me too!
Got one of the same, FE, the vintage VE24 with the “heartbreak of psoriasis”. This one was donated by North Face to my old mountaineering club for a Himalayan expedition back in 1977 so it is better-traveled than I am (maybe the odor emanating from it nowadays is eau de yak dung.) The snow tunnels always kind of creeped me out – sort of like nylon sphincters. It was certainly wind-resistant and spacious but not as good for ventilation nor as handy as the Cannondale which has a 7’ long floorless vestibule for cooking and stashing wet clothes and gear. And the fly in the VE24 used to always settle onto the tent wall at various points and cause wet spots. I always figure they donated a factory second to us – beggars can’t be choosers.
I imagined at one point using the VE24 as the base for a skin-on-frame curragh (like unto what St. Brendan allegedly paddled to the New World.)
I have not set up the VE24 nor the Cannondale (both weighing 9 lbs plus) for at least 15 years now, not since I got a nice little skeeter net wall Marmot that packs down to a 5 lb bread loaf size. If I had a flat level spot in my half acre ski slope of a yard I would pitch them for inspection and old time’s sake.
It’s amazing that the Hillebergs are so light for the strength and features they offer. If I was still a fanatical year round mountain camper I would invest in one, for sure.
A bit off topic, but I’ve noticed lately that there is a wider range of geographic locations represented on the “made in” tags for fabric items. I picked up a bunch of summer clothes at the “end of season” sales last week and noticed when I got home that not one item was Chinese made. I had shirts from Peru, Viet Nam and India, sandals from Romania and shorts from Honduras and Kenya!
The Trango has clips
and clips… Clips for each and every crossing of the poles… And there are three. I don’t remember how many intersections… lots.
Its not a quick tent to set up with all those clips.
And they are reinforced on the backside. I’m undecided between clip and sleeve. I have had sleeves fail catastrophically all at once.
But I doubt a sleeve on a Sierra Design tent can be compared to a Hilleberg sleeve.
Can’t agree -
that clips are not sufficiently durable in heavy wind. I htink that argument is a myth. There are clips and there are clips. The Trango clip system is extremely durable. I trust that tent with my life and it has never let me down. I actually find it to be quite easy to set up even in a blow. Quite a bit easier than a sleeve system. Like most things - its just a matter of getting used to it. Actually, the Trango has 5 poles if you count the vestibule pole. That is why is is so incredibly capable in wind, it is all those pole crossings that make it so strong.
That may be
My comment was a generic one. A pole load spread evenly over a few feet of fabric is less stressful than one that is concentrated at discrete locations. In that regard, sleeves are a stronger method (all other things being equal), but as I said before, that leaves room for the possibility that a well-designed clip system can be strong enough. It’s good to know that here’s a tent that qualifies.
Fusion/Exped
Yes, the Fusion was almost perfect. I like two doors and 2 vestibules (though I prefer the door on the long axis since I don’t fold in half so easily any more), I want each door to have screens that can be full mesh for view and/or ventilation or fully zipped up for warmth, and a gear hammock or clothes line. I do prefer free standing, but not strongly enough to rule out an otherwise perfect tent. I think it would have survived the windstorm, it had good pedigree (Moss).
The tent with the blown fly was an Exped Venus II and I love the tent even more than the Fusion. But I no longer have confidence in high winds and won’t bring it back to such a remote area. It will always be my local go to tent since it has all the features I love. The company is helping to sort things out.
Interesting discussion about clips vs sleeves. Lots of tents are now hybrids.
It’s fun and interesting looking at the different specs of the various tents. I have plenty of time to do research before the next trip, and I really appreciate the comments and suggestions.
Lyn
sand pegs
DIY with long stakes ... 7" ?...with painted thin ply or paneling bolted to maybe nylon fasteners.
Posters are talking sleeves ...in a blow mount the fly. Your tent designer wind tunneled the fly to suck down around tent.
My Kelty Gunnison does this in 35 mph winds.
The Gunnison is guyed at all locations with mid section loops sewn in. Add loops with reinforcement patches under at tent fabric points.
Guys and internal bracing with equipment bags,,and your body. I've camped thru 2 hurricanes at abt 35 mph...tent setup behind brush - Brazilian pepper - in an old boy scout A tent.
Here's a google link http://goo.gl/nvnidh
Hillenberg always mentioned but any 5+ pole tent rated 4/3 seasons should work depends on how much money to lay out ?
The design parameters are dense: denier, fabric type, seam sewing quality. Take a look at the Gunnison specs. First Gunnison I have is a regular but the new Gunnison is a Pro...definite upgrade in materials.
The Gunnison is a screen tent. If the outside should be excluded then mount the fly.
If wind was a major factor in my camping program then I would head toward aerodynamic shapes with Pro specs if possible in a multi-pole design. This category when guyed down would be as is said, bombproof. With fly mounted of course.
try this down at REI..OMC...Campmor..look at company X's other products, comparing to equipment you have experience with and own/use/hate/landfill then re-examine X's tent.
BTW, Walmart painters tarps at 1mil used once then bagged with one new for each night, is effective.
Ask yourself...which you may do...do I spend $400 on a tent if I haven't another $400 to toss away on a replacement tomorrow..in Pinedale !
Non-freestanding low hoop type
My first tent ever, an ultralight SierraWest 1-person tent, set up fast with only two hoops and some stake-down loops. I had to crawl in on my back to get inside, so it was not the kind of tent I’d want to be stuck in on a day off.
