North Face Tent
on belay
info. The tent is very light 4 lbs. 4 oz. To save on weight there are
no storm flaps, i.e. the windows do not zip closed. Unless you are sure
of the weather, this means you must keep the fly on during the night.
This resulted in very humid and uncomfortable conditions, not to mention
the loss of a perfectly good view! Also, my husband is 5'9". The
salesperson told us the tent was 6'2" long - however, this depends upon
the angle at which you lie. If he was alone in the tent it would be
okay, with me alongside, he slept in a rather crunched up position.
Any short people planning on camping only in good weather interested in
purchasing this otherwise fine tent, please let me know!
Lori
R. Scott Truesdell
wrote:
So you want to sell it?
If so, you should have the words "For Sale" in the subject line and
somewhere in the body of the message. Also a mention of the price...
I'd buy it if I hadn't just bought one one sale this spring for $174 or so.
It is an excellent tent for one 6'2" person (me!). Light and easy to set
up. I would recommend the next size up (Bullfrog? last year, I forget what
the new ones are called) for 2 people. Not much heavier but plenty of room.
My and a 5'9" friend were very comfortable in one for a week.
--scott
Donald Morley (Berkshire S)
In a previous article, lo...@phantom.com (on belay) says:
>We just bought a Tadpole (Northface) ... The tent is very light 4 lbs. 4 oz.
>To save on weight there are no storm flaps, ... Unless you are sure of the
>weather, this means you must keep the fly on during the night. This
>resulted in very humid and uncomfortable conditions,...
I used this tent for six weeks in Utah this past Sept & Oct., and I loved
it. Granted that it was very dry out there, but it did get cold in the Maze
at night. I also used it in the Adirondacks this spring, and had no trouble.
>Also, my husband is 5'9". The salesperson told us the tent was 6'2" long...
I'm 6'4", and it was just fine as a solo tent. Another of its excellent
features is that if the bugs are not bad, you can leave the tent in the car,
and set the fly with the poles, making for a very lightweight dry shelter. I
got caught in a downpour in Coyote Gulch with the Tadpole rigged this way,
and I stayed dry. Again, I was alone. While in the Adirondacks, I did share
the tent with someone who is about 5'4", and while I certainly would not
want to spend a full day in there weathering out a storm, it served its
purpose fine.
In short, _no pun intended_ I think that it a versatile solo shelter, and it
will do in a pinch as a two person rig.
Don
Kemasa
on belay <lo...@phantom.com> wrote:
>We just bought a Tadpole (Northface) tend and wanted to pass along some
>info. The tent is very light 4 lbs. 4 oz. To save on weight there are
>no storm flaps, i.e. the windows do not zip closed.
Not to pick on you or anything, but I find it quite interesting that
people are claiming that a tent is light, especially at these weights.
I have a 3 person tent which weighs less that 4lbs 11.5ozs (new fabric
is reduced weight and I have not weighed it). It has an integral rain
fly, windows that close, vents, etc. The two person is lighter and if
you don't get all the options it is lighter still. While I don't consider
4 lbs heavy, it is not very light.
I guess it all depends on what you are used to.
--
Kemasa.
NRA Life Member/Certified Instructor Sierra Club Leader Pro-Choice
Insanity is the best defense. e-mail: kem...@ghost.hac.com
The disappearance of a sense of responsibility is the most far-reaching
consequence of submission to authority.
[Stanley Milgram]
Joe Ehrlich
: >We just bought a Tadpole (Northface) tend and wanted to pass along some
: >no storm flaps, i.e. the windows do not zip closed.
: Not to pick on you or anything, but I find it quite interesting that
: people are claiming that a tent is light, especially at these weights.
: I have a 3 person tent which weighs less that 4lbs 11.5ozs (new fabric
: is reduced weight and I have not weighed it). It has an integral rain
: fly, windows that close, vents, etc. The two person is lighter and if
: you don't get all the options it is lighter still. While I don't consider
: 4 lbs heavy, it is not very light.
