New Big Sky Soul – double wall freestanding tent…18 ounces

[Robert Guild]

Does anyone know the packed size of this tent? I explore high desert terrains where I have to pack extra water so, while light weight is important, getting everything, including bag, tent, extra water, and food, in the pack is a huge issue for me. The length of folded poles can mean the difference between getting them in your pack or having to tie them to the outside.

[Daryl and Daryl]

"there is no room for your pack"

I solved this problem by sleeping on my pack. Is that possible with your pack?

[EndoftheTrail]

My own BS Mirage 2P packs down really small — prolly just 1/3 of the size of my old BA Seedhouse 2 SL. Indeed, if I recall correctly, my Mirage 2P's tent sack is actually a respositioned HS Rainbow tarptent sack! NO direct experience with the BS Soul, but considering it's just 40% the weight of my Mirage 2P — it likely boasts a significantly slimmer tent sack as well.

Separately, depending on your pack design — have you considered attaching your tent to the outside of your pack? To me, that's where tents properly belong. It's the first thing you reach for to set up camp — so being on the outside is nice. And when it's raining while you strike camp, you can first pack up and close up your backpack completely — then put on your rain jacket, take down your tent and pack it to the outside of your pack. No more worries about opening a pack to expose it to the rain — while jamming a wet, muddy tent in.

[Nathan Watts]

"Does anyone know the packed size of this tent?"

Here are some pictures to help you understand the size. Shown are the poles, fly, and inner rolled up and loosely compressed in a compression sack. I pack stakes separately. Normally I will add a ground sheet to the roll, but I didn't in this picture. The last pic shows a size comparison to an HMG Echo 1 shelter that I'll be selling to make way for the BS Soul. The tarp shelter includes the inner, tarp, and beak rolled and inserted into the HMG stuff sack. No poles inside the HMG sack as they are a bit too long.

[John Mc]

I'm reactivating this subject. I'd like to hear if others have more info on this tent.

Nathan?……..how's the tent been?

[Eric Blumensaadt]

Dale Stuart is EXACTLY correct. This style of entrance lets in rain and snow as soon as it is opened.

I say this from owning an early 1980s Jansport "wedge" tent with the same type of opening. Yeeeeccchh!

BTW, Several times here on BPL I have railed against this entrance design as a "failed design" and even been taken to task for posting my own experience and opinion on design, I stand by my statement, The FACTS show it as a failed design. Period.

[Sam Farrington]

There you go again Eric!
My modded One Planet Goondie, while not made for a gale force pitch, does not let vertical rain in when the door is almost completely open due to the cross support strut at top. And the solid inner version can be pitched without letting in water, as the DWR will resist rain for the very brief time it takes to pitch. The top net window vents on the inner are vertical, so do not allow much rain in during the pitch.

The real problem is that most of the mass market domes, cross pole or hubbed, or even tunnels for that matter, do not hang the inner so that it goes up with the outer when pitching. Since they all have that problem, I don't know why you just pick on the cross-pole domes.
Please be more indiscriminate. As Arlo Guthrie said, in America they don't discriminate, they'll get anybody.

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