Articles (2020)

Table of Contents

Introduction

In 1981, I bought an Early Winters Omnipotent SL. It took forever to get to sleep on my first night under its canopy, staring up, marveling at the taut architecture and complex construction. This three-pole tunnel tent, with its two Gore-Tex doors and integrated inner and outer, pitched in the blink of an eye, with just two anchors (e.g., stakes) for mild conditions.

Years later, I’d end up working as an outdoor clothing and equipment designer, conjuring up apparel, sleeping bags, packs, first aid kits, etc. But I never brought a tent to market.

Later rebuilding and/or renovating classic tents became a bit of a masochistic hobby, but I still hadn’t scratched that itch of creating one from the ground up.

I moved on from designing commercial outdoor gear, because I didn’t think the world need any new stuff, and worked for decades in the environment and conservation sector.

Yet when friends or businesses were throwing away broken or unwanted tents and parts, I said, “Wait, I’ll take those.” Thinking one day, I might get around to making a tent.

Finally, I bit the bullet. I have ‘Frankenstein’, a tent from the materials I’d accumulated. A new tent, yet one from old reused and repurposed fabric and components.

I couldn’t afford to make full prototypes; I only had barely enough of some materials to use them a single time. Once cut, there was no going back. I couldn’t order more.

Features / Specifications

Features

This two-person shelter can quickly transition from a two-pole three-season bushwalking (backpacking) tent to a four-pole, fully vestibuled winter tent for backcountry ski trips.

The single-skin construction uses full Gore-Tex tent laminate for the canopy and ends. This three-layer cloth has a polyester Nexus inner lining which can hold excess condensation in its fluffy non-woven structure until the Gore-Tex membrane has the capacity to pass it through to the outside. (Even if the poles should collapse, the tent would effectively become a two-person Gore-Tex bivvy bag.) A rear tension cone of coated nylon protects the low vent, so cool dry air is drawn in, to then rise out the much higher front vent where it escapes pulling moisture-laden hot air with it. A simple guyline on this top vent keeps it upright in windy weather.

Only three anchors are required in most conditions – one for the rear tension cone and two for the front tension flap. If wind or snow load is expected, there are plenty of other guy lines and anchor points available.

The completely zip-detachable winter vestibule has arched pole support to cope with snow load. It easily accommodates two rucksacks and two pairs of ski boots with oodles of space for protected and ventilated cooking, with simple egress/access via left or right sides. It only requires one peg to pitch, includes a small floor in the front tension cone, and a high zip-adjustable, hooded vent.

A clip-on summer vestibule, weighing a quarter of the winter option, can alternatively be employed, providing shelter for a vented front door, a weather-protected cooking space, and somewhere outside the tent to store muddy, wet boots. It uses no additional pegs, simply slipping over the existing front tension flap anchors.

Vestibules can be left attached to the tent if required. The summer version rolls up into the front eave, out of the way, until needed. The winter vestibule can be completely unzipped from either side. Its sides can be zipped opened and clipped to the centre vent guyline, but then quickly sealed if weather threatens.

The tent can also be easily used without either vestibule. A toggle on the front Gore-Tex door allows for the top of it to be partially opened for ventilation in all but horizontal head-on rain.

There are two internal mesh pockets for the storage of small items. Webbing loops are positioned to act as internal guylines if conditions warrant it. Metal zipper pulls have been replaced with reflective cord. Peg-out points are doubled loops of reflective cord so they accommodate either a ground peg or a ski as the anchor, without needing to add extra cord. The internal foot and head ends are both vertical, unlike other tunnel designs, specifically Scandinavian-inspired models, which often slope. This provides more livable space, and with both being Gore-Tex, there is less concern about the ends of one’s sleeping bag getting wet.

Although certainly not in the category of an ultralight shelter, the tent does offer huge versatility. It spans from a very spacious one-person, well-ventilated 3 season tent to a secure, windproof, and snow-stable Alpine haven for two people and all their gear.

