Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo Tent Overview

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

We have been first intrigued by the Lunar Duo over a decade in the past after we noticed it whereas thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Path. Since then, we’ve pitched it lots of of instances on journeys all through the Rockies and all around the Pacific Northwest. Learn on to see how the Duo stacks up towards 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.

Execs

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 (large enough for 2 large sleeping pads), this tent is roomier than most 2-person tents by a good quantity. So, when you’re tall or need loads of elbow room to make sharing area with a accomplice extra snug, 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 available on the market. Comparable tents from huge 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 sturdy after 1000’s of miles on robust trails. For sure, we predict it’s a superb worth, and also you’ll be hard-pressed to discover a lighter and extra snug tent for the cash.

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

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

The Lunar Duo is ultralight, nevertheless it isn’t the lightest or most compact tent on the market. For those who’re actually critical about minimizing pack weight, chances are you’ll need to take into account even lighter choices. We’ll contact on this a bit extra later.

EXCELLENT VENTILATION – There are hooded vents on the high of every door within the Lunar Duo’s rainfly, in addition to loads of airflow across the total decrease perimeter. The cover is floating, so you too can increase 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 might be rolled again utterly for large views and a cross breeze. Hooks on the guylines mean you can safe one, each, or no sides of the vestibules. This design offers you a whole lot of management over your tent’s air flow, and lets you rapidly adapt to altering climate circumstances.

TWO DOORS & XL VESTIBULES – Two doorways and vestibules are virtually important in our e-book, particularly when touring as a pair. The Lunar Duo has a big door on both sides, so there’s no ready in line to get out of the climate or crawling over your accomplice when nature calls at evening.

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

DURABLE – The Lunar Duo is among the few ultralight backpacking tents available on the market made with 30-denier flooring and cover materials. Thicker particular person threads within the cloth make this tent more durable than a whole lot of backpacking tents which are sometimes constructed with 20, 15, and even 10-denier materials to save lots of weight.

That’s nice information for hikers with canine or anybody who needs to be a bit extra carefree with their gear. For the reason that flooring is 30D, we normally 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 performed a superb job of preserving us snug and dry. As soon as it’s seam sealed (extra on that beneath), the silnylon rainfly is absolutely waterproof and reliable in even the harshest summer season storms.

The Lunar Duo is non-freestanding, so it’s essential 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 some extraordinarily turbulent winds on this tent, and although the expertise wasn’t totally stress-free, it gave us full confidence within the Lunar Duo for climate safety.

FULL INSECT PROTECTION – Not like some ultralight tarp shelters, the Duo is absolutely enclosed to maintain bugs and critters at bay. It has a built-in bathtub flooring and an connected mesh internal tent that zips shut, so you possibly can relaxation straightforward figuring out 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 comfortable medium for many who need their shelter to be mild, but additionally bug-free.

RE-TENSIONABLE FROM INSIDE – One other function that makes the Lunar Duo distinctive is that the primary guylines might be re-tensioned from contained in the tent. This is available in actually helpful – 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 possibly can re-tighten your guylines with out having to get out of your sleeping bag.

Cons

HEAVIER THAN SOME – The Lunar Duo (45 oz.) may be very light-weight, nevertheless it’s considerably heavier than among the lightest ultralight non-freestanding tents. You may 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 nearly doubles the price. If saving weight is a high precedence for you, it could possibly be nicely definitely worth the funding to purchase considered one of these top-of-the-line ultralight tents. For those who’d relatively carry a bit extra weight and save a bunch of cash, the Lunar Duo is a wonderful alternative.

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

STAKES & POLES NOT INCLUDED – Tent stakes and poles aren’t included with the Lunar Duo, so that you’ll want to contemplate 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. For those who don’t use trekking poles, you’ll have to pack two carbon fiber poles ($40, 1.8 oz. every) or aluminum tent poles ($15, 3 oz. every) to pitch this tent.

We virtually 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 essential to decide on stakes with strong holding energy for this tent. These All One Tech Aluminum Stakes are reasonably priced and have labored nicely for us in most terrain.

NOT FACTORY SEAM-SEALED – The Lunar Duo must be seam sealed to be absolutely waterproof, and we predict it’s a bit unlucky that it doesn’t routinely come that means. 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. For those who like DIY initiatives, seam sealing isn’t too unhealthy to do your self, however we typically advocate paying for the producer to seam seal so your tent will likely be able to go when it arrives.

LEARNING CURVE TO PITCH – There’s a little bit of a studying curve to establishing a non-freestanding tent just like the Lunar Duo. We advocate following SMD’s Lunar Duo Setup Directions and practising earlier than your first journey to discover ways 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 mentioned, it is going to by no means be fairly as fast and simple as pitching a typical freestanding tent.

Non-freestanding tents just like the Duo may also be trickier to arrange when the bottom is just too onerous for tent stakes or is so smooth (assume sand) that tent stakes received’t maintain. In conditions like this you’ll have to get artistic 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 normal con of single-wall tents is that they don’t have a mesh barrier to separate the hikers inside from the rain fly. Meaning you might doubtlessly have condensation droplets on the within of the tent in chilly, humid circumstances. When this occurs, it’s uncomfortable to rub towards the inside of the rainfly, which is able to really feel chilly and moist. On the uncommon event it’s mandatory, we use a small PackTowl to rigorously 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 glorious 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. Sometimes, we’ve needed to move up smaller campsites in search of an appropriate place to pitch the Lunar Duo, however that’s not often a difficulty.

BOTTOM LINE

For those who’re searching for a roomy, ultralight shelter at an exceptionally reasonably priced value, there are few tents that evaluate to the Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo.

Although there are inherent downsides with any non-freestanding tent – a bit more durable 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 important stability between weight, inside area, and value just like the Lunar Duo. As well as, this tent is extra sturdy than many ultralight tents, so you possibly can depend on it to final for years of journey.

We expect the Lunar Duo is a wonderful alternative for backpacking pairs, which is why it’s featured on our lists of the Greatest Backpacking Tents and Greatest Ultralight Tents.

MORE INFORMATION

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