---
title: "Review: Liteway Illusion Solo Tent in Bolivia"
description: "It's a fantastically light single-wall three-season tent that only needs one pole to conjure up a large, roomy pyramid. The mosquito net with floor is integrated into the fly, which gives full protection against insects"
canonical_url: "https://gramino.com/blog/review-liteway-illusion-solo-tent"
last_updated: "2023-05-28"
---

# Review: Liteway Illusion Solo Tent in Bolivia

Authors: Pavlína Adam

Date: 2023-05-28

It's a fantastically light single-wall three-season tent that only needs one pole to conjure up a large, roomy pyramid. The mosquito net with floor is integrated into the fly, which gives full protection against insects

Bolivia is a country full of contrasts. On one side, it's cloaked in jungle; on the other, a high plateau surrounded by six-thousand-meter giants of the tropical Andes. We headed to Bolivia to cross the Cordillera Real, the so-called Cordillera Real Traverse. And to make it even more interesting, we took the haute route – the highest possible path across the five-thousand-meter passes. Its proximity to the Amazon rainforest means the range is fairly densely forested, thanks to the high air humidity. And that humidity turns out to be the biggest nightmare of all. How does our gear hold up when, every evening at sunset, a damp layer of condensation relentlessly covers everything?

The route we chose measures around 130 km and promises fifteen passes above 4,900 m, eight of which top 5,000 m. Since we allowed ourselves 8 days to cross it – meaning a serious amount of food weight – we needed to cut weight elsewhere. And as the golden rule of ultralight goes, you start with the big four, tent included. I'd wanted to try a single-wall solo tent for a while, so I settled on the [Liteway Illusion Solo Tent](/p/liteway-illusion-solo-tent).

[Liteway Illusion Solo Tent](/p/liteway-illusion-solo-tent.md)

It's a fantastically light (590 g) single-wall, three-season tent that only needs one pole to conjure up a large, roomy pyramid. The mosquito net with a sewn-in floor is integrated into the fly, giving full protection against insects, rain and runoff water, while still keeping minimal weight and packed size.

## **What We Loved**

- A real estate agent would call this tent's living space generous and enthusiastically designed – and they'd be right. **The tent is genuinely very spacious**, not just the inner part, where two people could sleep in a pinch, but also the **large vestibule**, big enough for your fully packed backpack with plenty of room left to cook a two-course meal. So it's not a cramped studio – more like a proper one-bedroom. And yet the footprint isn't large at all, so the tent fits nicely even on smaller campsites.
- From my experience with tarps, I know that pitching a shelter exactly the way you want isn't always easy. With this tent, **pitching it was surprisingly easy**, which you'll really appreciate when you're dropping from exhaustion or the first raindrops start falling. The only thing I had to watch was getting the pole to just the right length (130–135 cm) so the tent sat high enough off the ground for proper ventilation.
- What I really enjoyed was the **pyramid shape of the tent**. Not only does it hold up brilliantly against wind – and we had plenty of it in Bolivia – but it also barely **flaps**. There's nothing worse than lying awake all night listening to a tent flap, turning a light breeze into what sounds like a full-blown storm in your head. We didn't run into rain, but I wouldn't be worried about it either – the tent is designed so rain sheds quickly off the sides.
- The reason I considered a tent instead of a tarp in the first place was the **built-in mosquito net**. Nothing ruins my sleep faster than a single buzzing mosquito. Here, not a single one gets in, even through the vents. And at the spot where the pole supports the tent, there's a small cinch collar, so not even spiders stand a chance. Yes!
- **The vestibule can also be fully opened up**, so you can enjoy beautiful views or a night full of stars. The black mosquito net blends into the darkness so well it feels like it isn't even there.
- Something I fell in love with instantly were the **two small interior pockets**. It might sound like a given, but the opposite is often true. These ones sit right where you need them, within easy reach.

