Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo Tent Assessment

The Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo is revered within the ultralight backpacking world for its palace-like spaciousness, low weight, and inexpensive price ticket.

We had been first intrigued by the Lunar Duo over a decade in the past once we noticed it whereas thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Path. Since then, we’ve pitched it a whole lot of instances on journeys all through the Rockies and everywhere in the Pacific Northwest. Learn on to see how the Duo stacks up in opposition to dozens of different backpacking tent designs we’ve examined over time.

Fast Specs

MSRP: $395

LISTED WEIGHT: 2 lbs. 13 oz.

MEASURED WEIGHT: 2 lbs. 14.4 oz.

DIMENSIONS (LxWxH): 90 x 54 x 45 in.

Professionals

EXCEPTIONALLY SPACIOUS – One of many standout attributes of the Lunar Duo is its exceptionally spacious inside. With a 45-inch peak peak that’s well-distributed by the arched forehead poles, a 7 ½-foot size, and beneficiant 54-inch width (sufficiently big for 2 extensive sleeping pads), this tent is roomier than most 2-person tents by a good quantity. So, if you happen to’re tall or need loads of elbow room to make sharing area with a companion extra comfy, this can be the right tent for you.

AFFORDABLE – With an MSRP lower than $400, the Lunar Duo is among the many least costly ultralight backpacking tents in the marketplace. Comparable tents from large manufacturers and cottage corporations typically retail for $100-400 extra. We’ve gotten a ton of use out of our Lunar Duo and it’s nonetheless going robust after 1000’s of miles on robust trails. Evidently, we expect it’s a wonderful worth, and also you’ll be hard-pressed to discover a lighter and extra comfy tent for the cash.

The Lunar Duo is obtainable in an Explorer mannequin ($395, 45 oz.) in addition to an Clothing store mannequin ($210, 57 oz.). We’re keen on the Explorer mannequin for the burden and bulk financial savings, and we expect it’s value the additional value over the long term. That stated, we’ve used each fashions extensively and we expect they’re each wonderful backpacking tents.

ULTRALIGHT – The Lunar Duo weighs 2 lbs. 13 oz. (45 oz.), which could be very gentle for a 2-person 2-door tent – particularly one with this a lot inside area. This weight doesn’t embrace tent stakes or poles, although, so you should definitely take that under consideration when evaluating it to freestanding or semi-freestanding tents.

The Lunar Duo is ultralight, however it isn’t the lightest or most compact tent on the market. If you happen to’re actually severe about minimizing pack weight, it’s possible you’ll wish to think about even lighter choices. We’ll contact on this a bit extra later.

EXCELLENT VENTILATION – There are hooded vents on the prime of every door within the Lunar Duo’s rainfly, in addition to loads of airflow across the whole decrease perimeter. The cover is floating, so you too can elevate or decrease it to regulate how a lot of a spot you need between the underside of the fly and the bottom.

In clear circumstances, the Duo’s vestibules may be rolled again fully for extensive views and a cross breeze. Hooks on the guylines let you safe one, each, or no sides of the vestibules. This design offers you a number of management over your tent’s air flow, and means that you can rapidly adapt to altering climate circumstances.

TWO DOORS & XL VESTIBULES – Two doorways and vestibules are virtually important in our ebook, particularly when touring as a pair. The Lunar Duo has a big door on either side, so there’s no ready in line to get out of the climate or crawling over your companion when nature calls at night time.

There’s additionally loads of room within the outsized vestibules for hikers to retailer and entry their gear. In truth, the vestibules on the Duo are a few of the largest we’ve seen on a backpacking tent.

DURABLE – The Lunar Duo is among the few ultralight backpacking tents in the marketplace made with 30-denier flooring and cover materials. Thicker particular person threads within the material make this tent harder than a number of backpacking tents which are sometimes constructed with 20, 15, and even 10-denier materials to avoid wasting weight.

That’s nice information for hikers with canine or anybody who desires to be a bit extra carefree with their gear. For the reason that flooring is 30D, we often don’t really feel the necessity to use a footprint to guard this tent, which retains extra weight and bulk out of our packs.

EXCELLENT WEATHER PROTECTION – We’ve waited out numerous downpours and hailstorms within the notoriously stormy Rocky Mountains within the Lunar Duo, and it’s at all times achieved a wonderful job of retaining us comfy and dry. As soon as it’s seam sealed (extra on that under), the silnylon rainfly is totally waterproof and reliable in even the harshest summer time storms.

The Lunar Duo is non-freestanding, so it’s crucial to pitch it taught, ensuring the stakes have good buy and also you’re utilizing all of the guyout factors when excessive winds are anticipated. We’ve been by way of some extraordinarily turbulent winds on this tent, and although the expertise wasn’t completely stress-free, it gave us full confidence within the Lunar Duo for climate safety.

FULL INSECT PROTECTION – In contrast to some ultralight tarp shelters, the Duo is totally enclosed to maintain bugs and critters at bay. It has a built-in bathtub flooring and an hooked up mesh interior tent that zips shut, so you’ll be able to relaxation straightforward understanding you aren’t going to get up with a spider in your face. A single-wall tent just like the Lunar Duo is an effective glad medium for individuals who need their shelter to be gentle, but in addition bug-free.

