“One person tent with a twist”

“The Catoma Twist is a pretty neat tent. I like how easy it is to set up ("drop of a hat" is true). Taking it down is also no problem. There are instructions in the tent bag with pictures. Fold it up two or three times at home and it will be very easy. The folding is a matter of 10 seconds I would guess (just be careful to make sure that it does not pop you in the face during the last step, lol). I was looking for an alternative to a bug bivy. I wanted something that lets me sleep under the stars but keeps little nasties out of my bed. A bug bivy would cost pretty much the same. Nevertheless, with a bug bivy you would need some other piece of equipment in inclement weather to protect yourself from the rain. A waterproof bivy, as another alternative, would give you (probably) less interior space at a much higher price point. You could probably find something lighter than the Twist but most likely not at the STP price and not with the option of having a full-fledged double-wall tent if the need arises. On a negative side, forget about pitching the fly only with hiking poles and/or the backbone pole. I tried it and it seems to me to be a pretty lame sleeping arrangement (which is unfortunate). Sure, you can do it but it certainly does not compare to a real tarp or using the base+rain fly or base and a tarp. I contacted Catoma about this and they agreed that the fly-only pitches are not ideal. They will revise the design in the future (and are looking for input from their costumers). My ideal set-up will probably be a tarp in combination with the base of the Twist. A tarp will give you many more pitching options than the rain fly of the Twist. With the tarp I will be able to leave the rain fly (and maybe the backbone) at home and only use the base (with two stakes) as bug bivy, sheltered by the tarp, no matter the weather. I used the base and backbone two weeks ago in the desert and had a wonderful night underneath the stars. It was my first night ever without a rain fly and I can only recommend it. I must have seen ten shooting stars and very much enjoyed being embedded in the environment rather than being separated from it (through a rain fly). I pitched the rain fly as minimalist sun shade with many guy lines and two hiking poles. But again, this is not comparable to the possibilities that a designated tarp would give you.”