However, it was amazingly sturdy in howling crazy winds encountered one night on a Hawaii beach. The gales went on all night. I thought for sure the tent would fall apart. In the morning, I woke to clearing skies, with the hoops pushed partway down, but still standing and everything staked in. I walked around looking at other tents in the park; all but one of them had either sustained a broken pole or shredded fabric. The only other intact, standing tent besides mine was another 2-hooper.
Pitch it so the lower side faces the wind.
I now have a Hilleberg Unna that provides more space and warmth. It’s a nicer tent overall, but I suspect the low-profile SierraWest ultralight hooper is better in gusty winds.
North Face
The lowest temps, heaviest snow, and strongest winds I ever camped in (21 days) was in the Big Horn range in Wyoming.
Our group was using North Face VE 25s.
Don't know if they even make that model anymore?
Don't need it now anyway; will never encounter those conditions again. Not willingly anyway..........
BOB
Hilberg and Mountain Hardware…
In my former life, I got to use the Trango series on about 10 separate month long trips, and a Nallo2 GT on a two week long trip. Have spent quite a bit of time in the Trango 2 person, 3 person and 4 person. I would agree that the Hillberg is the gold standard, but the Trangos are also very good tents.
The Hillberg Nallo2 GT is very easy to pitch and take down, doesn't have quite the ventilation the Trango does, but has a ton of space in the vestibule. It's pretty cool in that the inner and outer body pitch together so you don't get the inner tent wet when setting up or taking down in the rain, only downside is you have a larger overall packed size because the inner and outer body are bundled together and take up a larger space in your boat. With the Trango you can easily pack the inner and outer body separately in your boat, so it packs down to two smaller bundles rather than the large single bundle of the Hillberg. On the Hillberg the inner and outer pieces can be separated, just never bothered to do so.
The Trango is a bomber tent, but takes longer to set up well, and has a ton of poles\clips\guy lines to get a solid set up. Really a two person job requiring good team work to get it up quickly, and if it's raining the inner body can get a little wet in the process. Once up it's very warm, comfortable and quiet.
I also spent 3 months in wet and windy conditions in the previous generation MSR Hubba Hubba. That little tent is still dry in the rain to this day. Stood up to conditions very well given it was a 3 season tent, but wind gusts around 40mph and up would knock it down. The tent always popped back up, never tore or broke a pole, I had it guyed out well, but it always gave the impression it might blow apart in high winds. Also sucked on sandy beaches, would wake up in a sand box. Convinced me it was worth getting a good solid wall tent that didn't shake and flutter in high winds, and keep that wind and sand off while hunkered on some beach during a storm.
I purchased a Marmot Widi 2, pretty good tent, but should have just paid the price and got a Hillberg Nallo2 GT or the Anjan 2 GT. If I ever get to go on a longer backcountry trip again I'll spring for the Hillberg. Easy to setup and bomber. They have an Heirloom design and build quality to them, something hard to find in many mass produced products nowadays. I'm sure it has a longer lifespan on it that many other products as well.
Hilleberg also uses clips on some models
I have had my Hilleberg Allak withstand gale-force conditions in Newfoundland and other locales with no problem, and it is freestanding. It uses clips except for short pole sleeves at the very base of the tent. It has surprisingly good ventilation for such a robust tent. It has enough zippers and mesh panels to work for Florida, yet it has also repelled light snow. It's heavier than something like an MSR Hubba Hubba, but can withstand much heavier winds.
Greg Stamer
All I can say is
you are a lucky guy.
598 ?
598 ? with tax off course NTM pine cones, mice, and falling branches.
WHERE do you see 598 ?
Thanks!
Really great reply, much appreciated.
lyn
While we are on the subject of tents
I'll add one small thing. My experience is that if you take very good care of a high end tent it will last a long long time. Most importantly, I have found that if I dry the tent very well at the end of every trip and store it loosely stuffed into an over-sized cotton storage sack in a heated area of my home (we have a walk in closet with lots of similar gear) the tent will hold up real well. Also, I have tried storing the poles assembled on the advice of an "expert" who I will not name and it was a disaster. The pole joints must of corroded slightly, perhaps they were damp, and I was unable to pull the joints apart no matter what technique I tried. Fortunately, the tent manufacturer, Mountain Hardware, agreed to replace the poles gratis. Otherwise it would have been a major expense. Now I store my poles in the folded position and I have had no trouble. Elastic holds up fine but no doubt will need to be replaced someday down the road I suppose.
how about both?
My Hilleberg Tara has sleeves for the first couple of feet on every pole then clips across the top where the poles cross each other. That tent is bomb proof.
Untested Suggestion No 178
lube pole joints with a rubber friendly lubricant. Maybe CRC silicone ? better ask the manufacturer.
bees wax zipper lube
Exped
I have an Exped Sirius (also no longer made) I bet that would have been fine in those winds.
Have you called Exped? They’re have an excellent warranty and they stand by their gear.
My understanding is
that the manufacturers recommend zero lube on the ferrules.
Boeshield lubricant
The shock corded tubular aluminum frames for most folding kayaks are essentially identical to tent poles. Those of us with folders learn that we must use Boeshield lubricant on the joints every time we assemble them (unless we will be immediately breaking the boat down that same day) -- not doing so runs the risk of corrosion and poles welding together, especially in salt water.
The stuff was developed by Boeing to use in aircraft -- it won't damage plastics, fabrics or rubber. You can usually find it in marine supply places and large bike shops. I use the large spray can when I set up a folder at home at the start of the paddling season and carry the small drip applicator bottles with the kayak for field assembly. I use it on tent poles too if I am going to leave a tent set up for more than a couple of nights. I've also used it with success on the ferrule of one of my fiberglass break-down paddles that had a particularly snug and wrist-straining fit.