Tarptent StratoSpire Li Review

When set up correctly with all tie-down points, the Stratospire is incredibly weather resistant with its Dyneema construction. It doesn't dominate in the weight game but earns high points in every metric. While weight is a crucial aspect of the “ultralight” category, its vestibule space makes it a better choice if you need room for cooking or storing gear. It's also worth noting that this tent comes with six ultralight oz stakes (2.3 ounces for all six), which is included in the overall listed weight.

Performance Comparison

Livability

If you need to hunker down for a while, this is the ultralight tent to do it in. We love the vestibule space for storage, cooking, and as a place for our canine friends to bed down. The vestibule also lets you keep muddy shoes off the tent floor without getting wet. The vestibules are much more spacious that other shelters but has slightly less square footage on the bathtub-style floor, so space is tighter for two but decadent for one.

Several thoughtful design features add to the liveability factor. It has two vents on top where the trekking poles support it and another vent at each vertical corner supported by carbon fiber shunts. The result is excellent ventilation that effectively prevents most condensation. One tester boiled water for coffee and oatmeal every morning and again for tea at night. He forgot the lid to his pot, so there was plenty of steam inside the tent, creating an ideal scenario for condensation, and still, there was none. The poles are on the outside of the floor and bug netting instead of the center of the living space. There are mesh pockets on either side, so finding your phone or headlamp in the dark is no problem.

Weight

The entire package including the floor and bug netting, stuff sack, six stakes (2.3 ounces for six!), and the short carbon fiber struts weighs 1.75 pounds or 28 ounces. Remove the floor and bug netting (this is super easy thanks to adjustable clip-in points), and you save an additional 11.5 ounces.

Weather Resistance

Fortunately (unfortunately for our testers), we had ample opportunity to test its weather resistance on a stormy, eventually snowy, week-long climbing trip in the Sierra. This tent is constructed with Dyneema (an entirely waterproof material) and has taped seams. We got rained on for days and never experienced a single leak.

Our initial setup was a little sloppy; we didn't guy out every tie-down point, and when we returned to camp after an unexpected snowy afternoon, one of the stakes had pulled out from snow loading. Neither of the trekking poles fell, and despite the collapse of one wall, no moisture got inside the tent, and all our stuff stayed dry. After brushing off the snow, reinforcing our stakes with some heavy rocks, and tightening all the tie-down points, the tent remained bomber through the night. This tent doesn't have the steepest angle; you'll need to be diligent about brushing the snow off if it starts nuking.

Adaptability

This a very adaptable tent. It's easy to remove the floor and bug net thanks to the clip-in points. TarpTents offers a smorgasbord of purchasing options for this modular tarp shelter. There is the option of a solid interior instead of mesh for cold weather, and also a “sidecar” interior option to turn one of the vestibules into a floored, bug net enclosed area for small kids or dogs. Don't want to carry trekking poles? They offer a pair of four-ounce foldable aluminum poles.

The Li isn't a freestanding tent, and you'll need solid stake-out or tie-down points to set it up. Bring along some extra cord, and you'll be able to take advantage of larger rocks, trees, and other tie-down points, making it even more adaptable.

Ease of Set-up

We love that this tent sets up quickly and easily with its adjustable guy lines. Without any instructions, our eager testers had this tent set up in about ten minutes; the set up is very intuitive.

To set-up, simple stake down the corners, crawl inside to set up the trekking poles, then made adjustments to the guy lines. For those who are smart enough to follow instructions and do things right the first time, Tarptent's website has an excellent video to streamline the process. They recommend staking down a vestibule, putting a trekking pole in through the vent hole op top, and then repeating this process on the other side. Stake the low corners, tension all the lines, and you're finished. Assuming you're on a surface that quickly takes stakes, the process takes two to five minutes.

Value

Strong, waterproof, tear-resistant Dyneema isn't cheap. The version of the StratoSpire Li we tested with the mesh interior and the Dyneema floor is one of the more expensive tents. That said, these tents are well designed and constructed from some of the lightest, strongest materials available. If this tent is within your price range, the Li is a worthy investment. The value will be seen for thru-hikers and backpackers that are looking for a double door design with exceptional living space that can stand up to a storm. This price point is no different than other higher performers and worth its weight in gold.

Conclusion