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tempestwind
Apr 3, 2004, 8:07 PM
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As far as 4 season tents go. Which from your experience, not what you heard but what has kept you dry and held taut through the fierce Tempest :wink:
Is there a big compromise between weight and absolute strength. Also in the event you are caught in the storm what type of tent would be the easier to set up? I have a new never used Walrus Rapeede xv. It seems bomber when set up and guylined down but I have second thoughts of its ease of set up. Also the fly does not completly reach the ground on the sides to encase the tent itself. I would imagine that wind could blow snow up underneath the fly and saturate the tent itself.
I have a 3/4 season Marmot Mach2 ,You know the double hoop design one. It seems decent but it is not self standing.
So I am looking at the Marmot Up High tent> Bibler I tent>MH Trango 2.
Any and all input would be deeply appreciated.
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harrisha
Apr 3, 2004, 8:43 PM
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I don't own a four season tent but I do own a Sierra Designs Clipflashlight CD and its bomber. I'd go buy any of their tents after my Clipflashlight help with out any trouble in wind that unstaked a tent with two younger scouts in it and started blowing it away. I'm not joking hear. I doubt you've ever heard of or been to Mt. Rogers in Virginia but that area gets some of the worst if not the worst weather in the Southeast.
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mnutz
Apr 3, 2004, 9:13 PM
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www.hilleberg.com
I've had my Hilleberg (Akto) for 3 years and it is the most bomber tent I've ever used. Quick and easy set up (pitches like a single-wall), super tough, and very lightweight.
Check 'em out!
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skypilot
Apr 3, 2004, 10:07 PM
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Bibler Ahawahnee is probably the better bet as opposed to the Bibler I tent. I have a Bibler Torre (now the Fitzroy) for 3 people and the Ahawahnee Tent. Totally warm, easy to set up, strong, simple, light weigh(single wall design). You get what you pay for.
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alwaysforward
Apr 4, 2004, 1:33 AM
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Trango 2
weight 9 lb 2 oz / 4.1 kg
price $425.00
I-Tent
weight 4lb 9 oz
price $539
Up High
weight 6lb 7oz
price $299
It's all about priorities... couple pounds and easy set up for a few hundred bucks.
But the question is what are you doing with it? Bivy sacks are half the price and half the weight.
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tempestwind
Apr 4, 2004, 10:58 PM
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Duh :oops: I think I am going to go with the Marmot Up High, I feel it is a good compromise between the other two.
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capn_morgan
Apr 4, 2004, 11:43 PM
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I couldnt find any specs on the Marmot Up High tent, but from the pictures I found it appears to be much smaller than the trango 2. It also does not appear to have a vestibule. I do not believe that the Bibler tent comes with a vestibule either. The Trango 2 weighs in at just over 8 pounds without the stakes...which I have never used. The Trango 2 is just about as bomber as tents get. It does have a large footprint. If you are planning on doing alot of solo stuff or biving on small ledges I would recommend one of the smaller tents. But if you are looking for a 2-3 person shelter for really nasty weather the trango 2 is great. With 40 sqft plus 2 vestibules its a monter. I have slept 3 in mine numerous times.
So, it really depends on what you are going to be using it for. I really like my Trango, but for fast and light trips it stays at home...usally bring a bivy sack. Good luck finding one you like. Just dont base it just on weight or price, cause it doesnt matter how light it is if it doesnt do what you want...and the same goes for price.
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j_magnuson
Apr 5, 2004, 2:24 AM
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Tempestwind,
As far as the Walrus Rapeede XV goes (I owned one for several years), the length of the fly is not a problem. I only had to clear snow off the inner body once, and it was fine, not wet in the least (something to do with the -40 temps I imagine). The set-up time is a bit slower than some, though a bit faster than the four-poled Trango 2 someone suggested.
The Trango 2 is a bomber tent, but it is too heavy and a pain to be carried solo at around 10 lbs. With two people it is a bit better.
