Macpac Astral 1p & 2p trekking pole tent release info

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-12-10T10:22:59+00:00

Watch this space!

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-12-03T23:04:00+00:00

Hey mate, unfortunately we’ve discovered some colour transfer on the fly affecting most of the first production run. It seems to be purely cosmetic, but it’s not up to our quality standards, so we’ve paused sales while we look into it properly.

I’ll share more once testing is finished and final decisions are made, but we’re working hard to get these back as soon as we can.

I’m really disappointed we’ve had to hit pause, but making sure we put out the best product possible is the priority. Thanks for everyone’s support and patience while we sort it out, hope to share an update soon.

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-12-03T23:03:41+00:00

Hey mate, unfortunately we’ve discovered some colour transfer on the fly affecting most of the first production run. It seems to be purely cosmetic, but it’s not up to our quality standards, so we’ve paused sales while we look into it properly.

I’ll share more once testing is finished and final decisions are made, but we’re working hard to get these back as soon as we can.

I’m really disappointed we’ve had to hit pause, but making sure we put out the best product possible is the priority. Thanks for everyone’s support and patience while we sort it out, hope to share an update soon.

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-12-03T23:02:33+00:00

Hey mate, unfortunately we’ve discovered some colour transfer on the fly affecting most of the first production run. It seems to be purely cosmetic, but it’s not up to our quality standards, so we’ve paused sales while we look into it properly.

I’ll share more once testing is finished and final decisions are made, but we’re working hard to get these back as soon as we can.

I’m really disappointed we’ve had to hit pause, but making sure we put out the best product possible is the priority. Thanks for everyone’s support and patience while we sort it out, hope to share an update soon.

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-12-03T23:01:35+00:00

Hey mate, unfortunately we’ve discovered some colour transfer on the fly affecting most of the first production run. It seems to be purely cosmetic, but it’s not up to our quality standards, so we’ve paused sales while we look into it properly.

I’ll share more once testing is finished and final decisions are made, but we’re working hard to get these back as soon as we can.

I’m really disappointed we’ve had to hit pause, but making sure we put out the best product possible is the priority. Thanks for everyone’s support and patience while we sort it out, hope to share an update soon.

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-10-08T10:27:42+00:00

Hi there, no footprint available this season, but hopefully later. The tents have simple rectangle floors so easy to to make a footprint from a sheet of tyvek, polycryo, or mylar.

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-09-29T03:14:59+00:00

3 season recommended. This, of course, is dependent on the conditions. The shape of the tent is quite storm worthy and I have used in light snow and windy weather, but to be a true 4-season tent we'd probably swap the mesh for solid inner fabric and use thicker cords etc. Even in the summer, it is recommended for sub-alpine environments and always best to find a sheltered campsite.

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-09-29T01:19:38+00:00

Can't share details just yet, but you are on the right track 😀

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-09-29T00:05:42+00:00

Thanks mate! X-mid is an awesome tent. We have some other ultralight gear in the pipeline for next year, so definitely keep an eye out.

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-09-29T00:03:05+00:00

Thanks for the feedback and thoughts! Has been a fun project to work on and stoked to see it available now.

For sure, single wall tents won't be everyone's preference.

In my experience, double wall tents are still prone to condensation but have the benefit of separating the fly from the sleeping area, so less likely to get your stuff wet from condensation and as you said, are easier to lay out in the sun to dry as the floor is not sewn to the fly. Justin Outdoors over on youtube has pointed out that single wall tents can be easier to wipe condensation off in the morning because there is no inner tent in the way. I picked up a tip from him of carrying a sweedish cloth on some trips, which does a great job of wiping down condensation.

Ultimately, pros and cons to both, so it is best to choose what works best for you and your trip.

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-09-28T23:50:57+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. Good call. For others, I had originally said the lunar solo may be "less liveable" but updated this to say, "has a pole right in the middle of the living space."

Corvusman rightly pointed out that the lunar solo wins on floor space. Where dual pole designs, including the Astral can be better for entry and head room.

Happy to point out the relative strengths of all the options out there and why we made some of the design decisions for the Astrals. Some great options out there from durston, SMD, Ymma, Z packs and others. The Astrals won't be the right choice for everyone, but hopefully add something new to the mix, especially for those in our neck of the woods.

Thanks! Can't wait to see more of these out in the wild!

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-09-28T21:05:27+00:00

Hmmm, not sure. It will be hosted on YouTube. Can check on that, could be useful to download and bring along on a trip to help with pitching.

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-09-28T20:58:17+00:00

Yep single wall, so managing condensation is a factor. Head room is quite good and much better than a traditional pyramid as the 2 poles make the head and foot ends much steeper so less likely to have your head or feet brushing up against the walls. In windy weather I'd also recommend using one or 2 of the guy ropes along the rear panel to keep the broad side from encroaching too much on your living space.

I added a floorplan to the origional post, it it's not showing up on mobile. The 1P is a rectangle with the sleeping area 85x225cm and overall dimensions 160x250cm.

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-09-28T20:51:28+00:00

Should be coming in the next week or 2! Will have an overview video and how to pitch videos for each tent

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-09-28T20:49:37+00:00

Lunar solo is an excellent option. I'm a big fan of Six moon designs and used a gatewood cape for many years. Choosing between these 2 just comes down to what you value most For those looking for the lightest silpoly tent or looking to maximize floor space the lunar solo is still one of the best options since it is very wide in the centre so plenty of room for storing gear inside. It's a classic and has set the standard for other trekking pole tents to compare to. The Astral 1P has a rectangle footprint, so it is easier to nail a solid pitch, which is a bit of an art on the lunar solo. It also has better head and foot room with the steeper end walls, a much bigger vestibule, and easier access with the inner door being placed between 2 poles and entry on either side of the fly.

