This is my review of the Protrail. First go at setting it up and also my first go at seam sealing a tent.
The Protrail is a one person tarp style shelter with a sewn in floor, perimiter mesh and end walls.
https://www.tarptent.com/protrail.html
The tent comes with a stuff sack, four 150mm tube stakes in a little bag and printed instruction sheet. Attached to the Protrail are the minimal guylines and five Lineloks.
I also ordered both of the optional front and rear substitute poles, plus one extra 8"/200mm Easton stake. I chose the cheaper of two delivery options for a grand total of approximately US$300 which at 75c to the dollar works out at AUD$400 delivered within 14 days.
First attempt at pitching was easy. The Lineloks on the short end were not holding so I fiddled around with how the cord was threaded into and out.
Today the breeze was gusting and I noticed the long sides bowing inwards (note that I have not practiced and this is the flattest piece of lawn around). So as I was planning to do anyway, I added a 500mm length of thin bungee cord to a side tieout tag. Looped it through twice then tied a knot which gives two length options. This then lowers the ridge line a bit. There are four points on each long side to tie out from of which I think you would need to use at least one.
The Protrail is pleasantly light and slippery. Some of the single line stitching has a slight wiggle but I cant see anywhere that has been missed. The bathtub floor has short sides but lays flat (not bathtub) on the long sides so I will be interested to see how that performs with some pitching practice and actual camp conditions.
On to the seam sealing! Although the fabric is siliconised nylon, it requires additional sealing after being sewn together. The instructions have a diagram of which seams to do. This is my first attempt so instead of mixing my own I chose an off the shelf product as shown. The included brush was floppy so I picked up this stiff round one from Spotlight.
I applied a thin bead to the stitching directly from the tube then carefully traced down and back with the brush twice. It was easy. I ended up with a tidy 10mm wide seal.
The double stitched ridge seam wasn't sitting flat near the highest point so it may be better to seal the ridge working flat on a table.
Now I cant wait to sleep in the Protrail. Im 6'2" and the internal length seems ample. First chance will be at a friends property and I will update this review when I've done several nights out bushwalking.
Cheers