As for the Marmot Up High, it is a bit smaller than the Trango, but bigger than an I-tent. The Up High is 35 sq. ft to 40 (Trango 2) and nearly half the weight. I'm selling one new for $200, PM me if you are interested or email me at joshuamagnuson "at" hotmail.com
Josh
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hippie_dreams
Apr 5, 2004, 3:14 AM
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I've got an MSR Fusion 3 tent and I love it.
It's a convertible 3/4 season tent -- part of the roof unzips which is way cool. It's pretty cheap (in retrospect) and very burly.
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tempestwind
Apr 5, 2004, 6:02 AM
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I have be doing alot of soloing in the Sierras. I was working on pioneering a route on Mt. Tom then low and behold to discover that when it came time to set up camp, I was on a about a 30 dgree talus slope. I tried to dig out a platform to set up my walrus rapeede xv on..It was getting late , I was getting very tired and hungry. Needless to say it was an open bivy. She was merciful to me and she cradled me gently in her arms that night. Nothing but the gentleness of a light breeze skimmed my cheek and the the sky was illuminated by the biggest and brightest stars.
My tent was nothing but a pillow. when I came back home, I was eyeballing the bibler I, seeing how it can fit on a sofa size ledge. The same with the MArmot Up High. Just I feel a bit more confortable with double walls. They give a little more margin for error.
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roc-dude
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Apr 5, 2004, 6:52 PM
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I have the Bibler Tempest. For the Size, weight and strength it is the best tent on the market. It is one of Bibler's least expensive tents built on simlar design as the fitzroy the strongest tent made by Bibler. It's pack weight is a little over 7 pounds. It is a super strong tent.
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petsfed
Apr 5, 2004, 7:00 PM
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I have the walrus. Good two person tent. Takes some practice to get it to go up fast, and yes, in a stiff breeze, stuff will go up and under the fly. Build wind breaks for it and you're good to go.
My choice, hands down, is the MSR fury. Used to be a Moss tent (with lighter fabric and better features) but the new incarnation is an excellent tent nonetheless. Pricey but light, and a little cozy if you and your partner are linebackers, but the most bombproof tent I've ever slept in. Moss may as well stand for "made of solid steel" for how strong this thing is.
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pupjr
Apr 5, 2004, 7:55 PM
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I'm curious about at the Marmot Thor? That one seems bomber, a little lighter that MH trango 2, and a little smaller, but steeper walls. That's one i'm looking at right now.
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evanmfreeman
Apr 7, 2004, 10:12 PM
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i'll second the vote for Hilleberg. i've had a Nallo for several years, and it has been bomber. 5.5 lbs, big, with a vestibule large enough to cook in, easy to set up, and durable (silicone coated nylon is lighter and more resistant to UV). the fly goes to the ground, and the inner can be removed, saving weight and making a wonderful snow camping shelter. i've slept in it at 5100metres in Nepal and at the seashore, and it's been great every time.
the new Nallo is even lighter! the difference between free-standing and hoop tents is only in the store--many free-standing ones need more stakes to guy them out anyway, and tend to break rather than bending in extreme wind. there's a reason that European mountaineers have been using hoop tents for years....
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cryder
Apr 8, 2004, 9:17 PM
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I regularly use a Walrus Terramoto 2.0 in super harsh conditions with great results.
My tent wieghs in at 5lbs - not bad for a double wall four season tent. I've used it in winds over 90mph on an exposed rocky ridge (guy lines are backed up by frame attachments) at altitude (12k feet). Small footprint. Dries fast. Great for cooking. Has titanium/carbon parts (added by me to shave wieght). Best part - I paid $100 for it brand new. Gotta love old-stock pricing. MSR bought the Walrus brand and made a few clever improvements. Its not quite as high-end as some of the other tents, but its not high maintenance either. A good compromise between light wieght, and storm worthyness.