And it does so in an environmentally responsible manner, with over 85% of the materials having been salvaged and reused from preloved tents and bivvies. Some of them are well over 35 years old. (Only the vestibules and front insect screen door employ virgin fabric.) The centre top ridge seam is the only seam I didn’t subject to my sewing machine.

The tent has been successfully field tested this year, although some refinements are under consideration.

Specifications

Weights (total tent weights do not include stuff sacks or tent pegs, but do include guy lines):

• Main tent body – 1,668 g (58.8 ounces)
• Front pole – 200 g (7 ounces)
• Rear pole – 75 g (2.6 ounces)
• Centre pole – 108 g (3.08 ounces)
• Winter Vestibule – 357 g (12.6 ounces)
• Winter Vestibule pole – 105 g (3.7 ounces)
• Summer Vestibule – 108 g (3.8 ounces)
• Summer tent, with two poles & no vestibule – ~1.9 kg (4.2 pounds)
• Winter tent with four poles & hooped vestibule – ~2.5 kg (5.5 pounds)

Pegs (stakes):

• Minimum pegs required (Summer) – 3
• Minimum pegs required (Winter) – 4
• Additional storm guylines – 4
• Additional base peg points – 8
• Maximum possible peg-out points – 16

Packed size:

• Tent without poles, pegs, or vestibules – 7 litres (427 cubic inches) / 33 cm high x 16 cm diameter (13 inches x 6.3 inches)

Dimensions:

• Length – 208 cm (82 inches)
• Front width – 140 cm (55 inches)
• Rear width – 97 cm (38 inches)
• Front height – 120 cm (47 inches)
• Rear height – 48 cm (19 inches)
• Winter vestibule length – 155 cm (61 inches)
• Winter vestibule height at pole – 60 cm (24 inches)
• Winter vestibule width at pole – 110 cm (43 inches)
• Summer vestibule length – 120 cm (47 inches)
• Tent body floor area – 2.46 sq. m. – (26.48 sq. ft.)
• Winter vestibule floor area – 1.55 sq. m. (16.68 sq. ft.)
• Summer vestibule floor area – 1.1 sq. m. (11.8 sq. ft.)
• Length – rear peg to front winter peg – 465 cm (183 inches)
• Collapsed pole folded length (longest) – 55 cm (22 inches)
• Span between tent poles – 94 & 119cm (37 & 47 inches)

Materials

Fabrics:

• Floor – Nylon Taffeta 160 x 90 TC 170 psi 7.5 lb warp x 7 lb weft (Chocolate Brown)
• Rear cone – Nylon Taffeta 160 x 90 TC 170 psi 7.5 lb warp x 7 lb weft (Chocolate Brown)
• Front tension panel – Nylon Taffeta 160 x 90 TC 170 psi 7.5l b warp x 7 lb weft (Chocolate Brown)
• Canopy Ceiling – Polyester tent Gore-Tex (polyester Nexus inner) 91 x 96 TC 15,590 gms/m2/24hrs (Desert Tan)
• Canopy Lower walls – Nylon tent Gore-Tex (polyester Nexus inner) 86 x 110 TC 3.2oz/sqyd (Yellow)
• Front door – Nylon tent Gore-Tex (polyester Nexus inner) 86 x 110 TC 3.2oz/sqyd (Meadow Green)
• Rear vent cover – Nylon tent Gore-Tex (polyester Nexus inner) 86 x 110 TC 3.2oz/sqyd (Yellow)
• Front door mesh – No-see-um style Mosquito Net, Polyester, 45g/sqm, 155 meshes/cm2 (Black)
• Rear vent mesh – Micro-knit netting (Lime Green)
• Winter vestibule – Sil/Sil polyester 30d 45 g/sqm 2,000 mm, tear 5 kg/4 kg tensile 37.5 kg/35.5 kg (Sand)

Notions:

