Gossamer Gear The One vs Tarptent ProTrail Li

Two shelters, measured against each other on the figures that decide whether they work on a bike.

The short answer

The The One takes headroom and price; the ProTrail Li takes weight and floor space. Their pole sets are close enough that neither wins on the bars, so this comes down to what you want from the shelter itself.

Assembled from the differences below rather than written over them. Every figure is a published measurement or computed from one — nobody here has used either one.

Where they differ

4 of the 4 things we can measure come out differently.

Minimum weight

105g lighter on the ProTrail Li
Gossamer Gear The One
558g
Tarptent ProTrail Li
453g

Trail weight where the maker publishes one — fly, inner and poles, without the stuff sacks or the footprint. Worth reading against the pole length rather than instead of it: a Bikepack edition is usually a few grams heavier for shorter poles.

Floor area

0.49m² more floor in the ProTrail Li
Gossamer Gear The One
213 × 84cm — 1.79m²
Tarptent ProTrail Li
213 × 107cm — 2.28m²

Inner length by inner width as published. On a bike trip the floor also has to take whatever you brought inside off the bike, so a few centimetres is not nothing.

Peak height

11cm more headroom in the The One
Gossamer Gear The One
125cm
Tarptent ProTrail Li
114cm

Whether you can sit up, which decides how a rained-out afternoon goes.

Price

$89 between them
Gossamer Gear The One
$260
Tarptent ProTrail Li
$349

As we hold it. Shelter prices move more than most gear, so check before you commit.

Side by side

Including the rows where they are level.

Gossamer Gear The OneTarptent ProTrail Li
Minimum weight558g453g
Floor area213 × 84cm — 1.79m²213 × 107cm — 2.28m²
Peak height125cm114cm
Price$260$349
Gossamer Gear
The One
$260 · 590g
Tarptent
ProTrail Li
$349 · 454g

Other comparisons with these two