BD One Shot

It's wider than the Akto. :)

>>It's wider than the Akto. :)

Is that all you're going to say, Ben?

Dondo—you, you Troll, you! d:-/
:-D

David, ask Brett about his. He's actually used his.

Backpack Gear Test. org is currently running a test on them it is reported here

Kevin, god I hope this site doesn't get any trolls; they are so bad over at sites like rc.com you have to bite into a piles of krap sandwiches to get to any nutritious info.
David, I have used my HiLight for only a few nights. Long story short I'd buy it again given all the current alternatives. Only close contender is the Rab Summit Extreme.
The BD is water-resistant to rain and easy to pitch. The vestibule is a very poor and floppy design, but that's not an issue on the Oneshot because it does not have one.
I researched my choice of lightweight mountaineering tent fairly extensively, and settled first on the epic fabric BD ultralight series; then chose the one sized for my height and hiking partner. Do the same and I think you can't go wrong. (as long as your requirement set is the same as mine : )

Brett, et. al.:

I dislike coming across negatively "every time" BD's Epic tents get mentioned. I know many of you have had great experiences with BD tents in rainy days and nights. Without negating any of your experiences… but saying that the fabric is "waterproof" is contrary to both BD's own specification and the experiences of many other testers and users.

I am not saying that Epic tents will leak water every time it rains. They obviously don't. However, much depend on actual circumstances, and not leaking some of the time is not the same as waterproof.

Truth be told, I quite like the design and weight of this tent, and am tempted to buy one myself. For places that aren't totally hot and humid, and where rain is either predictable or relatively fast moving, I think this tent comes pretty darn close to 'perfection'.

Ben, you are correct, it is not waterproof; that's an ignorant and unscientific word. It is water-resistant to the pressures I encountered in falling rain.
Previous post edited.

Hi Brett:

That was a quick response! You are much too harsh on yourself! :)

I must confess that the tempation is strong… if REI carried this tent, I would have caved long ago. Southern Cal (in summer and fall) and the CO Rockies are places where this tent is perfectly suited!

Black Diamond is straightforward about the epic-based tents being water resistant, not waterproof. Who's being foolish enough to claim they're waterproof?

I'll let the following from several people, inc. myself, speak for itself

I can say the same for the Firstlight, which I also own. I'll throw up a review for that, too, eventually.

David:

Reading the reviews, the only reasonable conclusion that anyone can make is simply that Epic's rain resistance varies widely depending on circumstances!

Like you, I too am seduced by shelters that are ultra light and elegantly simple. However, given that you are NOT restricting this tent to relatively dry alpine environments but are expecting to use it for sub alpine three seasons conditions — then you should take the sober view that since some folks have reported rain seeping through the fabric — then yes, rain really can soak through the fabric!

Taking the sober view is obviously not as exciting — but methinks that out in the field — this is one excitement you wouldn't want anyway — at least I wouldn't.

The way I would convince myself to buy this tent — which I am sure is wonderful for its intended use — is to treat it NOT as a "do it all" tent for both alpine and three-season sub alpine use, but only as an added arrow in your tent quiver.

I'm not sure what other tents you have beside the Akto, but one thing to avoid is buying another tent that's good for winter use when you've already got the Akto — and then not having anything truly suitable for "rainy summers". Anyway, food for thought. Don't agonize too much. :)

I wouldn't test it to it's limits on Mt. Waialeale (Kauai)…..Nor would this be my 1st (or 2nd) pick for river valleys in the Oympics. These were designed as high mountain tents by people who climb and hike and ski in the Mountain West.

The Quiver concept is a good way to look at it. I have a quiver of skis, too. No major piece of outdoor equipment performs perfectly for all conditions.

(it's just that these tents work near perfectly for what I do)
d:-)>

Why a One Shot though? Why not buy/take a Firstlight instead. I cannot imagine how a One Shot would fit into my quiver. It's smaller then a firstlight by a significant amount and really not *that* much lighter. If I want light then I take a tarp and bivy (or just a bivy really but that's me). If I'm going to haul and spend a decent sum of money on a "real" shelter than I might as well be comfortable spending time in it or be able to put 2 people inside it. I like my extreme buddies as much as the next guy but a One Shot is definitely "adventure racer" tight for two people. lol

And Ben you don't "have" to answer every BD tent thread. People do find your opinion by searching ;) That is if you can restrain yourself.

