Choosing the Right Ultra Light Tent
June 4, 2008
The tent—perhaps the fulcrum of ultra light upon which the total weight and overall efficacy of your set up balances. The tent can easily be the heaviest, most cumbersome piece of equipment in your rig. It can also be your most important piece. Bottom line, picking the right tent is a huge step toward ensuring effective, functional and lightweight backpacking.
Although, you can save some space and pounds with a bivy or tarp, neither one can offer the protection and comfort of a tent. Certain climates/environments demand that protection. Also, if you don’t like things crawling on you in your sleep and don’t like to be caught in a storm with nowhere to go, a tent is the only way to go.
Finding the Right Balance
While weight is important function is more important; if a tent doesn’t do what it is supposed to you might as well pitch it into the river and save some real weight. For my money, the most important aspect of any tent is its ability to hold up to the weather and keep me dry and comfortable. After all, this is really why we pack a tent in the first place. I’ve read a lot of reviews about ultra light tents that allow water to leak all over. What the hell good is that? Great I’ve shaved 2 lbs. off of my overall weight but have spent the entire trip getting abused by the weather. Oh, and I gained back those two pounds after the first storm when all of my gear became waterlogged. Useless.
Another aspect of function is actually being able to fit into your tent and having the comfort level that you desire. Personally, I find the only way to get a real feel for tent fit is to actually pitch it and give it a try. Square footage and measurements can be difficult to properly visualize and, although reviews are helpful, everyone varies as far as their own size and comfort level. You’d be well advised to figure out who you’re going to be backpacking with and find a tent with enough space. Ultralight tents save pounds by limiting materials (space), so if you’re going on a weeklong trek with your college rugby buddy you might want to consider a 3 man tent, or separate tents (on the other hand if you’re looking to seal the deal with that cutie from class a tight fit might just help you out).
A good camping retailer should allow you to test the tent in the store so that you can size it up properly. If your local retailer doesn’t have what you’re looking for or you prefer to shop online, be sure to use an online vendor with a liberal return policy, this way you can try the tent out and return it if it doesn’t fit your needs. REI, LL Bean and Backcountry.com are a few retailers with excellent return policies.
Obviously weight is your bottom line here, it is ultra light after all. Size is also important, as you want to minimize the size and weight of your backpack itself—smaller tent, smaller backpack. Pay close attention to the packed weight and size, as this indicates what you’ll actually be carrying on your back. If you’re travelling solo, you can find 1 man tents for under 3lbs. Two man tents will be slightly heavier, but you can generally find a good selection of tents coming in around the 31/2-4 lbs. range. Size varies greatly depending upon tent, but I’d recommend looking to keep it under 20” in length and as short as possible (a foot or foot and a half would be ideal). Be sure to measure against the backpack you’re thinking about using to see how it will fit/how much room you’ll have for the rest of your gear.
Smaller Considerations
Although function and weight are the most important factors in choosing an ultra light tent there are a couple of other things that might be important to you. Ease of set up—could mean the difference from getting a tent pitched just as the first drops of rain hit your dome and getting drenched while cursing every individual piece of your tent. Seam sealing –this is a pet peeve for me; if I’m paying hundreds of dollars for a tent I expect it to be ready to hit the trail out of the box, especially when it comes to something as important as sealed seams. I don’t want to have to rely on my own unproven sealing skills to make sure that water isn’t seeping in. Seems like common sense, but apparently not—some expensive, top end tents are not factory sealed. If you don’t mind sealing, no big deal, but if you’ve never done it and don’t especially want to learn—put your money into a factory sealed tent. Ventilation—many an ultra light tent seals up like a vacuum, providing little fresh air or ventilation. If you want to breathe the mountain air or check out the stars overhead choose a tent with some mesh.
The struggle between weight and function is one that rages on. The key for the first time ultra lighter is finding a tent that holds up to the conditions that he ventures into and is light and compact enough for his hiking needs. Spend some time reading our reviews to see what tent might best meet your individual needs.
Podcast: Journey on the Wild Coast - Survival of the Fittest?
October 11, 2007
Does keeping the species from extinction matter, or is it natural progression for humans to overrun the planet?
by Carol Crooker | –
Read this article at BackpackingLight.com
View All: Podcasts > Places
2007 Alpkit Carbonlite Trekking Poles REVIEW
October 11, 2007
These three section carbon fiber trekking poles are sturdy and stiff and are light in your hands AND on your budget.
by Ken Knight | –
Carbon fiber trekking poles are becoming quite common. We have reviewed an astonishing variety in the past year from large and small companies. Fixed length, 2-segment, and 3-segment poles with all manner of grips, straps, and locking systems have been examined. One thing many of the poles have in common though is their fairly high price. A notable exception can be found with the Alpkit Carbonlite Trekking Pole Review written by Doug Johnson last fall. Alpkit has since refined the pole, making several changes which I believe have made a value-leading trekking pole better yet.
