solo winter tent

I am not convinced that 24" tent width can be "a lot of room" for someone with 24" shoulders — although I can appreciate the fact that people have different needs for space…

I think you should send your tent over here for an objective examination. :)

nm

David
I am 5'10", 190 lbs (most of this weight is around my waste)
The Akto has plenty enough room for a full pad and bag.
Hang a light from the center clip (provided) and a small pocket for stuff on one side. Unless you use the fly without the inner tent, you will not need the foot printed ground cloth. But it's nice to have.
The vestibule is ample for cooking and shelter for your pack.
After the past week (7 days)of rain, snow and freezing rain the tent shook out and packed up like new. I'd like to find some better tent stakes than they provide (soft aluminum)
They are already bent like pretzels.

Lots of room for me at 6'1" 192 lbs. Just had to stretch out in it today. Vestibule is huge for a tent this size.
Snow in the photo is about knee deep.

Looks good John, and your using the footprint.
and 6'1" is no problem when sitting up?

I am a long backed 6'1" and as long as I don't try to sit "bolt upright" it's fine. Sort of a natural sitting up is no problem from the ground level. Sitting on the BA Insulated Air Core will make it a bit tight.

ya know John that your justifying because you like the tent. It's too darn short for the normal human being. That having been said, it's a great tent. For me, it's 3/07/07, and last weekend it had to be -10 on the A_T.but I don't really know. 50 – 70 mph winds had no effect, buffered by the trees of coarse. If 'the tent makers 'are listening, they would learn and act by our comments on this great but not perfect tent.
As an engineer for the past 35 years as well as an Emt (and I've read your posted biopsy) you come with great credentials. We most probably could help them improve what they have. If they are looking, maybe they will ask.

nm

There I go, making assumptions again.

Hey! David, I never said that you needed therapy! That would be so rude — I would never say anything like that — not out loud anyway… :)

hit enter by mistake

All my winter backpacking is going to be below tree line and it will be (by next season) either a 3-pound titanium Goat or a 5-pound Kifaru tipi/wood stove system. I will have external heat-period. I have much more on this on my 40 BELOW thread on the winter hiking forum.

My name is Don and I am a gear-aholic. I currently have the BD Firstlight with vestible, and have spent several night in it in my native Georgia mountains. Here is me in about 40 degrees and fog in the tent, notice the condensation, and I'm six feet tall and touching when extended

I also have an EV-2, and have had it in similar situations with much less condensation, but it's lack of a floorless vestible has cause some theoretical concerns. I think a tarp our front would let you get off some wet gear before retiring. It is very long inside, plenty of room

I have had and sold my Akto. I took it on a trip last year about this time and Georgia got some decent snowfall during the night, and dang near pushed the Akto down on my face. I was up all night pushing snow off the tent. I was freezing my kester off, and driving in all the pegs and then removing them with numb fingers was hard. I see the merits of this tent, but decided to pass.

I have other tents that I haven't fully tried out (ID MK3), as well as an ID eVent bivy. The eVent bivy I slept in this past Saturday on the North Georgia/N. Carolina border on a Mount called "Dick's Knob" (4600ft) trying to see the lunar eclipse. It got colder than I expected and I had a couple of cold spots on my 20 degree bag, and I found out why when I awoke to light sleet accumulation on my eVent Unishelter. I had frozen condensation around my mouth area when I awoke

In conclusion, the winter tent I've been most happy with has been the EV-2, but I've read some negative reports of condensation on the web, but I've not experienced them.

Don

I own the BD first light and really like it, albiet small, it is comfortable sleeping diagonally, and with my rain jacket pulled up over my feet, there's no condensation on the foot of my bag anymore, when condensation does occur.