Backcountry Big Tops

Single-pole shelters that go up fast—but where's the floor?
By Marc Peruzzi

WOW, THAT GEODESIC DOME tent sure looks cool all lit up like a Japanese lantern with the Karakoram Range fading into starlight. Wouldn't I look great in that beauty? Slow down, friend. Before you start hemorrhaging Franklins at your local gear emporium, there are a few things you should know. Those fancy expedition tents are heavy (think job security for Sherpas), and, with upwards of six poles and an integrated fly, they're a pain in the ass to erect (think job security for guides). Maybe camping would be easier (no need to take your shoes off), more fun, and cheaper with one of the four single-pole, floorless shelters we review below—half of which, incidentally, weigh less than four pounds, and all of which you can set up in under five minutes on the first try: Stake it out, unzip the door, and raise the roof. But how will I live without something watertight underfoot, you ask? Granted, when the ground is saturated, you'll want a sealed floor. But most of the time—trust us on this—you'll never miss it.

Black Diamond Megamid
$178
3 pounds, 8 ounces;
81 square feet;
height: 67 inches;
sleeps 3

Hanging out in camp waiting for the weather to clear? The Megamid is roomy enough for a five-person game of poker--with everyone comfortably reclining in camp chairs. An 11-ounce adjustable push-button pole (included) lets you pitch the tent with the bottom ten inches off the ground--a nice breezy feature on balmy nights when you still want insurance against passing showers. In wet weather, lower it to the ground and spread out the optional floor ($75). Or don't pitch the tent at all; constructed from a durable ripstop polyester, the Megamid is rugged enough to use as a simple tarp on granite ledges where tent stakes are useless.

Integral Designs George Tarp
$200
1 pound, 6 ounces;
56 square feet;
height: 84 inches;
sleeps 2­3

Fashioned from ripstop, silicon-treated nylon parachute cloth, the George Tarp weighs only 1 pound, 6 ounces, excluding the center pole. And because center poles tend to be heavy, Integral Designs doesn't include one, recommending that you tie the tent off to an overhanging branch or link together two trekking poles instead. Ideal for bike tours when you want to get under cover before the clouds burst, the George Tarp packs into a pannier-appropriate 11-by-5-inch stuffsack. For clear-but-buggy overnights, a 4-ounce no-see-um panel zips onto the front. Take care while cooking breakfast, though: Silicon-treated nylon ignites like napalm.

Mountain Hardwear Kiva
$240
4 pounds, 2 ounces
85 square feet
height: 66 inches
sleeps 4

Our choice for spring skiing tours and winter camping, the Kiva is a self-contained base camp. Stamp out an 85-square-foot platform with your skis, pitch the tent--burying the snow flaps to seal out the wind--and you're ready for some shovel-actuated interior design work. Dig a sunken floor so you can stand up, a kitchen and pantry for cooking, raised bunks for sleeping--the pentagonal Kiva is as big as some yurts. A zippered, rainproof vent lets the steam out. Coolest by far, though, is the cam-operated adjustable center pole, which lets you fine- tune the ceiling height. Camping on squishy alpine tundra? An optional floor ($44) clips in.

Dana Design
Nuk Tuk
$300
6 pounds, 4 ounces
64 square feet
height: 75 inches
sleeps 4

If you like the idea of a floorless, screenless tent but fear the local blackfly population will form a buffet line at dusk, consider the Nuk Tuk. The only double-walled tent in this review, the Nuk Tuk is actually three tents in one. Pitch the mesh Air-Liner with its integrated floor when the stars are out but the mosquitoes are too. When storm clouds threaten, however, attach the 2-pound, 8-ounce fly--which can be used independently of the Air-Liner any time you want to save weight and time. As for the pole, there isn't one. The folks at Dana figure you can make do with a kayak paddle, trekking poles, or avalanche probes.