Nigor Didis 2 Tent, Part 2: A DIY/MYOG Case Study for Aftermarket Modifications to Improve Tent Performance

Background

In Part 1, we published a Nigor Didis 2 Tent review, and I noted many small problems. I promised a Part 2, as a follow-up article on how to solve some of those problems. This is my follow up article.  I am presenting this somewhat as an educational MYOG (“make your own gear”/”do-it-yourself”) article.  I am also describing things to look out for and how to handle them. The techniques herein can be applied to any tent, and are not necessarily unique to this particular model or brand.

Classification of the Nigor Didis 2 Tent

Nigor had classified the tent as “all-season,” but I pointed out a problem with the rear end: you cannot close it off in bad weather because it provides an entry point for spindrift. Nigor agreed with my comments and explained that they meant “3-season.” This is not a snow tent.

I do think the tent could be a good snow tent in true “all-season” conditions with appropriate changes.

Pole Sleeve Tension

The problem shown in the photo is that the tension strap (used to tension the pole sleeve over the pole) was simply too short, making it very challenging to get the pole tip into or out of the grommet. It was hard enough on a summer day; it would be very tough in bad weather (especially wearing mittens). Snow or mud on the knob on the pole tip (see below) might make it impossible.

The good news is that a determined MYOG-er may be able to fix the strap length problem quite simply.  I could see that there was enough strap there; however, it was wasted by being folded back into a large unnecessary loop. Now, if you were to rip open the bar tacking (blue arrow, top half) and open up that loop, you will have enough slack to easily get the pole foot in and out of the eyelet (bottom half). (And of course, any UL walker, and especially any MYOG enthusiast, has a good stitch ripper!)

It took me just a couple of minutes to solve this problem. The bar tack region is now under the buckle, making the strap just longer enough to improve usage significantly. After you have pitched the tent, you tighten up each strap (just on one side) to get good tension in the pole sleeves. That’s what I do.

Nigor agreed with this observation and the suggested change. Was the problem really that the designer correctly specified the length of the webbing and whoever did the sewing had ‘helpfully’ and mistakenly sewn the loop at the end?

Pole Feet