If the MSR tents are anything like the Walrus, or any of their other products, go for it. The last place you want to think about your value is when build quality matters more.
- n -
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cragmaster
Apr 8, 2004, 9:36 PM
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My four season tent-1979 volvo wagon. Has a built in heater too, only problem is package weight-about 4000 lbs. :lol:
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urbansherpa
Apr 10, 2004, 12:17 PM
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I have a Eureka K2-XT. It wouldn't have been my first choice, but it was a freebie (I used to write for a magazine).
I have used it in downpours, and high winds in the Mount Washington area.
It was very stable, and dry.
It weighs about 11 lbs but has room for 2-3 (three in fair weather, two with bulky winter gear on) at 50sq'.
If your decision is price dependent then this may be an option for you. It is a good tent, though. I think the Eric Simonson IMG group used it around Everest BC.
Karl
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cliffhanger9
Moderator
Apr 10, 2004, 12:36 PM
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Check out the Gear Guide:
...for those of you who would like to put your reviews in, feel free to add them if you dont see your product
rock on!! :mrgreen:
-Dan
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jtcronk
Apr 17, 2004, 3:55 AM
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:twisted: I TENT all the way!! :twisted:
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brutusofwyde
Apr 18, 2004, 1:06 AM
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I've used my I tent with vestibule in some pretty harsh winter conditions ranging from the Sierra to Canada, have spent up to 5 days in it sitting out storms. My partner and I are both under 5'7", which was a factor in our tent selection. Way satisfied with the I tent, which is the first single-wall tent I've owned.
For the weight conscious, be aware that if you purchase your tent in California, it will weigh more than tents purchased in some other states: California law requires a fire retardent treatment which adds weight to the fabric. (So I got mine out of state, and keep the stove away from the fabric.)
Brutus
PS -- The I tent floor is not real rugged, so it is advisable to take off your crampons before entering the tent.
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rongoodman
Apr 18, 2004, 1:15 AM
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I haven't really thought about a different tent since I got my Bibler Eldorado. I have a North Face Mountain 24 that I might haul out for a winter traverse of the Presidentials(if I'm ever dumb enough to try that again...) but the Eldorado has been great.
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cryder
Apr 20, 2004, 4:40 PM
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The folks at BD have liscened the Bibler Eldorodo design and produced something that is now firmly on my wish list.... behold, the Lighthouse (notice the price $369 tag :D http://www.bdel.com/...nism/lighthouse.php#).
http://www.bdel.com/.../rock/lighthouse.jpg
Because I modify everything I own (my step dad's machine/fabrication shop and skills aid this habit enormously) I would want to beef up the guy line attachements, and throw some carbon at it internally to create a mountain hardware esque "Jakes Corner" for the really nargly winter nights.
Cheers,
- n -
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calamity_chk
Apr 20, 2004, 4:50 PM
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i tend to camp in the back seat of my corolla. it's a little expensive but has multiple uses making the investment worthwhile. also eliminates the need for a pad, and generally no bag. go toyota.
though, if you're backpacking, it'd likely be alittle heavy.
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tempestwind
Apr 20, 2004, 7:45 PM
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In reply to: i tend to camp in the back seat of my corolla. it's a little expensive but has multiple uses making the investment worthwhile. also eliminates the need for a pad, and generally no bag. go toyota. though, if you're backpacking, it'd likely be alittle heavy.
:wink: Got any extra room in that back seat :mrgreen:
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chanceboarder
Apr 20, 2004, 8:19 PM
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i've got the Sierra Design Omega tent which is a convertible 3-4 season tent. i think it goes for $289 now. its a 2 person tent, weighs a little over 6 pounds. i love this tent. i've had it up in really strong winds and bomber, doesn’t move a bit. its nice cuz i can use it year around. the ceiling panel opens up to let the heat out in the summer and you can close it up and put the rain fly on in the winter to keep the heat in. i love my tent. i would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good solid all year use tent.
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