ARTICLE OUTLINE
- Introduction
- What’s Good
- What’s Not So Good
- Specifications: Year/Model, Style, Shaft Material, Tips, Grips, Grip Size, Weight, Pole Length, Baskets Included? - Yes, Basket Type, MSRP
- Performance
- What’s Unique
- Recommendations for Improvement
# WORDS: 1300
# PHOTOS: 6
# TABLES: 1
Read this article at BackpackingLight.com
View All: Reviews > Gear
Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus Backpack REVIEW
September 20, 2007
Removable carbon fiber stays make it one of the lightest and most versatile internal frame backpacks on the market.
by Will Rietveld | –
Backpacking Light reviewed the original Gossamer Gear Mariposa backpack in 2004. We were delighted with its light weight and load-carrying capacity, but noted that it needed a few refinements. The Mariposa has since been tweaked to near perfection. The new Mariposa Plus is essentially identical except it has a removable wraparound hipbelt and uses more durable fabrics. Therefore, my review of the Mariposa Plus, contained herein, pertains to both packs.
Read this article at BackpackingLight.comView All: Reviews > Gear
Doing Denali Light: Post-Trip Report and Gearlist
September 4, 2007
It IS possible to climb Denali using lightweight techniques! Agnes and Matt discuss their gear and provide detailed gearlists.
by Agnes Stowe with Matt Hage | –
For most people climbing Denali (aka Mt. McKinley) is no easy task. A vertical rise of 18,000 feet makes it bigger than Everest. It is no wonder that Denali means “the high one” in the Athabascan language. With backbreaking loads of 100 pounds (45 kilograms) or more the haul to the summit is grueling for even the fittest climber, but as Matt and I proved on this trip, it’s not so miserable with a lighter load.
ARTICLE OUTLINE
- Introduction
- The Gear
- The Regrets
- Conclusion
- Gear Lists
- Matt’s Gear List
- Agnes’ Gear List
- Weight Summary of Matt’s Gear
- Weight Summary of Agnes’ Gear
# WORDS: 2310
# PHOTOS: 1
# TABLES: 4
Read this article at BackpackingLight.comView All: Expeditions > Places
Indigenous Designs Terra Sport SPOTLITE REVIEW
September 4, 2007
A performance sweater made from all natural fabrics
by Don Wilson | –
Indigenous Designs Terra Sport line of performance sweaters uses all natural fabrics blended from alpaca, wool and wood fibers. 
Read this article at BackpackingLight.com
View All: SpotLite Reviews > Gear
Podcast: Justin Lichter’s Surprising New Adventure
September 4, 2007
Hiking 10,000 miles last year and completing the triple crown of backpacking in the previous three years has Justin ready for new adventures, this time in a different mode of human-powered transportation.
by Carol Crooker | –
Read this article at BackpackingLight.comView All: Podcasts > People
(M) Outdoor Retailer: An Impressive Shade of Green
September 4, 2007
The Outdoor Indsutry Embraces The Green Movement
by Craig Mortensen |
W-hile it might be difficult to pick one color to describe the theme of the Outdoor Retailer 2007 Summer Market, it would probably be some shade of green. Or perhaps bamboo, corn yellow, or coconut brown. While the exact color might be debatable, one thing is for sure: it would definitely be an earth tone. WORD COUNT: 695 # PHOTOS: 6
WORD COUNT: 695 # PHOTOS: 6
Read this article at BackpackingLight.comView All: Outdoor Retailer News > Trends
(M) 2007 Black Diamond Enduro CF Trekking Pole REVIEW
September 4, 2007
These poles use a mix of aluminum and carbon shafts with unique FlickLock adjustments and are solid performers for four season use.
by Matt Eckhart | 2007-07-25
The Black Diamond Enduro CF poles are three section adjustable poles with FlickLocks that allow users to adjust poles quickly and provide slip-free stability. A
ARTICLE OUTLINE
- Introduction
- What’s Good
- What’s Not So Good
- Specifications: Year/Model, Style, Shaft Material, Tips, Grips, Grip Size, Weight, Pole Length, Basket Type, MSRP
- Performance
- What’s Unique
- Recommendations for Improvement
# WORDS: 1150
# PHOTOS: 5
# TABLES: 1
Read this article at BackpackingLight.comView All: Reviews > Gear
(M) Kahtoola FLIGHTsystem REVIEW
September 4, 2007
Innovative snow travel system consisting of an overboot with cleats that click into a snowshoe deck. The design eliminates the snowshoe binding and allows the use of the overboots separately, which allows wearers to use lightweight trail running shoes inside, but there are a few significant drawbacks we discovered from our field testing.
by Steve Nelson and Will Rietveld | 2007-07-25
We previously reported on the Kahtoola FLIGHTsystem for snow travel in our dispatches from the 2006 Outdoor Retailer Shows. The system consists of a FLIGHTdeck and a FLIGHTboot. The FLIGHTboot is basically an overboot designed to be worn over trail running shoes, and its front crampons click into slots on the FLIGHTdeck like the cleats on bicycling shoes. We had an opportunity to test the FLIGHTsystem in the Sierra Nevada and southern Rockies during the winter of 2006-2007, and report our experiences in this review. The FLIGHTsystem is certainly innovative, but is it truly lightweight, and how well does it perform compared to conventional snowshoes?
ARTICLE OUTLINE
- Introduction
- What’s Good
- What’s No So Good
- Specifications: Manufacturer, Year/Model, Dimensions, Frame, Deck , Binding, Crampons, MSRP, Weights
- Performance
- Field Testing
- Assessment
- What’s Unique
- Recommendations for Improvement
# WORDS: 2330
# PHOTOS: 11
# TABLES: 1
Read this article at BackpackingLight.comView All: Reviews > Gear
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