Mountain Laurel Designs DuoMid
It shaves pounds (!) off your heavy winter kit.
Brand: Mountain Laurel Designs
Model: DuoMid
Protection
Ultralight tents are all about tradeoffs, but there’s one you should never make: compromised protection. We kitted our DuoMid with optional snow flaps ($60), which testers buried to block out spindrift. The elongated pyramid shape sheds high mountain wind, and bungeed guy-outs absorb some of that load without over-stressing the attachment points.
Pitch
The trekking-pole pitch requires practice. Stomp down an area twice the size of the footprint and let it firm up. (The center trekking pole is under tight tension and if you skip this step, it will sink into soft snow.) However, says one tester, “the rectangular floor doesn’t require an advanced understanding of geometry for a taut pitch.” Note: 140 cm (or taller) trekking pole required.
Condensation
Like with most singlewall tents, moisture builds up. “We awoke to condensation due to limited ventilation options beyond leaving the door open,” an Idaho tester said after a week of camping.
Livability
The 44-square-foot floor easily fit two testers plus gear, and the high ceiling (55 inches for a 140 cm trekking pole) offers good space.
$280; 1 lb. 14 oz.; mountainlaureldesigns.com