Six Moon Designs Deschutes Plus Solo Tarp Shelter

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A tarp that provides serious shelter from the elements and insects while maintaining the low weight and simple design you would expect. Much better coverage and protection than a basic tarp plus, much lower cost and weight than a traditional solo tent.

Six Moon Designs says

The Deschutes and Deschutes Plus are lean, mean, no frills, down and dirty shelters for ultralight hikers on the move. They pack so small and light they might literally get lost in your pack, yet they are large enough for a comfortable night’s rest without the claustrophobia of a small tarp. With a full 360 degrees of protection, there’s no need to carry an additional bivy.

The Deschutes Shelters have 44 ft ²  of coverage and a setup height of 49”. Inside you have plenty of room to sit up and the extra room lets you spread out your gear. The full-length vestibule zipper makes for easy entry. The single pole pyramid structure is easy to set up and sheds winds under the harshest storms.

The Deschutes Plus has the benefit of an added No-See-Um skirt perimeter, that eliminates the need to carry a bug net to keep away those pesky mosquitoes. The skirt’s generous 18-inch width allows you flexibility in setting up the shelter at different heights.

Our Verdict

Six Moon Design’s Deschutes Plus Solo Tarp Shelter is an amazing piece of kit. For such a low weight you are provided with a serious shelter that is capable of keeping out the weather and the bugs depending on your set up preferences. With a simple trekking pole set up you can get this shelter up quickly and then play around adjusting it to your liking. The Deschutes Plus Solo provides you with a pretty cavernous shelter with more than enough room to fit all of your gear in with ease.

The additional No-See-Um skirt allows you to keep out those annoying midges, mosquitoes or other little biters. Obviously the skirt allows you to increase the ventilation which is a key aspect of single skin shelters like this. A good sized door which can be rolled back to provide you with panoramic views from your sleeping bag is just another reason why this shelter is worth ditching the tent.

– Reviewed by Ultralight Outdoor Gear

Features

• Zippered Entry
• Easy Tension Adjustment
• Full 18″ No-See-Um Skirt allows you to set up the shelter at different heights and still have excellent bug protection.
• High Vent Allows moisture to escape, helping to minimize condensation.
• Single Pole Setup, with hexagonal shape, provides maximum protection at minimum weight
• Easy Setup

Product FAQ:

Do the Six Moon Designs tents and shelters come already seam sealed?

Six Moon Designs currently only offer non-seam sealed tents and tarps to their dealers. Due to the volume of seam sealing for their own direct orders this service is also not currently available for special orders either. SMD are hoping to be able to start offering this service to dealers again in the future.

If you want to seam seal your SMD tent, the product to use is Gear Aid Seam Grip Sil (also known as McNett Silnet but recently rebranded).

Specifications

• Weight: 474g (excludes bag)
• Storage bag weighs: 16g
• Seasons: 3
• Sleeps: 1
• Ships with: Tent, Stuff Sack, Guy-lines
• Pack size: 38cm x 15cm
• Height: 122cm
• Length: 266cm
• Floor space: 44 ft ² – 4 m ²
• Pegs: Takes 6 (not included)
• Usage: Ultralight Backpacking
• Type: Tarp
• Frame: Single Trekking Pole required (not included)
  
• Entry: Side entry
• Canopy: 30D Silicon Nylon
• Netting: Ultralight 20D No-See-Um
• Zipper: #3 YKK

Help & advice:

• Hydrostatic Head
• Six Moon Designs About Us
• Six Moon Designs Meet the Team
• Choosing a Tent
• Tent Features
• Tent Considerations 1
• Tent Considerations 2