FAQ - Lunar Solo Perfect Pitch

Unlike a traditional tent, the Lunar Solo's canopy floats off the ground. This allows for 360^o of ventilation. Plus the floor is not rigidly fixed. It is designed to float. A floor under tension is more likely to rip or get holes poked in by sharp objects.

These factors combine to make the Lunar Solo a bit more difficult to setup for the first time user. However, we've built a number of features in the tent to help get it setup correctly.

Follow the instructions below and with a little practice you'll find the Lunar Solo easy to setup time and time again.

Since your tent canopy floats, you can vary the height of your trekking pole depending upon conditions.  Higher will provide more ventilation and lower in stormy weather. The front of the tent should always be off the ground. This is to ensure that you have adequate ventilation. Optimum height of your trekking pole should be 49 inches or 124 centimeters. Older models, pre 2012, worked best with 45" poles.

Setting the stakes in the proper order is one of the key elements in getting the perfect pitch. Look at the guide layout guide below to know where and in what order to set your stakes.

Here are a few additional do’s and don’ts.

Do’s

1. Do extend the webbing guy-lines to their extent. Run the guy-lines all the way to the ground.
2. Do set the stakes in the order listed above. Since the canopy floats off the ground on the top of the pole, it’s important to achieve a balance side to side and front to back.
3. Do set the height of the front pole to 49 inches.
4. Do close the vestibule before setting up the tent. This aide in getting the best alignment of the stakes.
5. Do allow the canopy to rest for a half hour before re-tension of the tent. This allows the fabric to relax.
6. Do any additional tension with the adjuster on the main guy-line, if needed.

Don’ts

1. Don’t try to raise the perimeter of the tent by using long stakes and terminating the guy-lines several inches off the ground. This is somewhat counter intuitive to normal logic. When you setup the tent this way, instead of the canopy and sidewall rising, they will tend to collapse instead. This will cause the corners to dip, resulting in reduced headroom and ventilation.

The Lunar Solo, with its single pole and raised canopy, creates an incredibly light and airy shelter. Unlike other tents with fixed points of setup, the floating canopy and floor design does take a little more patience to master. Still, the Lunar Solo’s weight savings makes it well worth the effort.

Ron