Limeman
05-04-2011, 00:08
Hi Guys and Gals,
I had a chance to set up a new The North Face Sputnik 2P, single-door, dual-vestibule tent over the weekend and give it an overnight backyard test. This is one of THF's new single-wall tents that, along with the larger 2 door/2vestibule Phoenix, utilizes a new breathable fabric TNF calls "Drywall", that is supposedly very strong, light, waterproof and breathable. That, along with multiple venting options, is supposed to help reduce or eliminate condensation - the bane of all single-walls.
So this is what I found:
The Sputnik appears to be the love-child of TNF and Henry Shires (Tarptent), and in fact utilizes the same strut-type, two-point stake out corner design as his Sublite, Moment, Hogback, etc. These struts appear to be made of aluminum and remain permanently in the tent. You cannot remove them. The Sputnik + poles weighs in at 2lbs, 14oz exactly and will pack down into a 13 x 6 stuff sack with careful folding/rolling. The included compression sack is quite a bit larger, but is made of high-quality sil-nylon and weighs in at just 2.4 oz. Eight high-quality DAC aluminum stakes are provided, as are sacks for the poles and stakes (regular nylon, not sil-nylon).
The Sputnik uses a 2-pole design (main and brow) which are constructed of high-end DAC Featherlite NSL aluminum, with the main pole having a unique taper to it - wider in the middle, narrower at the ends. According to TNF, this was to help facilitate the very tight bend of the design. The poles weigh in at 7.6 oz. Very light. Interestingly, they did not include a pole repair sleeve. The tent is not free-standing, but still goes up rather quickly if you stake out the mail pole loops on the tent body before clipping it to the pole. Once that is done, you can easily adjust the tent to where you want it, then stake out the 4 corners, then the door and back vestibules, tighten up the two-point struts at each corner, followed by a final tug on each of the vestibules. Took me about 5 minutes the first time to set it up. I tried two other times, and got it down to about 3 minutes or so, with each time resulting in a tighter pitch.
So... the Sputnik is huge inside. I mean, HUGE! TNF specs 82" x 56.5" floor dimensions, 30.7 sq ft, and a ceiling height of 39". This specs like a true 2-person tent but it feels much larger (it dwarfed my two Thermarest prolite pads). The brow pole and the very steep vertical multi-panel walls allow two full-sized adults to stretch out and fit comfortably. You could certainly squeeze 3 in a pinch. 4 people could easily enjoy a game of cards inside due to the already mentioned vertical walls and a ceiling height that remains nearly constant across the entire roof line. You can't help but be surprised when you first go inside. Once there, you'll notice loops for attaching a gear caddy, as well as two pockets for storage.
I complained recently about the size of the vestibules in the Nemo Obi 2P, but the Sputnik is the new champ and makes me feel like a whiner! It is a very good thing the Sputnik is so large inside, because these two vestibules are very small. TNF specs 3 sq ft each and I'm sure that is about accurate! To make matters worse, you only get a very small doorway on the non-door side vestibule to access gear (see pix). I'm thinking a pair of boots is about all you could squeeze through. Even a partially full pack will have difficulty passing through the doorway, unless you are going crazy ultra-light with a 1800 to 2300 cu in pack. Maybe this would be a good place to put a small pooch or possibly store your cooking gear, but I'm thinking a pair of boots is the ticket. One other thing, and this is a real stickler for me, the door and vestibule are situated so that water will absolutely fall into your tent during inclement, rainy weather. I really wish that tent designers would address this in their designs. Seems a no-brainer to me. Just saying...
Ok... so what about venting options? Along with the already mentioned breathable "Drywall" fabric, you have several additional options to keep condensation at bay. Aside from fully opening and tacking back the main door vestibule, both it and the back vestibule allow you to fold up the bottom 3rd and stash it up to an elastic loop, thus increasing the potential for air flow considerably. You can, of course, raise up and put them back down from inside the tent. The door's dual-zippers also allow you to open from the top to create additional venting. It works, but the door and the vestibule's top flap lack a leg and velcro to prop up the vent, so its effectiveness is somewhat lacking. There is nothing stopping you from propping something in there to create a more effective vent, but I think TNF dropped the ball here. The did include a small window, however, so you can check on the weather from inside the tent.
