Tag: trekking pole tent

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Product Review: the one and only Trekker Palace

The one and only Trekker Palace is the ultimate two-Person two-Layer silnylon (aka ultralight) trekking pole tent for all of your outdoor adventures. Ok, maybe not all, but it is a versatile tent. This high-end tent is designed to impress even the most seasoned outdoor enthusiasts with its outstanding features and benefits.

backpacking trekking pole tent set up near water

Key Features

One of the key features of the Trekker Palace is its full 2-Layer design, which allows you to set it up in various configurations, depending on your needs. Unlike traditional tents that come with complicated pole systems, the Trekker Palace is designed to be ultra-light, compact, and easy to set up in just 1-2 minutes. You’ll love how simple it is to use trekking poles for support, and the ability to set up each layer separately or together.

Another key feature that sets the Trekker Palace apart from other tents is its ability to be set up in three different configurations. You can set it up with the outer shell only, like a tarp tent. Or, you can set it up with the inner mesh tent only so you can stargaze or keep cool on a warm summer night. Or, you can use both layers together for a two-layer tent that provides you with unparalleled protection and comfort.

backpacking trekking pole tent outer shell set up near water

With its durable 2-layer design, the Trekker Palace offers several benefits that traditional tents simply can’t match. The outer layer provides you with an additional barrier against the elements, helping to keep you dry and warm in inclement weather. Meanwhile, the inner mesh tent provides excellent ventilation, keeping you cool and comfortable even in hot and humid conditions. And you can get it at a fraction of the price of comparable tents.

And, let’s not forget about the weight savings. At just a fraction of the weight of traditional tents, the Trekker Palace is ultra-light and easy to carry in your pack, making it the perfect choice for backpacking, hiking, and other outdoor activities when you demand the best.

Specifications

Packed Weight
3 lbs 3 oz/ 1.45 kg

Weight w/o stakes and bag
2 lbs 12 oz/ 1.25 kg

Inner Tent Weight
1 lb 8 oz/ .68 kg

Outer Shell Weight
1 lb 4 oz/ .57 kg

Packed Size
10.5 x 5.5 in

Floor Area
84 x 60 in/ 35 sq ft

Includes
8 carabiners, 8 ultra-light aluminum stakes, guylines, waterproof carry bag

Outer Shell Fabric
SilNylon

Inner Tent Fabric
No-See-Um Mesh Upper, SilNylon Floor

Wrapping it up

So, whether you’re planning a weekend camping trip or a long-distance trek through the wilderness, the Trekker Palace is the ultimate tent for your needs. Don’t settle for anything less – choose the Trekker Palace and experience the best that outdoor camping has to offer! Check out this video for a more in-depth review.

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Explore the best tent fabrics for your next backpacking adventure

backpacking trekking pole tent outer shell set up near water

There are so many fabrics out there, it’s hard to decide which one will be best for your next backpacking adventure. We’re going to help make that easier for you. First, we’ll suggest what fabrics probably won’t work. Then, we’ll tell you what we use for our tents. And then we’ll wrap up with the near future of tentmaking.

First, unless you are glamping and backpacking in the same trip, you will want to avoid any natural (i.e., plant or animal) fabrics. Cotton, wool, and hemp materials all have their benefits, ranging from breathability and aesthetics to durability and sustainability. But, they are so incredibly heavy that only strongman competitors dare carry them with their pack, so we’re not going to review them here. They also tend to soak up moisture at an incredible rate. On to the synthetic fabrics we use for our tents.

Top synthetic fabrics

Polyester, nylon, and silnylon are all synthetic fabrics that we have used for River Country Products tents. Polyester has been the primary choice for our intro line of Trekker tents, and silnylon has been the primary choice for our intermediate line of Trekker tents. Here are the main differences between them:

Polyester

Polyester is a synthetic fabric made from petroleum-based materials. It is known for its durability, wrinkle resistance, and resistance to UV rays. These characteristics make it an excellent choice for outdoor clothing and gear. Polyester is also relatively affordable and easy to care for. However, it is not as breathable as natural fibers like cotton, and it can be prone to pilling (little lint balls) over time.

Pros: Waterproof, inexpensive, light, durable

Cons: Needs good ventilation

Nylon

Nylon is another synthetic fabric made from petroleum-based materials. It is known for its strength, abrasion resistance, and water resistance. These features make it an excellent choice for outdoor gear like tents and backpacks. Nylon is also lightweight and quick-drying. However, it can be less durable than polyester and can break down over time when exposed to UV rays.

Pros: Same as polyester above, but more breathable (less moisture in the tent)

Cons: Not as durable as polyester, not as much UV protection or UV durability

Silnylon

Trekker Pyramid in the Enchantments

Silnylon is a type of upgraded nylon that has been treated with a silicone coating to make it even more water-resistant. It is commonly used in outdoor gear like tents and tarps, because it is lightweight, strong, and highly waterproof. Silnylon is also less prone to stretching than regular nylon and has a slippery surface that makes it easier to pack up. However, it can be more expensive than regular nylon, and the silicone coating can wear off over time with use.

