1P dual-wall dual-vestibule freestanding tent?

[Boyan B]

I already have a couple of trekking pole supported tents that meet the “dual wall/ dual vestibule” requirement, but occasionally I want to go with free-standing tent. However, looking at the usual suspects (BA, MSR, Nemo) it seems that the vast majority of 1P tents that are free-standing dual wall are mini coffins that are less than 38″ tall and, more importantly are single door/vestibule. There is the Nemo Hornet 2P that, from what I can gather, is actually a 1.5P tent, but the 15D fabrics are giving me pause. I am not too worried about getting into the mid/high 3lb overall weight if that buys me space and more robust fabrics.

Is there such a beast on the market that I should consider? I am thinking that I may have to buy something like the MSR Hubba NX2, not overly concerned about the near 4lb weight but the overall footprint is just too large for a single person. There just does not seem to be a market for “1.5P” freestanding tents.

[Ben H.]

Taptent Bowfin or TarpTent Rainbow if you use treking poles.

[Boyan B]

Already have two trekking pole supported tents that meet my needs. 2ae looking specifically for a freestanding tent.

[Franco Darioli]

The TT Bowfin is a freestanding tent (apart from the vestibules , like the rest…)

https://www.tarptent.com/product/bowfin-1s/

BTW, I like this feature :

I used that in the Scarp and Moment for cooking under cover. Not that one should do that inside a tent.

 

[Rob P]

Big Sky has several models that are free standing with dual vestibules…they have a couple of exoskeleton outer pitch models (Revolution, Chinook) and I think the Evolution is inner pitch.  You have to verify stock before you order though.  They are nice tents.

[Boyan B]

Ah, misread Ben’s response that both the Bowfin and Rainbow are trekking pole supported. My mistake.

Franco, am I reading the size diagram correctly that the inner of the Bowfin is only 20″ wide? I always use a 25″ sleeping pad, a good number of the product pics look like they are with a full size sleeping pad.

Rob, thanks for the Big Sky tip, I had never looked at their products. The Chinook looks mighty nice for a 3lb 4-season rated tent. But boy, do they make it difficult for the customer to part with their money, the website is absolutely horrid.

[Daryl and Daryl]

“the website is absolutely horrid”

I agree.  I rewrote some of it and sent it to them for their consideration.  No response.

I own their 2 person Revolution and love it.  Attention to detail is great.

[BlackHatGuy]

If you go to the Big Sky products website, yup, it’s pretty bad. But if you go to the Big Sky International website it’s much better. Seems you can order from either site.

[Franco Darioli]

from the product page : fits long /wide pad, 25″x77″

[bradmacmt]

I’ve had or have the bulk of them. I think the BA Copper Spur UL1 is the high water mark within the parameters you describe.

[Boyan B]

“I think the BA Copper Spur UL1 is the high water mark within the parameters you describe.”

Don’t think so, because of several reasons. First and foremost, one vestibule only. When you are out in the middle of nowhere soaking wet this becomes a giant PITA, as you need to juggle a wet backpack, wet clothes, and entry/exit all in a skimpy single vestibule. Been there, done that, don’t look forward to ever doing it again. I know people who can contort themselves around these types of obstacles, but I am not one of them. In addition, fabrics are needlessly fragile. Wind worthiness is compromised by the absence of guyout points, particularly in the foot area and the long unsupported non-vestibule side. I actually used to own the BA and sold it because I did not like it.

Right now I am liking the TT Bowfin and the BS Revolution. The revolution looks better on paper on account of its exoskeleton and “fly first” pitch mode, but it is very hard to find reliable reviews of the Revolution. Plus there is the baggage of poor customer service from a few years ago, which now is perhaps resolved.

[bradmacmt]

I’ve never needed two vestibules, but then I’ve never felt the need to store a backpack inside a tent… here in bear country it gets hung on a tree / left outside with a rain cover.

Would add, if you think the Hubba-type designs of the Bowfin or Big Sky are more wind worthy, I believe you’re in for a surprise.

 

[Paul S.]

Right now I am liking the TT Bowfin and the BS Revolution. The revolution looks better on paper on account of its exoskeleton and “fly first” pitch mode

All TarpTents are setup fly-first.  I’m not sure what makes the exoskeleton special, looks like weak attachments to me.

[Boyan B]

Would add, if you think the Hubba-type designs of the Bowfin or Big Sky are more wind worthy, you’re in for a rude awakening.

Have not seen the Bowfin or the Bigsky but the Hubba is most definitely more windworthy than the Copper Spur. There are more guyout points all around the tent particularly in the foot area. The Copper Spur is completely reliant on the poles as the sole source of support for much of the center pole. The fabric is heavier which for me is a worthy trade-off.

