View Full Version : Marmot EOS, Big Agnes SL1, MSR Hubba, Black Diamond First Light for 4 seasons?
babybunny
05-09-2006, 02:56
Hello, first post.
I've got the REI Half Dome 2 Plus and I'm looking to get a lighter tent. I've gone UL for everything else except my tent.
I can only afford one tent, so it'll have to do for 4 seasons camping, but hopefully in the winter I won't get bombarded with snow.
I'd love the tent to be freestanding and have a fastpack option, and it need only be a solo tent, with room for professional camera gear and a Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude. I'm only 5'5", 130lb, so I'm a good size for nearly all UL tents :)
Winter brings difficulties, as a lot of UL tents are meshy, and I'd assume drafty as well.
Marmot SL1: Heard good things, looks like it combats drafts very well because the non-mesh sides look like they extend pretty high. Headroom sucks though, but then again I'm short.
http://www.backcountry.com/store/MAR0390/c3/s28/Marmot-Eos-Tent-1-Person-3-Season.html?id=XV37sQbp
MSR Hubba: A favorite among ULers. Seems like it would be very drafty due to the quantity of mesh and the low bathtub floor.
http://www.msrcorp.com/tents/hubba.asp
Big Agnes Seedhouse SL1: Also another favorite. Lots of delicate mesh, but the fly looks like it extends down closer to the ground than the other tents, so perhaps this would prevent a good deal of draft?
http://www.msrcorp.com/tents/hubba.asp
Black Diamond First Light: Probably the most winterproof. EPIC is not 100% waterproof, but by all accounts waterproof enough. Single walled. Does not have a fastpack option, so no dropping the shelter to sub-2lb weights on nice summer trips :(
Expensive.
http://www.bdel.com/gear/firstlight.php
There's Tarptent, but those tents are decidedly NOT for winter. There's the Evolution 1P, but people are having a lot of trouble even getting their orders. Some of them ordered in December and still have not gotten their tents yet.
I'm sure there's others that I have missed. Any recommendations for a good 4-season tent or personal experiences in winter with these tents?
I looked at the Hubba and the Seedhouse SL1. I went with the Hubba. It goes on almost every trip now. It has held up through a rain/hail storm at 12,000' with no problems
grrickar
05-09-2006, 12:29
I have a MSR Hubba, and I love it. I wish it were 4-6 inches wider, but all-in-all I am pleased. It is only a 3 season tent at best. For summer, it is great because there is good ventilation and bug protection. The rainfly provides good coverage although the vestibule is on the small side. There is very little room inside the tent for gear, just maybe some extra clothes.
For a good (and cheap) lightweight 2 man tent I highly recommend the Kelty Teton 2. It only has one door, and the two people in the tent will be almost shoulder to shoulder, but it is an excellent tent. I got mine for $99, which seems to be the going price. It is a clip tent (no pole sleeves) and it has a decent sized vestibule and good ventilation. It is light enough to carry it as a one-man luxury tent, so you would have room for the pack or extra gear inside the tent with you.
I have the the regular Seedhouse and realy like it. It is a good 3 season tent. I realy don't think that you can "have your cake and eat it to". True winter tents are a pretty specialized piece of equipment. I am fairly new to winter camping and have only used a tarp or hit the shelters. I haven't the money or inclination to buy a piece of gear that might get used once a year.
How about the Sierra Design Solomente ?
Have a look at this picture, what you see is a modified version by Benjamin Tan , he has added a mesh window to increase the ventilation for summer use. According to Ben he has no condensation problem with it apart from the vestibule area.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e389/Francophoto/Solomente.jpg
Franco
So you can see the window.........
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e389/Francophoto/solomente2.jpg
Franco
vipahman
05-22-2006, 10:18
The SMD Lunar Solo E will work in winter. It's got the shape for it and light at 27 oz. Also check out the Golite Hex. It's 4 season but not freestanding (teepee) and is probably the lightest backcountry winter tent at 28 oz (50 oz with optional floor).
