The MoonLight 2, 3 & 4 Tents
Latest MoonLight tent NEWS:
• Short New video on finding the sweet spot for taking apart the MoonLight 2+, 3+ and 4+ EyePoles
• Not Short new video on all the ins and outs of setting up and taking down MoonLight 2+, 3+ and 4+ tents
• New video on the wind tunnel test of the redesigned MoonLight 2 (now v2).
A new setup/takedown video and explanation of the features and gizmos:
• The ML2 v2.0 wind tunnel test results are in (see graphic below). Remember that most people over estimate wind speed by almost a factor of two — these tents are STRONG! More wind discussion here.
• Have we mentioned yet that our tents are fire retardant and fluorocarbon free? Yup!
Photo above: MoonLight 2v1.0 on the Left, MoonLight 4+ on the right.
30-Second Overview
I've made a LOT of tents so let me give you the 20-second breakdown on these: these are the biggest, strongest and nicest to use backpacking tents around. They are focused on contributing to your trip as much as a tent possibly can. They are not the absolute lightest tents you can buy, but they’re no slouches either: their 20D and 30D fabrics are delightfully lightweight and compressible but are also very durable; their poles, DAC "PL" poles in 12.1mm and 13.55mm diameters, have the absolute highest strength for the weight of any tent pole.
Our tents are also free of fire retardants or PFOS chemicals - which is turning out to be an important safety feature.
I’ve designed the MoonLights to be wonderful to use in every way. They have features to help you enjoy your time in the outdoors that you won't find on any other tents. I designed them as I personally would want them and how I would recommend them to friends. Think of them as coming from a grumpy old designer perspective where "mostly works OK" just doesn't cut it anymore. I want my tent to work really well every time and in almost every condition. The number of FUNCTIONAL improvements I've made in these tents is actually kind of amazing. I doubt that anyone had any idea that there was so much room for improved USEFULNESS over regular tents.
These tents are truly beyond state-of-the-art. You may not have noticed, but backpacking tents have been relentlessly driven to lower weight and price no matter what it takes. As a result, most tents have been clean-stripped of features; even good ones that really help basic usability. These tents come at it the other way. I started with a roomy and strong EyePole architecture, executed it in 20D and 30D fabrics (D means denier, the weight of the yarn), and then carefully added back some lightweight features that let you confidently camp in more spectacular places, make your life easier, and even help you get some sleep by being quieter and worry-free. Imagine that – tents actually designed to help you sleep. Why is that not at the top of every list? Go figure.
We also seem to have hit a nerve with our no-FR chemicals policy. We take the trust shown by our customers very seriously and have expanded on it by getting rid of all fluorinated DWR treatments (only silicone allowed).
I’m pretty sure that some of the ideas discussed here will offer an "Aha!" moment or two.
Beyond State-of-the-Art: Set it and Forget it
As I’ve said, my goal was to make these tents just plain wonderful to use. That covers a LOT of ground: super easy to setup and anchor, needing no midnight adjustments no matter what weather comes — no be a pleasure to be in and an enabling piece of gear for enjoyable trips in spectacular and exposed, sites. I wanted the tent to eliminate the whole idea of a stormed-out trip.
Crucial to fulfilling that goal was the development of the idea of Set-It-and-Forget-It; the idea that a tent could be so solid performing and reliable that you could just set it up - quickly and easily overcoming any obstacles - and then not have to touch it until it was time to leave. No fiddle-faddling, no cord gerry-mandering, no getting out in the middle of the night to fix something. What would it take to make a tent REALLY do THAT?
As it turned out it needed to be a quite different tent under the hood. One that goes against some really big norms: NO nylon fabrics, and NOT stripped-for-weight are the two biggest. As you read this you will see Set-It-and-Forget-It peeking out from behind feature after feature. It is achieved in these tents.
We got wind tests... The MoonLight 2’s interior
Scenery - a huge part of any great trip.
If a stake can go in anywhere in the pie-shape below, the MoonLight can use it! Or it can use rocks fast and easily.
SPECS
• To better communicate their true size, we call the three biggest tents "PLUS," as in MoonLight 2+, 3+, and 4+.
This means that they're roomy - really roomy - for the number of people they're made for with gear.
So if you're looking for a roomy two person tent, get the 2+. You don't need to buy a "3-person" tent.
Why yes, that’s a three person ultralight tent pitched inside a MoonLight3+. Thanks for asking!
Pitched solidly even though only one stake would go in. 5 out of 6 anchors are rock piles - all done as easy as pie.
MoonLight 2
the MoonLight 4’s expansive and lovely interior. Very relaxing, very outward-looking.