• Front Gore-Tex door zipper – YKK No. 5 coil with double pull slider
• Front mesh door zipper – YKK No. 3 coil with double pull slider
• Rear vent cover (Gore-Tex) zipper – YKK No. 3 coil
• Winter vestibule & tent joining zipper – YKK 5C zipper, coil, separating, two-way with double pull slider
• Winter vestibule vent stiffener – 3 mm (0.12  inches) Delrin rod
• Winter vestibule vent zipper – YKK No.3 coil with double pull slider
• Front Tension guyline rings – 15 mm (0.59 inches) stainless steel welded ring rated to 7 kN
• Centre pole & summer vestibule clips – 12 mm (0.47 inches) nylon tent ring, & slotted nylon T-Bar (for 10mm [0.39 inches] webbing)
• Winter vestibule pole sleeve – Taffeta 160 x 90 Thread count 170 psi 7.5 pound warp x 7 pound  weft plus 210d packcloth
• Winter vestibule reinforcements – X-Pac Kevlar clear
• Front tension panel guy adjusters – 15 mm (0.59 inches) Line Lock Lite & 15 mm (0.59 inches) Line Lock Lite side release buckle

Guylines:

• Front guy lines – Lawson 2.3 mm (0.09 inches) Reflective Glowire, Orange
• Side and rear guy lines – Lawson 2 mm (0.08 inches) Reflective Glowire, Gold
• Rear shock-cord – 8 mm  (0.32 inches) marine-grade, multi-strand elastic core with polyester fine plait cover

Poles:

• Rear and centre pole – 8.5 mm  (0.33 inches) Easton aluminium
• Front pole – 9.6 mm (0.38 inches) Yunan aluminium, with floating connectors.
• Winter vestibule pole – 8.88 mm (0.38 inches) Yunan aluminium, with floating connectors

The provenance of re-used materials

1. Marmot Twilight 2P bivvy tent – taffeta floor, tension flap & vestibule pole sleeve, canopy Gore-Tex, vent zips, & tension flap grosgrain
2. Mountain Designs Burrow bivvy tent – canopy side walls Gore-Tex
3. Early Winters Sleep Inn bivvy bag – front door Gore-Tex
4. Sierra Design Divine Light bivvy tent – Front door zip facings (SD Hocus Pocus—a 2 layer waterproof breathable fabric)
5. The North Face June Bug  – Easton poles (rear and centre pole)
6. Wilderness Equipment Second Arrow – main front Yunan pole and winter vestibule’s Yunan pole, and guy lines
7. Wilderness Equipment i-Explore – winter vestibule grosgrain and t-bars (& prototyping fabric)
8. Black Diamond Equipment Mesa – webbing, reflective pullouts, pole velcro, reflective cord
9. One Planet Wurley – delrin rod for winter vestibule vent

I also drew upon a personal collection of materials I’ve hoarded over many years: cords, webbing, fabric swatches, plastic hardware, and the like. The Lawson Glowire guyline cord was left over from previous tent renovations I’d undertaken. In a reuse shop, I found an Aldi inflatable, something or other, that had long lengths of seam-free polyester fabric. I used it to fashion a prototype winter vestibule instead of cutting up my Silpoly. The original Marmot Twilight bivy tent stuff sack I trimmed down to become the new pole bag.

New materials

The ripstop silicone polyester, no-see-um netting, two-way separating zip, nylon and steel rings, etc., were sourced from Extremtextil, out of Berlin, Germany. Other zips, mini line locs, etc., were found at Tier Gear from Tasmania, Australia. I was pleased with the service from both suppliers.

Techniques

Design

Not only was I cobbling together a collection of reused materials, but I would also do the same with the design. All design is iteration. It stands on the shoulders of what has gone before. I have personally owned 20  tents that I can think of, including quite a few I have renovated or rebuilt.

In particular, I’ve always been entranced by my Early Winters Omnipotent. My three-pole Superlight (SL) version (serial number 286) has protected me through some wild storms the world over. I’ve also picked up an early version of the iconic four-pole Omnipotent from eBay (serial number 1151).

I later acquired a pre-loved Early Winters Light Dimension – the first outdoor product ever made from Gore-Tex, plus its big brother, the Winterlight. The problem with the latter two is although they have both easy access doors, neither has a vestibule to store wet and muddy gear nor to cook in when there’s rain or snow about.

