Help me buy a tent!!!

“So, this moron the morons of this nation elected is trying to butter me up by sending me a tax rebate..i'm getting $300.00 ...so, to show my thanks, I'm going to spend it on a new tent so I can enjoy the great outdoors before I have to dodge dubbyas' bulldozers...I'm in Minnesota so I need a 1 or 2 man, 3 season preferably under 4lbs....any ideas?...my old Sierra Designs' Orion is about to give up the ghost and I'm too lazy to do my own research so tell me what I should buy.”

“SD Clip Flashlight. If I needed such a tent, That's what I'd get.”

“Buy yourself a Wal-Mart special and send the rest on the three hundred dollars to the DNC.”

“you won't find anything outside of a one-man bivvy under 4 pds. sierra designs generally offers the lightests tents. you can save yourself a few bucks and shop at sierratradingpost.com. or campmoor.com for last season's models”

“I suggest Hilleberg tents, the Akto is about $380.00, is four season, 3-4 lb, they have a great rep. Very nice. Look at there website at: hilleberg.com That's what I'll be picking up.”

“Sierra Designs has a one man version of the clip flashlight which comes in at 3.5 lbs. ~ $150. It is currently in use by THE BEAR Jerbear that is..”

“As long as the weather is not too extreme, how about a tarp? I'm gonna try tarping it this fall because I'm sick of lugging around my 5 lb. 8 oz. Eureka.

In contrast, an 8 x 10 sil-nylon tarp weighs only 13 oz. With lightweight rope and stakes that's about 1 lb total.

Cost is another factor. An 8 x 10 sil-nylon is $65. With rope and stakes maybe $75.”

“The Sierra Designs Light Year is 2 lbs. 15 oz. and costs $149. (3 sq. feet)

The Clip Flashlight is 3 lbs. 10 oz. and costs $189. (6 sq. feet)

SD tents”

“Oops, that footage is off. I quoted vestible space. Floor space is 20 sq.ft. for Light Year and 32 for Clip Flashlight.”

“I have the Stephensons Warmlite 2R, 4 season tent, weighs 2 lb 13 oz. We got it for the JMT, since we'll be in it for 30 days. Lotsa room, and we won't be bumping shoulders.”

“I would go SD or Walrus.

My Walrus arch Rival is 4lbs and will fit two people, if you're really good friends. I hear they added a couple of inches, to the 'front end' headroom. If you're under six feet tall, you can sit up straight.

Large vestibule, for a tent, of it's size and excellent ventilation.”

“This tent is a steal!

Do an Ebay search for tents...better yet...for a more specific search, add Sierra Designs, Walrus, North Face or whoever else you may want a tent from (ie. Kelty tent). You'l be surprised how many decent tents there are...for cheap!”

“I have a SD Clip Flashlight.
Pros:
-bombproof construction
-light weight (4 lb. 5 oz.)
-green fly blends in
-decent headroom

Cons:
-not freestanding
requires 13 stakes for tent and fly... 8-tent, 5-fly
-tight squeeze for 2, but most 2 man tents are. I find it perfect for 1 person plus gear storage with plenty of room.

I found mine on sale for $139 instead of $189. No-I'm not searching for one on sale for you.”

“If you get a Stephenson's Warmlite, you have to camp in the nude.”

“Thanks for blowing my chance to get the Ninja Turtle tent cheap Buddur.”

“I just bought a Walrus MicroSwift. It was only $82 on REI! Does anyone have this tent? Any reviews?”

“yeah, it works great when you actually use it!”

“my eureka gossamer is 2.5 pounds.

i'll probably get another if it croaks.”

“Hi Usurper. There's a few of us here from Minnie-soda -- Cindy Lu, Oldie and now Tommy. I'm just across the border in Iowa. Welcome!

Anyhoo, I am intrigued by this one-person tent by EMS, the Shooting Star. Anyone know anything about its actual use? I like the fact there's 2 crossed poles and that it's free-standing. I've been looking for a lighter weight tent, but probably won't be purchasing this year. A new pack is tops on my list!

Here's the link:
EMS Shooting Star tent”

“whoops! I see it says i'ts "non-freestanding." Guess I thought it would be based on its rectangular design, but must not be wide enough. Oh well...............”

“This may not meet your weight requirement but it looks like a good deal.

http://www.outdooroutlet.com/cgi-bin/outdooroutle
t/outrage.html " target="_blank">Outdoor Outlet ”

“oh well, that didn't work. Go to Outdoor Outlet's website and look at their outrageous deals they have a Sierra Designs Orion on sale”

“"I like the fact there's 2 crossed poles and that it's free-standing." -lizs

Huh?

EMS web page: "Poles: 1 aluminum"

lizs already addressed the freestanding issue.”

