I received my Tyvek Sublite a few weeks ago and was able to test it's breatheability for the first time on the coast north of Bodega Bay. The weather was clear, cool, humid and mostly windless.
The tent set up very easily using my LuxuryLite Trail Sticks trekking poles. I used a short piece of spectra core line, and a found stick, to make a toggle to attach the tent to the hand loops on the poles. The ground was fairly flat and it was easy to get a nice taut pitch.
The tent is everything Henry advertised. I had packed for an overnight backpacking trip and the tent is roomy with plenty of room for me and all my gear. The only things left outside were my shoes and LuxuryLite pack frame.
I woke several times during the night and checked for condensation. There was never a hint of dampness and I look forward to more testing in more difficult conditions.
When I ordered the tent I also ordered the optional aluminum poles, to be used in lieu of trekking poles. When pitching the tent with the optional poles, if I moved the pole tips away from the tent to the maximum allowed by the tent configuration, I noticed that the optional poles deflected in a sag curve when I tried to get the same taut pitch I was able to achieve with the trekking poles. If the pole tips were moved inboard the curve disappeared but the pitch was "soft" and not taut. This loose pitch would be a problem in windy conditions. I fiddled with this for a while and found that the optional poles sagged less if I only used the lower Velcro pole "clips". I need to play with this system to see if I can get it to work in a "looking good" pitch.
Having to get in and out of the tent several times during the night, I noted a modification that might be worth some thought. The silnylon tent floor, and the bug screen between the silnylon and the tent door, are both black. In the dark you can't tell the difference. Especially wearing heavy socks. Several times I stepped on the netting by mistake. This is liable to degrade the netting and allow infiltration of "creepy crawlies". I would suggest the netting along the bottom of the door be replaced, either with Tyvek or by extending the floor material out to the door zipper.
I would also like to see a few small tie-out loops be added to the inside of the tent to allow for hanging a flashlight and, in my particular case, a place to hang my glasses. In making Tyvek ground cloths for this tent, and my Evolution 2P, my experience with Tyvek and Tyvek Tape has shown me the ruggedness of this material. I will probably fit my Sublite with a few tie out loops
In the rear view photo, posted in Will's review above, there appears to be a tieout, on the edge of the tent body, mid way between the trekking pole and the foot of the tent. On the top view photo I think I can see the same tieout loop. This feature is missing from the production model tent and might be useful in windy conditions. I would also like to see an optional bug screen door, so you could have more ventilation for those no-available-shade-pitched-in-the-hot-sun afternoon naps. If it clouded up you could reach out and close the Tyvek door. Snug as a bug.
I really like this tent.
Here are a few photos:
Tarptent Sublite door side
Tarptent Sublite back side view
Tarptent Sublite front view
Tarptent Sublite rear view
Tarptent Sublite pole attachment detail (excuse blurry cell phone photo)
I'm really looking forward to using this tent on my summer hikes.
Edit:01/19/'09 at 10:00pm PST "Lower pole clips minimize pole sag."
