New Brooks Range Rocket Tent

[David Ure]

From the Outdoor Retailer Show:

http://www.trailspace.com/blog/2009/07/23/outdoor-retailer-brooks-range-rocket-tent.html

Price notwithstanding, it is interesting as a winter shelter. Anyone know what this fabric is and how durable it is, given this is where the cost is coming from?

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

Hmm…..that one person laying in it appears to take up the whole tent.

[David Ure]

Yeah – we are not talking about card playing room here, but as a winter bomber assault tent, who can argue with the weight? The price maybe….;)

[Raymond Estrella]

I bet it won't work for tall folks. Since it is called a two-person tent I will assume that two pads can fit in it. At 21.5 sq ft that means that it can only be 40 in wide by 77 in long.

Maybe they plan on people sharing one pad. Then it could be longer.

Interesting fabric though. Sails are made to take a lot of UV and abuse.

[scott burgeson]

Wouldn't this turn into an ice cave with two people breathing in it all night?

[David Ure]

You mean like every other winter specific tent in really cold conditions? Yes, probably unless the fabric is some eVent knock-off.

[Steven Evans]

It looks promising, and the weight is defnitely right. The blue fabric on the vestibule looks as though the it is Cuben Fiber (does CT^3 = Cubic Tech 3?). Glad to see they are making use of it if it is.

I'd be willing to try one out…but funds wouldn't allow for that right now. :(

[Brad Groves]

Hey- Pretty much guarantee that the fabric is Cubic Tech, they do an aluminized version, a little heavier than we might care for, but IIRC it's 1.5-2 osy.

[nicolas frazee]

an article on trailspace confirms it is the CTF3. my question is, why not make this a one person tent, then make a bigger version using 2 sets of poles and 2 probes for a 2 person tent? …

[Andrew Browne]

It's been nearly 12 months since a post on this tent. Has anyone out there got some first hand experience. On the surface it looks good, if you're not a big person, but does it live up to the mauufacturers expectations?

[Kai Larson]

I just bought one of these.

It seems well constructed. For one thing, I didn't have to seam seal it myself. All the seams are taped. Tent body weighs 1 pound 7.8 ounces, after adding several feet of trip-tease guylines, so weight without the guylines is very close to the 1 pound 6 ounces that it is advertised at. Space is reasonable for two people, particularly because it has a vestibule. It's not spacious, but it does seem livable. The tent came packaged with the set of poles (ridgepole is 5.7 ounces; pair of side poles is 5.4 ounces,) and a groundsheet (weighs 2.9 ounces)

There is a probe extender that is used in the event that you want to use an avalanche probe in place of the ridge pole, and the probe is too small. It weighs 2.4 ounces. My Camp carbon fiber probe was a little bit too short, even with this extender, but my Komperdell carbon probe (6.2 ounces) is long enough (with the extender.)

I haven't done anything other than set it up on my back yard, but it looks more sturdy than you'd expect from such a light weight tent. The fabric seems a lot like cuben fiber.

[Kai Larson]

An update after getting some actual field use of the Rocket Tent.

http://www.larsonweb.com/shelter/id9.html

[Steven Evans]

Thanks for the info!

[David Ure]

I like the design of this shelter. I wonder what it would weigh in Silnylon?

[Rakesh Malik]

"I wonder what it would weigh in Silnylon?"

42. The units are left as an exercise for the reader.

:)

[peter tooke]

Hi –
How tall are you? What is the total inner length? Useable length?
I am nearly 6'3" & quite broad shouldered… might work nicely as a solo if specs pan out.

thanks-
pete

[Don Roth]

I've used this tent for two expeditions in Chile last September. It seems that everyone has picked up on all the sexy features of this tent. It weighs nothing, is fully waterproof…

Has anyone ever been in a tent that can prevent this in winter conditions? The shape of the Rocket Tent allows you to point the "tail" directly into the wind, and therefore keep the door open just a bit. I found that I was able to keep it dry enough most of the time. CT3 is not the most breathable fabric in the world. If you completely close yourself up in this tent, condensation will form.

I know that a friend of mine that is 6'3" can lay in it completely flat. I wouldn't recommend it for a base camp shelter. It is definitely small. It's an assault tent for sure.

This tent would not be the same if it was made of silnylon. Ct3 has a really cool "bulletproof" feeling. It also has great thermal properties. It retains heat well. It also reflects sun, so the tent stays a touch cooler on those scorcher, glacier days.

It is very resistant to wind and does not stretch. However, it is not puncture proof. You have to be careful with sharp objects and rocks underneath. This includes the probe that serves as the center support pole.

It seems like this group of people is interested in a serious mountain tent. The Rocket Tent is exactly this. Yes, at 600 bones, it is a bit pricy, but if you've spent thousands of dollars to get to a big peak, the little extra could make a difference. The weight difference is really incredible.

I hope this helps. I'll keep following this thread.

[Matthias Schnapka]

A few nice images about this tent in use would be fine.

Many Thanks

P.S. I`m thinking pretty hard to buy one of this tents…….but I`ll use it for Solo long distance trekking and hikking in the highlands of Iceland or Scotland.

[nanook ofthenorth]

Thanks Don, big help there. Seems to me that the Firstlight Tents are just about the perfict winter tent for snow. Windproof, mostly snowproof, they are light and breath. I see the Rocket as more a summer mountaineering tent capable of being used in the high alpine but delicate for use on rocks/bivy correls/ect.
Am I wrong? Very curious but the cost, delicacy and 'nichness' make me think otherwise.
Usually if I'm climbing in the winter I dont have a probe or poles, seems more of a ski tour thing is anything.
Cheers, Rob

[Kai Larson]

One of the big advantages of the Rocket Tent over the Firstlight is the vestibule. In harsh weather, I really like the convenience of a vestibule, for cooking and gear storage.

[Don Roth]

I have been able to use the Rocket Tent and the BD HiLight in similar conditions. For my present trip to Chile, I have only brought the Rocket Tent. Granted, all of my "projects" for the season are ski mountaineering based.

The Rocket Tent is much more stabile in the wind, and sheds snow much better. It is much lighter. And it is easier to set up in a storm!

For all that is said of breathable fabrics, I have always been wetter in the BD than the Rocket Tent. The vestibule not only protects my gear, it allows the door to stay open at the top, acting as a huge vent.

I learned the hard way about the puncture-ability of cuben fabrics. My first proto of this tent came back looking like swiss cheese. But, now there is a ground cloth cut for the footprint, and made of the same material. This adds durability, and can be used for repairs as well. I have also learned to be more careful and had no issues.

There is no doubt, this tent excels when set up on snow! It is kind of a niche tent – but it's a popular niche. It's perfect for the objective that has a long approach, and at least begins in the snow – whether a ski or climb. It's a mountaineer's tent.

Cheers,
Donny

[nanook ofthenorth]

Thanks – sounds like a great tent , its the $600 price tag that gets me! Sounds like it might be a good Tent year round for weekend climbing/ski trips in the rockies

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