[pct-l] Shire's Rainbow Tent, thoughts?

[Pea Hicks]

Deems wrote:
> I have a Squall tarptent, and after much research am considering upgrading 
> to Henry's new Rainbow tent (with floor) for a little more space and 
> security in storms and winds. My Squall has been a great shelter for 4 
> seasons, but I'm ready for an ultralight shelter change.  I've read the 
> reviews from  http://www.backpackgeartest.org/ , but I'd like to hear some 
> thoughts from this group of hikers that has used one on the trail.  How did 
> the Rainbow hold up in rain, snow, and winds for you? Any insight, pro and 
> con, is appreciated. 

i loved my rainbow, it held up great on the pct this year. henry seam 
sealed it for me himself at the kickoff, and it never leaked on me. i 
found that it was easier and quicker to stake it, rather than using my 
poles to set it up in free-standing mode, but it was nice to have the 
free-standing option in situations where staking proved difficult.

i don't really have any complaints about it at all, other than the fact 
that it can be difficult to get the center pole fastened into the 
grommets when the tent is dry, but in my experience this is a common 
problem with most of these sorts of tents. and of course, the upside is 
that once you DO manage to wrestle the pole into the grommet, the tent 
will set up nice and taut.


girlscout