If it's 4-season you're looking for, take a look at Hilleberg's line. The Akto is their solo tent. http://www.hilleberg.com/Catalog/akto_339322.htm
Twofiddy
05-30-2006, 22:30
There are alot of tents out there... If you know exactly what you want... many of the smaller companys like Shiers and Six Moons etc make great light weight tents.... but you cant beat the HUBBA.
It is hands down, flat out, the best designed 1 and 2 man tent for 3.5 season backpacking that has been produced in the past few years.
The drafty thing is good because it keeps the tent and fly dry. All that talk about not being able to get your gear inside. The only thing that I cant get inside that needs to be inside is my boots. The fit nicely under the vest. Otherwise everything else fits that needs to be inside like you pack if you empty it and use it for a foot pad with your 3/4 therma rest. You socks and wet clothes hang in the top of the tent on cord that you tie between the loops inside. Unless you are a gidget and gazmo freak who has all kinds of things with you it all fits fine. Hang your foodbag and everything fits.
Black Diamond First Light: Probably the most winterproof. EPIC is not 100% waterproof, but by all accounts waterproof enough.
I have the Black Diamond Lighthouse (larger version of the First Light) and I've never had any issue with the waterproofing. I spent 3 days in Pisgah back in January where it rained for 53 of the 72 hours we were there and not a drop of water in the tent.
....I can only afford one tent, so it'll have to do for 4 seasons camping, but hopefully in the winter I won't get bombarded with snow. I'd love the tent to be freestanding and have a fastpack option, and it need only be a solo tent, with room for professional camera gear and a Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude. I'm only 5'5", 130lb, so I'm a good size for nearly all UL tents :) Winter brings difficulties, as a lot of UL tents are meshy, and I'd assume drafty as well.....?
I suspect your specs are impossible to achieve. A free standing, UL, four season?
I backpacked every winter for 30 years in Maine and never had a four season tent. I occasionally used a tarp, for a few years a Sierra Designs Clip flashlight, and in later years a Moss two person, mesh-walled 6 pounder.
The Moss was free standing, though it required stakes -- especially on blustery winter nights -- as will all free standing tents. Drafts were not a problem and mesh is as useful in winter as in summer, since it ventilates well and keeps frost buildup to a mimimum.
The key is choosing a sheltered camping site.
Weary
maxNcathy
06-06-2006, 08:30
I chose the BA Seedhouse SL1 and don't regret it...a simple tent for a simple guy.
Four season tents are strong and heavy...for that I bought a Eureka K2-XT...a hardy tent for a foolhardy guy.
Max/Sandalwood
[quote=grrickar]I have a MSR Hubba, and I love it. I wish it were 4-6 inches wider, but all-in-all I am pleased. It is only a 3 season tent at best. For summer, it is great because there is good ventilation and bug protection. The rainfly provides good coverage although the vestibule is on the small side. There is very little room inside the tent for gear, just maybe some extra clothes.
Do you just have the tent? or do you also have the fly and footprint? I see that the tent is 3 pounds, but it looks like the fly and footprint add another 2 pounds. Did the tent alone give you enough protection from the elements?
Thanks
njkayaker
06-08-2006, 15:12
My Hubba is 3.5 pounds with everything but the foot print.
My Hubba is 3.5 pounds with everything but the foot print.
mine is less than 3 lbs including trash bags as the ground cloth
mtnbums2000
06-08-2006, 18:52
I would go with the Hubba or if you want a bombproof light weight 2 man tent get The North Face Tadpole 23. I've used it in all kinds of winter weather and it has held up as good as my North Face VE-25 which is a solid 4 season tent.
grrickar
06-09-2006, 19:18
I use the ground cloth, and carry the fly but only use it when I suspect it will rain. I have not been in a downpour with it, but I spoke with a thru who was in a Hubba a few weeks ago and he said it was watertight and even endured a hail storm with penny size hail. I think it is the best 1 man tent out there. I am intrigued by the HS Rainbow and Double Rainbow, and they are a bit lighter. I just bought a hammock and will be trying it this trip out.