Alpkit
Alpkit Tarpstar 2
Where it fits
- Also works for
- Backpacking and wild camping
- Not for
- Winter mountain
Why these labels
- Backpacking and wild camping: Light to carry: 1.2 kg
- Winter mountain: 3-season rating, not built for winter storms
From the maker's stated use and the published specs.
- Summer wild camp: 7/10 UK, roughly May to September, nights above about 8 °C, sheltered pitches.
- Three-season hills: 7/10 UK hills in spring and autumn. Wind, rain, and nights near freezing.
- Winter camp: 4/10 UK winter or high ground. Below freezing, strong wind, possibly snow. Capped at 4: needs the maker's 4-season rating and wind 7+.
- Weight: 8/10 How much it adds to your pack, compared with the whole market.
Two people, or one person with lots of kit, on summer and mild three-season trips in sheltered spots
- Walls
- Double
- Sleeps
- 2
- Seasons
- 3-season
- Min. weight
- 1.19 kg
- Flysheet
- 3,000 mm
- Packed
- 7.78 L
Where to buy
Alpkit £186.99 In stock. Free delivery. Free UK delivery over £60. The pole is not included.
View at shop: AlpkitPrices checked 8 Nov 2026 on each shop's own page; shops can change them. We earn no commission on these links; shops are listed by price. More
Our ratings (out of 10)
1 to 10, compared with the whole market. Each says what it's based on. How we score
Weight
From maker's figures 8/10How much it adds to your pack. This is the whole tent: two people sharing can split it. 8: Clearly better than most.
Alpkit's total of 1,190 g (500 g fly + 690 g inner) is in the 1.0–1.49 kg band. The pole isn't included: it needs a trekking pole of 120–130 cm or Alpkit's Vertex pole (sold separately). The 500 g fly alone is a tarp with no floor.
Rain protection
From maker's figures 8/10How well it keeps out heavy, long rain. 8: Clearly better than most.
Fly 3,000 mm is in the 3,000 mm+ band, and the 3,000 mm floor is over 2,000 mm, so no deduction. The printed figure alone gives 8 at most: a 9 or 10 needs 3 reviews that say it stays dry in real storms.
Wind
From reviews 6/10How steady it stays in strong wind on open ground. 6: A bit better than average.
Reviewers disagree (2 to 4): The Great Outdoors 2 (flappy in high winds because the tarp edges are cut flat, better in sheltered valleys), Outdoors Magic 3 (only a couple of breezy nights), andhiking 4 (strong winds in the Scottish spring and Welsh autumn camps, never worried it would take off) and hike and camp wild adventures 4 (coped in 40 to 48 km/h winds, even pitched badly in the dark). Average 3.2 out of 5, so 6 out of 10.
Reviewers disagree on this.
Space
Estimate from maker's specs: berths and tent shape (no floor area published) 5/10Room to lie, sit up and keep kit inside. 5: Does the job. Average for wild-camping gear.
Estimate from maker's specs
Packed size
From maker's figures 6/10How much room it takes in your rucksack. 6: A bit better than average.
Two sacks: fly 25 x 12 cm and inner 28 x 15 cm. As sacks, 3.1416 x 6 x 6 x 25 = 2,827 cm³ plus 3.1416 x 7.5 x 7.5 x 28 = 4,948 cm³, so 7.78 L in total, in the 7–9.9 L band. The fly alone is 2.8 L.
What reviewers say (out of 10)
Ratings marked * are from reviews and are not part of the trip score. They are reviewers' scores, not our own measurements. How we score
Pitching*
Reviewers' average 7/10How quickly and easily one person can pitch it, including in wind and rain.
4 reviews on pitching, e.g. "it’s a bit awkward to pitch, because the pole has to go inside the inner.".
Reviewers disagree on this.
Condensation*
Estimate: only 1 review about condensation (fewer than the 3 we need, so never above 8) 4/10How dry it stays inside on still, damp nights; higher is drier.
1 review on condensation, e.g. "sits very close to the flysheet, which means that condensation can drip through.".
Durability*
Estimate: only 1 review about durability (fewer than the 3 we need, so never above 8) 6/10How well the fabric, poles, zips and seams hold up over seasons of use.
1 review on durability, e.g. "the bucket floor on the inner tent is rather thin.".
In short
Good for
- Two people, or one person with lots of kit, on summer and mild three-season trips in sheltered spots
- Walkers who already carry trekking poles and want a very light shelter
- Flexible use: fly alone as a tarp, or inner alone as a bug net on warm nights
Strengths
- 1,190 g with the inner included, or about 500 g as a tarp alone
- Both reviewers call it very roomy for two; Outdoors Magic fitted two people, their packs, boots and a dog
- Three ways to pitch: tarp only, inner only, or both together
- 3,000 mm fly and floor with TPU seam tape
Weaknesses
- No porch and no top vent; the zip doubles as the vent and lets rain in if opened
- The Great Outdoors found it flappy in high winds and better suited to sheltered valleys than the mountains
- The inner sits close to the fly, so condensation can drip through (The Great Outdoors)
- The pole stands inside the inner, so it is awkward to pitch (The Great Outdoors), although Outdoors Magic found it easy
Sources
We haven't tested this ourselves. Every score comes from these specs, tests and reviews.
ShowHide sources (6)
- Alpkit: Tarpstar 2 pyramid tent product page and specifications
- The Great Outdoors: Alpkit Tarpstar 2 review (Alex Roddie)
- Outdoors Magic: Alpkit Tarpstar 2 tent review (Will Renwick, early review after a couple of breezy nights)
- andhiking: Alpkit Tarpstar 1/2 review, about 40 nights (owner, not sponsored)
- hike and camp wild adventures (YouTube): Alpkit Tarpstar 2 full pitch & rain test
- Mick Fitz - Valley and Hill (YouTube): Alpkit Tarpstar 2 review