More than a tarp yet not quite a true tent, the new Rajd (pronounced “ride”) is the perfect shelter for those who favor a tarp’s gossamer weight, but don’t want to sacrifice the comfort of walls and a floor. The Rajd’s 2.4 m²/25.8 ft² interior is comfortably big enough for two, and is a veritable palace for the solo traveler – especially one used to the confines of many solo shelter solutions. And it weighs less than many tarps and bivy bags!
Wholly constructed from Kerlon 1200, the same highly durable and super light fabric found in our UL tarps and Ultralight tents, the Rajd is patterned on the first Hilleberg tent, the two-pole ridge design Keb (which was the first commercial tent to have linked inner and outer tents). It boasts impressive head room and a two door configuration – giving each occupant his or her own entrance as well as affording the flexibility to situate one door out of the wind. The Rajd is a great choice when going super light is the highest priority. Bear in mind, however, that the Rajd is not a tent, and so does not offer the same comfort or strength, especially in variable to poor weather conditions.
The Rajd also makes excellent “backup lodging” for hut trips or adventure travel. And, since it complies with many race regulations that require overnight shelters to have a sewn-in floor, the Rajd is a great choice for adventure racers and mountain ultramarathon runners.
To pitch the Rajd, you simply peg out the floor, insert your two trekking pole ends (or branches, or the optional poles) into the pole-end cups on either end, set the poles upright, then guy out ridge line and four corners. Alternatively, you can create ridge line support by guying the ends to trees. Guy lines are the same proprietary 2 mm Spectra-blend cord we use on our Ultralight tents, and they are equipped with non-slip line runners for secure pitching in demanding weather.
The Rajd is highly weatherproof and very durable, but it is a shelter – not a tent – and so puts only a single layer of fabric between you and the elements. And since the floor is the same ultralight fabric as the walls, care should be exercised in choosing a site, especially on rocky ground. One of our favorite solutions is to put the foam sleeping pad (not an inflatable one, for obvious reasons) under the floor of the tent. The Rajd’s single wall design is, by nature, more prone to condensation than a double wall tent. To combat this, we put no-see-um mesh into the the top third of the door to promote cross ventilation, and we bisected the eaves over each door with a zipper, so you can roll up one or both halves for even greater air flow.
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