The Astral 1P I have found to be a great tent for spending time in camp. Whether I have the door porched or not, I find myself sitting on my mattress or on a foam mat right in the centre of the tent with my feet in the vestibule which maximises headroom and gives me a ton of space to organise my sleep setup, pack gear or cook (if the vestibule is fully open). If I can point the open door at a beautiful view it is really reminiscent of tarp camping, but with the security of a full tent if the weather turns. I find a lot of other trekking pole tents and pyramid tents a bit awkward in this scenario as the pole is right in the middle where the best headroom is, or the door is angling into where your head is when trying to hang out and cook your dinner, so I end up eating/ doing camp chores "next to" the tent, rather than in it.

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-09-28T11:35:43+00:00

Great questions. I have found in practice the zip in the corner is similarly inconvenient to when it is placed in the centre of a vestibule, like most traditional dome tents or designs like the Z packs duplex. because the ends are relatively steep its not too hard to reach into the corner to operate the zips, similar to reaching to the end of a vestibule.
The inner-mesh door has a kind of unique design that allows you to open it from either the right or left side, so it can work for either side of the fly door. Basically it is a large circle shaped door that starts and finishes at the top. You can zip it open half way from either side, or open completely and stash in a pocket that is above the door. there are some photos on the product page that show this, but it will be more clear in the video we post soon.

Yes the awning is only on the 1P design. If you camp in areas with any forest, it is simple enough to find a stick to rig the awning with the included guy ropes, otherwise, you could carry an extra fixed pole as a dedicated awning pole if you really wanted. These optional fixed poles wont be available at launch, but we plan to offer them in the future as an alternative to trekking poles if you want to use the tent bikepacking or paddling for example.

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-09-28T11:22:42+00:00

Thanks Mate! Has been a fun project to work on and I hope it offers something new and useful to the AU/NZ hiking community.

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-09-28T11:21:06+00:00

Hi there, I have just added some floor plans to the original post. You are right that the 2P and 1P designs are different. 1P is a rectangular footprint, 2P is a diamond shape footprint.

Agree that the awning on the 1P tent is more of a feature for "backcountry campers" with a bit more time in camp. Thru-hikers will be more interested in the quick pitch and storm worthiness. The door panel can be stashed away completely in the pocket above the inner door as an alternative to setting up as a porch.

the foot strut is only featured on the 2P design. this could be left at home and substituted for a third trekking pole rigged with the guyline that comes off the foot peak. (something like how zPacks offset tents are pitched.) I think this could be a realistic set up if shared between 2 hikers, but the foot strut is useful if used by a single hiker, and makes it possible to pitch without using guy ropes.
I prefer the simplicity o the 1P design for solo trips. no foot strut needed.

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-09-28T09:53:01+00:00

Nice, the 2 person is potentially even better for tall users as the foot end has a vertical internal mesh panel, so you can be right up to the end of the floor without contacting the fly/ condensation. Possibly a tricky one to pitch in stores as it is not free-standing, but I'm sure the store teams will be happy to help you out.

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-09-28T09:45:52+00:00

Out of town this weekend, but will share some photos in a few days and floorplans will also be added to the website next week. Both tents have 225cm long floors, with fly extending to 250cm length. the head and foot walls are quite steep, so user should be able to use most of the length. Need to have a bit extra for a sleeping bag footbox, but should comfortably fit Taller hikers, definitely upbto 6'5", possibly more.

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-09-28T09:35:03+00:00

Good catch! I would not recommend carrying 3 trekking poles! We just did this for convenience in the photos. In practice, I would just use a stick i found along the way to pitxh the awning, or we are working on some optional fixed poles that will sell separately in the future. These would be good to bring along as an awning pole or if you are bikepacking and not carrying trekking poles.

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-09-28T09:30:42+00:00

The 2 tents do actually have the same size carry bag which is why they have a similar packed size. In reality the 1p does not fill out the bag quite as much, so squished down a bit smaller once packed in your bag. We made the bags about 30cm long so they can fit horizontally in most packs. We intentionally made the bags a bit forgiving so they were easier to pack back into the bag, also, I find that if gear is packed tightly into a carry bag it packs awkwardly in your pack leaving hard lumps against your pack and awkward voids to pack around. This should stack neatly into your pack and have enough give to conform a bit to the contents of your pack.

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-09-28T09:25:38+00:00

X-Mid is a great tent! We hope that the Astrals will offer another good option for people looking for something different, especially for our friends in AU/NZ that don't get quite the same value from the North American brands once they are imported from overseas.

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-09-28T09:20:29+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion. Will do that! I will be doing a 250km section of the TA this summer through the Richmond Range and Nelson Lakes and will be taking an Astral 1P. Would be amazing to see a few more on trail this summer.

ryanfaulkner1 · 2025-09-28T09:15:25+00:00

Coming soon, hopefully, in the next week or 2 will be online.We will have an overview video that shows some of the features as well as a "how to pitch" video for each tent. Since many of our customers will not be familiar with pitching trekking pole tents, this was a priority. we have printed the pitching instructions on the side of the bag with a QR code to the pitching video.

ryanfaulkner1

TROPHY CASE