THE ONE
THE ONE by Gossamer Gear is an ultralight, fully enclosed, 3 season single wall tent. The One is easily setup with two trekking poles or tent poles. This tent was new to me at the end of summer 2018. For this tent review, I used it exclusively hiking 150 miles on the Theodore Solomons Trail in the Sierra Nevada Mountains while encountering driving rain, high winds, frost, and warm weather.
SPECIFICATIONS
Weight from the Gossamer Gear Website:
Shelter Weight: 21.6 oz / 612 g (includes factory-taped seams)
Stuff Sack: .3 oz / 10 g
8 Stakes: depending what type you choose, around 3 ounces
Total: 24.9 ounces
My Personal Setup on the Scale:
Shelter with 2 added guy lines (head and foot), stuff sack, and 8 stakes (4 MSR Groundhog, 2 V-stakes, and 2 hook stakes)
Total: 24 ounces
Dimensions:
Packed size 6” X 9”
Floor size 36” at the head, 24″ at the foot X 88” (19.55 sq ft)
Vestibule area 16.2 square feet
Head height at peak 46” (using 125 cm poles)
Materials:
Tent body: Custom-formulated 7d high tenacity nylon blended sil/pu coating waterproof to at least 1200mm.
Tent floor: Custom-formulated 10d high tenacity nylon blended sil/pu coating waterproof to at least 1200mm.
Guylines: 2.5mm reflective nylon sheath, 1mm dyneema core
Zippers: First quality, robust #4.5 double-pull zippers
ITW lineloc3 tensioners all main tie outs
\
SETUP
Stake the four corners, stick in trekking poles, stake out the trekking pole guy lines and your done.. stretch and tighten accordingly. Be sure and practice setting the tent up at home a few times before a trip.
Note: Campsite selection is very important, especially for lightweight non-free-standing tents. Here is a great article on How to Choose a Campsite by The Hiking Life.
Here is a simple, short and very informative video that features Glen Van Peski setting up The One.
WHAT I LOVE
- Packed Size – The One packs up nice and small and is super easy to stuff into the sack. No stress on cold mornings
- Spacious – my hiking partner, Arrow called it the Taj Mahal. Unlike most ultralight solo tents, The One is roomy. Definitely enough room to sit-up and move around without touching the sides and top of the tent. Very nice on rainy nights and wet mornings.
- Line – a cord is attached to the top of the tent inside to hang damp clothes with a small clip to hang a headlamp, etc.
- Lightweight – at 24 ounces The One is hard to beat for size and comfort.
- Bathtub Floor – the floor kept water from splashing in.
- Pockets – pockets on the inside of tent are placed for perfect access while lying down or sitting up.
- Guy lines – the reflective guy lines are super helpful to locate the tent in the dark.
- Vestibule – loved the zipper on the generously sized vestibule. It kept the rain, wind, and cold out.
- Easy Setup – takes about a minute to set up once you know what you’re doing.
- Door – the shape and easy access of the zipper made for effortless entering and exiting.
THE NOT SO GOOD
- Silnylon – silnylon can stretch, which means you need to tighten down the tent after setting it up, and more so when wet. Silnylon holds a bit more water than a cuben fiber tent. The silnylon tents can be heavier to pack up on wet mornings.
- Condensation – I found on very cold nights when my breath was producing moisture, the upper half of the tent where I was breathing was wet. I solved this by keeping the mesh door unzipped with the vestibule zipped shut. Again this was for cold nights where bugs are not a problem.
- Weight – The One does weight more than my previous cuben Zpacks Solplex that I have used for years, 6 ounces more.
RECOMMENDATION
The One in my opinion is a great, modestly priced, ultralight solo tent for most backpackers and thru-hikers. It is easy to setup and pack up, very roomy, great protection in inclement weather, and has some pretty sweet extra features (pockets, line, and vestibule zipper).
Use code LADYONAROCK15 for 15% off Gossamer Products
SHARE THIS POST ON PINTEREST
Disclosure: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission if purchases are made through those links. This adds no cost to our readers and helps us keep Lady on a Rock site up and running.
Need recommendations or have questions on gear featured in this post? Ask away in the comments below.
Thank you for this review!! I wonder if you can tell me if you have to have the Gossamer trekking poles or will this tent work with any pole?
The tent will work with any brand of trekking poles.
Rockin’ – I have followed you for years, have thought your photos were among the best of thru-hikers, loved your straight-forward commentaries in your blog; so, I say this with much love … I am an old English teacher and the lie/lay mis-usage drives me crazy: in your comments about pockets you say, “for perfect access while laying down or sitting up.” Lay means to place or put (hens lay eggs); lie means to rest or recline (people lie down) … so, next time say “lying down.” Many people–even people who get paid to know better–mix up lie and lay. Anytime you use the word lay (e.g., I’m going to lay out on the beach.), in your mind hear hens clucking …
… And I will continue to follow you regardless of what you say and how you choose to say it … You Rock!
Ah man this made my day! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and remind me of a very important rule. I am so honored when I hear that my words are actually being read. I hope you are well and getting outside. Thank you for following along and your continued support. I look forward to hearing from you again. 🙂
I ordered “The One” and it should be here December 7th. Your post was a big help in making my decision. I can finally get rid of my 30-year old North Face single shelter and cut nearly half the weight!
Happy early Christmas to me (and Merry Christmas to you and your family too!).
Well, thanks for the insight. It sounds like The One, at its new, much lower price, (found it when it was $450) would be the way I should go since I’m not out there for hundreds of nights every season. I bet with your new-found extra time, you’ll be out there even more. Hope you enjoy every minute of it too.
Thanks Warren! A shelter is an important part of a backpacking kit and a big decision. Whatever you decide I hope it works for you. Yep, enjoying lots of outdoor and inside time.
Hi Christy,
Just wondering; is the heavier weight worth it? I realize The One is now less than half the price of Zpacks comparable offerings and it doesn’t hurt that it has such a small packed size either. Are you going to be using The One next season – is it that good?
I realize we are a month off, but Merry Christmas.
Hello Warren,
Boy, I thought a lot about this one myself. Yes, I will be using The One next season. BUT … if I am hiking with a hiker that can eat up the miles and I need to go as fast and light as possible, my Zpacks would be the way to go. Say if I were hiking with my son, Grant, I go as light as possible just to end the day in the same place. Right now my Zpacks is leaking and the zipper is coming apart. It has served me a few hundred nights, so no complaining here.
The problem now is I am spoiled rotten with all the space and protection in wet weather. :0 My plan is to find 6 ounces to shave off somewhere else. I can tell you it won’t be from my food bag. 🙂
Merry Christmas to you and your family!