
Tarptent - Double Rainbow DW Ultra
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Reddit Reviews:
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Based on 1 year's data from Feb 24, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
4
1
"I've been through some pretty nasty storms, and it's gotten me through them all."
"I love that it can be set up in the rain without getting the inside wet."
"and heavy rain."
3
1
"They are no more complicated than a dome tent."
"set up is super simple."
"It's easy to set up fast"
9
3
"I love my Double Rainbow, as I'm 6'8", and the length is great."
"you get a lot more space"
"I can sit fully up in mine and get changed and I’m 6’4"
6
0
"I've been through some pretty nasty storms, and it's gotten me through them all."
"My Tarptent Double Rainbow got me through the entire Appalachian Trail and many other shorter hikes since."
"It's been my backpacking tent for years."
4
1
"light"
"What you get for the weight is amazing"
"super light to carry"
Disliked most:
0
1
"Staking is definitely a learning curve and not always possible, might end up having to use rocks to try to secure the tent! Sometimes I didn't have the energy to try to use rocks for every stake, so I just used it like a bivy."
"These are very loud in the wind if you can't stake well because they depend on staking."
"Set up is similar but SO MUCH easier & quicker for duplex because it uses trekking poles vs tarptents dedicated tent pole that you have to carry, assemble & shove into a sleeve. ... I am much less frustrated setting up the duplex vs the tarptent!!!"
1
2
"if you are new to these kinds of tents they can present condensation issues vs double walled freestanding tents (waking up because water is dripping on your face). ... My husband hates these kinds of tents, constantly complains about condensation"
"I would definitely recommend getting the liner wall to help deal with condensation though."
0
1
"Set up is similar but SO MUCH easier & quicker for duplex because it uses trekking poles vs tarptents dedicated tent pole that you have to carry, assemble & shove into a sleeve. ... I am much less frustrated setting up the duplex vs the tarptent!!!"
1
2
"Set up is similar but SO MUCH easier & quicker for duplex because it uses trekking poles vs tarptents dedicated tent pole that you have to carry, assemble & shove into a sleeve. ... I am much less frustrated setting up the duplex vs the tarptent!!!"
"while it can be freestanding with trekking poles. That's really a last resort, the tent is only at its best when staked."
5
3
"it's too tight for 2p"
"The double rainbow isn’t standing room"
"ok for two people in summer ... you get a lot more space and two doors with the double for not much more weight"
I have a dw ultra rainbow that I sometimes think I should have just gone with the silpoly rainbow. Trekking pole tents are a lot of hassle just to save a pound a weekend trip.
This one. No doubt. I have the Rainbow single which is ok for two people in summer but you get a lot more space and two doors with the double for not much more weight. Great tents. https://www.ebay.com/itm/146460704293?_skw=tarptent+rainbow&itmmeta=01JPNKWDJ3G9ABNYKKJ6MK0F7T&hash=item2219bcfe25:g:P1wAAeSwZr9n2egs&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA0FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1dGZ3yFyxEAbIz%2FNz849nr%2BPKwG0sdjkOSC0sqr77c2G0KH%2FhLt0IlXqoW%2BpsKw8ID3v4lYsH4wAVYLW7lKD4h0JGTGYRBr9c4FMApWZZhuGNjTevUeLm64UOmxAcT4dy—Bl9qTvqyf7k7C%2FIhWK%2F074lE0eaGs471%2Bq1OuHBHyQlLBsooghdMrh3P6VvlRaMqvi16MBmm0o0PusVUSkw5DlIQRBzCLjdBPWtnbhN0M2gVgt%2BOpvAtYkxuKGGn5ek%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR5DZ8bO1ZQ
This one. No doubt. I have the Rainbow single which is ok for two people in summer but you get a lot more space and two doors with the double for not much more weight. Great tents. https://www.ebay.com/itm/146460704293?_skw=tarptent+rainbow&itmmeta=01JPNKWDJ3G9ABNYKKJ6MK0F7T&hash=item2219bcfe25:g:P1wAAeSwZr9n2egs&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA0FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1dGZ3yFyxEAbIz%2FNz849nr%2BPKwG0sdjkOSC0sqr77c2G0KH%2FhLt0IlXqoW%2BpsKw8ID3v4lYsH4wAVYLW7lKD4h0JGTGYRBr9c4FMApWZZhuGNjTevUeLm64UOmxAcT4dy—Bl9qTvqyf7k7C%2FIhWK%2F074lE0eaGs471%2Bq1OuHBHyQlLBsooghdMrh3P6VvlRaMqvi16MBmm0o0PusVUSkw5DlIQRBzCLjdBPWtnbhN0M2gVgt%2BOpvAtYkxuKGGn5ek%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR5DZ8bO1ZQ
I have the Tarptent Rainbow Single, it’s big enough to share and easy to carry at 980g but I wouldn’t want to be sharing in prolonged wet weather. However the Double Rainbow is significantly wider with a door on both sides for better access and ventilation. And not much heavier. They’re not cheap but look out for a used one on eBay or Geartrade etc.
