Gossamer Gear The One tent | Tested and reviewed

When it comes to ultralight backpacking, every gram counts. That’s why I was eager to test the Gossamer Gear The One – a single-skin trekking pole tent that promises big space with minimal weight.

At just 597g, it’s a dream for weight-conscious hikers, but does it deliver in real-world conditions? I wild camped in it for 23 nights last summer while walking the 1,014km South West Coast Path, so it's fair to say I now have an answer to that very question.

I loved it, but like every product this tent has its strengths and weaknesses. It will endear some and be loathed by others, so let's get stuck into the detail...

Shape, structure, pitching, and internal liveability

The Gossamer Gear The One is a single-skin, ultralight tent erected using trekking poles. It is compatible with any trekking poles, as long as they are adjustable to the ideal height of 125cm. Naturally Gossamer Gear suggests using The One with its own LT5 Three Piece Carbon Trekking Poles (£215 per pair).

This is how The One is pitched. Lay out the tent, which has an all-in-one structure with the sewn-in mesh inner stitched directly to the outer (so they can never be detached). Next peg out the fabric loops at the four base corners of the groundsheet.

At the foot and head end, you can also peg out the extra flysheet corners, which create a little ledge or raised lip of protection. You now have the basic orientation of the tent established, and your next task is the crux of the pitching technique.

At each side of the tent, position your 125cm-long trekking poles in the correct place, with the pole tip secured in an eyelet at the bottom and the top of the hand grip secured in a webbing pocket at the roof. A small toggle can also be tightened around the centre of the pole to further hold it in place.

You now need to angle the poles outwards slightly, on a diagonal, and peg them out. The final task is to use all of the tension straps to fine-tune the pitching of The One, ensuring it has a taut, tight, well-tensioned structure.

The end result is quite impressive. Viewed from the sides the tent has a classic triangular shape. But look at it from the head or foot end and it’s a trapezoid – triangular sides but with a wide, flat top. This flat top is created by the tension between the two poles, which widens and stretches the tent roof to a whopping 110cm width by my measurements.

Underneath one pole you get the side-entry door, below which is a good-sized porch; underneath the other pole, there’s nothing except an awning-like overhang with quite an open, exposed design.

This clever trekking pole architecture delivers an amazingly spacious interior – it really will take you by surprise. The main benefit is the head and elbow room, which is very impressive, with a 114cm peak height at the roof – that’s way higher than almost all other one-person tents, even dome-style designs known for their spaciousness.

All of this means that internal liveability and comfort is first-rate, which is even more remarkable considering the weight. The width of the tent is pretty good too, with ample space for your sleeping mat and bag. But the width isn’t quite as impressive as the height, and there is quite a sharp taper towards the foot end (head end width is 84cm, foot end width is 53cm).

The official dimensions of the tent, according to Gossamer Gear, are as follows: 213cm length, 84cm width (tapering to 53cm at foot end) and a roof height of 114cm. These are positive stats. The vestibule is sizeable too, with more than enough space for a backpack, hiking shoes and anything else you’re carrying. The vestibule is officially sized 10sqft in total.

Waterproofing

Waterproofing is not this tent’s strong point and I wouldn’t recommend taking it up a mountain in heavy downpours. I’d describe it as a two-season tent, rather than a three-season one, and it’s certainly better designed for fair weather in spring and summer rather than inclement conditions in the shoulder seasons.

If you’re going camping in the mostly dry and still conditions of May to August, it’s a superb weight-saving choice; if you’re heading up a far-flung Munro in April or October (with a questionable weather forecast), choose a different tent – this one isn’t right for your needs.

What are the waterproofing flaws of the Gossamer Gear The One? Well, first of all, it’s a single-skin tent, so you only get one layer of protection from the rain, rather than two. The tent’s outer flysheet is very thin and ultralight, and only has an 1,800mm hydrostatic head rating – which isn’t the highest I’ve ever seen by some margin (the Wild Country Halny Elite 1 is 4,000mm rated, for example).

On top of this, the Gossamer Gear tent can’t be pitched flush to the ground, so there’s always a risk of water ingress from below, particularly in horizontal rain. One side of tent (the side without a door) is also particularly vulnerable in heavy rain, because it has quite an exposed, open structure with only an awning-like window protecting the mesh inner.