Marmot Mountain Works (as they were originally known) decided to make what they considered a better mountaineering version of the Light Dimension. They dubbed it the Taku. Although only made for about five years – 1979 to 1984 – they’d forged an enduring reputation for being a lightweight yet tough, single-skin Gore-Tex alpine tent. (When Kelty set out to make an expedition tent (what became their Windfoil), they openly acknowledged that the Marmot Taku and the Early Winters Winterlight were their inspiration.)

Some years after Marmot stopped producing the Taku, Bibler introduced their version in Toddtex, which they dubbed the Phoenix. And later, Marmot themselves made the Taku rise from the ashes, though in their proprietary Membrain waterproof breathable (WPB) fabric. (Editor’s note: it has existed since under various model names. Consider today’s iteration, the Hammer.)

But for all its never-say-die qualities, the Taku didn’t have a vestibule either. But having picked up an original two-pole version (no. 322) with broken fibreglass/graphite poles, I renovated it and appreciated its ability to spill wind and cope with snow load.

It should be noted that the Stephenson Warmlite 2R was the original muse for the Light Dimension, whose success spawned so many imitations, single and double skin.

The Garuda Mountaineering Emeishan also intrigued me. Founder/designer Bryon Schutz described it as one of his favourite designs. It was basically a Taku with a large fixed front vestibule. But I’ve never seen one come up on eBay.

A discarded double-skin Sierra Designs Super Flash that I refurbished accompanied me to New Zealand and Patagonia, proving very sturdy in wind and snow, but requiring a design hack to make the tiny vestibule useful. For many years I used a Chouinard Comet. A single pole, single skin tent, coated with ‘Sealcoat’ Hypalon, which was considered so tough it was faced to the outside of the tent. It had excellent low-high ventilation. But again, no real vestibule.

Australian brand Wilderness Equipment has long made their First Arrow, and espoused its wind deflection and low-to-high ventilation. Years ago, I had an Ultimate Equipment Peapod II. It was poorly ventilated, but so very wind resistant that often I would be fast asleep as many of the tents around me had collapsed in wind storms.

The Sierra Designs Convert 2 is probably the nearest tent, currently for sale, that vaguely aligns with a (hybrid) tunnel that has a removal vestibule. The Exped Polaris is the only tunnel (also a hybrid) on the market with a 3-layer waterproof breathable ePTFE (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene) single skin.

But, in short, I guess I was attempting a Taku/Winterlight/Emeishan, with an Omnipotent style zip-off vestibule.

Poles

I prefer tunnels for their ease of pitch and ability to deal with high winds.

The finished tent looks simple enough, but belies the inordinate time that went into its design and construction.

A vast amount of hours, probably days, in fact, went into unpicking seams from old shelters so I could recover their fabric, webbing, cords, etc., from which to craft my tent.

I experimented with numerous tunnel pole designs by drilling holes in a length of wood, roughly the widest width of what my tent floor would be. Straight poles flexed into shape, pre-curved pole sections, gothic arch (one bend), flat top arch (two bends), and hybrid gothic arch (three bends), such as Roger Caffin uses for his tents. I played with a mix of old North Face poles that I believe were from their June Bug and Mayfly tunnels, various Sierra Design and Wilderness Equipment aluminium poles, Early Winters and Marmot fibreglass poles, and others of unknown parentage.

For the main front pole I settled on pre-curved poles by Yunan, with floating connectors (instead of fixed ferrules, the connector is an independent piece threaded between two sections of pole), and I swapped in more curved sections to replace some straight sections. I hack-sawed off the pole tips and filed smooth their ends.

Although all four poles were different, I labelled them with thin wraps of cloth tape in a numbered sequence from rear to front.

Each of the four poles fits the tent differently. The rear pole slips through a loop of reflective webbing at the inside top of the rear arch and sets in a webbing pocket in one corner. It is tensioned into place in the other corner, by my rendering of the LeverLock idea, which was developed by tent designer extraordinaire, Mike Scherer, for the Kelty Windfoil.