- [Liteway Elementum Pack 50 L (2024)](/p/liteway-elementum-pack-50-l-2024.md)
- [Liteway Litebag With Dyneema®](/p/liteway-litebag-with-dyneema.md)
- [Liteway Biggie Pack X-Pac 45 L](/p/liteway-biggie-pack-x-pac-45-l.md)
- [Liteway Poncho Simplex](/p/liteway-poncho-simplex.md)
- [Liteway Biggie Tarp](/p/liteway-biggie-tarp.md)
- [Liteway Gramless Pack 35 L](/p/liteway-gramless-pack-x-pac-35-l.md)
- [Liteway Wash Bag](/p/liteway-wash-bag.md)
- [Liteway Choonie Apex](/p/liteway-choonie-apex.md)
- [Liteway Sleeping Pad Cover](/p/liteway-sleeping-pad-cover.md)
- [Liteway Simplex Mini Tarp](/p/liteway-simplex-mini-tarp.md)
- [Liteway UL Wallet DCF](/p/liteway-ul-wallet-dcf.md)

## **What Could Be Better**

- The biggest, and really the only, issue I ran into was **condensation from air moisture on the walls**. To be fair, I brought this tent into a kingdom of airborne moisture that would challenge any tent. Single-wall tents pay for their low weight with the absence of a second layer that would otherwise catch the condensing droplets. So you need to be careful that a restless night's sleep doesn't turn into an unplanned shower, and that your sleeping bag doesn't touch the walls unnecessarily. I dealt with it by leaving the vestibule slightly open to improve airflow.
- Talking ultralight, the tent itself weighs a fantastic 590 g. But you also need to **add 6 basic stakes plus 4 more**, which help pitch out the side walls. It uses only one trekking pole, which I really appreciate. If one accidentally breaks – which has happened to me more than once on long-distance trails, entirely my own fault – you still have the other one. For hikers **without poles, though, you'll need to factor in the weight of a dedicated pole** to replace it.
- The tent is designed as a three-season shelter, so in colder months it makes sense that **all that generous space becomes harder to heat**. Nothing a warm sleeping bag or a bar of chocolate can't fix.
- The silpoly fabric used is pleasant and feels almost like a second skin. Sometimes it's so lively it **literally slips right out of your hands** while packing. Sleeping pads also tend to slide on it, so it's best to find a flat pitch – which is probably what we always aim for anyway. When I was seam-sealing the tent, I added a bit of extra [seam sealant](/p/gear-aid-seam-grip-sil-28-g) to the underside of my inflatable sleeping pad too, and now it grips like glued even on slippery surfaces or slight slopes.
- It's probably standard for tents made from silnylon or silpoly, but it still feels like a missed opportunity that **the tent ships with unsealed seams**. So plan for a cozy evening at home, or an afternoon hangout in the park, seam-sealing it yourself.

### **Final Thoughts**

I love sleeping under the open sky, so whenever I can, I choose the million-star hotel over any shelter. But when I do need to hide in one, it's usually because of bad weather. So I expect a tent to protect me properly and let me sleep soundly. Sure, double-wall freestanding tents are one solution, but their extra weight slows you down. That's why single-wall tents appeal to me, and why I think they're the way to go.

Would I buy this tent myself? Probably not, but only because I spend most of the year camping in unfavorable weather, and I'd rather choose a shelter made from [DCF (Dyneema Composite Fabric)](/blog/dyneema-fiber-and-its-fabrics), which is slightly lighter and, more importantly, doesn't absorb water and dries faster. That said, you'd be looking at 2–3 times the price. But if you're not planning to spend months in a rainforest or monsoon season, this tent is a great option. I'd happily take it anywhere from your local hills to long American trails like the [Pacific Crest Trail](/blog/pacific-crest-trail-lucie-pechackova-anezka-srajbrova), which really put gear through its paces.

[Liteway Illusion Solo Tent](/p/liteway-illusion-solo-tent.md)

[Liteway Illusion Duo Tent (2024)](/p/liteway-illusion-duo-tent-2024.md)

Tested and reviewed by: [Pavlína Adam](https://www.instagram.com/pavlina_adam/)

This post is also available as [HTML](/blog/review-liteway-illusion-solo-tent).

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.