4.5 pounds is considered light for a free-standing tent. You are correct,
that 4 pounds is not exactly "heavy", but this tent has proven to be very
popular over the years, especially among AT hikers. Wheras the Sierra
Designs Flashlights are lighter, they are not free-standing, for whatever
that is worth. : :
What brand and model do you have?
--
Joseph Ehrlich (sta...@holonet.net) "Just another Berkeley radical"
'76 BMW R75/6 '71 VW Wesphalia '88 BMW K75 '66 BMW R27 '82 BMW 320i
BMW MOA #20297 BMW RA #13485 DoD#1062
Kemasa
Joe Ehrlich <sta...@iat.holonet.net> wrote:
>kem...@ghost.hac.com (Kemasa) writes:
>...
> 4.5 pounds is considered light for a free-standing tent. You are correct,
>that 4 pounds is not exactly "heavy", but this tent has proven to be very
>popular over the years, especially among AT hikers. Wheras the Sierra
>Designs Flashlights are lighter, they are not free-standing, for whatever
>that is worth. : :
>
>What brand and model do you have?
I have a Stephenson 3R, which while not freestanding, uses only 4 stakes
and is about 52 sq. ft. (or so I have been told). It is big enough to
have two people in it (who don't want to be close :-), all their gear
and still have space left over. The 2R is better in regards to space
per person in my opinion and it weighs less too, but I opted for more
space :-). Also because of the design it is possible to "stake" out
the tent using rocks or trees since it uses two stakes at the ends,
rather than all over the place.
I admit that this tent is not for everyone since it can not take the
abuse that others can, but for those who can manage to not abuse a tent
and want lots of options it is great. The ability to open the windows
and almost have a screen room is great. It is also warmer than many
other tents because you can close it up (actually you can close
it up more than you should). It is also a 4 season tent which
are generally heavier.
I just think it is funny that people are calling tents "light" when I
don't think that it is considering the space and everything. Most
freestanding tents have to be staked out because of the wind or the
rainfly, but they are easier to move around and shake out dirt.
Disclaimer: I am just a customer of Stephensons.
Greg Smith
>Not to pick on you or anything, but I find it quite interesting that
>people are claiming that a tent is light, especially at these weights.
>I have a 3 person tent which weighs less that 4lbs 11.5ozs (new fabric
>is reduced weight and I have not weighed it). It has an integral rain
>fly, windows that close, vents, etc. The two person is lighter and if
>you don't get all the options it is lighter still. While I don't consider
>4 lbs heavy, it is not very light.
>
>I guess it all depends on what you are used to.
13-pound TNF Pole Sleeve Oval. Having a tent that heavy opens a whole world of
possibilities in "lightweight tents."
My new tent weighs 3 lbs. I have to keep reminding myself that I brought it
because the pack feels like I left the tent at home.
Greg Smith
AT&T Global Information Solutions
Paul S McClay
You enjoy answering newbie questions, right?
I've just started looking for a solo/occasional double tent. As such,
I'm exposed to TNF's current product names, not the historical names
used around here.
Q0: Is Tadpole == Starlite, and Bullfrog == Starfire?
It's often wet in MI, and I recall from way back when I used to go
outside occasionally that things in contact with the tent wall will
get soaked with condensation overnight. So I'm looking for a tent
that will accomodate my size bag without it touching the tent wall,
esp. at the foot end.
Q1: Is this correct?
The TNF Starlite looks like a fine tent, but... at 6'0" I don't fit
w/out either my head or feet wedged into an end of the tent. But...
In article <1994Jul12.0...@k12.ucs.umass.edu> dmo...@k12.ucs.umass.edu (Donald Morley (Berkshire S)) writes:
>In a previous article, lo...@phantom.com (on belay) says:
>>We just bought a Tadpole (Northface) ...
>I'm 6'4", and it was just fine as a solo tent.
Q2: Does D.M. stuff his ends into the corners of the tent and hope the
night is dry?
Q3: A freestanding tent seems like a kinder, gentler sort of tent to
handle. Yes? How much extra weight do you think that's worth?
To indicate my progress so far - these are the tents that I'm
considering.
