Solo-Plus Tent Round-Up

I don't think Chris needs the Calvary in this case. He has stated why the report was done the way it was and there is no reason to not believe what he has said. Chris is good. We all know that.

Rather than pick a side that does not need picking, why are many of you (and I am focusing on the Mlifers who seem to have Ryan's ear) not asking why BPL does not have sufficient resources for these tests? Why has the directive/parameters for completing a review / SOTM changed? Are you all okay with BPL disappearing into the abyss within 8-12 months?

@Chris – it is perfectly understood that geographic and climate conditions are very specific and that testing a tent in Florida will be much different than in the Northern Rockies, but please don't misunderstand what I am asking. I would like to see, at minimum, a review of the features of the shelter, pros and cons of use, comparison between the shelters (because you used them all), etc. I am not expecting a backpackgeartest.org approach that tests over several months.

"Another disheartening thread.

Agree. Some much negativity the past several months."

+2

There is such a thing as constructive criticism; then there is the other kind, which is sadly all too much in evidence on this thread. Ponder the former, Chris, and recognize the latter for what it is. You made a good faith effort for little, if any, personal gain and, IMO, you deserve better than a lot of what is floating around on this thread.

I used to love spending time here; this was the most respectful and informative website I'd ever been to. Now it seems that the exact opposite is in fashion. I sure hope it goes away soon. Like my grandmother used to say "if you don't have anything good to say than don't say anything at all".

"Rather than pick a side that does not need picking, why are many of you (and I am focusing on the Mlifers who seem to have Ryan's ear) not asking why BPL does not have sufficient resources for these tests? Why has the directive/parameters for completing a review / SOTM changed? Are you all okay with BPL disappearing into the abyss within 8-12 months?"

BPL is now what it is. We cannot change that or its future. That is up to the owner. We cannot brow-beat anyone into changing. RJ is fully aware of the concerns. I have posted enough on the subject myself. The future is out of our hands. The future of BPL is what RJ wants it to be. He is fully aware of the mood of the (paid/not paid) membership.

So most of us can go on enjoying the great conversation of the forums, keeping a positive outlook in our mind's eye. A positive attitude in the forums will probably keep a lot the wonderful people here. Moaning and complaining could drive them away.

We may be our own worst enemy.

Should the editorial content improve and other benefits materialize, then all the better.

To be honest, there is so much good content presented by members in the forums that many articles pale in comparison. Do we really need a STOM? Just ask a question about any specific piece of gear and plenty of people will chime in with valuable real-world experience and advice. I cannot remember one piece of gear in a STOM report that had not been discussed in detail beforehand. I find that much more valuable most of the time. Although I do miss the Roger & Will collaboration pieces.

Peace

The feedback here confirmed some of my suspicions before we published this article, and led me to believe that it deserved a title change. It certainly is not a State of the Market Report by prior BPL standards, but does still provide a nice overview of available products. I felt that "Round-Up" more accurately describes the content. This was an editorial error that should have been noticed and corrected before publication. Sorry for the inconvenience!

-Daniel

Many in this thread have stated that BPL ain't what it used to be. For a newcomer, what did it used to be? What's changed (not asking why or who necessarily)? Just curious….

Move this to Chaff if you wish but I started the negativity here. I take my grand daughter MaKailynn or "Mak" dining and dancing at a country dancehall/saloon/BBQ/roadhouse type place. I know, great place to take your grand daughter, but on Thursdays its a really clean crowd. The food at this place can be fantastic at times,ok other times,sometimes pretty bad. I usually just eat it and dont complain. Mak loves their fries. really good beer battered fries. sometimes not so good. Mak complains when they are bad the waitress says that when they get busy they have to make big batches and they just are not as fresh and does not offer to get her new ones at all. The food might be good it might not you never know. I have gone from buying meals like a rack of ribs to maybe a sandwich or maybe hit McDonalds on the way and just buy soft drinks and dance there. I have complained about the consistacy to the head bartender and waitresses and they just seem mad that you complained and the consistacy still aint there. The dining crowd seems to be getting smaller and mostly people are just coming out to dance. I would like to eat there more but dont like paying for bad food. The owner never talks to us at all about the food. Im watching the place go downhill I hear they are in financial trouble and its really to bad cause its a fun place and the food when its good can be real good and there is no other place like this for us to go. And to an outsider it seems so easy to fix,like Im sorry I will get you some fresh fries. But instead the cook comes out yelling you dont like my food I dont care. Sorry for the stupid analogy, I thought it might be less offensive and easy to understand and its a true story. I wont complain anymore it does not help and only makes you look bad

Wow while I was writing a story fresh fries came, Thanks

I think this 'round up' just came across as a little insulting to a BPL audience that has a pretty low tolerance for fluff. Truly, there is nothing here that couldn't be gleaned from a 5 minute online spec comparison, except for pictures of the some $1600 worth of high tech gear on the reviewers lawn. Its basically a farce. I'm sorry to be so harsh, but its genuinely a little frustrating to be paying for 'content' thats not really content. OK, so I'm a little protective of BPL, because a good majority of online media is pretty superficial. I visit BPL with the expectation of substance, I don't think thats unfair.

