Nordisk Lofoten 1 ULW 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 Tarptent ProTrail Li is ahead on floor space, headroom and price. Nothing published here goes the other way.
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
5 of the 6 things we can measure come out differently.
Poles to carry
the ProTrail Li has no pole set at all, the Lofoten 1 ULW doesA trekking-pole shelter has nothing to fit across your bars, which removes the constraint entirely — but you then need poles from somewhere, strapped to the frame or bought separately. It is a different problem, not a smaller one.
Construction
Lofoten 1 ULW is double wall, ProTrail Li is singleA double wall puts a gap between you and the condensation; a single wall saves the weight of the second layer and puts the condensation on the inside of your shelter. Which is right depends on where you sleep, not on which is better.
Floor area
0.41m² more floor in the ProTrail LiInner 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
44cm more headroom in the ProTrail LiWhether you can sit up, which decides how a rained-out afternoon goes.
Price
$271 between themAs 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.
| Nordisk Lofoten 1 ULW | Tarptent ProTrail Li | |
|---|---|---|
| Poles to carry | 220mm folded | None — trekking-pole shelter |
| Minimum weight | 490g | 453g |
| Construction | double wall | single wall |
| Floor area | 220 × 85cm — 1.87m² | 213 × 107cm — 2.28m² |
| Peak height | 70cm | 114cm |
| Price | $620 | $349 |