TNF Starlite - too short?
TNF Starfire - _large_ for solo, clears the feet fine. but 5.5 lbs.
TNF Leafhopper - long enuf. not heavy. not freestanding.
SD Half Moon Plus - nice. longer than starlite, might just compeletely clear
bag, but maybe not. Most useful vestibule of these 4.
(leaning to NHP over Extreme versions of Starfoo - ventilation seems like
a good idea)
Q4: Care to enlighten me?
and
Q5: Where's the FAQ?
Thanks.
-Paul
--
-- - - - - - - - - - --
Paul McClay p...@engin.umich.edu +1 313 936-1985
University of Michigan CAEN Systems Research Programmer -- Dances with MPPs
GCS/S -d+ -p+(---) c++ l u+ e-* m+ s+/- n+ h-- f g+ w+ t+ r y+
elsa...@linus.ac.hmc.edu
> Q0: Is Tadpole == Starlite, and Bullfrog == Starfire?
I don't have my TNF catalog handy, but that sounds right. If the Starfire is
indeed the bigger of two, then you're right.
> It's often wet in MI, and I recall from way back when I used to go
> outside occasionally that things in contact with the tent wall will
> get soaked with condensation overnight. So I'm looking for a tent
> that will accomodate my size bag without it touching the tent wall,
> esp. at the foot end.
>
> Q1: Is this correct?
Certainly in situations where you have a condensation problem, things that
touch the tent wall (and also things resting on the tent floor near the wall)
may get somewhat wet. It would take SEVERE condensation to get things soaked.
Except in extreme situations (like the time I camped for two nights when it was
around 0 degrees F and then it warmed up to near freezing on the last day and
all the frost on the inside of the tent started melting) you can keep
condensation to a minimum. In tents like these with a vestibule, you can close
the vestibule part way, so that it keeps rain off the door, but still lets in
air. Then you can leave the upper part of the door open; this allows excellent
ventilation even in fairly bad storms.
Hmm, it just occurred to me: if I remember correctly, one of the TNF tents you
mention, I forget which, has the door made so that it opens from the bottom up,
so that it is impossible to have the upper (more covered) part of the door open
and the lower half closed. This is a bad design because it makes the above
strategy less effective, and that's something to consider.
> Q3: A freestanding tent seems like a kinder, gentler sort of tent to
> handle. Yes? How much extra weight do you think that's worth?
Freestanding tents are not as big an advantage as they are often claimed to be,
IMHO. I have extensively used a TNF Pole Sleeve Oval, and I have (not
extensively) used a TNF VE-25 and a Wild Country Quasar, all of which are
free-standing. I have also extensively used a TNF Westwind, which is not
freestanding. Of these, the Westwind is the EASIEST to put up, especially if
you are putting it up by yourself. This is partly because the Westwind is the
smallest in the list, but also partly because the fact that it is not
freestanding allows it to have fewer poles and shorter poles than a comparable
freestanding tent. The fact that its poles don't cross each other also makes
it impossible to get confused and put a pole through the wrong sleeve.
That is not to say that I think it is HARD to put up freestanding tents; even
the Pole Sleeve Oval, with 6 poles, is easy for two people to put up with a
little practice, and feasible for one. And freestanding tents do have
advantages: good ones have the added strength in severe storms that their extra
weight implies, and they have a big advantage in places where the ground is so
hard or rocky that it is difficult to put stakes everywhere you want them. But
in most cases a strong non-freestanding tent like the Westwind is strong enough
if well-guyed, and the effort to stake out the tent and its guylines isn't
much. And you still have to stake out freestanding tents (though the number
and exact placement of the stakes isn't as critical) to keep them from blowing
away!
> (leaning to NHP over Extreme versions of Starfoo - ventilation seems like
> a good idea)
It depends. No-see-um netting is lighter, will make the tent ventilate better,
is less durable, and will make the tent cooler. This last could be an
advantage or a disadvantage. A tent with a ripstop nylon or taffeta inner wall
traps a layer of insulating air between the two walls, and is typically ten
degrees (F) warmer inside than outside on cold nights. On the other hand, it
can act like a greenhouse in the hot sun.
