Light but tight - Rab Element 2 Shelter

Hard to find, built with superior materials and workmanship but snug for even one person and gear. Very storm proof with closed ends and low to ground side staking. Side tiedowns are not adjustable without adding on some additional guy lines. If you like the style (light, floorless tarptent with closed beaks/vestibules on both ends), consider the Mountainsmith Mountain Shelter LT -- also top quality materials and very light but much, much roomier and a little taller and much more adjustable. But the Mountainsmith Mountain Shelter LT only has one big door and the Element 2 has doors on both ends and can add a floor and bug screen with the optional Rab Element 2 Bug Tent insert. Even so the Mountainsmith Mountain Shelter LT is much easier to get in and out of with noticeably more interior room-- both tarptents use hiking sticks for interior tent poles which complicate space usage a little. Campers much over 6 ft. might find the poles infringe on their bag layout. I have both tents and really like them both. Much, much better than a flat tarp but the floorless design is an acquired taste. Needs a footprint or Tyvek sheet to make it a "home".

This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.