REI’s New Quarter Dome T1

Just a quick FYI . Bakpacker Mag's Gear review issue ( letest March) has a quick review .. The only real issue they seem to have is the length . i.e. a bit short

I just picked this up on Tuesday. I couldn't pass up a relatively light, well designed and super cheap 1 person tent. With my REI dividend and 20% off deal, it turned out to be about $90.

A few thoughts on the design:

It's a typical 1 person tent in that is is very narrow inside. Almost coffin like. It also very short, lengthwise. There is maybe just a few inches on either end, and I am only 5' 7". Tall people will NOT like this tent. There is plenty of usable space at the ends as the walls are pretty vertical. The vestubule is pretty small, but just big enough for a medium size pack and boots.

The new tear drop door design isn't too bad, it just takes a little getting used to. There is a pocket at the top of the netting above the door to put the door when not needed or to put small items. Two pockets on either end on the door side.

The poles for the structure are little cumbersome, but seem to hold the tent pretty rigid. Great headroom inside because of them! The fly is well fitted and has two vents on the head and foot end. I can imagine this being a great hot/muggy/buggy/rainy tent. Batten down the hatches and open the vents.

Overall this will be a good weekend basecamp tent. And for the price, it just cannot be beat. I haven't weighed it yet, but I know that it can be reduced significantly with new stuff sacks, guylines and stakes.

Curious, Aaron…

You mentioned having just a few inches of space at either end when you laid inside. Is that with or without a sleeping bag? Many bags come "standard" up to 6' and will require a few inches of space of its own to loft up properly without touching the walls.

This is with my Montbell SSD #3. So plenty of room to "grow". It is definitely not for everyone…

Good to know. The MB bag is sized to fit up to 5'10" — and if there are still a few inches of space left on either end, then in all likelihood, this tent is good for anyone up to 6ft.

Anybody have an opinion of Quarter Dome T1 vs. Seedhouse SL 1?

I have both the Original QD and the SL1, and have backpacked with someone that has the QD1. The SL1 is very roomy inside and is lighter, but does require a lot of stakes for a "free-standing" tent, and the door is small and a little award. It has however been a great 3.5 season bomb-proof tent for me. It is one of the pieces of my kit that I can most assuredly say that I would purchase again.

I like my original QD too, but the QD1 is very narrow for my taste, much like the popular Hubba tent. If you sleep on your back and don't move around much, it might not be as much of an issue to you. It is also fairly short, so if you are six feet or taller, you might not have as much room as you would like. It is quite a bit cheaper than the SL1 and has a better side entrance and vestibule, but I know I wouldn't be happy with it.

Why don't you go to a REI and try them both out?

Thanks for the input. On various websites, I found references to the SL1 being made of flimsy material that would wear or tear easily. What are your thoughts?

The SL1 is made of light weight fabrics, but I have 60+ nights in mine without a footprint and everything still functions as new. I do have some burrs, or runs, etc, in the mesh, as it is finer than on many tents, but it hasn't seemed to affect the performance of the tent.

I am not sure about the QD1 floor, but the original QD has a very thick, oxford type floor, and a rainfly of similar thickness to the SL1.

I own the BA Emerald Mountain SL2. While it's heavy, it's my favorite tent for marchin around with the extended family or car camping with friends.

It's made of the same material as the Seedhouse line and i have found it to be pretty durable. I use the footprint as a precaution, but so far i have no runs in the mesh or failures in the mesh connections. The floor has held up great and I can't say i have any qualms.

YMMV.

Any thoughts by you folks about QD1 vs. Hubba? They seem almost the same except for a few inches in length and vestibule size.

I was going to get the QDT1 on sale and checked it out beforehand as they had one set up on display. I have tried out the Hubba, SL1, and own a SD Light Year. I am 6' and 190 pounds and with all of them I have no problems with extra space or length.

After trying the T1, I simply could not get used to it. I cannot see having a 20" wide pad in the thing. As I laid in it, the sides of the tent hugged my sides like no other tent I own. I fit length-wise with an inch to spare, but know for a fact that any sleeping bag I own is going to be compressed a little at the top and/or bottom.

Another thing I could not get over was, while pressing down lightly in the center of the tent, it would "twist". I was originally looking for a 3.5 season tent, but doubt this thing could take more than an inch of snow at best as the poles are seperate and not continuous over the top of the tent body. I chose to stay with the light year and a snow anchor at each end.

I just purchased the REI Quarter Dome T1, and upon initial setup in my living room, I was worried about the interior space as well. However, when I took it outside and set it up in my yard, the stakes spread the floor well, and my 3/4 length Thermarest fit easily inside. The tent is a bit short, but at 5'10", I still feel I'll have enough room.

I'm taking it out next month, so I'll follow-up then.