I had the tiger wall. What I hated was the semi-free standing. I live and backpack in the Sierra granite, could NEVER get that staked out correctly. Because of that, I’m afraid of the trekking pole tents. I now own and love my copper spur and it has been great in wind, sleet a bit of snow, great in granite, etc. I wish more companies would add a try before you buy option. An entire rental dept., like ski areas do with demo gear. I’d love to try a trekking pole tent and I’d also love to try a quilt, etc. I’d be willing to pay rent and put down a hefty deposit just to try out gear w/o purchasing before I knew what I might like. .
Great tent comparisons! Skyscape Trekker, X-Mid and GG the 1 are the best non-freestanding shelters with the most interior space at around the same price.
In many of his interviews, Dan Durston mentioned how he became the SilPoly embassador. It was mainly because of Nylon's stretch vs the wall being part of the overall structure.
A one person is a tight fit for one, a two person tent is for one person and a three person tent is for two. I am not sure why they make them so tight but just how it is.
Fantastic vid, today! As a person with lifelong claustrophobia, I just can't do trekking-pole tents or bivvies - it's a hard limit - but as a person with diagnosed OCD, asymmetrical tents like the Tiger Wall make my brain itch to a constant + distracting degree; I just can't _unsee_ it. Even just _watching videos_ of both give me Anxiety after a couple of minutes. Only fully free-standing, + also symmetrical, + _also_ roomy tents like the MSR Hubba Hubba or the Naturehike Mongar work for me, for these reasons. There really are simply so many factors _beyond_ just weight, performance & price that go into choosing a tent, which make such a large investment such an incredibly personal decision.
Love my Tigerwall. Hate having to bring 2 extra spikes for secure the fly and floor both properly. fly sags against the mesh in some setups. 1 stake for both lines worked on the first 3 setups. after that doesn't work.
I use a double walled free-standing 2 person with entrances on both sides with small vestibules bike-packing in the southern gulf coast. If I have someone joining me, I use an added larger vestibule to store gear and to provide more protected space for our frequent downpours.
In warmer weather I carry my XMid 2p. I’ve found I can set it up almost anywhere (sometimes I have to use the deadman and rock pile method, but I get there haha) and for the winter/deep snow I’ve been carrying the Marmot Fortress UL freestanding tent. I’d LOVE to have Tarptent Double Rainbow some day, just need find that pot o’ gold at the end of some rainbow haha.
I think Nemo, at least, is heading in this direction. The new Dagger 2P has a 50” wide rectangular floor, fairly robust pole structure with additional tieouts for wind and a new, low sag fabric. Downsides are price and weight in this category.
After using many tents, my favorite tent is the tarpt tent double rainbow li. Lightweight, very roomy, good with condensation, stakes out easily or can be freestanding with trekking poles. Price is the only downside.
Super helpful video!! Do you happen to know if the Nemo Dagger OSMO 2p tent can comfortably fit 2 25” wide Rapide SL pads without pushing up against the walls?
I wish you'd been able to include the Durston X-Mid 1P or 2P in your comparison. I think that the 2P in particular has resolved those 3 issues you've brought up. The 1P can be kind of small inside, which they've improved in the newest version. The double trekking pole design keeps the walls farther from your face/feet than the single pole design of the Outdoor Vitals tent (and Zpacks), the floor is designed to work with the 25" pad (50"wide in the case of the 2P), the tent is quite rigid when it's set up and is able to handle a snow load. The fabric is SilPoly so it doesn't have the water absorption and sagging issues that SilNylon has. I can set this tent up faster and with fewer stakes than my Zpacks DupleXL, or REI Quarter Domes.
I do not own a X-Mid and haven't been able to use one yet, so it's difficult for me to speak to it for comparison. I hope to be able to use one next spring though and bring that experience to the table.
