear. You can sit up in it, and there's a window above your face in the fly that allows some stargazing (but it fogs up fast). Two small inside pockets keep your headlamp, book, and watch handy.

Set up is easy once you do it a few times and practice. The tent takes up little space so you don't need a huge site to pitch it on--just a little sliver of flat ground will do. It's not free standing, but that isn't a problem for 99 percent of places you hike. If you're not used to a one-person tent, it may seem cramped inside, but it is just right for one, and saves you some weight. Construction is good--not one weak or worn spot yet!

This tent is phenomenal. I've taken it to Concordia in Pakistan, remote Himachal Pradesh, Costa Rican jungles...name it. My wife LOVES it. She says anywhere the tent goes, she goes.

Here's a tip: order a brand spankin' new MH Solitude online for yourself. You're no dummy; anyone who's checking out a tent of this caliber has a whole lot going on for yourself. And by the way, the rain fly pullover IT DOES NOT LEAK EVER. So if you're planning to break this tent in on the Olympic Peninsula...you're in luck!

Crack at it, get out of your thoroughly over-domesticated rut...blow up the air mattress until you turn BLUE for all I care and start exploring sleeping on the ground night after night after night...it's not bad for a while. But folks, even the MH Solitude begins to SUCK after three weeks. Ladies, remember, it's high time to get HIGH especially in the mountains! Sleep deep without a peep in this peerless Mountain Hardwear three-season (that's summer/winter and occasionally deluge bummer) with this easy to set up unit!

It beats a 4-million-dollar lodge in Jackson Hole any day!

Background

So-so...nothing that impressive. You have to try the dang thing out yourself and stay dry by any means!

The construction of this tent is outstanding. The stitching is flawless. The body is dark grey and the netting (lots of it) is black. There are 8 purple stake loops on the main body, but 5 stakes are all that's needed. The fly is teal with purple stake loops and guy loops. It is a non-freestanding tent but it is VERY SOLID when set up using the 2 poles threaded through the pole sleeves.

If you're 6 ft, or taller, you may have problems with condensation developing in the foot well due to the sleeping bag blocking the no-see-um netting. This is a one-person tent so there's no room for your pack unless it's used as a foot or head pillow. The vestibule is only large enough for a pair of boots.

Tent weight with 10 standard tent stakes provided by MH is 4 pounds, 8 ounces without a groundcloth--a far cry from the pack weight of 3 pounds, 10 ounces MH declares. The tent is very stormworthy and handles snow loads well considering it's a 3-season tent. I wouldn't want to spend rainy days holed up in this tent. Add an extra pound and you can get a Clip Flashlight or a freestanding Summer Moon.

Overall, I found the Solitude to be a tight tent while on a two month romp through the New Zealand wilderness. It holds up well in strong winds, and generally keeps you dry in wet weather.

The most important points to remember when setting it up is to stake out the points as tightly as is humanly possibe, as this will eliminate all creases and bunching of the inner. Generally, it is advisable to stake out the fly also.

I am 6'1" and this tent performed well. It is not the most comfortable for a tall person. i.e., you can hardly sit up in it, your feet rub against the foot and cause condensation, but overall, it is a great shelter for the weight, and that's all it needs to do.

This is the only solo tent I've found that is roomy enough to sit up and get dressed in. It's marginal, but the idea with a solo tent is to save weight, and more room = more weight. I'm not tall (5 ft 11 in), but most solo tents I tried were not long enough. This has enough room for me, my sleeping bag, and a modest amount of gear. It does well in wind.

If you're looking to save weight and aren't sharing a tent, this is the best I could find.

This is a great little tent. I was in a thunderstorm in the Marble Mountain Wilderness and never had a drop of rain get inside the tent. Plenty of room for one person.

The down side is that the clear window clouds up after about 20 minutes and you cannot see out the window. A small amount of condensation at the foot, even with the rain fly door open.

I have used a bivy sack in the past but I like the extra room of this tent. Well worth the price.