My girlfriend and I used my Tarptent Rainbow together in summer for a few weeks. It’s a one person tent with great headroom, wide enough for two sleeping mats. It was plenty big enough, in good weather. Mine weighs 985g. The Tarptent Double Rainbow is wider, has doors on both sides and weighs not much more. I can recommend the design.
if youre willing to spend ~$500, get a tarptent double rainbow. i have the tarptent double rainbow DW ultra and its the best two person tent ive ever been in. spacious, light and sturdy. lots of space in the vestibules for your gear too.
i have the Tarptent Double Rainbow DW Ultra. huge vouch for that. great tent. im sure the triple is just as good
alternatively, the tarptent double rainbow (all variants afaik) fits a 6’3 person easily. it is out of OPs budget though. might be worth to BIFL source: personal experience
vouch! the double rainbow is so so good
My tarptent double rainbow dw ultra fulfills all these conditions. if youre not in the US, it might be too expensive to import for you though. good luck!
my tarptent is double walled. so thats definitely also an option
double rainbow dw ultra
I really like my Rainbow DW Ultra. If you’re willing to go out of the UL vicinity, the Big Agnes Copper Spur is great too. You use trekking poles to make it freestanding, but not in the way you think. It’s an interesting design.
What tent are you looking at? I use a Tarptent Double Rainbow. I love this tent, and it's lasted for years in excellent condition. It's easy to set up fast, and is very roomy. $349, 40oz. There's also a single rainbow, $329, 33oz, and a Double Rainbow DW, $439, 43oz.
I have found it very stable in winds and heavy rain.
I can personally vouch for this one. It's been my backpacking tent for years. Tarptent Double Rainbow 40oz. $349 https://www.tarptent.com/product/double-rainbow/
I second this - I'm a big fan of supporting small outdoors "cottage" businesses. I can personally, strongly recommend: * Tarptent Double Rainbow tent * Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60L backpack * The Packa raingear * Zpacks for dry bags, pack liners, airline duffel * Enlightened Equipment or Zenbivy for down quilts (don't mention Zenbivy over at the Ultralight subreddit - they are uber-purist there and you'll get downvoted) * Not that this is specifically ultralight, but I wear Coalatree Trailhead pants or a Purple Rain hiking kilt
That type of tent is not what you are looking for at all. The key selling point is that it's extremely lightweight and that's important to those who are carrying this as their shelter for weeks or months at a time. The reason you see so many influencers recommending them is that the "influencers" are compensated in one way or another to do so. Tons of downside though: * Dyneema is a very strong material, but its abrasion resistance sucks. If you aren't extremely careful you will wear a hole in it either from setting it up on the ground or packing it incorrectly. * Their tents are all single-wall, which is fine if you are prepared for potential condensation issues but it's very common to be packing up a wet tent even if it didn't rain. If it does rain then there's a high likelihood of the condensation causing some rain inside the tent too. Again, this is a compromise made to save weight. * The price tag is simply insulting and there are a number of other manufacturers making similar tents for less money. Look for a tent made of out of a more traditional material (sil-nylon or sil-poly) and understand that many lightweight and ultralight tents also cut weight by making the tents ridiculously small. I have a 2P Nemo ultralight tent which is perfect for me alone, but would be nearly impossible for two people unless one was a small child. Nemo and Big Agnes both make good lightweight tents that offer good durability and local store convenience. Tarptent also makes an excellent product in a wide variety of shapes and intended applications. I have a couple of their ultralight tents and am very pleased with them. If they're still making it then the Double Rainbow DW (double wall) is an excellent option and a great compromise between weight, durability and moisture control.
I can get the single rainbow into a 2L sack (if I keep the poles separate). Based on fabric weight differences, you'll probably be able to get Double Rainbow DW into a 3L sack, 4L tops?
Check out Tarptent, the Rainbow or Double Rainbow are great for the money, and just great overall. The Double Rainbow DW is a double wall version.
Since you want a double wall, I can suggest the Nemo Hornet 3P. Lighter and roomier than the Big Agnes Copper Spur 2P (which my wife and I also have). Available from Amazon so you can use your $200 card. Another great tent is the TarpTent Rainbow 2P Double Wall. None however are UL.
I have the Cloudburst 3, and while it's not "UL" enough for this sub, it's only 3lb 6oz, and it's damn palatial for 2 people at 62 inches wide, and as a hoop tent, it's a constant 40" high the entire length of the tent. Yeah, it's single wall, but the ventilation is great unless it's zipped up all the way, but being a hoop tent, I've found that most condensation runs down the sides and out of the tent through the sidewall mesh skirt. And it's wide enough that 2 people can sleep in the middle and never have to worry about rolling up against a moist wall. The clip-in condensation liner eliminates drips, but it weighs a couple of ounces more, and the third pole makes this essentially a (mild) 4-season shelter. I love my Cloudburst 3, if you couldn't tell. I've also had the Double Rainbow and Protrail, and I found both of them to be stellar shelters, but I sold both of them- I didn't need the DR space for solo, and it's too tight for 2p. And I got to the age where I'm not a fan of end-entry tents where I have to contort around a pole on my hands and knees, so I sold off the Protrail. I'm going to move my Slingfin Splitwing along as well. Great tent, but I vastly prefer side entry shelters- GG The One, X-Mid, Yama Cirriform and Hilleberg Akto are going to be my 1p keepers. Wow, I really got off topic there...
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