A close look at two tents buyers cross-shop. They score within a hair of each other, so it comes down to the details below.
| Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo Explorer | Tarptent Cloudburst 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| GearScore | 75✓ | 74 |
| Capacity | 2 | 3 |
| Packed weight | 45.0 oz✓ | 45.8 oz |
| Floor area | 34 sq ft | 36.1 sq ft✓ |
| Space-to-weight | 12.1 /lb | 12.6 /lb✓ |
| Peak height | 45 in✓ | 40 in |
| Doors | 2 | 2 |
| Vestibules | 2 | 2 |
| Price | $395✓ | $399 |
| Type | Ultralight | Ultralight |
Highlighted cells mark the better spec: Lunar Duo Explorer in blue, Cloudburst 3 in amber. A blank spec is never counted as a win. GearScore is the overall rating (0 to 100); re-weight it on the full tent comparison. Prices are current MSRP.
Put the Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo Explorer next to the Tarptent Cloudburst 3 and the trade-offs are clear. They are close enough that this really is about which handful of specs you weight most.
The Lunar Duo Explorer is 1 oz lighter, taller (45 vs 40 in peak), and a little cheaper. The Cloudburst 3 is more floor area (36.1 vs 34 sq ft) and better space-to-weight. Their GearScores land within a couple of points (75 vs 74), so neither runs away with it.
Pick the Lunar Duo Explorer if you care most about low weight and headroom, which makes it the better call for counting grams on long miles. Pick the Cloudburst 3 if floor space and space-to-weight matter more to you, or you are focused on comfort and room to move.
The Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo Explorer. It is 1 oz lighter than the Cloudburst 3.
The Tarptent Cloudburst 3. It is more floor area (36.1 vs 34 sq ft) than the Lunar Duo Explorer.
They are nearly tied at 75 and 74 on the default algorithm, so re-weight the score to your own priorities to break the tie.
It depends on your priorities. Go with the Lunar Duo Explorer for low weight, or the Cloudburst 3 for floor space. The spec table above shows exactly where each wins.