Sea to Summit Alto TR1 vs Tarptent StratoSpire 1
Two shelters, measured against each other on the figures that decide whether they work on a bike.
The short answer
The Alto TR1 takes pitching on hard ground and floor space; the StratoSpire 1 takes headroom, vestibule space and price. On a bike the pole set usually decides it before the rest do.
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
6 of the 7 things we can measure come out differently.
Poles to carry
the StratoSpire 1 has no pole set at all, the Alto TR1 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.
Pitching
Alto TR1 needs less from the groundFreestanding matters on a bike trip more than on a hike: gravel bars, wooden platforms and hardpack are where you end up when you are following a road, and none of them take a stake.
Floor area
0.52m² more floor in the Alto TR1Inner 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
14cm more headroom in the StratoSpire 1Whether you can sit up, which decides how a rained-out afternoon goes.
Vestibules
1 more on the StratoSpire 1Where wet kit and panniers go. On a bike trip it is also where the bags off your bike spend the night, which is more volume than a hiker brings.
Price
$45 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.
| Sea to Summit Alto TR1 | Tarptent StratoSpire 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Poles to carry | 450mm folded | None — trekking-pole shelter |
| Minimum weight | 936g | 913g |
| Pitching | semi | Needs stakes |
| Floor area | 215 × 107cm — 2.29m² | 218 × 81cm — 1.77m² |
| Peak height | 108cm | 122cm |
| Vestibules | 1 — 0.7 cm² | 2 — 2.36 cm² |
| Price | $380 | $335 |