Marmot Garmsal Backpack
December 10, 2008
Hitting the trail on a hot day? Let the Marmot Garmsal Backpack’s Airflow frame system keep you cool by channeling air across your back. In addition to your own personal air conditioning, this Marmot pack also provides a place to stash your hydration system so you don’t go thirsty. The Garmsal Backpack’s 2100cu inch main compartment holds just the right amount of gear for a day at the crags or on the trail. A lid pocket, large front pocket, two side mesh pockets, and two waist-belt pockets keep the smaller stuff well organized and accessible.
Mountain Hardwear Casa 6 Tent
December 10, 2008
Mountain Hardwear used its new Crosshub pole structure to make the Casa 6 six-person, three-season tent spacious inside and a cinch to set up. This six-person Mountain Hardwear tent has merely two poles. One pole arches over the entrance, branches on both sides to create both sidewall and roof support, and snakes to the back of the tent. The other pole helps support the back end of the tent. Aside from being easy to pitch, this structure results in practically vertical walls, so you can use more of the Casa 6’s interior room. Put on the fly, and you get more than 30 square feet of vestibule area as well as a watertight fortress against wet weather. On a warm day, take off the fly and let the breeze blow gently through this tent’s mesh windows.
Pacific Outdoor Equipment Cruiser Mountain Sleeping Pad
December 10, 2008
Pacific Outdoor Equipment Cruiser Mountain Sleeping Pad brings some luxury to your backpacking and camping experiences. Use this mat year-round for a cushy, insulating buffer between you and the cold, hard ground. A special drill- and die-cut combo results in a high heat-to-weight ratio with excellent support in key areas, while diamond ripstop fabric ensures a long life for your mat. The Cruiser Mountain accommodates both mummy and rectangular sleeping bags, and its non-slip surface prevents you from sliding all over the place while you dream of reaching that snow-capped peak.
Pacific Outdoor Equipment Ether Compact 6 Sleeping Pad
December 10, 2008
The Pacific Outdoor Equipment Ether Compact 6 Sleeping Pad utilizes the same isolated, non-shifting tubes as the Ether Thermo to provide comfort and protection from the cold ground, but this compact version is non-insulated to save you weight in warmer weather. The Ether Compact 6 not only reduces weight in your pack, its Ultra-light Air-Core design and tapered shape save lots of space. Slide this sleeping mat under your mummy bag for a ridiculously comfy night’s sleep in late spring, throughout the summer, and up until early fall.
Big Agnes Dual Core Sleeping Pad - Rectangular
December 10, 2008
Rest easy on your Big Agnes Dual Core Rectangular Sleeping Pad. This inflatable sleeping pad offers insulation from the cold ground, yet it’s lightweight enough to carry backpacking. Big Agnes stuffed the Dual Core with PrimaLoft eco synthetic insulation and high-density foam to help keep you warm, even when you camp in winter. At 2.5 inches thick, this pad is luxurious to lie on, yet it compresses nicely for easy carrying in your backpack. Use the Dual Core with your Big Agnes sleeping bag for a cozy backcountry bed.
Cocoon Sleeping Pad Covers
December 10, 2008
The Cocoon Poly-Cotton Sleeping Pad Cover increases your pad’s grip to keep you from slipping around, and it makes sleeping without a bag more comfortable on warm nights. This polyester cotton blend pad cover from Cocoon also includes side straps that allow you to connect two pads, so you can snuggle up with your significant other. The Sleeping Pad Cover comes in two sizes to fit nearly any rectangular pad available.
Tent Review: Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2–ultralight, full weather protection
August 4, 2008
The Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2 is a very lightweight, compact backpacking tent (3 lbs. 6oz., 16 in long packed). It is a freestanding tent and does not require trees or other structure for pitching. In researching this purchase, I found that the tent received great reviews across the board, unlike many high-end backpacking tents that seemed to have a common flaw or two.
After having the chance to test the tent out, I am glad to say that I can offer a very positive review of my own. As noted, the light weight and small packed size of the tent allow very easy packing, whether in a backpack or car.
Setup
The Seedhouse SL2 could literally not be easier to set up. There is double Y shaped pole, that practically puts itself together. Laying the tent body flat, the pole hooks into 4 rivets at each corner, and then onto a number of plastic hooks up and down the tent’s exterior. The tent comes with a number of small, lightweight aluminum stakes that I didn’t even need a mallet to slap into the ground. Overall, setup took less than 5 minutes.
Interior space
As an ultralight 2 person tent, the Seedhouse SL2 has a somewhat limited interior, and may not be the best option for larger persons. However, I found the fit plenty roomy for my wife and I who are both average height/weight. It was definitely a comfortable fit for the two of us, but became decidedly cramped and uncomfortable when our dog decided to come in for a visit. The tent offers a small pocket over the door for storing items such as books, glasses, etc and we also had enough room to store shoes/pack/etc. at the foot.
Build/Exterior
One great aspect of the SL2 is that it is essentially a tub floor with a mesh body, providing plenty of ventilation and great views of the stars. For colder, or inclement weather the tent comes with a full rain fly that covers the entire tent, providing plenty of protection. Although, I have yet to face any harsh weather during this beautiful summer, I am confident that so long as the fly is staked out and taught it will fully protect from the elements.
Cons
The only real drawback of this tent that I’ve experienced thus far is the door is slightly difficult to use, particularly with the fly on, as there are two separate doors in which the zippers did not align. The door is also angled upward, which could allow rain to seep in, if opened during a storm. However, I’d prefer not to be heading outside in a storm anyway, so I’m not that concerned about this small flaw.
