Big Sky tents

[Donna C]

Please don't beat me up with this thread. I know the history of the manufacturer, but this has been several years ago and wondered if anyone has used the Mirage 1P tent and would like their take on it. I also would like to hear about anyone who has recently dealt with Big Sky.
Thanks!

[Turley]

I purchased a Big Sky Rev 1P last year and below is the thread regarding buying experience.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=75914

Overall, the quality of construction is excellent and the two door/vestibule design is well thought out and easy to live out of. The Mirage 1P is roughly the same design as the Rev 1P only a hybrid vice double wall.
When I purchased Big Sky was very responsive to both emails and phone messages but I've been trying to contact since just after Thanksgiving to see whether the inner tent of the Rev 1P will work with the new Chinook 1P 4-Season Shelter…..and have only received one reply after numerous attempts.

[Donna C]

Thanks….says it all. What was I thinking???

[Charles P]

i have a Mirage 1P and love it. Really love it. Big Sky has suffered from organizational and communication problems, but what swayed me last year was that despite those complaints i never found one single gripe with the actual product. So last spring, after a bunch of emails with Bob at Big Sky, I made the plunge and ordered the Mirage 1P. It wasn't in stock, which I knew, but Bob offered to let me use a Mirage 2P while I waited. I took him up on it and happily tried out the 2P on a few short trips, loved it, and knew I had made the right choice on the Mirage 1P. When I got my tent, I returned the loaner and all has been well. All throughout the process Bob was super responsive via email.

Back to the tent. The Mirage 1P is a great design. Super roomy with lots of head room. The 2 vestibules are fantastic and really useful, and the shelter itself is easy to pitch. I wouldn't hesitate to buy again from Big Sky — the products are excellent.

[Donna C]

Charles,
How does it handle heavy rains and winds? Is it possible to add extra guylines?

[Turley]

"Is it possible to add extra guylines?"

Most pictures of the Rev 1P do not show them, but there is an additional guy-line attachment point midway up each end (head & foot) to help in windy conditions. I'm assuming the Mirage 1P would have them too.
Even without using them though, the tent is very stable.

[Charles P]

yep, has 4 guyline points. when guyed out the tent is tight at a drum. in october i had to set up in some pretty consistent wind in the sierras (probably about 25-30 mph) and the tent was totally stable throughout the night.

i chose the SS-UL fabric option. fantastic stuff. light but so far sturdy. haven't had it in heavy rains but in light rain has been totally fine.

[Andy Duncan]

I had a good experience with the customer service at Big Sky. Recently I needed a new set of poles and after sending an email I received a response within a day. The poles arrived in the time promised and one of the new lightweight stakes was included for free.

Before I was aware that there was a problem receiving the tent directly from the manufacturer I decided to order an Evolution 2P. I wanted to use it within a month and since it wasn't available on the Big Sky website I started calling the retailers that offer their products. A store in Colorado had one in stock and they shipped it in time for the trip.

I've used it in the Sierras and slept well during very windy nights. The quality is very good and I like the attention to detail. The Mirage would save some weight but I like that the Evo is modular, many times we just use the inner net tent.

[Donna C]

Do any of you have the composite poles or the heavier aluminum?

I'm looking for a tent that has the side entrance and this or the Notch just does it for me. I love my Hubba, but I'm trying to cut down the weight within a reasonable price. Cuben cost is out of the picture. While I do like the Contrail, front entry is not for me.

[Charles P]

I have the aluminum poles. I went for durability over weight.

Search the articles here on BPL for a review on the Mirage 1P by Will Rietveld. Its pretty much what sold me — and he recommended the aluminum poles.

[Josh Thomas]

In the past year, I've ordered a Rev 1P and (in a separate order) a groundsheet. Communication was great both times, and I'm super pleased with the products. I know they've had problems with customer service and order fulfillment in the past, but it seems to be a new day for them. With the quality of their products, that's great news for all us!

[Donna C]

Thanks, gentlemen. I have a few decisions to make but this was very helpful. I would most likely get something with more fabric and less mesh for the body. I have plans to do a thru hike in the Shenandoah NP this year and then do Wonderland Trail next year. I think this may be well-suited for both adventures.

[Turley]

I have both the mesh and
breathable fabric inner tents for the Rev 1P (one
works great in warmer summer months, the fabric
blocks wind and better suited for cooler temps).
I went with the Rev 1P over the Mirage for this versatility.

[Donna C]

I did check that out and do like the fact that it is double wall and can be set up together with fly and mesh.

[John Davis]

Chris, I am about to pull the trigger on a Rev 1P as well. Can you provide any comments on the interior height? I am 6' and it seems like it would be fine but real world information certainly helps. Thanks

[Turley]

Being vertically challenged (5'5"), I have substantial space above my head while sitting up so would imagine you'd be fine. Additionally, I purchased mine in March 2013 and believe the new model/revision is longer.

[Daryl and Daryl]

I'm not too keen on having poles on the outside of the fly. The attachment points look like they would be prone to leaking.

Any of you owners getting leaks in these areas?

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