Another area they blew it (IMHO) is the color choice. What were they thinking? Light gray and silver-ish colored walls, dark, cement gray floor, bright, 80's era neon green and mis-matched neon-yellow accents? Really? Come on guys! Maybe this would look good on the moon, or maybe in some really bad episode of Miami Vice, but out in the back country? Not a chance. Seriously, it is not a good looking tent. But... looks aren't everything, right? Bottom line: don't expect to impress your friends with your tents ability to "blend" into the wilderness!
Ok... so I put in a backyard overnight in the Sputnik, just because I could. The night was cool (about 38 degrees) and the early evening winds had died down to maybe 1 or 2 MPH, if at all. I had the vestibules raised up for max ventilation and did not utilize the door's upper venting option, but rather had it fully closed for the night, specifically to test the breath-ability of the Drywall fabric. When I awoke, the grass in the yard was very damp and there was clearly condensation on the non-drywall vestibules. I checked all the internal "Drywall" fabric and found it nearly 100% dry. Only in a few small places did it feel even remotely damp, and even then, it was more cold than anything. I was impressed, as similar conditions have left other single-wall tents I own dripping with condensation by morning. I was hoping for more wind, as those large walls might be the tent's Achilles heal, but alas, did not get it. I have a suspicion that all the panels provide some level of wind resistance, and am also wondering about the Drywall fabrics ability to be 100% waterproof for extended periods of rain - remember the first Black Diamond breathable tents? Seems a good trashing in the back country might be in order? I'll see what I can muster up!
Ok... There you go. TNF has an intriguing tent design with the Sputnik 2P. It is seriously light in weight, packs small, has an incredible space/weight ratio, is simple and quick to set up, and the Drywall fabric seems promising. On the downside, the color is horrible (IMHO), the door vent needs work and the small vestibules are a limitation. And as of yet, the tents inclement weather performance (especially its ability to fend off strong winds and prolonged rain) are untested, to me of course. But as it now stands, as a legit 2P tent at just 2lbs, 14oz, this is one interesting tent and as a 1P palace, and you would have more than enough room to store all your gear and still flop around inside like fish out of water if you wanted.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Cheers!
I had a chance to set up a new The North Face Sputnik 2P, single-door, dual-vestibule tent over the weekend and give it an overnight backyard test. This is one of THF's new single-wall tents that, along with the larger 2 door/2vestibule Phoenix, utilizes a new breathable fabric TNF calls "Drywall", that is supposedly very strong, light, waterproof and breathable. That, along with multiple venting options, is supposed to help reduce or eliminate condensation - the bane of all single-walls.
So this is what I found:
The Sputnik appears to be the love-child of TNF and Henry Shires (Tarptent), and in fact utilizes the same strut-type, two-point stake out corner design as his Sublite, Moment, Hogback, etc. These struts appear to be made of aluminum and remain permanently in the tent. You cannot remove them. The Sputnik + poles weighs in at 2lbs, 14oz exactly and will pack down into a 13 x 6 stuff sack with careful folding/rolling. The included compression sack is quite a bit larger, but is made of high-quality sil-nylon and weighs in at just 2.4 oz. Eight high-quality DAC aluminum stakes are provided, as are sacks for the poles and stakes (regular nylon, not sil-nylon).
The Sputnik uses a 2-pole design (main and brow) which are constructed of high-end DAC Featherlite NSL aluminum, with the main pole having a unique taper to it - wider in the middle, narrower at the ends. According to TNF, this was to help facilitate the very tight bend of the design. The poles weigh in at 7.6 oz. Very light. Interestingly, they did not include a pole repair sleeve. The tent is not free-standing, but still goes up rather quickly if you stake out the mail pole loops on the tent body before clipping it to the pole. Once that is done, you can easily adjust the tent to where you want it, then stake out the 4 corners, then the door and back vestibules, tighten up the two-point struts at each corner, followed by a final tug on each of the vestibules. Took me about 5 minutes the first time to set it up. I tried two other times, and got it down to about 3 minutes or so, with each time resulting in a tighter pitch.