There's a few reasons for the high expectations, one of which is Will Rietveld. Seriously, that dude crushes. His reviews are pretty much unparalleled, because he gets 'out there' like few people do, and he's got a keen eye for design. He's also METICULOUS (just felt like that had to be in caps). Dave C is sort of like a Will Jr., except lower case meticulous, and a maybe little bit more of a crusher (just a little though ;). Its obvious that there is no way for a website like this to properly compensate the kind of work that goes into one of Will's reviews. Here we have a fit retired man living in alpine heaven with boundless enthusiasm for the outdoors and gear testing (a winning recipe for BPL). His reviews, as well as Ryan's early UL insights, which once seemed like secret dark arts, were some of the reasons that bpl was actually able to pull off the trick of pay for online content.

Basically, I'm suggesting that BPL needs to clone more Will Rietvelds. The business model seems to rest on these 'for the love of it' outdoorsman who crush, and who know their stuff. Anybody know any mad geneticists?

I don't know how many of you are professional writers, but as one myself I agree with Raymond's assessment about not taking the criticisms personally. Criticisms in a public forum are part and parcel to being a professional writer. If you can't take the guff, you shouldn't be writing in a public arena, especially if there are paying readers. Whether or not you get paid a pittance is beside the point; if people are paying the publication, then you as a writer need to listen to what the readers want, even if you don't agree with them. Readers (paying or otherwise) are what keep all publications afloat. Kill the readers, or their interest in the publication, and all your bemoaning how you were treated becomes a moot point. Remember, all writers write for their audience, not for themselves. That's the very reason you write.

Develop a thick skin, roll with the punches, learn to find the sweet spot and to heed good advice, and never assume that your writing can't use improvement.

I think constructive criticism about this article belongs on this thread. Criticism of BPL in general belongs somewhere else. Use this article as an example, if you want, but saying you think BPL has somehow turned into something it wasn't because of one article is silly.

As for this article, I stand by my previous (constructive) criticism. Comparing tents is hard. Designs vary quite a bit, and there is no easy way to get an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the various models. Simple things like determining floor space or head room are tricky to represent. Some tent makers have great diagrams, so it is easy to see, while others leave a lot to the imagination. Even great articles, like this one: http://hikelighter.com/2011/12/29/sulxul-enclosed-shelter-comparisons/, don't do a great job of describing the dimensions of a tent. This is where you come in. You could include layouts. If I had an easy to read tent layout reference of the 17 setups (in the hikelighter article) and the 5 here, it would make the buying decision much easier. This way I could make my own decision as to whether a tent was a one person, or one person plus tent.

One of the things I really like about this site is that it is filled with scientific, nerdy type information. Much of this goes over my head. But it is objective. Making the diagrams I want would not be easy (which is why it isn't common) but it would be a great example of making a complex subject easily understood (something you do quite often).

As a scientist and amateur statistician, I know how long it can take to gather and analyze data, then write a meaningful report. I offer my thanks to ALL authors who take the time to do reviews and/or technical articles for BPL. I have about 20 in my "Favorites" list.

In my opinion, the most prominant/prolific of these are:

Roger Caffin
Will Rietveld
Alan Dixon
Ryan Jordan

Here are just three examples of in-depth technical articles from the past. All are still available; you just have to search through the Articles and similar categories.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/selecting_stoves_for_cold_weather_part_1.html
By Roger Caffin 2006

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/lightweight_guide_to_backpacking_in_sustained_rain.html
By Alan Dixon 2006

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/tent_stakes.html
By Will Rietveld 2008

and reviews:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/katabatic_sawatch_quilt_crestone_hood_review.html
By Roger Caffin 2011

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/00059.html
By Don Johnston and Ryan Jordan 2002 re: Nunatak Arc Alpinist quilt

Access to in-depth information of this kind is why I bought a Life Membership at BPL. These forums are a side benefit.

Thanks again, authors.

Wandering Bob

While I know it is good to see some of these SOTM reviews that will compare a multitude of different items, why not just use the system where someone would review one item and then other people could add their thoughts on its usage also? People could even write about comparisons for other similar items they have used also and do a compare and contrast. I seem to remember that there were a lot of reviews like that previously on this site. Maybe free it up so that more than just a handful of people are writing reviews so that more gear is covered. That might allow reviews to be more timely also and those contributing to it could add how their item has worked out long term. Just an idea.

I have no idea how many people subscribe to BPL.

But it seems to me that there are less than one dozen on this thread that are posting negative comments and seem to believe this piece is another symptom of the ultimate slow demise of BPL.

Frankly, I think people change and people get bored. When people reminisce about the "good old days" of BPL, I suspect there's a certain loss of perspective that those were days when much of the info on this site was genuinely new and refreshing to them.
I think a lot of the current angst has more to do with boredom than BPL or industry stagnation.

It gets old, eventually.

It's certainly gotten old for me.

That's why I haven't bothered with renewing. It's not some sort of political statement or jab at RJ or anyone else. It's because I'm simply not too interested anymore. I don't read 90% or more of the member content. I don't need a solo+ tent, and when I do, I'm confident in my own assessment of what I need. Or I'll turn to the forums or blogs, which usually are months if not years ahead of the curve. I'm just not interested in new jackets, fabric technologies, etc. The bulk of the content here is gear driven, so if you're over the gear thing…What's left?

I don't feel like BPL is doing things all that differently. I am.