Pros: Same as nylon above, but more waterproof and easier to pack

Cons: More expensive and less durable

Other fabrics

Polyurethane-coated nylon and cuben fiber, also called Dyneema, are alternative fabrics for those wanting ultralight tents. Cuben Fiber is much lighter than most PU-coated fabrics, making it a popular choice for ultralight backpacking and other weight-sensitive applications. However, Cuben Fiber can also be more expensive and more prone to abrasion than PU-coated fabrics.

Most people prefer plain polyester fabric for backpacking tents because it is the most affordable and is fairly durable. But the newest market research is showing that silicone-coated polyester, or silpoly, could beat each of the fabrics above because it is more durable, more affordable, and is more UV-resistant than silnylon.

River Country Products is currently testing silpoly fabric for use in current and upcoming lines of Trekker tents.

Which material do you prefer and why?

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A new venture with Life in a Pack

Trekker Palace in the Enchantments

We’re pleased to announced a new joint venture with Life in a Pack, the creator of LifePack™, an all-in-one survival pack, bug-out bag, backpacking kit, and adventure pack as first reviewed by Grim Granite. It has what you need to survive for 7 days in nearly any setting, and it has one of two new River Country Products tents: either the new silnylon Trekker Pyramid or the new silnylon Trekker Palace. Check out their video on YouTube for a first look!

The Trekker Pyramid is a one-person, two-layer silnylon tent that is completely supported by two trekking poles. Because of the high-quality silnylon, it is lighter than our original line of polyester trekking tents.

The Trekker Palace is the two-person version of this concept.

For most two-layer tents, you have to set up the first layer and then set up the second layer over the first.  The outer layer cannot be setup on its own.  These two-layer trekking pole tents solve this issues in the traditional design.  In addition, they are ultra-light, pack down to the size of a football, set up in 1-2 minutes, use trekking poles for support, and you can set up each layer separately or together.

These tents can be set up in three different configurations, the outer shell only, the inner mesh tent only, or both together for a two-layer tent.

Gear Included

In addition to a new line of tents, the LifePack has everything you need to survive for 7 days. It includes the following categories of items already packed and ready to go:
• Backpack (each pack includes one or more adult backpacks, and small daypacks)
• Tent (Includes Tent (1, 2, or 4 person) and Trekking Poles)
• Sleeping Gear (sleeping bag(s), sleeping pad(s), pillow(s), fleece blanket(s))
• Food (8 Freeze Dried Dinner and 6 breakfast servings per person, and a bonus additional 7 days of survival tablets)
• Water (4 cans of 50-year water per person, water filter, and water purification tablets, hydration pack…)
• Lighting and Electrical (A headlamp, a battery pack, a solar panel just for LifePack, and an emergency radio)
• Cooking and eating gear (pots, biofuel stove, gas burner stove, spork, knife, mug, water bottle…)
• Outerwear (poncho, gloves, beanie…)
• Sun and Bug Protection (Sunglasses, sunscreen, lip balm, bug repellent, bug mesh…)
• Fun and Personal (Life in a Pack playing cards, USB drive to store your digital items, journal, pencil)
• Camp Gear (camp chair, towel, multi-tool knife, compass, shovel, duct tape, sewing kit, and much more…)
• Fire (matches, lighter, fire starter, candles…)
• First Aid (everything from bandages to ibuprofen…)
• Personal Hygiene Kit (everything from a roll of TP to toothbrush and razor…)

If you would like to purchase either the Trekker Pyramid or the Trekker Palace, they will be first available through the LifePack website.

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Trekker Tent 3, Our Best 4-Man Backpacking Tent Yet

4 person trekking pole tent

After designing and testing this tent out ourselves we are excited to introduce you to our new favorite 4 man backpacking tent, the Trekker Tent 3.

Despite being a 4 person tent, the Trekker Tent 3 has one of the easiest set ups of all of our other backpacking tents, simply stake down the four corners, attach our trekking poles together (an extension is included if the tent is bought with poles) and then extend the single resulting trekking pole in the center of the tent.

We are also excited about this tent because of its weight. At 4lb 10oz, with stakes, it is one of the lightest per person 4 man tents out there. Only 1lb 2.5oz per person.

Lastly we love the vestibule, large mesh door and 6′ 8” peak height. We think you’ll love this 4 person trekking pole tent too.

Check out the Trekker Tent 3 here.

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$50 tent vs $600 tent

Trekker Tent 2 review

A couple of weeks ago, backpacking expert and outdoor adventurer Jessica “Dixie” Mills spotlighted the Trekker Tent 2 and compared it to the ZPacks Duplex, a similar ultralight trekking pole tent at more than 10 times the price. She started her YouTube video saying that she was curious how well an inexpensive, light-weight tent (under 3 lbs) would compare with a top-of-the-line model. After a brief introduction of the ZPacks, she followed with a more thorough review of the Trekker Tent 2. Although the Trekker Tent 2 doesn’t have the vestibule that Dixie liked on the Duplex, it passed her test for ease of setup, overall weight, interior roominess and compact size. After sleeping through a night of light rain, she was happy with how the Trekker Tent performed but didn’t stop there: she just had to give it the hose test! Of course, it passed that test, too, and we’re happy with how well our tent compares with the Duplex. But, don’t take our word for it, check out her video and subscribe to her Homemade Wanderlust page for more high-quality videos about backpacking, thru-hiking, and just plain enjoying life!