Similar story with the main front pole, except it first slips through a broad but short pole sleeve, only about 200mm (8 inches) long. It is then pulled over the pole and held in place, same as the rear pole, by the downward curve of the tension flap fabric. In windy weather, there are six velcro tabs that also wrap around the front pole. These align with the three upper guy lines on each side.

The middle pole, which is only required if snow loading or high winds are anticipated, can be easily fitted inside the tent after it is pitched. It seats into a webbing pocket on each side, that in turn, sits on top of an external pad of kevlar-reinforced Cordura-type material to protect the tent floor taffeta from abrasion at this pressure point. This middle pole is held firmly in place against the Gore-Tex canopy by one tab of Velcro, and four 12 mm (0.47 inches) nylon tent rings and T-bars. External guy lines are sewn directly through the webbing that’s holding these rings and bars, which in turn are on existing seams.

The winter vestibule pole is inserted into a pole sleeve, made from 70 denier nylon taffeta on one side and 210 denier packcloth on the other. A reflective tab indicates where to insert the pole, and it is pushed through to a sealed pocket (again reinforced with a Kevlar-infused fabric) on the far side. It too, was tensioned with a LeverLock-inspired strip of webbing.

Construction

Once I was happy with the pole configuration, I needed to match possible tent heights and widths to the recovered materials I had available. I set up the poles on the backyard lawn, like a 3D wireframe tensioned out with cord. And took lots of measurements. Lots. I only had one shot at this. Gore-Tex tent Nexus fabric hadn’t been produced since the mid 1980s (if you exclude Bibler’s proprietary Toddtex.)

As it was, I had to join most of the reused fabrics together to give me the sizes I needed. Even after unpicking seams, I still only managed to scrap in with millimetres to spare, in some instances. On occasion, I had to reduce my seam allowance to get the fabric to fit the patterns.

The construction adage “measure twice, cut once” rang in my head constantly. I experimented with various catenary cuts for the different seams and assembled sections to test them out, unpicking them when the tension wasn’t taut, and re-measuring. But I was also very conscious of weakening my important structural seams by adding too many lines of needle holes. This is especially true when creating a single-skin tent, as there’s no redundancy, such as you get with a double skin tent.

This uncertainty of the end result necessitated a slow, cautious approach. And oodles of double-checking of my measurements. I made copious notes and was luckily aided by having a roll of pattern-making card, onto which I could transpose my calculations, and go back to when I needed to correct something. It was all pencil and paper, no computer-aided design (CAD). But eventually, with some trepidation, I did commit to cutting the fabrics. And for the most part, I am happy with the outcome.

I found I needed to take pages and pages of pre-production notes, so I could get the correct construction sequence clear in my head. A couple of times, I swore loudly when I realised I’d have to unpick my work and start over again, because pieces had been assembled out of their required order. The front door, and winter vestibule pole sleeve assemblies were the most complicated to plan ahead. The winter vestibule alone has 33 individually cut pieces of fabric, which are combined with 41 individual components (zips, cords, webbing, buckles, etc.).

Sometimes having a break from the project helped me rest and clear my befuddled brain. If the lapse was too long, I’d forget crucial steps and end up reinventing the wheel all over again. The notes helped keep me on track and act as illuminating memory joggers.

Once I had the main tent assembled, I commenced work on the vestibules, with the winter one first. I positioned rucksacks, boots, and stoves in front of the tent and draped cloth over the poles to ensure I had the sizing right. I wanted a roomy vestibule but not so large that it was too unsupported during a snowstorm. Again, copious measurements. Even so, I had to unpick my prototype vestibule several times as I experimented with patterns to give me the tautness I was seeking. I’d originally planned on adding guy-out points, but found that when these tensioned to the front peg-out point, they were as equally as good as if they were independently staked out. I redid the vent about three times, striving for a design that would offer maximum airflow but minimal egress of rain and snow during inclement weather.

The rear peg-out point borrows from a system Early Winters used very successfully to keep their tents taut. Thick shock cord in a double loop is joined with a fisherman’s knot. A non-stretchy cord guyline tugs this shock cord tight and keeps the tent under tension, and adds redundancy should the bungee cord ever fail, (I still have the original 40-year-old shock cord in my Omnipotent.) Where I don’t employ plastic guyline tensioners, I use my old standby of a taut-line hitch knot to get the same effect.

