Comments, concerns, issues, experiences, regarding, Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight CD.

I've got it, it's a nice roomy tent but a little heavy for my tastes.

Yes I own this tent and the roominess is the reason i'll never give it up. I can fit my pack inside and if im going to hike all day im going to be as comfortable as I can while sleeping. This is why i'll never swap out my tent nor not use a Thermarest.

Also the Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight CD has probably seen more AT miles than any other tent, tarp, hammock etc.....

Its a proven winner but not for the ultralight crowd.

I agree the Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight CD is a great, but heavy tent for the AT. I have gone without a ground cloth footprint & the floor continues to hold up well.

I have always wondered why the manufacturer or another enterprising individual has never come out with a sil-nylon fly for this model tent. That would certainly knock quite a few ounces off the weight.

I think the major manufacturers are waiting to see how silnylon holds up over the long haul before they commit to using it in their tents.

just bought one yesterday....best tent i think that i could afford.

just got mine yesturday too, can't wait to try it out on the AT next week! I am still debating whether to buy the footprint or go with the Tyvek

Way too heavy for a thru-hike. Also tends to encourage alcohol abuse.

i just bought a flashlight clip cd 2 for $169 at REI, the 2004 model. also bought the footprint which weighs 11oz for $39.
the tent actually weighs 4# 9oz pack weight not 4# 8oz as advertized.
i am having trouble getting the rain fly taught but am very happy with it.
it sets up in 3 minutes. i dont know how weather proof it is.

does anyone know if it is neccessary to seal the seams?

second question. i have a footprint and i know it is supposed to be smaller so it doesnt collect rain but should the poles and stakes reach both the tent and footprints holes and loops? i am wondering if the guy at rei gave me a footprint for the 1 man tent instead of the 2 man tent.

second question. i have a footprint and i know it is supposed to be smaller so it doesnt collect rain but should the poles and stakes reach both the tent and footprints holes and loops? i am wondering if the guy at rei gave me a footprint for the 1 man tent instead of the 2 man tent.

The footprint is almost the same size as the floor of the tent. Poles and stakes go in one or the other, but not both.

i

does anyone know if it is neccessary to seal the seams?



The seams are taped (at least mine were) but you need to seal the area where the nylon loops are sewn through. The nylon wicks the water in, and then drips drips drips. Pretty annoying...

When you realize you don't want to carry a tent that heavy you can do what we did. I found a piece of tyvek on trail (MAGIC!) and just stuck the tent poles into the ground. Amazing as it is, we never found a spot where we couldn't set it up. Sent the body home after trying this out for a few days.

Gravity man

JeffG...unless you intend to fastpack, the footprint is a waste of money and adds to the total weight of the tent.

cabalot...I guess I've been extremely lucky. I've used my Flashlight CD in all weather conditions, including torrential rain, and it has never leaked. It's in it's third season of use. Good luck with yours. I'm certain, you'll like it. My only complaint has been the small vestibule.

I am 6ft. tall and there is barely enough room lengthwise. So if you are taller than 6ft. If you can try it out first and see if it fits.


Onetake

I still have mine (5 years) and use it on 1-3 day trips. I seam sealed mine after I got it. My girlfriend and I survived a downpour in the Whites and stayed bone dry.

I never bought or used the footprint. Never saw a reason to. JMO....

I used it on my 3 week section hike and had no problems with it. There were a few times where i had to keep walking further as I couldn't find any spots to pitch, but it was nothing that bugged me.

Enjoy the tent.

I for one, like to put something under the floor of my tent to reduce the small punctures that seem to come from setting it up on rough ground. I'd rather wear out and replace a foot print, or some other ground cloth type of material than the floor of my tent.

I owned an older Flashlight tent and it worked fine, except for one thing, the 2-pole design wasn't freestanding and that limited where I could set it up. Rocky outlooks and tent platforms presented some real problems for these tents. I have replaced it with a TNF Tadpole which cost more, adds a few oz., but I now can set my tent up anywhere and don't have to stake it down. After you set it up and find that big rock or root right underneath your back, just drag the tent to a better spot. You can't do that with the Flashlight.

Comments, concerns, issues, experiences, regarding, Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight CD.

Because of weight, and because SD makes other great tents, I'd recommend against, and suggest a look at the SD Lightyear CD. I REALLY love mine.

Frank

I carried the Light Year on my thruhike last summer and found it to be adequate. While a bit low on space(especially if your tall) I found the vestible to be enough space and it was a cinch to set up. I know it is considerably lighter than the Flash Light. They also now make a 1.5 man Light Year which has more space, but also is heavier.

[QUOTE=NJPacker]JeffG...unless you intend to fastpack, the footprint is a waste of money and adds to the total weight of the tent.QUOTE]

I never use a footprint and I've never replaced a floor in a tent. I don't set up my tent where it will end up in standing water, so a few pin holes aren't a factor.

Tarp users don't even HAVE a real floor and do fine as long as they are smart about where they set up. Why would you need a floor AND a footprint in a tent?

I think the Clip Flashlight tent is a great tent for the weight, although I personally would use a Tarp Tent on my next hike.

All those who say that the Clip Flashlight is way too heavy are sort of funny. The Clip Flashlight was easily one of the lighter tents on the trail in 1995. Most tents were well over 5 pounds in 1995, so the Clip Flashlight was considered quite svelte. I used a Walrus Swift from Pearisburg North, south of there I used a Sierra Designs Meteor Light (an almost 7 pound tent all told). I am 6'2" tall and fit nicely in the Swift, which was, if anything, smaller than the Clip Flashlight and much lighter. I could also fit all my stuff in it.

There are a few lighter tents out there, the TNF Canyonlands and SD Lightyear being two that almost meet the ultralight standard.

My point here is that the whole ultralight thing has changed people's perspective on what constitutes too much weight. In 1995 if someone asked you how much your pack weighed, most folks would say something between 35 and 55 pounds and a few would have said between 50 and 60. Now if you were ti give the same answers, folks would look on you as mad, and probably doomed to failure.

When I was in the Army, I regularly carried loads as high as 100 pounds and marched fairly long distances carrying it. If we were carrying a 50 pound load, chances are we were jogging as much as marching. So it's all what you are used to and what your body is used to. That Clip Flashlight tent will serve you well.

Seam Sealing. My rule of thumb is that everything that is sewn through either on the floor or the fly must be seam sealed both inside and out. Every single stitchline and thread, to prevent water wicking through.

Getting your fly taut can be tricky. Sometimes which side of the pole line you put the arch seams of the fly on can make a big difference. It is also important to use every guy out point on the fly, that will mean the difference between a taut pitch and a sagging pitch. In harsh weather, adding extra mid-wall guy out point may make a big difference between wildly flapping fly walls and a quiet night. Sierra Designs used to provide a temporary guy out clip or two with each tent. They are useful if you are inclined to pitch your tent in the open, where wind is an issue.

Pitching a not-freestanding tent on rock or tent platforms often requires ingenuity. extra accessory cord is also useful, allowing you to stretch guy out lines around piles of rocks or to nearby branches or scrub trees, or to the edges of the tent platform where eye hooks and nails and platform slats may provide secure fastening points. Using a stuff sack filled with rocks can also be of some use. You will never get as tight a pitch on a platform or on barren stone as is achievable with a freestanding tent however.

All those who say that the Clip Flashlight is way too heavy are sort of funny. The Clip Flashlight was easily one of the lighter tents on the trail in 1995.

You're right Iceman, advances in technology have changed our ideas of acceptable weight drastically. Today, I only use the Clip Flashlight for car camping. I never take that heavy dinosaur on a backpacking trip.