One final note—the SL2 is a backpacking tent and I would not recommend using it as an everyday camping tent. Designed to be as light as possible, the tent felt rather flimpsy and susceptible to quicker wear and tear. I would definitely worry about the all-mesh exterior, particularly with a dog that didn’t quite understand and thought he could walk right in and out. At over $300, the SL2 is decent investment that I plan to use strictly for what it was made for –backpacking and other ultralight applications. I will be using a cheaper, larger, more heavy-duty tent for car camping. I’d also recommend purchasing the footprint that retails around $50, to protect the tent floor from quick wear and tear.
Big Agnes is a local Colorado company, located in Steamboat Springs. They offer a limited lifetime guarantee of their products. The Seedhouse SL2 retails around $319, but be sure to shop for sales; I found it on sale at Backcountry.com for $225.
Meet the Cascade Gear Guides
July 23, 2008
Cascade Gear has a team of expert Guides that writes the blogs, articles and reviews that feature the best in today’s outdoor gear.
From what bivy sack to use on a mountain trek, to protecting your dog from snakebites, Cascade Gear’s writers use their experience and savvy to share the best gear they can find every day.
Get to know them on our Meet The Guides page.
Big Agnes Seedhouse SL 3 Tent
May 14, 2008
Big Agnes Seedhouse SL 3 Tent 3-Person 3-Season
Product Description
Price: $378.95
Buy Now
At a super-light 4lb 8oz, the Big Agnes Seedhouse SL 3-Person 3-Season Tent provides reliable shelter for you and two of your buddies. This double-wall, Silicone-coated tent from Big Agnes is perfect for trios who don’t want to carry any more weight than they need. The Seedhouse Tent has a 11sq ft vestibule to stash your gear out of the rain. How strong can a tent under 4lb be? With its excellent wind profile, strong DAC Featherlight NSL poles, a seamless bathtub floor, and waterproof fly, the Big Agnes Seedhouse Tent keeps you dry through any summer storm you encounter.
Product Review
Nice Tent
Great tent for two people. Cool looking design. Plenty of elbow room. The square footage versus weight was the best I could find…… 36 square feet / 4+ pounds. The 46 inch height is relatively decent, too. Easy to set-up. The all-in-one rain fly/vestibule had ample tie-downs to keep it taut for high winds. The color (sage) blended nicely with the forest / granite surroundings. The interior side and overhead pockets for small gear kept the inside clutter to a minimum. Without the rain fly, it’s a summer delight for viewing stars. Excellent quality / workmanship.
Seedhouse SL 3 Tent 3-Person 3-Season
Great tent! Well designed, lightweight, easy to setup!
Big Agnes Seedhouse SL 3 Tent 3-Person 3-Season
Price: $378.95
Buy Now
Big Agnes Seedhouse SL 2 Tent
May 13, 2008
Big Agnes Seedhouse SL 2 Tent 2-Person 3-Season
Product Description
Price: $319.95
Buy Now
Getting out of the elements is great, but loses its luster if you have to lug around a heavy tent. The Big Agnes Seedhouse SL 2 tent gives generous internal space and weather protection for you and a partner. Best of all, the Seedhouse does it while remaining under 4 lbs. A unique 3-pole system maximizes frame efficiency while maintaining strength with aircraft quality aluminum. The Seedhouse uses plastic clips to attach frame to body, providing maximum ventilation and ultra-quick setup. When speed and light weight are the most important factors, the Seedhouse rules the day.
Product Review
Well-Designed, Well-Made
I’ve taken this tent on a few trips since I purchased it on your website earlier this year and I’m quite impressed with it. I bought it because I don’t need the fly on most nights and it’s far nicer looking at the stars than a tent ceiling. I use it primarily as a luxury lightweight solo tent. It weighs 9 ounces more than the Seedhouse SL1, but the extra square footage is nice to have. While the inner mesh tent is free-standing, the fly does require stakes and guylines (included) to function properly. If I don’t plan on using the fly but think that there is a remote possibility of precipitation, I’ll go ahead and stake out the fly and then remove it. That way, I can throw on my headlamp at 3:00 A.M. and have the fly installed and cinched down in a little over a minute if necessary. The fly fits very well and helps the tent withstand significant winds with ease. The vestibule isn’t huge, but it will fit a few pairs of boots or a small pack. The only thing I’m not crazy about is the entry. It can be a little awkward getting in and out with the fly on, particularly if it’s raining. That’s a small flaw in such an otherwise excellent tent though.
Good as reviews
The Seedhouse Tent was ranked high by Backpacker Magazine for its weight and ease of set up. Holds true at only four lbs, with footprint and stakes. Good value.
Rain, Rain go away. Seedhouse leaked another day.
On a recent trip in New Zealand, the Seedhouse SL stood well in the wind and snow. The many guyouts held fast and the tent was sizable enough to accommodate a bit of gear. When the rains started, the tent worked as designed until the fly started to sag into the mesh wall allowing the fly to wet on me. So back to the guyouts pulling as taught as I could and the fly continued to sag. Three days of a deluge later, the fly was beyond guyout repair. Most of the water collected on the inside of the fly and ran down the mesh while the expensive ground cloth and the tent floor surrendered and joined the traitorous fly. My only savior was a hut on the next trail.
Big Agnes Seedhouse SL 2 Tent 2-Person 3-Season
Price: $319.95
Buy Now