Seams

For many fabric seams I used a simple felled seam. I sewed the face fabrics together, serged them with a four-thread overlocker. Then pulled the seam firm and topstitched the assembled seam to sit flat. Where I could, I ‘shingled’ these seams so that moisture would easily run off them, rather like roof tiles or shingles. This is the same construction that was used by Early Winters and Marmot for their Gore-Tex tents. That the inner lining of Gore-Tex laminate is a non-woven polyester Nexus probably helps here, by adding a low stretch structural strength to the canopy seams. (Curiously back when Cannondale – yes, the bike company – made integral double-skin backpacking tents, they also espoused the virtues of overlocked seams).

I used the same seam construction for the Winter vestibule, with its 30 denier 45 g/sqm Silpoly and it has held up very well so far.

Corners on the Silpoly vestibules were reinforced with facings of Kevlar-threaded clear X-pac fabric, that I had serendipitously discovered in my collection of fabric remnants. Prior to discovering the small sheet of X-pac, I had reinforced the 70 denier taffeta with 210 denier packcloth remnants. I used variations of the Box X stitch to reinforce points of stress. I also reinforced the vestibules’ long outside edges with grosgrain, painstakingly unpicked and reused from other tents.

I chose a Gutermann polyester thread. Available in Australian sewing shops simply as ‘Extra Strong’ M 782. They recommend it as suitable for “heavily stressed seams” because it is “particularly robust and tear-resistant.” It is very tough – I can’t break it with my hands. Polyester is less absorbent than nylon, whilst being more UV resistant. I used an NM 110 needle on my 37-year-old Pfaff 463 industrial sewing machine – and it was a refurbished unit when I bought it! (NM = “number metric” and 110 means 1.1 mm (0.039 inches)  thick.) I sewed everything with this thread and needle, from the gossamer Silpoly to multiple thick layers of webbing.

Where required I did use pins to secure assemblies of materials together. Given the long lengths and the curves involved, I tend to pin at a right angle to the seam allowance, as this enables me to sew gently over the pin without removing it. My seam allowance is 1 cm (0.39 inches).

Seams were externally sealed with Gear Aid Seam Grip WP. However, I sealed the tent in the middle of winter when daytime temps were less than 10 °C (50 °F), and some of the sealant went white, instead of remaining clear. Function appears unimpaired though.

The same cannot be said for the floor of the tent. It is a very robust 70 denier taffeta. I’m pretty sure I have now reproofed it three times with Gear Aid Seam Grip TF Tent Fabric Sealant (previously known simply as Tent Sure) polyurethane coating. Combined with the double-sealing of some seams, and looking at my early notes, I suspect all this sealing may have added roughly 200 g (7 ounces) to the overall tent weight. But alas, half of the floor still appears to be leaking. In the past, I’ve had very good results from Tent Sure. Maybe the initial application in cold weather is the problem. I’m not looking forward to the very considerable re-work involved in replacing the floor if I can’t resolve the issue. I’m in two minds about buying some brand new 40d TPU coated nylon (10,000 mm or 394 inches of hydrostatic head) or repurposing a floor from another tent.

Design Compromises

Design is often known as the ‘art of compromise’ – like trying to walk the trapeze between competing needs.

For example, I would’ve loved to have had a much deeper eave on the front tension flap. That would’ve allowed the front door to have been partially zipped up, increasing ventilation in foul weather without a protective vestibule. And a bigger eave would protect muddy boots left at the base of the door. But I needed the vent in the winter vestibule to be as close to the apex of the tent as possible to maximise the Venturi effect and more easily exhaust warm, moisture-laden air.

In a related vein, I initially designed the winter vestibule with a single centre-top seam, as this created a de facto ridgeline, better for snow and rain to roll off. But when I fully tensioned the whole vestibule out, I noticed the ridge seam pulled tight all the way into the vent, causing the base of it to dip down. I redid the patterns, so there were now two ridge seams that aligned with the seams of the top vent. The vent is tensioned better, but I’ve ended up with a small flattish section on the top of the vestibule. Again compromise, choosing the lesser of two evils.

