I know that Chris T is due to review this tent, but I was out in the wilds using one for a couple of months. Did I miss the review? If so can anyone give me an overview of it? Otherwise I'll look forward to it in the next few issues!
I would expect it to be cooler in winter due to the mesh and the raised flysheet edge. I did have cool breezes coming through the mesh one night. Snow would be a bigger concern though. I could imagine it pushing under the flysheet and coming through the mesh. I also had some condensation on a still humid night that dripped through the mesh. However in winter (or anytime outside midge season) I sometimes use just a flysheet, floorless single skin tent or tarp so I wouldn't let these problems put me off using it in winter, especially as the wind resistance is good.
Thanks for all the replies. Of course I've missed the August issue now :o(
After test pitching it in the garden a few times It took a couple of times to get the best out of it in the wild, and I had to get used to pitching it at full tension. It was used on a traverse of the Pyrenees with everthing from campsite to remote wild camps. The space was outstanding for two people, the weight was brilliant and we were very impressed with the stability in high wind. It survived frequent hail and thunder well. I'm not sure snow would be a problem with the raised flysheet - hail slid off the tent and left a clear area round the fly. The mesh inner did mean it got cold, however. I wasn't impressed with the BA stakes which bent very easily and were hard on the hands. We got titanium pegs supplied by Hike-Lite which were a major improvement in usability as well as weight.
I didn't suffer from Chris' dripping condensation issue. The major issue I found was that after rain, or with heavy condensation, it was impossibble to strike without getting the inner soaking, due to the straps fastening the inner to the outer. In the Pyrennes this wasn't a problem as it dried in 15mins flat in the sun, but on a constant rainy trek in the UK this could cause a problem.
Any ideas on how to avoid this (other than camping in sunny weather only!)
I bought the big agnes speedhouse 1 and used on a backpacking trip over Cheviot Hills and down the Northumberland coast. It proved to be a great little tent with ample room for one, I think there probable a enough room for two in a mountain marathon event. I didn't have any problems with excessive condensation, there was some on the inside of the porch in the mornings. But no more than you would expect at the back end of September. There were a few problems when it started raining though. You can't put this tent up inner first without it getting soaked through. I did however manage to erect it by partly pegging out the fly and getting under neath it to erect the inner tent. I practiced this in the back garden before the trip. It is possible but it takes some careful thought to pull it off without damaging the tent. But like you said Rodney there is a problem with rain coming through the mesh when opening the door and entering and exiting the tent. I think the best way to beat this problem would be to make a small canopy – out of the same material as the fly. Ray Jardine's books, ' The PCT Trail Handbook' and ' Beyond Backpacking.' Have some instructions on building canopies for tents. That's how I intend to solve the problem, when I get round to it.
