Eureka! Spitfire UL
The Spitfire was a cheap, light, one-person tent at a time when those three things rarely went together, and the review was fair: around $180 and a bit over 2kg was a decent deal in 2007.
That is what has changed most. Two kilos for a solo tent is now heavy. The same money buys something around 1.2 to 1.5kg, and the ultralight end gets under a kilo using trekking poles instead of tent poles.
What to look for in a solo tent now:
- Enough length to sit up in, or at least to sit up at one end. A solo tent you can only lie in is miserable in rain, which is when you are in it.
- A vestibule that takes a pack and boots. With one person there is nowhere else for them.
- Double wall unless you know why you want single. Single-wall tents are lighter and condense heavily; in a one-person tent you are close to the wall all night.
- Freestanding if you camp on rock, gravel or platforms. Trekking-pole shelters need ground that takes a peg.
One thing worth saying that the original did not: a solo tent is often a false economy for two-person trips and a genuine pleasure for solo ones. If you mostly walk alone, the lighter pack and the earlier start are worth more than the extra space.
And check the seams before the trip, not during it. Cheap tents fail at the seams first, and a tube of seam sealer is a couple of pounds.
Part of the guide to tents and shelter.