I had considered opening the doors to the side, or the top, so they didn’t create a mound of fabric on the floor when unzipped. But in the end decided that maximum door size (better access and ventilation), symmetrical opening (same for both sleepers), and no bundled door stuffed into a pocket in the roof of the tent (which would’ve impeded the function of the high apex venting) were better choices. I developed a cord toggle system that could secure either the Gore-Tex or mesh door or both to keep them tidy.

If I’d settled for a fixed vestibule instead of a removable one, I could’ve eliminated the weight of the joining zipper, but given that it also doubles as the left and right access zipper for the vestibule, such weight savings probably wouldn’t have been that much.

I was also limited by the age of the reused materials I was deploying. They are not as light as the state-of-the-art fabrics available today. And my reused fabrics are bulkier too. Once I had the majority of the main tent crafted from reused materials, I did allow myself the luxury of using virgin fabric for the vestibules. (After I purchased that fabric, recycled Silpoly then came onto the market.)

And if not limited by the quantity of reused materials, I might’ve gone for a little more length and possibly even a bit of extra width. But there would’ve also been the added weight and packed bulk from that option.

The old Sierra Designs waterproof-breathable Hocus Pocus fabric was selected as the cover strip to protect the door zippers. Near the base of the door, the hemmed edge is prone to curling on itself and not retaining the preferred shape and size to weatherproof the zips fully. Maybe this has occurred because I probably didn’t have enough cloth to cut it all ‘on grain’, and there may be some bias stretching occurring, or it is just a trait of the fabric.

I would’ve preferred to have had the main front pole canted forward and be less vertical, but was limited by the length of Gore-Tex canopy fabric I had to work with, and also didn’t want to add any unnecessary seams that would increase weight and reduce structural integrity.

Opting for a single-skin Gore-Tex design gives me a very windproof shelter, but it means on cold, still nights, I have less warmth than offered by a double-skin tent, and possibly encounter a greater dew point/condensation issue as a result.

Field Performance Notes

Field Testing Conditions

This tent has thus far been exposed to:

• 10 days backcountry skiing
• 2 days bushwalking (backpacking)
• 5 days canoe journey
• And numerous backyard trials

The weather encountered during this field testing can be summarized as follows:

• 420 ml (16.5 inches) of rain over four days
• 70 kph (44 miles per hour) winds
• 7 cm (2.75 inches) of fresh snow
• -7 °C to 23 °C (19.4 °F to 73 °F) temperatures

Field Testing observations

Strengths

• Plenty of room for sitting up, no bumping head or shoulders on ceiling/walls.
• Winter vestibule has ample room for packs, boots, cooking and access.
• In calm weather, winter vestibule can easily be zipped fully open to one side (either way), providing easy access.
• Very easy entry without vestibules.
• Seams holding up.
• Venting works well with gentle breeze.
• Very secure in wind, including from the side.
• Silpoly vestibule copes well with snow and rain, they easily slide off.
• All gold interior provides pleasant internal ambience for sitting out storms.
• Big mesh front door provides venting and stargazing whilst keeping bugs out.

Limitations

• Taffeta floor, although very robust, appears to be leaking.
• Occasional tangling of front guy lines when unpacking.
• Small side release buckles supporting winter vestibule zip to tent base are not strong enough.
• Some odd beads of water on inner of Gore-Tex after prolonged heavy rain.
• Old bivvy bag Gore-Tex fabric (used for side walls) is delaminating, but not showing signs of leaking.
• Broke one side release mini Line Lock buckle, after it was not mated properly, and I tensioned it hard.
• Using the spacious Winter vestibule requires a long snow platform to be tamped down.
• Some condensation collects on middle interior pole (expected this).

Changes that I’d make if doing this again

Not much, really. The effort was a massive amount of time. But then again, The North Face Assault 2 in FUTURELIGHT waterproof breathable fabric retails in Australia for $1,700 AUD ($1,099 USD). The Exped Polaris in their VentAir waterproof breathable material is only available by special order and listed at $1,799.95 AUD ($1,164 USD). So I spent time, but certainly saved money.