So... the Sputnik is huge inside. I mean, HUGE! TNF specs 82" x 56.5" floor dimensions, 30.7 sq ft, and a ceiling height of 39". This specs like a true 2-person tent but it feels much larger (it dwarfed my two Thermarest prolite pads). The brow pole and the very steep vertical multi-panel walls allow two full-sized adults to stretch out and fit comfortably. You could certainly squeeze 3 in a pinch. 4 people could easily enjoy a game of cards inside due to the already mentioned vertical walls and a ceiling height that remains nearly constant across the entire roof line. You can't help but be surprised when you first go inside. Once there, you'll notice loops for attaching a gear caddy, as well as two pockets for storage.
I complained recently about the size of the vestibules in the Nemo Obi 2P, but the Sputnik is the new champ and makes me feel like a whiner! It is a very good thing the Sputnik is so large inside, because these two vestibules are very small. TNF specs 3 sq ft each and I'm sure that is about accurate! To make matters worse, you only get a very small doorway on the non-door side vestibule to access gear (see pix). I'm thinking a pair of boots is about all you could squeeze through. Even a partially full pack will have difficulty passing through the doorway, unless you are going crazy ultra-light with a 1800 to 2300 cu in pack. Maybe this would be a good place to put a small pooch or possibly store your cooking gear, but I'm thinking a pair of boots is the ticket. One other thing, and this is a real stickler for me, the door and vestibule are situated so that water will absolutely fall into your tent during inclement, rainy weather. I really wish that tent designers would address this in their designs. Seems a no-brainer to me. Just saying...
Ok... so what about venting options? Along with the already mentioned breathable "Drywall" fabric, you have several additional options to keep condensation at bay. Aside from fully opening and tacking back the main door vestibule, both it and the back vestibule allow you to fold up the bottom 3rd and stash it up to an elastic loop, thus increasing the potential for air flow considerably. You can, of course, raise up and put them back down from inside the tent. The door's dual-zippers also allow you to open from the top to create additional venting. It works, but the door and the vestibule's top flap lack a leg and velcro to prop up the vent, so its effectiveness is somewhat lacking. There is nothing stopping you from propping something in there to create a more effective vent, but I think TNF dropped the ball here. The did include a small window, however, so you can check on the weather from inside the tent.
Another area they blew it (IMHO) is the color choice. What were they thinking? Light gray and silver-ish colored walls, dark, cement gray floor, bright, 80's era neon green and mis-matched neon-yellow accents? Really? Come on guys! Maybe this would look good on the moon, or maybe in some really bad episode of Miami Vice, but out in the back country? Not a chance. Seriously, it is not a good looking tent. But... looks aren't everything, right? Bottom line: don't expect to impress your friends with your tents ability to "blend" into the wilderness!
Ok... so I put in a backyard overnight in the Sputnik, just because I could. The night was cool (about 38 degrees) and the early evening winds had died down to maybe 1 or 2 MPH, if at all. I had the vestibules raised up for max ventilation and did not utilize the door's upper venting option, but rather had it fully closed for the night, specifically to test the breath-ability of the Drywall fabric. When I awoke, the grass in the yard was very damp and there was clearly condensation on the non-drywall vestibules. I checked all the internal "Drywall" fabric and found it nearly 100% dry. Only in a few small places did it feel even remotely damp, and even then, it was more cold than anything. I was impressed, as similar conditions have left other single-wall tents I own dripping with condensation by morning. I was hoping for more wind, as those large walls might be the tent's Achilles heal, but alas, did not get it. I have a suspicion that all the panels provide some level of wind resistance, and am also wondering about the Drywall fabrics ability to be 100% waterproof for extended periods of rain - remember the first Black Diamond breathable tents? Seems a good trashing in the back country might be in order? I'll see what I can muster up!
Ok... There you go. TNF has an intriguing tent design with the Sputnik 2P. It is seriously light in weight, packs small, has an incredible space/weight ratio, is simple and quick to set up, and the Drywall fabric seems promising. On the downside, the color is horrible (IMHO), the door vent needs work and the small vestibules are a limitation. And as of yet, the tents inclement weather performance (especially its ability to fend off strong winds and prolonged rain) are untested, to me of course. But as it now stands, as a legit 2P tent at just 2lbs, 14oz, this is one interesting tent and as a 1P palace, and you would have more than enough room to store all your gear and still flop around inside like fish out of water if you wanted.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Cheers!