Having said all of this, the Gossamer Gear The One copes absolutely fine in lighter downpours, and – if you’re lucky – it will be protective enough (just about) with heavier conditions.

During my South West Coast Path adventure, the tent never let me down in lighter rain, and it faced a few absolute batterings from unseasonable storms. It wasn’t exactly ideal in these conditions and, admittedly, I did end up a little damp here and there, but it wasn’t an unmitigated disaster either.

The tent’s outer is a 10-denier ripstop nylon with both silicone and PU coatings, and it has an official hydrostatic head rating of at least 1,800mm. The groundsheet, which has a bathtub-style lip at the bottom, is made from the same material.

All of the tent’s seams are factory taped and the main door zipper is water-resistant, but it isn’t protected by a stormflap.

Condensation

Single-skin tents are notoriously vulnerable to condensation, particularly when the weather conditions in the UK are characteristically wet and humid. During my 23 test wild camps, condensation build-up was an issue on a few occasions and it was certainly difficult (or impossible) to avoid at times.

However, in those specific weather conditions, I think condensation would’ve been a problem in any tent, and I don’t think the issue was unique to a single-skin shelter.

Gossamer Gear’s The One doesn’t have any vents on the outer, but it has bucket-loads of mesh on the inner. It has a very airy and breezy design, which encourages breathability and air flow.

There are rectangular mesh windows at both the head and foot ends, as well as a triangular mesh window on the non-door side. The main internal door is made from mesh too.

This mesh-centric design is a double-edged sword. It’s pretty effective at combating condensation (although it’s not a magic wand to completely eliminate it, particularly when the weather conditions are against you), as well as helping cool you down in warmer conditions.

However, on less warm nights, the interior can be cold and draughty.

Wind protection

In terms of wind protection, the Gossamer Gear The One’s performance is average to poor, in my opinion.

It’s absolutely fine in low to medium(ish) strength winds and, during my test camps, the shelter’s construction mostly felt stable, strong and taut – particularly if pitched on flat ground, with highly-tensioned guylines, a solid plant for the poles and good grip for the pegs.

I also found it much more stable when the wind direction was consistent, with the tent pitched parallel lengthways to the wind direction.

But, in truth, this tent is vulnerable in stronger winds. Why? The walls are very high and can “catch” the wind like a sail, and they particularly struggle if hit by a strong side wind. Ultimately this tent has neither a low-profile nor an aerodynamic shape.

But the bigger problem is the trekking pole design, which can never be as secure, solid or stable as a bespoke tent pole design. In very strong winds, there’s the risk the trekking poles might be whipped out of position and fall down.

Weight and packed size

This is the metric where Gossamer Gear’s The One truly excels. It is unbelievably lightweight, offering a whopping weight saving of up to 1kg compared to other one-person tents. With this tent in your backpack, your back with be happier (no crippling backache here!) and you’ll be empowered to hike faster, further and for longer. It’s an epic feeling.

On my scales, the Gossamer Gear The One clocks in at 597g, including: the all-as-one single skin tent (505g), eight minimalist pegs and peg bag (84g) and main ultralight carry bag (8g). A big part of the weight saving is the absence of any tent poles. Instead I pitch The One using my Leki Ultratrail FX.One Trail Running Poles, which weigh 335g for a pair.

But I always hike with these poles anyway, so it’s fair to not count their weight towards the tent’s weight.

In terms of packed size, the Gossamer Gear The One is miniscule, compacting down to a 30x12cm package – about the size of a 1L Nalgene water bottle. It will barely take up any space in your backpack and it’s pretty easy to pack away too.

Features

This is a minimalist, ultralight tent so there aren’t really many features to discuss. Internally you get a large mesh pocket for storing and organising personal items, such as a headtorch and phone. Newer versions of The One also have an interior clothes line and flashlight loop.

The main door can be folded and furled away for an open structure, with the excess fabric secured in the “open” position using toggles – this is a nice thing to do on clear, dry nights. The supplied guylines, meanwhile, are reflective.

Verdict

Gossamer Gear's The One is an insanely lightweight and surprisingly spacious single-skin tent erected using trekking poles – but it’s only really suitable for fair weather.

About the author

James Forrest is one of our key freelance writers and gear testers. He has undertaken many long-distance hiking trips around the UK and Europe, and is one of the most knowledgeable experts around on backpacking tents.

James regularly conducts many of our tent and camping gear tests.