New OD Box/ MontBell Tent

Looks like the Arai Raizu 1 that's been around for years:

http://www.arai-tent.co.jp/lineup/shelter/raiz1.html

but the Shelter 11 is lighter than the Raizu 1:

http://www.arai-tent.co.jp/lineup/shelter/shelter2.html#a

But if the new MB has mesh at both ends then it may be an improvement on these …

Arapiles, yes, I've seen just about every tent available in Japan, going all the way back to the mid-70's. I can't say anything more about the Uno because I haven't seen it yet. It just came out today. The Arai Shelter is a cool tent, but it's not nearly as spacious as the Uno, plus the Uno weighs 760g with two poles. That's impressive. From what Mr. Tsuchiya said when I talked with him about the tent early in June, the design was based on the BD Firstlight. The purpose of the design was to provide a completely waterproof tent that could be used above treeline. I'm not sure if it is breathable; will have to find out when I visit the store. I'm also not sure if they will offer a side entrance version, which I much prefer.

Any idea on the floor dimensions? I hope they make it a sufficient size for us taller folks.

Steven, it's Friday night here (Friday morning in the States) and there's a very powerful typhoon approaching. Not sure if it will even be possible to get into Tokyo tomorrow. Depending on conditions, if I can get to Tokyo I will definitely go take a look at the tent and let everyone know about details. As I told Brett earlier today, if the typhoon hits then maybe it will be good time spent on practicing extreme tarp pitching skills!

Miguel,
No need to risk life and limb for the tent size. When you get a chance, let us know – there may be potential for more Montbell points and Beer money for you and Brett…if I fit.

Steve

If this puppy is breathable my search for a lightweight tent has finally reached the motherlode.

:-) That's what I was hoping, too!

Gee-zzz! 760 grams total! I may have my solo tent, if it has a roof vent and door mesh.. I wonder if that is dry-tec, or what?
Ben, you are the tent guru; you excited yet?

I'd be more excited if I knew this would fit a 6 foot (plus) Gaijin.
Why do I have the feeling that the length of this will only accommadate a pre-war generation Japanese alpinist? :-)>

Do find out the full specs and post—Typhoon be #x#!!!&% darned! This is for the cause! if this isn't made with a W/B material of some sort, this configuration of shelter (w/ the venting options of a Firstlight-style tent) will be a condensation trap.

Wow! 1lb 10oz!

Can't wait to hear about the fabric spec…

I'm a little rusty on my Japanese… what are the dimensions?

If the weather is right Brett and I, two of the three MB Pimps/ Stooges (Ben being the third), will very likely be meeting at OD Box either tomorrow or Sunday to look at the tent and talk shop. We'll try to take photos and get dimensions and report back to you.

Kevin, I'm worried about the material not being breathable, too. We'll see. And you may very well be right about the size… can't see why they still stick to old dimensions. Japanese men are getting very tall these days.

Yes, I want to know what Montbell is paying the 3 of you and how I can get a piece of the action. :-D

As for the Typhoon (does it have a name, yet?), excellent opportunity for testing out your hardshells. You can give us a report on these, too, hee, hee.

I will be in Tokyo for business meetings during the week of July 23rd. Where is OD Box located? I would like to find time to stop in and see if a 6'2" american body will fit in that new tent. I have a Zoid 1 now, but wow, 27oz…

Dave,
While performing your length test, check to see if a 6'3" Canadian body would fit in there – much appreciated.
Steve

Miguel – Thanks for posting. Please report back with more details!

Yes Brett… I am excited. If this thing is wp/b — and if the dimensions are big enough to keep all four walls away from my bag — I may just buy one!

Miguel

Yes, if it has a breathable fabric that'd be an improvement over the previous offerings from Arai – but from the photo that fabric looks a lot like the UL Ballistic nylon used on their zelts. What was the weight of the Nippin breathable alpine tent?

Edit: this is the zelt I was thinking of:

http://webshop.montbell.jp/goods/disp.php?product_id=1122281

Kevin

Actually a pre-war generation alpinist would probably be taller than a post-war one – the loss of height was due to post-war malnutrition … and yes, they do need to update their clothes sizing.

A little poking around on Yahoo Japan found this:

http://item.rakuten.co.jp/artodbox/10039210/

As before, weight is 760 grams.

Dimensions are 200 cm x 100 cm x 95 cm high.

Packed size is 8 cm x 27 cm.

Canopy is 15 denier Ballistic Airlight ripstop nylon with a urethane coating.

Groundsheet is 30 denier ripstop nylon with a urethane coating.

Frame is featherlite shock-corded 8.5 mm poles

That isn't a WPB fabric unfortunately.

From this photo you can see that it does appear to have a half-mesh door (which they seem to be referring to as the ventilator) and an eye-brow vent (which is a good addition).

The black text at the bottom is a series of warnings saying that this isn't an ordinary tent – it says that the fabric isn't at all breathable so you can't leave it zipped up, it can't be used in winter because snow might block the ventilator and it's very fragile so it could be torn on rocks.

Sigh…. :-(

Everyone knows that all tents, but especially single wall types, are prone to condensation. Most times, this can be managed, so long as your bag doesn't touch the walls and get soaked (soaked bag = cold bag).

I have laid down inside a MontBell solo dome tent that's also 200 cm in length. I'm 5'9" and using MontBell's standard length bag, both ends of the bag touch the walls simultaneously!!! While this tent may truly be an UL godsend for those who use short sleeping bags, the rest will find this tent simply too short. And no, you can't solve the problem by sleeping diagonally because the tent isn't wide enough either.

Japanese companies certainly aren't going to accomodate a 6 foot person when our own Black Diamond doesnt' in most of their tents.

Ben
Good point.
This tent is even smaller than the Firstlight. I am shorter than you, about 5'6", but I could not fit with a mat and a sleeping bag inside the BD without touching the two ends, and as you pointed out it would not make much difference sleeping side ways.
BD Firstlight 208x103x107
MontBell Uno 200x100x95
Of course the Firstlight is supposed to be a two person tent, but you need to really like each other.
For some reason, anyway, I do not feel comfortable sleeping sideways, I need to be parallel to the floor.
We should have a standing warning for new buyers not to compare floor measurements but to lay down inside the tent on top of the chosen mat and inside a sleeping bag. Suddenly then a lot of tents become too small.
Franco

6' 2" and I fit in a Firstlight or I-tent on the diagonal and no problems with the Lighthouse and Eldorado. Haven't tried in the latest BD Superlight Tents, though—I wonder about the Oneshot, it's only 2" longer than a Firstlight and and a whole lot narrower.

Most of their tents were originally designed for the Alpine Mtneering fast and light crowd. Alpine climbers are notably masochistic when it comes to Shelter space.:-)> Guilty, as charged.

Franco, as to your latter conclusions, you are quite right.

Sure, individuals can choose to contort themselves or sleep in fetal postion… but my points regarding MontBell are:

1. MontBell must know that condensation can be an issue with its single wall tents.

2. Even the shortest MontBell bags will touch the tent walls at both ends simultaneously!