Big Sky International Chinook and Revolution

You may have seen this already, but Big Sky has a FAQ page:

http://www.bigskyinternational.com/faq.htm#Which_is_better_-_Evolution_or_Convertible_series

It says the Chinook and Revolution have the same interior dimensions and set up the same. The Chinook, however, has an optional 3rd pole which can be used for extra snow-loading and makes the tent self-supporting. From the pictures, it also looks like the Chinook fabric is cut to be lower to the ground, with the Revolution having a little more ventilation. The Chinook has optional snow/sod flaps you can order, the Revolution does not.

I e-mailed Big Sky with some weight questions. Here are their answers:

3rd pole (heavy-duty aluminum, Chinook 2P version): 8 oz
Chinook 2P outer shell (standard SuprSil fabric): 20 oz
Revolution 2P outer shell (standard SuprSil fabric): 18oz

They have the aluminum pole weights on their site: 10oz for standard 1P models, 11oz for standard 2P

I am not certain if the 50oz weight Tarptent lists for the Scarp 1 includes the optional 12oz crossing poles or not

So the Chinook is better for alpine camping. How does the Tarptent Scarp 1 compare to the Chinook. Im just trying to decide which tent is warmer and less likely to be destroyed in strong winds.

You're sort of already making a conceptual error if you're trying to establish which tent is "warmer." If you're worried about warmth then it is MUCH more efficient to buy a warmer sleep system. Spend the money/weight on loft for your sleeping bag.

"Windproof" or "bomber" OTOH can be a consideration. I can't seem to get the Big Sky website to load, though…

You found weights of individual components on their website ? Where ?

I find their website awful. I probably would have bought from them if I could figure some stuff out. For example, I'd like a more specific "fast fly mode" weight than "less than 2lbs". Might consider it over a 'mid, if only a few ounces more and it's free-standing. Although, without a bathtub floor, such a small footprint (relative to a 'mid or tarp) might be problematic as far as splash and wind-born rain.

"You found weights of individual components on their website ? Where ?"

John – please read my post. I emailed Big Sky for individual weights. Their poles are listed here: http://bigskyproducts.com/poles.aspx

Yes, Big Sky's website could be better, but I don't find it that bad. If you have a question on something, just send them an email. I have usually gotten a response in less than 2 days.

Regarding tent "warmth", the Chinook and Scarp should be about the same. You can get solid fabric inners on both. Maybe the optional snow/sod flaps on the Chinook would be better for blowing snow conditions. But I think the end struts on the Scarp would help it do better in heavy snow conditions. I do not know about wind-worthiness, but I would guess they're about the same.

Uh, John, please read your own post before telling me to, where you state:

"They have the aluminum pole weights on their site"

John, I assumed you were talking about the outer fly weights (which are not listed on Big Sky's site). And in case not, I listed the link to their poles in my 2nd post. No big deal :)

Regarding fast-fly mode and splash-back: I ordered a Chinook 2P, should ship tomorrow. I plan on using it in Utah next week for a few days, I can report my impressions then

So – apologies for hijacking this into a discussion of Big Sky in fastfly mode versus tarps – it looks like a fastfly config of Revolution 2P would weigh 18oz for the fly, 11oz for the poles, 2 oz for the X-cord (actually, "X oz" is the quoted weight at the website, so this is a guess), for a total of 31oz. If a person were to spring for an extra $160 or so, this weight could be further reduced by 5oz or so (by going with the ultralight shell and carbon fiber poles), or about 26 oz. Which isn't much more than a typical 2-person 'mid, for which you get the option of making it a real tent (by carrying the inner body). An the extra weight might be offset by not needing as many guylines and stakes. Of course, we're now talking upwards of $500, so a cuben shelter might come into play.

Yea, I think the "fast-fly" weight will come out similar to a non-cuben pyramid tent. Each shelter has their advantages though, so it's not just about weight for me

I opted to not get the carbon fiber poles because most Big Sky tent reviews seem to mention they deform a lot more in the wind than the standard aluminum poles. I don't know if that could be overcome by using more guylines or not. If I like the tent, maybe some day I will get the carbon fiber poles

For the X-cord, you can make your own for a pretty light weight, as I did here on a Big Agnes tent a few years ago:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=59825

Am I the only one that gets dizzy trying to sort through the Big Sky website trying to figure out cost and end-weight????

Brad, no, you are not. Their website sucks. I mean, it's very cool that there are so many options, but why not just list the weight of each one in each pull-down, and then as you select things you build up the weight of your tent ? The worse thing is the confusion about the ground sheet, the x-cord, and the grommet kit – it took me a half-dozen emails so sort that one out, and I actually suggested some improved wording for the website, which I think he at least partially implemented.

Of course, I've noticed a lot of these small manufacturers have pretty bad websites (MLD and Oware, for example). But hey, all three are small operators, and I'm sure they just don't have the resources for professional-quality websites, preferring to put their energies into designing and building great products. So, gods bless 'em. Before the internet age, they never would have been able to reach enough customers to be at all viable, and we would have been stuck buying REI, Sierra Designs, etc products – not that they don't make some decent ones.

I received my Chinook 2P today. Here are the options I went with and the weights on my scale:

Outer shell: Supr-Sil UL fabric, weight = 17.9 oz
Inner: mesh inner, weight = 16.5 oz
2 Poles: UL aluminum 17-in poles, weight for the pair = 11.0 oz
3rd Pole: heavy-duty aluminum, weight = 7.4 oz
Pole splicer: weight = 0.3 oz

The tent sets up nice and easy. Everything fits together pretty well. It requires a minimum of 6 stakes (2 for the head end, 2 for the foot end, and 1 for each vestibule/door); however, there are an additional 8 tie-outs which you can optionally deploy for heavy wind (I need to rig these up with some guyline). With a total of 14 stake-out points, I think the tent should do fine in the wind, with or without the optional 3rd pole.

Here are some pictures:

The fly comes very close to the ground:

It has a very deep bathtub floor:

Plenty of room for the dog and I (dog is 50 lbs). The mesh inner has some huge pockets:

Fly and mesh inner are in the blue stuff sack (which can be compressed to about 2/3 or less of the volume shown):

I'm leaving for a trip soon, so will get to use the tent for several nights and will probably have more input then. Maybe I will start a separate thread with more details.

Congrats ! Weights look close to what you were quoted. Looking forward to hearing your experience.

Thanks for posting the pics and impressions John. I've been considering picking up this tent as well. I have a Mirage 1P and love it, but would like to get something for the wetter, windier shoulder seasons and odd decent-weather winter/ snow trip in the Sierras. Looking forward to hearing what you think after taking it out (hopefully you'll get some weather to really test it :).