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Gossamer Gear The One
Gossamer Gear 'The One' review
Here's an extract from Will Reitveld's review of 'The One' on backpackinglight.com
What's Good
- Ultralight, only 18.5 ounces for tent plus stakes
- Reinforced construction
- Utilizes trekking poles to save weight
- Fast setup
- Easy side entry
- Floating bathtub floor
- Good headroom
- Ultralight groundsheet included
- Full bug protection
- Excellent ventilation
What's not so good
- Tie-out cords come loose
- Cut is not as tight as it could be
- Dust sticks to spinnaker fabric
Assessment
Ultralight backpackers looking for the lightest one-person tent may not need to look any further; the Gossamer Gear The One shelter weighs a mere seventeen ounces and provides most everything a hiker would wish for. It weighs a few ounces more than a shaped tarp or floorless shelter and delivers far more in the way of features, comfort, convenience, and protection.

On the negative side, the tent's geometry is fairly complex, and the cut is not as tight as it could be. For example, the back skirt and front vestibule are usually limp. The tent requires some fussing to get it pitched and tensioned properly (which helps reduce its noisiness in the wind). Another drawback is the tendency of many of the cords to come loose. In contrast to a tent from a major tent maker, the cords and fasteners are simply tied on, not sewn, and the knots come loose. Sewn on toggle and loop tie-backs on the vestibule and entry door would be more reliable than the ones pictured above. Finally, the spinnaker fabric shell is noisy, even in a light breeze, and the tent is on the expensive side because of the spinnaker fabric.

Compared to similar shelters on the market, the only single wall tent with a floor that's lighter is the sixteen ounce Six Moon Designs Refuge X two-person tent made of cuben fiber. However, the Refuge X doesn't have any vestibules and costs a hefty $400. The silnylon SMD Lunar Solo weighs twenty-three ounces, has more protected area, and costs $235. And the silnylon AntiGravityGear Tarptent weighs twenty ounces, has a lot more protected area, and costs $229 (but it has some condensation issues). The current Mountain Laurel Designs shelters are lighter, but they do not have a floor.

In spite of a few drawbacks, Gossamer Gear's The One is an ultralight backpacker's dream come true, making it possible to have the luxury of a full-featured solo tent while keeping weight to a minimum.
Overall Rating: Recommended

The One really nails it on light weight, roominess, features, convenience, ventilation, and weather/bug protection. On those factors alone, it deserves our Highly Recommended rating. However, The One needs some refinement in the attachment of cords and fasteners, and the tent's cut could stand some tweaking to make it tighter

For the full review on www.backpackinglight.com please click below (you need to subscribe)

www.backpackinglight.com/Gossamer_Gear_The_One.