Six Moon Designs Skyscape Trekker
An Ultralight Tent Perfect for Stargazing!
Imagine yourself high-up in the mountains, at 10,000 feet, surrounded by mountains rising above timberline. A few minutes ago, having put out the campfire, each member of your group has made their way to his or her own tent. Flat on your back, head on a pillow, cozy underneath a warm quilt, you stare-up at the magnificent sky. You can hear the wind whispering through the pine trees around you, as well as all of the other typical night sounds. The stars are amazing, far too many to count. They are brilliant and extend from horizon to horizon. Having a good night’s sleep and experience is such an important part of backpacking and camping.
My nephew told me about the company Six Moon Designs when I first started looking for an ultralight tent about three years ago. He suggested I consider their award winning Lunar Solo tent, a one-person ultralight tent that utilizes a single trekking pole. I looked closely at the Lunar Solo, as well as many other tents from well known manufacturers such as Gossamer Gear, Zpacks, Durston Gear, Big Agnes, REI, etc., etc. After reading articles, watching videos, and comparing specs, the tent that really caught my attention was one manufactured by Six Moon Designs, but it wasn’t their Lunar Solo. It was their Skyscape Trekker.
The Skyscape Trekker is a high quality, 27 oz trekking pole tent. It is lightweight and it packs small, which can be said of many ultralight tents on the market today. What I would like to highlight in this article are the three attributes of the Skyscape Trekker that I found to be somewhat unique. I didn’t see these three attributes in other tents that were available and each of them are important to me. Here they are:
Stargazing – Most of my backpacking trips are high-up in the Rocky Mountain west where the stars are amazing. I live in the Denver Metro area of Colorado where I seldom see any stars in my day-to-day life. As a result, seeing stars at night is one of the things I look forward to most on our trips into the mountains. The Skyscape Trekker, as the name implies, is designed so that you can see virtually the entire sky when going to sleep at night. The fly on both sides of the tent can be rolled-back which unveils almost the entire night sky. It is possible to achieve such views with other tents as well, if the fly is not set up. The problem is that if a storm rolls in with wind or rain, the camper has to get all the way out of the tent to put the fly back on. With the Skyscape Trekker it is easy to unzip the screen, reach out and release the rolled-up fly, and securely zip it shut. One never needs to even get out of their sleeping bag. There is a section of solid material directly overhead so there isn’t an entirely unobstructed view of the stars, but I have not found this to be an issue stargazing.
8 Ft. Long Floor – The Skyscape Trekker is designed to accommodate tall backpackers. The “bathtub floor” is 103″ long, approximately 8 1/2 feet. This was very important for me because I’m almost 6’3″. Other ultralight tent options would not have been long enough for me. With other tents my head would be snug against one wall of the tent while my feet would be pressing against the the far end. With the Skyscape there is actually room for me to store gear on the floor beyond my head, which I consistently use. Another interesting benefit of its dimensions is that the high point is slightly offset from the center which creates extra headroom while lying down. This gives the camper more sense of space around them while inside the tent. The Skyscape is wide enough for my 25″ pad so there is plenty of room for one person. It is not designed for two people. Two people will not fit.
Hybrid Double Wall – Most ultralight trekking pole tents are single wall tents. Condensation can become a problem with single wall tents depending on weather conditions and backpacking destinations. The issue of condensation kept coming up over and over while I was doing my research. I had never really dealt with it because I’d always used a double wall design (mesh tent and a separate fly) and I typically am camping in dry climates. Still, I was attracted to the fact that over 80% of the Skyscape Trekker canopy is separated by a mesh wall. This keeps that section of the wet canopy off you and also allows for excellent ventilation. However, I have found that the 20% that is single wall does have condensation build-up in certain conditions. That wet canopy will get on your bag with contact. Personally, I have not found that to be a very big issue. When I wake up I take a wash towel or t-shirt and swipe that part of the canopy dry. Problem solved. For those who are backpacking in wetter climates, condensation may become more of a problem.
Other characteristics and things to consider:
The Skyscape Trekker is a trekking pole tent. It does not setup as easily as a typical free standing tent with the traditional tent, poles, and fly. This is important to understand if you’ve never setup a trekking pole tent before. As with any trekking pole tent, it is highly recommended that you set it up a couple times in your backyard or a nearby park before taking it out for the first time into the backcountry. The Skyscape Trekker is not too difficult to setup, but it does take a little practice to get it pitched just right. Before I purchased mine I watched several videos on YouTube that showed it being setup. Those videos were helpful for me when I set mine up for the first time.
The Skyscape does not have a huge footprint, as some trekking pole tents do. Still, it is larger than most free standing tents. It is 120″ long, and 76″ wide, and is shaped like a diamond. I have found it to be stable, even in strong wind. The two poles are inside the tent and are near my elbows. I’ve found I have to be conscience of where they are so that I don’t knock them with my arms. I’ve bumped them plenty of times, and the tent’s never come down on me, but it’s something that I try to be aware of. The Skyscape Trekker has two side doors so it can be accessed from either side. There is a stash pocket on the inside as well as a clip centered on the ceiling where I hang a light. It has two medium sized vestibules between the doors and the fly for keeping addition gear dry.
Six Moon Designs currently prices the Skyscape Trekker at $275. They have another tent, the Skyscape Scout, that is the same design but utilizes a slightly heavier material. It sells for $160. These prices do not include stakes, poles, or a groundsheet. Those items are all sold separately. Also, when I weighed my tent in at 27 oz. (pictured above), that did not include stakes, poles, or a groundsheet either. When I pack in the stakes and a groundsheet the total pack weight is 30 oz. What I’ve learned with most backpacking manufacturers is that they will offer good deals around Memorial Day and Black Friday. So if you’re not in a hurry, and can wait until those dates, you’re likely to save a little money.
Lastly, and this is important, the price does not include having sealed, waterproof, seams! You can either purchase the seam sealer yourself, DIY and save a little money, or you can pay to have them seal the seams for you prior to delivery. I recommend having Six Moon Designs do it so that when the Skyscape arrives it’s completely ready to go.
Conclusion – I highly recommend the Skyscape Trekker if you’re a tall individual like me, and I especially recommend it if you enjoy looking at stars at night. I’ve been happy with mine and still look forward to using it each time I take it backpacking. Below is a link to Six Moon Designs where you can purchase the tent directly from them. You can also have fun checking-out all their other shelters and backpacking products.