I should’ve retested the water-tightness of the repurposed tent floor after reproofing it, before attaching the tent upper to it. Annoyed, I forgot to do that.

Maybe the ITW Nexus Lineloc 3 LL might’ve been a better choice for tensioning cords with gloves on than the mini Line Lock I used.

I made the zip strip (the strip of fabric that holds the tent-half of the winter vestibule zipper) from silpoly for lighter weight and compatible tension with the rest of the vestibule. However, it is tricky to seam seal the seam join between the silicone-coated fabric and the polyurethane-treated material. A non-siliconised fabric would’ve been a better choice.

I will replace the rear guyline’s plastic ring with the same metal ring used by the front guylines.

I hadn’t realised that liquid seam sealant applied to seams around reflective patches negates the reflectiveness underneath the sealant. I’d do wider patches next time to allow for this.

Initially, the plan for the pole sleeve of the winter vestibule was for it to be on the exterior. But as I assembled the sleeve, facing the PU side outwards so the pole would slide through more easily, I realised having this ‘stickier’ side out would attract snow and rain. So I had to invert the entire sleeve construction, to have the slippery silpoly uppermost for best snow shedding. Alas, this means the pole feeds in from the opposite side of the front and back poles.

In seeking to maximise the access and egress under the vestibules to the front door, I purposely reduced the amount of fabric on the lower end of the front tension flap. As a result, the flap doesn’t pull as tight over the pole at this point, and there is a small amount of slack in the Gore-Tex canopy here. Adding a partial pole sleeve or sewing my middle guyline pullout directly to the tension flap might improve tautness.

I may revisit how I have done the sidewall mesh pockets. They are reasonably roomy as they are, but small items can get a bit lost if too much is stored in the pockets. Will ponder improvements as I use the tent.

Concluding commentary

I am in awe of those folk who boldly and enthusiastically take on MYOG projects without any prior sewing or design experience. I am so impressed with the amazing results they achieve using their humble kitchen table, garage, or living room floor as their cutting table. Incredible. They might just be the Alice Holubar, Mike Pfotenhauer, Daniel Shurman, or Bill Moss of the future.

My pathway into MYOG has been somewhat more of a chartered course. Under the tutelage of my dad, I learnt to sew on a Singer treadle human-powered machine as a teenager, making my own crude gear. Years on, seeking a break from my chosen profession of Outdoor Education, I went off and gained formal tertiary training in clothing design and production. I then worked in outdoor retail so as to understand the decision-making that buyers undertook when selecting their kit. I also completed a post-graduate University course in design, in general.

I was fortunate enough to spend about seven years as the in-house designer and product manager for Paddy Pallin, Australia’s oldest outdoor gear provider, back when they had their own on-shore factory. Later, as a freelance designer, I did a heap of work for Berghaus, the European brand, including a redesign of their premier Extrem mountaineering range.

During latter decades in the sustainability sector, I lectured in eco-design, worked on recycled textile projects, and also managed a community reuse centre. These days I’m back in outdoor education. In my limited spare time, I repair and renovate legacy outdoor gear. I also curate a kind of web museum showcasing heritage outdoor clothing and equipment at Outdoorinov8.com.

I’ll use the tent for a bit before I make too many revisions. Apart from the leaking floor, all other aspects are so far performing well. I have plenty of other reuse projects awaiting in the wings. Among them, a three-layer Gore-Tex anorak, again made from salvaged materials and components; a Marmot Pocket Gopher down sleeping bag, circa 1983, of which I want to replace the ancient delaminating Gore-Tex outer with some new Pertex Endurance; an internal frame pack design, based off the circa 1981 The North Face Moraine, which weighed a mere 1.8 kg (3.96 pounds) for its 82 L (5,000 cubic inches) capacity. More ideas than I have time.

I’m pleased to see that many firms are using recycled materials in their products, as well as promoting repair, reuse, and longevity. If we wish to continue enjoying our magical natural world, we’ll need to do all that, and more.