Six Moon Designs Deschutes

Product detailed description

The Six Moon Designs Deschutes offers all-around weather protection unlike open A-frame tents and is surprisingly spacious—the covered area measures 4m², and with a total height of 120 cm, you’ll have no trouble sitting down or changing clothes inside. The Deschutes has plenty of space, so you can even dry your gear inside if you get caught in a downpour during the day. It’s just a shame it isn’t a bit longer.

For people around 190 cm tall, it will be quite cramped, and for taller folks, it’s better to choose something much longer—Appy Trails Mark III, Six Moon Designs Skyscape (Scout or Trekker) or Tarptent ProTrail.

Stable construction

The pyramid-shaped design with a central pole is easy to set up and is the strongest and most stable tent structure, so you don’t have to worry about wind or even the worst storms. As long as the stakes hold, the tent will hold. Yes, the tent must be staked because it is not freestanding. Anyone who can’t find a good spot and drive 6 stakes into the ground doesn’t deserve such a lightweight tent :-)

There are loops at the entrance zipper and a prusik knot with a plastic hook on the main tension cord, so you can roll the canopy above the “vestibule” up or pull it down depending on the conditions to achieve good ventilation. If you prefer simplicity and find the Net Tent too heavy, you can choose the Six Moon Designs Deschutes Plus  — it has a strip of mosquito netting sewn around the bottom edge of the tarp, which hangs down to the ground and protects the interior from biting insects. A pretty elegant solution and only 80g extra.

The guys at BikePacking.cz or in our editorial test section, we have a great review by Mark Šimíček.

If you’re concerned about condensation, we recommend reading our article dedicated to condensation.

After some experimentation, our entire Nalehko team settled on this tarp, and we’ve spent hundreds of nights sleeping under the Deschut. For us, it’s the number one choice...

Six Moon Designs Deschutes Tarp:

• Hexagonal tarp, set up using a single trekking pole, or folding pole.
• Huge space and height.
• Line locks with tensioning cord at six basic anchor points (additional points must be tied in).
• Option to add an inner tent with a floor – Serenity Net Tent.
• YKK #3 entry zipper.
• 6 stakes are required for setup; 2 additional stakes are needed to increase head and footroom – stakes are not included!!!

Technical Specifications:

• Weight: 370 g.
• Covered area: 4 m².
• Height at the peak: 122 cm.
• Packed dimensions: 30 x 10 cm (pack), but can be packed down to half its size.
• Number of entrances: 1.
• Number of people: 1.

Material:

• 20D siliconized nylon 

Seam sealing

Warning! The tent does not have sealed seams!!! As with other UL tents and tarps, you must do this yourself. For tarps made of siliconized nylon, you can purchase this adhesive or mix your own blend according to these instructions. 

It might be a hassle, but at least you’ll get to try setting up the tent and get familiar with it while taping it. If this is an insurmountable problem for you, then you aren’t ready for the ultralight concept and should look for your gear in a different category… Ultralight is about knowing your gear and its limits, and treating and caring for it accordingly. My reward is a feather-light backpack that makes it a joy to spend whole days roaming the mountains!

If you don’t want to use trekking poles to set up the tarp, you can purchase an original pole.

We even filmed the process of sealing the seams on the tarp for you.