RE-TENSIONABLE FROM INSIDE – One other function that makes the Lunar Duo distinctive is that the primary guylines may be re-tensioned from contained in the tent. This is available in actually useful – particularly when it rains – as a result of silnylon tends to sag when chilly and moist, leaving you with a floppy shelter blowing within the wind. With the Duo, you’ll be able to re-tighten your guylines with out having to get out of your sleeping bag.

Cons

HEAVIER THAN SOME – The Lunar Duo (45 oz.) could be very light-weight, however it’s considerably heavier than a few of the lightest ultralight non-freestanding tents. You possibly can save 1-2 kilos by selecting a tent just like the Zpacks Duplex (18.5 oz.), Triplex (21.6 oz.), or HMG Unbound 2 (24 oz.). These tents are all made with Dyneema Composite Material (DCF) although, which just about doubles the associated fee. If saving weight is a prime precedence for you, it could possibly be effectively definitely worth the funding to purchase considered one of these top-of-the-line ultralight tents. If you happen to’d somewhat carry slightly extra weight and save a bunch of cash, the Lunar Duo is a superb selection.

The Gossamer Gear The Two ($320) is a stable choice for ultralight backpackers on a funds. It prices lower than the Lunar Duo, and it’s fairly a bit lighter at 23.5 oz., however it’s made with skinny 10-denier material and isn’t almost as roomy because the Duo. One other funds choice for ultralight backpackers is the SMD Haven ($375). It weighs 38.1 oz., so it’s slightly lighter than the Lunar Duo, and it comes with a tarp and interior internet that can be utilized collectively or individually. It’s not as spacious, however it’s a very good different for hikers that need the flexibility of a tarp for quick and light-weight journeys.

STAKES & POLES NOT INCLUDED – Tent stakes and poles should not included with the Lunar Duo, so that you’ll want to think about the added value and weight of those to finish your setup. Most hikers use a pair of adjustable trekking poles to help the Lunar Duo. If you happen to don’t use trekking poles, you’ll must pack two carbon fiber poles ($40, 1.8 oz. every) or aluminum tent poles ($15, 3 oz. every) to pitch this tent.

We nearly at all times use eight tent stakes to pitch the Lunar Duo; 4 for the corners, two for the vestibules, and one every on the head and foot of the tent. It’s crucial to decide on stakes with stable holding energy for this tent. These All One Tech Aluminum Stakes are inexpensive and have labored effectively for us in most terrain.

NOT FACTORY SEAM-SEALED – The Lunar Duo must be seam sealed to be totally waterproof, and we expect it’s a bit unlucky that it doesn’t robotically come that method. You may pay Six Moon Designs $35 for his or her seam sealing service, or you are able to do it your self with a product like Seam Grip. If you happen to like DIY tasks, seam sealing isn’t too dangerous to do your self, however we typically suggest paying for the producer to seam seal so your tent shall be able to go when it arrives.

LEARNING CURVE TO PITCH – There’s a little bit of a studying curve to organising a non-freestanding tent just like the Lunar Duo. We suggest following SMD’s Lunar Duo Setup Directions and training earlier than your first journey to learn to get the pole peak and spacing good. After a pair follow pitches, it’ll solely take you 5-10 minutes to arrange the Lunar Duo. That stated, it would by no means be fairly as fast and straightforward as pitching a typical freestanding tent.

Non-freestanding tents just like the Duo may also be trickier to arrange when the bottom is simply too laborious for tent stakes or is so gentle (suppose sand) that tent stakes received’t maintain. In conditions like this you’ll must get inventive with logs, rocks, or different objects to assist tie down your shelter. Ultimately, with a non-freestanding tent just like the Lunar Duo you’ll typically spend a bit extra time in camp perfecting the pitch of your tent, however your pack will really feel lighter all day lengthy on the path.

CONDENSATION – A basic con of single-wall tents is that they don’t have a mesh barrier to separate the hikers inside from the rain fly. Which means you possibly can doubtlessly have condensation droplets on the within of the tent in chilly, humid circumstances. When this occurs, it’s uncomfortable to rub in opposition to the inside of the rainfly, which can really feel chilly and moist. On the uncommon event it’s obligatory, we use a small PackTowl to fastidiously wipe down the within of the fly.

In our expertise, the Lunar Duo performs higher than most single-wall tents so far as inside condensation goes due to its wonderful air flow. It additionally has extra headspace than your common tent, so it’s much less probably that your head or the foot of your sleeping bag will make contact with the rainfly.

REQUIRES BIGGER CAMPSITES – We love the Lunar Duo’s spacious inside and outsized vestibules, however the draw back is that you just’ll want a much bigger space to pitch the tent. Often, we’ve needed to go up smaller campsites in search of an acceptable place to pitch the Lunar Duo, however that’s hardly ever a difficulty.

BOTTOM LINE

If you happen to’re searching for a roomy, ultralight shelter at an exceptionally inexpensive worth, there are few tents that examine to the Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo.

Although there are inherent downsides with any non-freestanding tent – a bit tougher to pitch and condensation administration – we typically really feel that the advantages of the Duo closely outweigh the cons.

It’s robust to seek out backpacking tents that strike such an excellent stability between weight, inside area, and worth just like the Lunar Duo. As well as, this tent is extra sturdy than many ultralight tents, so you’ll be able to depend on it to final for years of journey.

We predict the Lunar Duo is a superb selection for backpacking pairs, which is why it’s featured on our lists of the Finest Backpacking Tents and Finest Ultralight Tents.

MORE INFORMATION

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