Gear Locker: Two Person Tent Review

June-July 2005

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

by Alex Matthews

There is an incredible selection of tents on the market these days. Everything from ultralight minimalist designs, to heavier and roomier 4 season models. Bear in mind that when kayaking, weight isn’t much of an issue, as the boat will carry the load. But if you plan to hike with the tent as well, you may want to start counting ounces. Ultimately, finding the right tent for you comes down to matching your needs to features, size, weight, cost and intended use.

BIG AGNES SEEDHOUSE SL2

Rochelle and Alex try out several two person tents on the beach.

The Seedhouse SL 2 is a breezy little tent that does a great job of balancing very low weight, compactness, and comfort. There is no fat anywhere in this design, just the essentials needed to create a comfortable, if decidedly snug, shelter for two people. The pole system consists of DAC Featherlite 8.84mm poles connected by shock cord to two DAC aluminum hubs. Plastic clips attach the tent body to the pole frame for quick and easy set-up. The basic shape of the tent is that of an A frame, so there isn’t an overabundance of volume or usable headroom inside. The Fly is constructed of 30D nylon ripstop with a polyurethane and silicone coating, as is the floor. Due to the very lightweight material of the floor fabric, a Big Agnes footprint is a recommended option. The entire tent body is 1.6 oz mesh, providing excellent cross ventilation. A single front door, with well- placed pockets either side of it (perfect for eyewear), and a decent sized vestibule, round out the package. This tent will appeal greatly to folks who paddle but are also committed to the ‘fast and light’ school of hiking.

• Floor Area: 28 sq.ft / 2.6 sq.m.

• Vestibule Area: 5.5 sq.ft / 0.51 sq.m.

• Interior Peak Height : 38”

• Packed Weight: 3lb 11oz

• Packed size: 6.5” x 16”

• Price: $299 US, $364 Cdn at MEC

Big Agnes, 735 Oak Street, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487. Toll Free: 877-554- 8975, Ph: 970-871-1480,
info@bigagnes.com, www.bigagnes.com.

BLACK DIAMOND FIRSTLIGHT

I actually requested a different model, the Black Diamond Bibler, but when the Firstlight appeared instead, I was intrigued. At an amazingly compact and lightweight 3 lbs, this is a truly featherweight shelter. Its single-wall construction results in no outer fly, only the tent body itself. For setup, two poles are flexed into the tent, making pitching fast and easy. It’s very tight for two six-footers, and amenities consist of two ceiling vents, two interior pockets and one front door, backed by netting. There is no sheltered space outside the tent, unless you purchase the optional vestibule (an additional $129 US).

The floor is lightweight SilNylon, while the canopy is made of EPIC. EPIC is billed as highly water-resistant and breathable, but not totally waterproof. In tests (light rain), the Firstlight stayed dry, although it was hard not to introduce moisture whenever the door was open.

The Firstlight will appeal to the ultra-lightweight, minimalist hiker, climber or adventure racer who gladly trades some comfort for the lightest, most compact tent available. For kayakers in wet climates, it represents a great emergency shelter (weighing less than two liters of water), but may not be the best choice for extended touring.

• Floor Area: (27.3 sq.ft) 82x48x42i”./(2.5 sq.m.) 208x123x107 cm Vestibule Area: optional—additional $129 US

• Interior Peak Height: 42”

• Packed Weight: 3 lbs / 1.49 kg

• Packed size: tent bag –10”x5.5”, poles–16”x2.5”

• Price: $299 US

Black Diamond, 2084 East 3900 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84124, Ph: 801-278-5552, bdmo@bdel.com, www.bdel.com

EXPED SIRIUS EXTREME

The Sirius is a roomy tent that easily accommodates two, or even three people in a pinch. Pitching the tent requires only two poles, which slide into continuous sleeves on the outside of the fly, forming two hoops that support the tent. Because the tent body is attached to the fly, once the poles are in the sleeves, and the fly staked out, setup is complete. When pitching the tent in rain, the tent body stays dry, as it is protected under the fly throughout setup. Not a freestanding design, but a ‘tunnel tent’, the Sirius must be staked out to stand. This popular European approach is not the liability that many North Americans perceive it to be. Tunnels pitch and knock down fast. They are stable in wind, and afford lots of interior space. And, really, any freestanding tent needs to be staked out to perform properly. A tunnel just makes that need more obvious.

The Sirius is a nicely constructed tent with palatial dimensions and fine storm performance. With just the one (albeit very large) front door, and one rear ceiling vent, ventilation is about the only weak point, so it’s important to manage condensation within the tent.

• Floor Area: 35 sq.ft./3.25 sq.m.

• Vestibule Area: 16 sq. ft./1.5 sq.m.

