Henry Shires is a backcountry engineer. The founder of Tarptent is a lifelong backpacker trained in physics. The combination of a keen scientific mind and decades of outdoors experience led Shires to found Tarptent with his wife Cynthia in 2002.
![Tarptent Double Rainbow](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2015/04/Double-Rainbow-700x461.jpg)
Since the brand’s inception, the shelters have become a go-to for minimalists world-wide.
Tarptent shelters take on many forms with a roster of 14 different models, but across the board, they are American-made, ultralight, affordable and intuitively designed. We sent Henry a batch of questions to get more insight on what sets Tarptent apart.
There’s a murky spectrum of USA-made, USA-built, USA-assembled. What does Tarptent’s production process and material sourcing look like?
All Tarptents are manufactured at a sewing facility in Seattle. There’s a staff of 20 who sew the tent bodies before shipping to our HQ in Nevada City, where a staff of seven, myself included, inspect each tent prior to shipment.
We source almost exclusively US fabrics and materials. All our shelters use 30D siliconized ripstop nylons for the coated and uncoated “solid” fabrics. We also use some lighter grade mesh materials and heavier vinyls for reinforcement. All poles are Easton aluminum and carbon fiber. Some of the small stuff like cord toggles, small buckles and YKK zippers aren’t domestic.
![Tarptent office in Nevada City, CA.](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2015/04/tt_office-700x394.jpg)
How do you address Tarptent durability?
![Tarptent Notch](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2015/04/TT_Notch-700x466.jpg)
In your mind, what makes Tarptent different than competitors?
![Tarptent StratoSpire 2](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2015/04/TT_StratoSpire2-700x442.jpg)
You only sell directly to customers. Why?
![Tarptent Scarp 2](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2015/04/TT_Scarp2-700x494.jpg)
How does your physics background impact Tarptent shelter design?
![Tarptents in winter](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2015/04/TT_DRplusScarp1-700x493.jpg)
![Tarptent ProTrail](https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.gearjunkie.com/uploads/2015/04/Tarptent-ProTrail-700x394.jpg)