Talk me out of it!!

Brian_T said:
Well Jim,

You convinced me...I ordered one of these yesterday and it should be here by the weekend or early next week.

I'll get plenty of pictures and a quick write-up for you so you can make up your mind.

It looks to have a bathtub floor but may also go up without it. I couldn't tell from the pictures.

I'll try to compare it to the GoLite Hex 3 for size, weight, construction, and materials.

:)

B
Click to expand...


Cool. Hey how does the Hex 3 do in rain? I have always wanted one but the lack of floor put me off.
 
It does a good job. I've only had it since November but it held up just fine to one of those rare winter rains we had. It'll also shed snow pretty well.

It hasn't been through a real pounder yet though and it hasn't seen a multi-day rain like we got last year at the primitive skills class at Briar Patch (7 days of thunderstorms anyone?) :)

My favorite part of the floorless design is the ability to warm the inside using the Trangia stove without worry that I'm going to burn the place down around my head.

B
 
HD,

I'm not a big fan of single-wall tents, especially "bargain" models. Those windows look like they might be a problem as well. And the only place tall enough to stand up in has a friggin pole in the middle! (How am I doin'?)

That being said, here is another option, and it even has a square footprint! 10'x10' and on sale at Sportsmans Guide for $70.

115077_ts.JPG


-- FLIX
 
I don't think I'd want the hassle of all those guylines. They'd be a real pain to put up, keep tight, trip over, and take down.

Nice price, but no thanks from this old camper! :thumbdn:
 
Got the tent yesterday and finally pitched it in the basement this morning with the kids. (It's mud season here in Illinois and setting it up outside would pretty much make it impossible to return it to Sportsman's if there was a problem.)

It's big. I could easily sleep three people (like legs of a triangle) around the center pole.

It's made of the same stuff as the Guide Gear tarps. The floor is that woven poly tarp stuff they put in the floor of most inexpensive tents. It's waterproof but usually not so robust. It is removable with Fastex-type buckles though so you can go without a floor if you like.

It's heavier than my GoLite Hex3 by quite a bit but it's probably twice as spacious, has a floor, and the pole is much thicker and heavier.

There are 10 tie-outs without counting guylines to hold the vents open. It would be a one-man job if I were outside and could stake out the lines before putting in the pole. I didn't have that luxury in the basement and instead had to use heavy items to hold down the lines while one kid or the other held the center pole more or less upright.

The kids LOVE it. They've already moved in their pads and bags and are planning on an overnight tonight. I have to agree that for $80 (if you're a member) it seems like a bargain. I'll know more once we get it outside into the elements.

This is NOT an ultra-light hiking shelter. What it is, in my opinion, is the ultimate shelter for a base camp type situation. The week long courses at Briar Patch are a perfect example. This is the shelter I'd want to set up on the first day and live out of for a week. It is NOT a shelter I'd want to set up and take down several times during a hike/campout.

Everything looks very well put together but time will tell just how it holds up. The Guide Gear tarp holds up very well but will saturate with rain after a few days and then it leaks--not through seams but through the material itself.

For a tarp guy it's a bit of overkill. For a tarp guy with kids it's probably adequate. It's not quite as confining as a tent, not quite as exposed as a tarp, and the floor gives the kids a feeling of being somewhat insulated from the creepy crawlies that inhabit the great outdoors.

Bottom line:

It looks really good, especially for the money, but only time will tell just how well it works.

Thanks for reading,


B
 
Cool. When I saw it I wasn't thinking backpacking so that's good. Your description of the floor is good.

One thing that appealed to me was the vents.

More questions:

Are there any vents at the very top so air can flow thru the vents on the bottom and up thru the top?

How are the windows?

What does it pack down to size wise?

What is the distance from the side to the pole?(trying to figure if my air mattress will work w/it.

I have found most of the SG stuff DECENT quality wise but most of the time taking the whole thing and spraying it down with waterproofing and sealing the seams is in order:thumbup:
 
The top 12-18" is bug net all the way around. The black "cap" has guylines on it so you can cinch it tight. It looks to be a couple of inches larger in diameter than the tent so you can keep airflow.

Center to "wall" is better than 5'. I've got it at 69" but don't know if the pole is perfectly centered or not.

There are also two doors so ventilation is excellent.

I'll see if I can snap a couple of pictures to show you a little better.

It doesn't pack down small. :D It's maybe 3 feet by 18" in a zip-up case. Definitely good for toting in a car.

The windows are clear plastic/polyester/something. They look like they're seam sealed and/or welded into place.

Again, pictures should help show what I can't accurately put into words.

B
 
The peak
SGTent03.JPG


The overlapping "cap"
SGTent07.JPG


Window from exterior
SGTent08.JPG


Window from interior
SGTent04.JPG


Two doors
SGTent01.JPG


Basement setup
SGTent09.JPG


B
 
Hollowdweller.....so you are a hillbilly Deadhead?!?!?!? Well, that's weird, but it explains a lot...lol;):D What is the advantage of the center pole tents over the "pop up" models other than perhaps price?
 
If it's made like Guide Gear tarps, then its waterproofing is rated at the bare minimum, 1000mm. Very little use will render it less than "waterproof."
 
hollowdweller said:
OK. I'm a backpacking person.

I car camp maybe 3 times a year and that's at music festivals.

And although I have a decent car camping tent I just got this catalog that has this tent in it for 90 bucks and I am fighting not ordering it.

Love the shape, 10 ft wide, love the fact that it has lower vents at the place where my air matteress would be:D Would be great for camping in the sun at festivals plus the design would likely fight condensation and rain with the lower vents and windows.

Stop me!!!

130883_ts.jpg
Click to expand...

If that tent is only $90 bucks, then buy 2 and send me one ya' old cheapskate:D Where is this tent being advertised for $90:confused: My air mat cost more than that tent...
 
Ah, that explains it, it's a Chinese made copy of a better known Scandi design whose name eludes me right now. Those go for a cool $1K, they have 4 or 5 models in varying sizes. THOSE are the real deal that I thought you had found, but alas, it is'nt to be.
 
HD, Flix, those look like knockoffs of Cabela's 'Outback Lodge' that go for $200,$230, $280 look them up on line to see what I mean. Those were what I thought you spied for $90, but it isn't so. Problem with Chienes manufacturers is they sell you your product out the front door and market YOUR design out the BACK DOOR to anyone that will buy them by the truck loads!

I agree Flix, canvas breathes way better than nylon and does'nt sag when wet if pitched tight to start.
 
jdm61 said:
Hollowdweller.....so you are a hillbilly Deadhead?!?!?!? Well, that's weird, but it explains a lot...lol;):D What is the advantage of the center pole tents over the "pop up" models other than perhaps price?
Click to expand...

Well you might call me that;)
 
HD,

Someone posted this picture in W&C. Is that you? It looks like the same beard! You definitely need to get that big tent (it'll have function as a one-person in this case) and lay off the super-size McDonald's meals! :eek: :D:D:D:D:D Yikes!

fat20guy20computerbm0.png


(Disclaimer: this is NOT Hollowdweller)
 
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