• Interior Peak Height: 49” / 100 cm

• Packed weight: 7.0 lb./3.2 kg Packed Size: 16x6’’ / 42x15 cm

• Price: $359 US

Outdoor Research, 2203 1st Avenue South Seattle, WA 98134- 1424. Toll free: 888-4-ORGEAR, www.outdoorresearch.com or www.outdoorresearch.com/home/page/exped_or

MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT CO-OP (MEC) LIGHT FIELD

The Light Field is a four-season mountain tent for two people. But while it sports the full-coverage fly and beefy four-pole construction of a winter tent, it also incorporates enough ventilation options, like the zip-out ceiling panel, to make it work well in warmer climes. Pitching is a little awkward. The same plastic clips used on the Big Agnes tent are present here, but this time there are 28 of them! And the two arch poles must be maneuvered to the inside of the corner poles for setup. I also wish that the doors of the canopy used one continuous zipper instead of the two that must be zipped to open or close a door. If it sounds like I’m nitpicking, I definitely am. This is a very sturdy tent with beefy waterproof coatings (10,000 mm for the floor, 2,000 for the fly) and excellent storm performance. The sensible layout provides good interior space and great wind stability. Double doors and vestibules, both equipped with vents, allow good air circulation. At $349 Cdn, the Light Field is a real bargain.

• Floor Area: 3.14 sq.m.

• Interior Peak Height: 95cm

• Packed weight: 3.73kg.

• Packed Size: 60 x 22cm

• Price: $349 Cdn

Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC). 9 stores Canada-wide. 1-888-847-0770 (Canada & USA), 604-709-6241 (Vancouver & International), www.mec.ca.

MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR HAMMERHEAD 2

The Hammerhead 2 is a feature-laden tent with lots of ventilation options, and enough room to make a very comfortable shelter for two people. Pitching this three-pole design is a breeze, as the excellent pole clips snap into place easily. There’s plenty of headroom inside. A huge ‘roll-back’ ceiling/wall panel, backed with no-see-um netting, combines with door vents and a back window for plenty of cross-flow and great versatility in setup. In really nasty or cold weather, panels can be zipped closed as desired. This is a great couple’s tent because the full coverage fly provides a good- sized vestibule over each of the dual side doors. The result is a layout where each person has complete control over their side of the tent and how they choose to organize it. Although it’s a relatively large footprint, requiring a bigger site, the dual doors also allow either person to come and go without climbing over their partner. The only thing I didn’t like was the rather drab color of the fly, although once inside, the color is actually very restful. Detailing and materials are excellent, and the Hammerhead provides fine performance in sopping wet conditions or hot sunshine.

• Floor area: 36 sq.ft.

• Vestibule area: 8 sq.ft. + 8 sq.ft (2 vestibules)

• Interior Peak Height: 45”

• Packed weight: 7 lbs 8 oz

• Packed size: 20”x7”

• Price: $245 US, $395 Cdn

Mountain Hardwear, 4911 Central Ave. Richmond, CA 94804, Ph: 800-953-8375, info@mountainhardwear.com,
www. mountainhardwear.com.

MOUNTAIN SAFETY RESEARCH (MSR) FUSION 2

The Fusion 2 is a very sturdy tent that should withstand any weather that you are likely to encounter. To pitch the tent, three color-coded poles are threaded through continuous pole sleeves. After the Mountain Hardware clip system, pole sleeves seem like a bit of a nuisance, but they do yield a very taut pitch and a commendably strong structure. A very large front door and two large zip-open panels in the roof and back wall combine to offer excellent ventilation in the Fusion. Two adjustable wire peak vents in the roof of the fly keep warm, moist air circulating. All materials feel beefy and durable. The floor is coated nylon, rated to a whopping waterproofness to 10,000 mm. MSR is the only manufacturer in this test to assert that the consumer need not do any seam sealing at all after purchase. The fusion is dry.

This is a bombproof two person tent, with a relatively compact footprint, so it can be pitched in tight spots. It offers excellent storm performance, decent space and good ventilation for a full coverage fly design. It’s great insurance against the storms that batter our exposed coasts.

• Floor Area: 31 sq.ft. / 2.8 sq.m.

• Vestibule Area: 8.5 sq.ft. / 0.7 sq.m.

• Interior Peak Height: 42 in. / 110 cm

• Minimum Weight: 6 lbs 13 oz / 3.1 kg

• Packed Weight: 7 lbs 13 oz / 3.5 kg

• Packed size: 17”x7”

• Price: $299.95 US, $430 Cdn at MEC.

Mountain Safety Research (MSR), 4000 1st Ave S. Seattle, WA 98134, Ph: 206-505-9500, Toll-Free: 800-531-9531, info@msrgear.com, www.mountainsafetyresearch.com.

Thank you to Rain Coast Adventure Sports for product information and practical feedback. Rain Coast is Victoria’s newest outdoor store, and boasts the biggest tent selection in town.

© Alex Matthews is our Gear Editor and co-author of the instructional DVD: “The Ultimate Guide to Sea Kayaking”. matthewsalex@hotmail.com.