@@BackcountryExposure And availability has been very limited too. I was very fortunate and was able to get both the 1P and the 2P which I love. I used my Zpacks DupleXL (which also addresses the head/foot room issue, no need to use a stick) on this year's AT through hike attempt for the space/weight benefit. (I got just over 1800 miles in before my knees gave out). I've since been able to get out to use my X-Mid and was SO much happier with how it performed vs the Zpacks, particularly the doors and vestibule. I really look forward to your review when you get the opportunity!!
The 2P V1 and V2 have enough room, but the 2P Pro only has a 48" official width. Could go w/ 2 wide mummy head to toe, but I only have rectangular LW's.
It would be awesome if all you UA-cam backpackers got together and made a video with everyone’s favorite tents. I’m talking like 20 tents in a video! 😂
Shelter has so many variables; I'm 5'3" so I have room inside most any tent ever made. A taller person will have to exclude some tents. For me, I wanted a shelter that I could confidently rely on to protect me from storms, wind, rain, snow. I am the proud owner of a Hilleberg Enan & it has indeed, provided me with protection all night during strong gusty winds at 9,200' elevation just below tree line in the Sierras. I was comfy cozy atop my Xtherm & inside my Western Mountaineering Antelope sleeping bag. Temperatures were in the low 20ºs F. Warm Regards from Reno, Nevada
Probably because they’ve been nearly impossible to buy for the last 2 years. 😊 I have a 1P and love it, but through no fault of their own, Durston hasn’t been able to keep any of their tents in stock since early 2021.
I own an X-Mid 2P V1 from 2021 and love it. Still have to practice packing it up as it takes me a while to fit it back in the bag and need to replace the stakes with some groundhogs if they perform better in harder soil as I bent one of the v stakes. Everything else about the tent is fantastic. I guess the availability makes it harder for more people to talk about it, but Dan Becker did a video on the 1P version as did Justin Outdoors and a plethora of smaller channels.
I've got half-a-dozen tents. My first trekking pole tent was way too small for me so I gave it to a female friend and she has found it to be perfect for her. I now have a longer, wider trekking pole tent but I haven't had the chance to try it out yet. According to the specs, it should be big enough for my 30" wide Static V Luxe. I recently bought a Marmot Tungsten 1P which I will be trying out in full this weekend. It should be plenty roomy enough and I like the idea of separate footprint, inner and fly, as it will allow me to take only the pieces I need for specific trips. It's the only tent I have that was more than $100 so I have high expectations of it. I have a sneaking suspicion, though, that after spending all this money on new tents that I will eventually go back to the $80 1 man tent I bought 7 or 8 years ago. I find that watching videos like this tends to undermine my confidence in my cheap gear because it tends to make me over-think everything. e.g. The Marmot is well reviewed but it is big and heavy compared to my cheap tents so it will really need to knock it out of the park to convince me. I'm the same with backpacks. Buying a well reviewed Osprey Exos 38 has just made me realise how good the 35 litre pack I bought 10 years ago is, even though I didn't consider any of the things people on UA-cam said I should have considered. I bought it purely because of the suspension system, with excellent ventilation for use when cycling. But it turns out it's more comfortable than the Exos, weighs almost the same and fits just a smuch stuff in it. Maybe my 50+ years of experience now allows me to choose gear instinctively but I think perhaps it is more likely that people with YT channels to keep running make us all overthink our purchase decisions. I htink that is somethign to keep in mind so don't let yourself get stuck with analysis paralysis, just buy whichever thing your gut tells you is the one to buy and you'll probably be OK.
Not sure if gut feeling is a great way to pick hear but I’d agree expensive doesn’t mean quality. My 30$ Winnebago tarp bottom tent off Facebook packs up smaller and is more waterproof than my friends big Agnes because he has to carry a tarp for a footprint or else the tent is useless!
@@jasondunbar3667 OK. I haven't done much research. Two years ago I bought one winter rated wide-tapered pad by Exped, but it is probably off the market now.
Sorry you feel that way, Perry. I know you’ve been a viewer of my channel for a long time. It’s greatly appreciated. Sponsors however are more than just a commercial. The work I put into my channel is a source of income that supports my family, pays my bills, and puts food on the table. It’s also free for you to watch, and I appreciate you watching my content.