“Yeah, I own a Walrus MicroSwift, Buddah. Good tent, packs small and light, and gives good storm protection. I team it with my sil tarp. That gives me a great, lightweight setup with a large gear vestibule and foul weather cooking area.”

“Thanks Buddha”

“Thanks to everyone who's posted so far. If anyone's still interested, I'm seriously considering a SD light year CD.or the Clip Flashlight...unless someone convinces me otherwise.”

“Arc, I'm 6'4", and a little worried about the fit. Thanks for the tarp idea, I might have to consider that!”

“If you're 6'-4" Buddah, I'd be concerned too. I'm 6'-1" and the MicroSwift fits me just right. That sil tarp is a great investment. It's super lightweight for the coverage it provides.”

“The specs said 8' long, so I took a chance. I could always send it back if it's too short.”

“Or you could sleep in the fetal position.”

“or with you head up your ass.

or your foot in your mouth.”

“Sounds like you two have experienace with those positions, care to elaborate?”

“whoops!!!!! Thanks ski! DUH!”

“lizs can just slip inside my sleepin' bag!”

“You'd be longer than 6'-4" long if she did, rad.”

“you got THAT right!!!”

“I got the tent today arclite. The fit is much better that I thought. I hope it holds up in nasty weather as advertised!”

“I'm with Laqtis. If you have the money Hilleberg is worth the investment. They make other tents look like toys.”

“Laqtis and RichB.....damn...i checked out the Hilleberg Akto..this looks like my new tent.and will only cost me about $40.00 total thanks to Dubbya!!1...although, all the reviews I've found so far seem to mention condensation as the biggest pain in the ass, since condensation is the one thing that really annoys me in a tent I'm kinda wavering....do either one of you have any actual trail experience with this tent?”

“The Akto is sweet, but they are all pretty pricey”

“Usurper, I don't have any experience with the Akto, but I do have a Hilleberg Nallo 2. I like the tent and it's everything I expected it would be and more. Yes, the price is higher than others, but that's only because they aren't sewn with cheap labor and the materials and workmanship is superior as well. I have 2 older TNF tents I bought years ago when they were still sewn in the U.S.A. My VE 24 cost $360 in 1981. In today's dollars thats probably a lot and the tent was expensive for that time. I think Hilleberg tents are worth it for the quality you get, but that's my opinion because I like quality gear. Sleeping in a tent with a Made in China tag just wouldn't make me happy. I looked at many different tents before I bought the Nallo and after using my own experience and judgement I felt it would meet my needs best.
Everyones needs are different and no tent does everything well. Just find out what is most important to you and buy a tent that suits your style best.
Realize that any tent will have condensation when conditions are right for it no matter what. Unless someone invents a tent that has air conditioning, the condensation free tent does not exist. I only had my Nallo a few months and have used it in summer conditions so far. Condensation wasn't any worse than any other tent I've used. I bought it to use in fall, winter and spring since I usually use a tarp in summer, but I couldn't wait to try it out. Hilleberg does allow you to return a tent in 10 days if you don't like it.”

“Rad, I looked up the Gossamer, but at 26" high, you can't even sit up in it. You aren't claustrophic, I guess. Even the Akto is only 35" tall inside, tall enough for me, but you guys might muss your hair (lol). I like the Hilleberg Unna. The crossed pole idea appeals to me more than the nylon coffin. The Nallo has a lot of great features that I haven't seen on other tents, though. Net window shopping is fun.”

“It looks like George W. Bush was right. The tax rebate is stimulating the economy.”

“I bought my Nallo for solo use since it only weighed a pound and a few ounces more than the Akto and still stuffs small. I like a tent with a lot of room since most of my trips are in the cold and the nights are long so I wind up spending a lot of time inside. The vestibule on the Nallo is excellent. It can be opened from the sides or front and the entire front can be left open even in the rain. I think it's more a colder weather tent than summer, but since I rarely use a tent in summer that's just what I wanted.”

“Usurper - I have the Akto. It's the best tent I've ever used. I've used it in all conditions, hot and humid to blizzard conditions. I just used it last night as a tarp (just the fly separate). It sets up similair to a Trango Wind Wedge with the inner removed. It sets up quickly and easily on rock or dirt.

I have never had any problems with condensation. I think the reviewer (I read the same one) exagerated that. Actually, I think it vents quite well. Just as good as my Garuda, which has a top vent and is twice as big.

I highly reccomend Hilleberg. Their customer service is excellent, and Petra has a real sexy voice!”

“Petra? Sounds like it's worth the mark-up alone!”

“Yeah, I emailed Petra a few times with questions. She's all right.”

“I have not had any experience with the Akto, but from what I've looked at, it's the best one, in that line, for the price. I'm looking forward to getting mine!”