Christopher:

I don't answer every BD tent thread — but I do when I read terms like "functionally waterproof" or even outright waterproof. I shudder when I read stuff like that.

The other occasion when I'll post a cautionary note is when folks recommend single wall tents with non-breathable walls, touting their amazingly light weight — and then just leaving it at that. Not good.

Frequent posters like us never like to read (much less type) the same boring cautionary stuff over and over. But we both know that too many people don't use the search function. This doesn't make my BD and taprtent posts any more exciting to read, but at least you know where I am coming from…

It amazes me that regular length sleeping bags are usually fitted for a 6 footer, yet most shelters do not take into account the needed extra room for a pillow and sleeping bag insulation so you are not touching the walls. The floor sizes are also quoted for a laid out position and not actual floor space once the shelter is put up (bathtub effect decreases floor space in many tents). A 6 footer likely needs at least 7.5 feet (90 inches) of room or thereabouts.

David and John:

That's EXACTLY what I've been wailing about the MontBell single wall solo tents! At only 79" in length and with inward-sloping walls, MontBell's tents can't accomodate even their own sleeping bags without having both ends touching the tent walls simultaneously!

Any single wall tent can have condensation issues. Mostly, this can be managed — so long as the bag is kept away from the wet walls and doesn't get soaked. But you can't do that sleeping in a MontBell bag, inside a MontBell tent!

Stupid, stupid, stupid! 愚か, 愚か, 愚か!

The One Shot is a great tent but it is a bit too small for me. Anyone have any experience with the Black Diamond HiLight?

Charles,

Do a search. Brett has one and thinks the world of it.

Due to a recent problem pitching a tarp in strong wind on a small ledge at 12,400' I thought I'd go back and try a tent. A significant priority for me has been footprint; I like to camp high where one has to work to even find space for a bivy sack. The footprint of the Oneshot is not too much larger than a bivy sack; the weight with fibraplex poles is 960g (2.1 lbs). A trip last week with high winds showed both good and bad. It was great to have a sheltered place to eat, sitting in it with the door open. Sleeping was problematic, however, since the tent sides kept buffeting my back and head. Next time I'll try better pole guyline setup and strategic gear placement to hold the floor down.

Note that the bug net in the door is confined to a window at the top, so you have to choose between nice view and bug protection.

Hi Ben, thought I'd just adjust your Japanese a bit, it's either "ばか" or "馬鹿", or, to add emphasis, "バカ".

I've been thinking all spring and summer about whether or not to get the BD HiLight because of its small footprint, side entry, and great weight, but the Epic fabric… And the fact that I just don't NEED another shelter! So far I cannot find enough good reasons to get it.

Hi Miguel:

Thanks for the "added emphasis". I understand the Japanese use the term 馬鹿 to mean "stupid". It's Chinese in origin — and an abbreviation of a four-word saying — 馬鹿不分 — "horse deer not separate". And we all know, of course, that anyone who can't separate horse from deer is stupid indeed!

And we all know, of course, that anyone who can't separate horse from deer is stupid indeed!

When I saw my first wild moose standing only a meter away from the door of my tent one dawn in the White Mountains in New Hampshire, though, I really thought at first it was a horse! Glad it didn't decide to tread on me!

How would you read the sounds of those characters in Chinese? In Japanese it would be "Ba Ka Fu Bun", though no one says that. I'm pretty sure the expression comes from Chinese, as so much does.

I just hope no one mistakes the BD tents for horses!

"I know many of you have had great experiences with BD tents in rainy days and nights. Without negating any of your experiences… but saying that the fabric is "waterproof" is contrary to both BD's own specification and the experiences of many other testers and users. I am not saying that Epic tents will leak water every time it rains. They obviously don't. However, much depend on actual circumstances, and not leaking some of the time is not the same as waterproof."

If I recall correctly, after much initial excitement when they were released, Areality found that his BD tent leaked terribly in rainfall when he was using it in the Taiwanese alps, so he went back to his Akto.

馬鹿不分 – Ma Lu Bu Fen — as pronounced in Mandarin.