All TarpTents are setup fly-first.  I’m not sure what makes the exoskeleton special, looks like weak attachments to me.

Good point. They just feel overly fiddly, at least on the YouTube videos. Mitten hooks and straps everywhere. And those pitch loks…  The BS designs look more streamlined. Perhaps just how it looks on the videos.

[Sam Farrington]

Boyan,
There was a similar discussion at:
https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/external-frame-freestanding-tents/

The Kuiu Mountain Star is 2P,  but weighs only around 3# 3oz, and is not “fiddly,”  The video is at:
https://www.kuiu.com/backpack-hunting-tents/mountain-star-2-person-tent/12002.html?dwvar_12002_color=Gunmetal-Olive&cgid=sleepsystem-tents

Seem to recall that there are others if you have the time to spend googling.  This thread started by Eric B might give you a head start:
https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/an-outdated-tent-design/

Seems like many are looking for ‘free standing’ tents that are double wall, pitch dry in the rain, have ample space, and of course, are very light weight.  Have wondered why more of such tents are not offered, as they address your concerns, which I think are well expressed and shared by many backpackers.

[JCH]

Can’t stress strongly enough how completely I agree with everything Boyan B says about the BA Copper Spur.  This statement is the result of personal experience and those of hiking partners.  I understand the allure of the design and fabric choices, but in the real world of unpredictable weather the functionality of the shelter is severely lacking.

OTOH, the Hubba and Hubba Hubbas I have owned proved to be bomber.  Now too heavy for my purposes, but 100% sturdy and reliable.

re: 1P shelters with single vestibules.  Following 4 days of steady rain in the Hoh rain forest I will never again use such a shelter.  I’m too tall and too inflexible to unpack and set up my sleeping area in a 1P shelter while kneeling inside it with my pack.  Miserable!

[bradmacmt]

Have not seen the Bowfin or the Bigsky but the Hubba is most definitely more windworthy than the Copper Spur.

I’ve been using the Hubba for years. I’ve also owned the CSUL1… because of its profile I have found the exact opposite, that the CS (1P) is more wind-worthy than the Hubba (1P). There are extra guy points on the CS’s that most people don’t take advantage of.

I really like the looks of the Bowfin… it’s essentially the Hubba design with extra vestibule and a bit more interior space, so I can see it has appeal to the OP. I’d own one in a second, especially given that it can pitched with fly attached. However, given its Hubba like profile, I have doubts it’s as wind worthy as the smaller, more compact CSUL1. However, it’s undoubtedly “good enough”, just as my Hubba HP is (which ‘ll be using this coming weekend).

 

[J-L]

If the weight is acceptable, I’d recommend the Big Sky Revolution. Back in August, I ordered one on a Monday and received it at my house 5 days later. I sent several emails to them, all of which were answered in 1 business day. Before ordering, I would recommend contacting them for 2 things: see if the tent you want is in stock, and get a quote on the weight of the tent you want. Their in stock page is out of date and out of stock tents can take weeks to ship. They seem to be migrating to a new website right now as well as simplifying their tent line up.

Anyway, I got the Revolution 1P with solid fabric inner. I’ve used it about 10 nights now and am very pleased with it. The tent is easy to set up, easy to take down with cold hands, and easy to stuff or pack however you want. The poles pack down to shorter than usual – maybe 14” or 15” long. The tent saw one big storm in late September in the Sierra and it fared excellently. I stayed dry and warm inside despite high winds and a mix of rain/hail in the low 30s. The clips and external pole system is very strong – I have no concerns about the clips failing.

The inner is a little narrow, but it’s longer than most 1P tents. At 5’6”, I am just short enough that I can fit my pack lying flat above my head inside the tent. The large interior pockets (four of them!) help make the tent more liveable. And I definitely took advantage of the dual vestibules during the storm. At night, I put my Helinox Chair Zero inside one of the vestibules.

Overall, the tent is excellent and non-fiddly. Some downsides of the Revolution 1P:

• Sometimes I pitch the tent too taut and the inner is hard to zip up. Adjusting the stake position by 0.5-1 inches fixes this
• The solid fabric inner has a little mesh window at the top, which you can zipper over with solid fabric if you want. I wish the mesh window was bigger – it would add more weight, but also give the tent more options for ventilation and views.
• I think the tent could be a little lighter. The floor of the inner uses a nylon which I think is sil-coated on the outside and PU-coated on the inside. It’s tough, but I think a standard silnylon would be lighter and would pack smaller. The solid fabric on the inner is probably uncoated 1.1oz ripstop – there are lighter fabrics out there which would do just as well IMO. The fly fabric is a perfect balance of lightness and strength. A carbon fiber pole option would be nice.