@@BackcountryExposure dude I’ll still watch you but I’m so tired of the commercials. If you watch tv, you will have more commercial time than show time. I love you tube because I get to watch hikers doing what they love and how they do it. Then there are the sponsors. So what have I gained and what have I lost?
This is a good comparison, however my dislike of these tents is far more fundamental. The weird poles it takes in a spider shape and too many pegs. Is it impossible to get Simple straight poles without needing 8 or more pegs not to mention detangling all the cords. This is all stuff I gotta carry and fumble with to assemble. Simplicity is the key guys. Tents have lost purpose and become more along the fanciest gadget line. Why doesn't your designers get back to basics. Go try different tarp setups then come back and sew a tent. Imagine a tent made like a wedge or plow set up plenty of room for 2, Head room is great 1 straight pole, 4 pegs, floor and screens. Look at other popular setups. Tent people want tents. Why should I have to pay several hundred dollars and only get close to a few likes. For that money I should not be willing to trade out for anything else. And I don't want to have to build a full blown house in the woods to do it. There's a better way.
I had the tiger wall. What I hated was the semi-free standing. I live and backpack in the Sierra granite, could NEVER get that staked out correctly. Because of that, I’m afraid of the trekking pole tents. I now own and love my copper spur and it has been great in wind, sleet a bit of snow, great in granite, etc. I wish more companies would add a try before you buy option. An entire rental dept., like ski areas do with demo gear. I’d love to try a trekking pole tent and I’d also love to try a quilt, etc. I’d be willing to pay rent and put down a hefty deposit just to try out gear w/o purchasing before I knew what I might like.
.
I have never found a tent I was really happy with, so I went to a hammock….but I have a durston on the way so fingers crossed!
Great tent comparisons! Skyscape Trekker, X-Mid and GG the 1 are the best non-freestanding shelters with the most interior space at around the same price.
25inch pads are great. It would be nice to have more options that are 50” at both ends.
Man was that some good wind we had at Canyonlands. Ultralight tents not having the tension for adjusting sure is a con.
In many of his interviews, Dan Durston mentioned how he became the SilPoly embassador. It was mainly because of Nylon's stretch vs the wall being part of the overall structure.
A one person is a tight fit for one, a two person tent is for one person and a three person tent is for two. I am not sure why they make them so tight but just how it is.
Fantastic vid, today! As a person with lifelong claustrophobia, I just can't do trekking-pole tents or bivvies - it's a hard limit - but as a person with diagnosed OCD, asymmetrical tents like the Tiger Wall make my brain itch to a constant + distracting degree; I just can't _unsee_ it. Even just _watching videos_ of both give me Anxiety after a couple of minutes. Only fully free-standing, + also symmetrical, + _also_ roomy tents like the MSR Hubba Hubba or the Naturehike Mongar work for me, for these reasons.
There really are simply so many factors _beyond_ just weight, performance & price that go into choosing a tent, which make such a large investment such an incredibly personal decision.
Love my Tigerwall. Hate having to bring 2 extra spikes for secure the fly and floor both properly. fly sags against the mesh in some setups. 1 stake for both lines worked on the first 3 setups. after that doesn't work.
I use a double walled free-standing 2 person with entrances on both sides with small vestibules bike-packing in the southern gulf coast. If I have someone joining me, I use an added larger vestibule to store gear and to provide more protected space for our frequent downpours.
These are all great points for folks to consider. Nice video!
I use a shock cord loop in all my guy lines for nylon fabrics. Pretty much makes it an auto adjust system in case it rains. [2c]
In warmer weather I carry my XMid 2p. I’ve found I can set it up almost anywhere (sometimes I have to use the deadman and rock pile method, but I get there haha) and for the winter/deep snow I’ve been carrying the Marmot Fortress UL freestanding tent. I’d LOVE to have Tarptent Double Rainbow some day, just need find that pot o’ gold at the end of some rainbow haha.
