Yama Mountain Gear 1P Cirriform Min Tarp Review

Nice overview. It’s surprising to read Ryan’s report of subpar performance in winds over 15 mph, considering the good reputation this shelter has online for general wind-worthiness. Gen does say the long version is more prone to catching wind than the regular length though.

I guess we’ve all read the same reviews/comments here and there about the robust storm protection.

Perhaps this just underlines the importance of measured wind speed.

Indeed, I get downright ecstatic to see references to measured wind speed. Even mentioning that one did not have access to an anemometer, as Iago does in this review, is an important step towards recognizing the importance of measurement.

In his supplemental comments to the review, Ryan suggests that the A-frame design inherently limits wind resistance:

There’s just too much unsupported fabric between the foot and head end of the tent for it to remain stable in anything but the lightest winds. That’s not a criticism of the brand or model, just the nature of an A-frame style like this.

But in a separate thread, Ryan appears to suggest that the Slingfin Splitwing, an A-frame model made in a high performance sil/sil silnylon fabric, may perform better:

it pitches tight, stays tight, and is really strong (minimal flapping in high winds).

Perhaps this difference could be addressed somewhere later on.

The Splitwing has two midpanel perimeter tieouts per long side. And both the Splitwing and the Stealth have a tie-out up on the panel, the Cirriform does not. Although that feels a little Band Aid-ish to me.

I wonder how much the fabric plays into it. Yama uses recycled silpoly I think from RBTR, which does have some stretch according to Yama. (Back to that old chestnut, Jon!)

Huh, I just received this same setup last week. I needed to add another 1p shelter to the xmid I already have. I’m going to wait until there’s some decent wind and rain in the forecast and set them both up side by side to see how they compare in wind and stretch.

I’ve used the Stealth1 in super windy conditions in Scotland and Iceland and it has always done a great job. Maybe because of the pointed shape of the vestibule it does a much better job at shedding wind than the rather flat front of the Yama? (or that’s the way it looks in the pictures)

BTW, surprised the Stealth1 was not mentioned in the overview.

I heard good things about the Cirriform from one user who was caught in a wind/storm snow up on Mt San Jacinto.  I own one myself which started the conversation.  The hiker was a bit shorter than me, so assume he got the regular length. .  I’m fairly tall and though I scrunch to get inside, set up to ~ 40 inches up front, I’ve got room to even spin around inside if need be (to grab a sock) provided I haven’t blown up my Xlite yet.

My Cirriform is a regular too but even so I lose it in a sea of 1P and 2P shelters at hiker festivals = it sits “low”, probably helping it in many windy situations.  Also the foot comes to a point which helps too IMO.    Think any A-frame will take a hit from the perpendicular thought, especially if a hiker has the “long” version.