The Bowfin 1S looks great to me. If you can deal with the struts and its fixed pack size, I would also seriously consider it. I’ve tried with other Tarptents, but those struts are a deal-breaker for me. Maybe for the weight of the Aeon, I’d put up with them.

Obligatory disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Big Sky. I paid full price for my tent.

[bradmacmt]

I got the Revolution 1P with solid fabric inner.

John, do you have a weight for your tent (everything w/poles, stuff bag and pegs)?

Thanks.

[Boyan B]

Brad and John, how robust are the tabs that attach the fly to the poles in the Revolution 1P?Would they survive decently strong wind, say 30moh sustained, 40mph gusts? The very few videos available suggest that the clips are fairly sparse, maybe four per pole. If that is the case a failure of one jeopardizes the structural  I integrity of the tent.

At this time I am strongly leaning towards the Revolution 1P, but need to decide on the inner. Not a big fan of solid inners which I find stuffy. Wish more companies would make their inners like the REI Quarter Dome. The solid part goes up maybe 15 inches, if you do that and then put a solid panel on the “roof” you have addressed the majority of the situations a solid inner is supposed to deal with, without the visual constrains of staring at a solid panel inches from your face on stormy days.

[J-L]

I’ve customized my Revolution 1P a little, with additional guylines and elastic hang loops inside, but here are the weights I have:

• Poles: 10.6 oz
• Fly: 14 oz
• Solid fabric inner: 15.9 oz
• Total: 40.5 oz

Big Sky’s website claims 41.1 oz for the tent, so it seems mine is a little under-spec. I use a MYOG stuff sack, but the factory stuff sack is overbuilt with compression straps.

@ Boyan: the clips will hold up just fine under those conditions. They really seem quite strong – I think you’d have to intentionally try to break one or be extraordinarily unlucky. On one night of my trip, the NWS point location forecast said “Windy, with a southwest wind 25 to 30 mph increasing to 30 to 35 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 50 mph.” I camped in a semi-protected site (of course), but some of those wind gusts were powerful and the tent shrugged it off.

This shows the solid fabric inner with the mesh opening at the top. I do wish the inner was exactly as you described, but this inner is great when cold winds are blowing.

Clips make a good drying rack:

This is the only campsite where I woke up to condensation in the tent:

I’m guessing it had to do with the cloudy conditions I woke up to:

Tent pitched at Thousand Island Lake before the storm:

Packing up inside the tent while it’s raining outside (I did not sleep with my bear can in the vestibule):

When packing it up in the wind, I took down the poles first and then gradually unstaked the tent before quickly stuffing it away and putting it in my pack’s back pocket:

[Boyan B]

Great info, I am sold. 40oz is very reasonable for a robust spacious shelter. How did you add guylines? I think the tent comes with four and I wish there were additional stakeout loops along the hemlines, but a local seamstress can easily add grosgrain loops there for under $20

[J-L]

The guylines I added are the bright yellow/green lines in the photos (mid-way along the ridgelines). There are loops to attach guylines there, but the tent does not come standard with any. The tent is small enough that I don’t think additional perimeter stake out points are needed. I haven’t even had to deploy the mid-point guylines yet.

[Boyan B]

Excellent! Thank you.

For anyone who is contemplating the Evolution 1P, they are on clearance on the bigskyproducts website, but not on the international site. And even on the products site some are listed at regular price, while the specials section has the ones that are significantly discounted
http://bigskyproducts.com/big-sky-specials.aspx

For a while I was tempted by the $100 discount on the Evolution but then I remembered why I wanted this tent in the first place – for iffy weather and iffy terrain, where I may not want to deal with a trekking pole supported tent.

[Sam Farrington]

The testimonials on this thread seem to put to rest the suggestion that the 2 pole free-standing wedge is a failed design.  No struts, little or big; no fiddle; and vestibules front and back.  BSI may have fully addressed the issues with the old design. Disbelief suspended.  Only issue I can think of is that the external poles may prevent snow from sliding off portions of the canopy, but no evidence even of that..

One thing with both the Revolution 1P and the Bowfin 1P:  The photos here and on the websites usually do not show that there are two vestibules.  Probably a matter of perspective, but a side view shot showing both vestibules, front and back, on the fully pitched tent might be useful.

Thanks for the heads up about the more friendly website on BSI vs BSP.

[Author]

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