I think Nemo, at least, is heading in this direction. The new Dagger 2P has a 50” wide rectangular floor, fairly robust pole structure with additional tieouts for wind and a new, low sag fabric. Downsides are price and weight in this category.
After using many tents, my favorite tent is the tarpt tent double rainbow li. Lightweight, very roomy, good with condensation, stakes out easily or can be freestanding with trekking poles. Price is the only downside.
I definitely agree. It’s so easy to use I can’t imagine it could be easier.
Does this tent get blown down on top of you in strong gusty windy conditions?
@@azclaimjumper In a side wind, mine would fold in some, even though firmly staked, but it didn't fail.
I have a Fortius and a Durstan. The Durstan is a double wall Fortius and my go to for that reason.
Super helpful video!!
Do you happen to know if the Nemo Dagger OSMO 2p tent can comfortably fit 2 25” wide Rapide SL pads without pushing up against the walls?
Thanks! The dagger is 50” head to foot so two wide pads will fill the floor space a push against a little.
Quality advice 👍
I wish you'd been able to include the Durston X-Mid 1P or 2P in your comparison. I think that the 2P in particular has resolved those 3 issues you've brought up. The 1P can be kind of small inside, which they've improved in the newest version. The double trekking pole design keeps the walls farther from your face/feet than the single pole design of the Outdoor Vitals tent (and Zpacks), the floor is designed to work with the 25" pad (50"wide in the case of the 2P), the tent is quite rigid when it's set up and is able to handle a snow load. The fabric is SilPoly so it doesn't have the water absorption and sagging issues that SilNylon has. I can set this tent up faster and with fewer stakes than my Zpacks DupleXL, or REI Quarter Domes.
I do not own a X-Mid and haven't been able to use one yet, so it's difficult for me to speak to it for comparison. I hope to be able to use one next spring though and bring that experience to the table.
@@BackcountryExposure And availability has been very limited too. I was very fortunate and was able to get both the 1P and the 2P which I love. I used my Zpacks DupleXL (which also addresses the head/foot room issue, no need to use a stick) on this year's AT through hike attempt for the space/weight benefit. (I got just over 1800 miles in before my knees gave out). I've since been able to get out to use my X-Mid and was SO much happier with how it performed vs the Zpacks, particularly the doors and vestibule. I really look forward to your review when you get the opportunity!!
The 2P V1 and V2 have enough room, but the 2P Pro only has a 48" official width. Could go w/ 2 wide mummy head to toe, but I only have rectangular LW's.
Durston X-Mid 1.
One huge thing for me is the colour of the tent inside. I no longer buy blue tents as hey give the apparency of consant coldness
I just bought a Black Diamond HiLight for this winter... It's bright blue! ha ha
@@BackcountryExposure you will need to be heavily medicated 🤠
It would be awesome if all you UA-cam backpackers got together and made a video with everyone’s favorite tents. I’m talking like 20 tents in a video! 😂
Shelter has so many variables; I'm 5'3" so I have room inside most any tent ever made. A taller person will have to exclude some tents.
For me, I wanted a shelter that I could confidently rely on to protect me from storms, wind, rain, snow. I am the proud owner of a Hilleberg Enan & it has indeed, provided me with protection all night during strong gusty winds at 9,200' elevation just below tree line in the Sierras. I was comfy cozy atop my Xtherm & inside my Western Mountaineering Antelope sleeping bag. Temperatures were in the low 20ºs F.
Warm Regards from Reno, Nevada
Durston Xmid 2. 2doors and vestibules, Sil-Polyester, 52x92 square, 2.5lbs, tall and steep walls, weather sturdy, $300.
Why are people ignoring this?
Probably because they’ve been nearly impossible to buy for the last 2 years. 😊
I have a 1P and love it, but through no fault of their own, Durston hasn’t been able to keep any of their tents in stock since early 2021.
I own an X-Mid 2P V1 from 2021 and love it. Still have to practice packing it up as it takes me a while to fit it back in the bag and need to replace the stakes with some groundhogs if they perform better in harder soil as I bent one of the v stakes. Everything else about the tent is fantastic.
I guess the availability makes it harder for more people to talk about it, but Dan Becker did a video on the 1P version as did Justin Outdoors and a plethora of smaller channels.
@@jonsanford2515 They are available now and have been for several weeks now
One thing most of you guys seem to not do when demonstrating tents is fully guy them out.
I've got half-a-dozen tents. My first trekking pole tent was way too small for me so I gave it to a female friend and she has found it to be perfect for her. I now have a longer, wider trekking pole tent but I haven't had the chance to try it out yet. According to the specs, it should be big enough for my 30" wide Static V Luxe. I recently bought a Marmot Tungsten 1P which I will be trying out in full this weekend. It should be plenty roomy enough and I like the idea of separate footprint, inner and fly, as it will allow me to take only the pieces I need for specific trips. It's the only tent I have that was more than $100 so I have high expectations of it.
I have a sneaking suspicion, though, that after spending all this money on new tents that I will eventually go back to the $80 1 man tent I bought 7 or 8 years ago. I find that watching videos like this tends to undermine my confidence in my cheap gear because it tends to make me over-think everything. e.g. The Marmot is well reviewed but it is big and heavy compared to my cheap tents so it will really need to knock it out of the park to convince me.
I'm the same with backpacks. Buying a well reviewed Osprey Exos 38 has just made me realise how good the 35 litre pack I bought 10 years ago is, even though I didn't consider any of the things people on UA-cam said I should have considered. I bought it purely because of the suspension system, with excellent ventilation for use when cycling. But it turns out it's more comfortable than the Exos, weighs almost the same and fits just a smuch stuff in it.
Maybe my 50+ years of experience now allows me to choose gear instinctively but I think perhaps it is more likely that people with YT channels to keep running make us all overthink our purchase decisions. I htink that is somethign to keep in mind so don't let yourself get stuck with analysis paralysis, just buy whichever thing your gut tells you is the one to buy and you'll probably be OK.
Not sure if gut feeling is a great way to pick hear but I’d agree expensive doesn’t mean quality. My 30$ Winnebago tarp bottom tent off Facebook packs up smaller and is more waterproof than my friends big Agnes because he has to carry a tarp for a footprint or else the tent is useless!
Tent manufacturers listen up!
:)
The tiger wall is such a joke for the price imo
42" at the footend? Just buy wide but tapered pads.
Much harder to find those sizes these days.
Yes hard to find wide tapered.
@@jasondunbar3667 OK. I haven't done much research. Two years ago I bought one winter rated wide-tapered pad by Exped, but it is probably off the market now.
Why do these channels always seem to become cheesy and uncomfortable when mentioning sponsors.
It's to see if you're paying attention... ;)
So tired of commercials.
Sorry you feel that way, Perry. I know you’ve been a viewer of my channel for a long time. It’s greatly appreciated.
Sponsors however are more than just a commercial. The work I put into my channel is a source of income that supports my family, pays my bills, and puts food on the table. It’s also free for you to watch, and I appreciate you watching my content.
@@BackcountryExposure dude I’ll still watch you but I’m so tired of the commercials. If you watch tv, you will have more commercial time than show time. I love you tube because I get to watch hikers doing what they love and how they do it. Then there are the sponsors. So what have I gained and what have I lost?
This is a good comparison, however my dislike of these tents is far more fundamental. The weird poles it takes in a spider shape and too many pegs. Is it impossible to get Simple straight poles without needing 8 or more pegs not to mention detangling all the cords. This is all stuff I gotta carry and fumble with to assemble. Simplicity is the key guys. Tents have lost purpose and become more along the fanciest gadget line. Why doesn't your designers get back to basics. Go try different tarp setups then come back and sew a tent. Imagine a tent made like a wedge or plow set up plenty of room for 2, Head room is great 1 straight pole, 4 pegs, floor and screens. Look at other popular setups. Tent people want tents. Why should I have to pay several hundred dollars and only get close to a few likes. For that money I should not be willing to trade out for anything else. And I don't want to have to build a full blown house in the woods to do it. There's a better way.