Another thing to consider is that the NHP rings (instead of pole sleeves) will
make the tent less roomy inside (because cloth sags between the rings) and less
durable (because the tension the poles put on the cloth is focused at discrete
points).
Ed Salmon
Jeff Deifik
>I have a Stephenson 3R, which while not freestanding, uses only 4 stakes
>and is about 52 sq. ft. (or so I have been told). It is big enough to
>have two people in it (who don't want to be close :-), all their gear
>and still have space left over. The 2R is better in regards to space
>per person in my opinion and it weighs less too, but I opted for more
>space :-). Also because of the design it is possible to "stake" out
>the tent using rocks or trees since it uses two stakes at the ends,
>rather than all over the place.
>
>I admit that this tent is not for everyone since it can not take the
>abuse that others can, but for those who can manage to not abuse a tent
>and want lots of options it is great. The ability to open the windows
>and almost have a screen room is great. It is also warmer than many
>other tents because you can close it up (actually you can close
>it up more than you should). It is also a 4 season tent which
>are generally heavier.
>
>I just think it is funny that people are calling tents "light" when I
>don't think that it is considering the space and everything. Most
>freestanding tents have to be staked out because of the wind or the
>rainfly, but they are easier to move around and shake out dirt.
>
>Disclaimer: I am just a customer of Stephensons.
Kemasa is correct about the stephenson tents. He forgot to mention a few
things about them however. He and I go hiking and backpacking often, and
we have seen hundreds of different tents. I own a 2R and 3R tent.
After using both of them for awhile, kemasa decided on getting the 3R
tent. I also have a stephenson sleeping bag, which prompted him to get
one.
The stephenson 2R tent (2 person) weights 2 lbs 15 oz without any
fancy options and is 42 square feet. The 3R (3 person) weighs 3 lbs 15
oz and is 52 square feet. They are designed for winds of up to 150
mph, and have internal guys for use in winds over 90 mph. They are
very well made, very strong, well designed, etc.
Stephenson tents are made very unconventionally. They are all roughly a
half cylinderical shape, with conical ends. The two person tent has one end
smaller than the other, the others are symmetrical. The two person tent has
one door, the 3 and 5 person tents have 2, one at each end. All tents have 2
poles, one near each end. The poles are 5/8 inches in diameter, and are
pre-bent 7001 aluminum. This makes a very rigid, and strong pole. The small
pole of the 2 person tent is 3/8 inches in diameter. Most competitors poles
are straight. Bending a straight pole 'uses up' much of the poles strength.
The thicker in diameter a pole is, the stiffer it becomes. Stephensons poles
are thicker in diameter than any other poles I have seen.
The tents come in several variations. The standard one is a double wall.
There are ultralight versions that are single walled. The walls are made of
non-porus ripstop nylon. This provides an air gap inside the tent which
traps warm air. The outside of the inner wall is aluminized to reflect heat.
Most other manufacturers build tents with porus walls. This is a bad idea,
because if there is some moisture either from you, or from rain, the porus
fabric will get soaked with water. Now it is non-porus. Worse, if you touch
it, you will get wet. Also most rely on the porus fabric for ventillation.
When wet, there is no ventillation. When you pack the tent, everything gets
wet and stays that way. Also if it is cold, the wet fabric will freeze.
Stephenson gets around these problems by incorporating a very nice venting
system and using non-porus fabric. The vents work in still air, with dry air
entering at the bottom, and moist air exiting at the top of the tent. If there
is any condensation, it will be on the inner wall, and it can be eaisly
removed.
The doors are placed so that opening it will not weaken the tent, and so
they can be opened and closed even when the tent is being stressed.
Even though the tent is light weight, all high stress areas are reinforced.
The tent tension can be adjusted from inside the tent, so if it rains and the
nylon stretches a little bit, you can take up the slack.
The tents are not free-standing, and must be staked. The 2 person takes 3
stakes, and the 3 and 5 person take 4 stakes. This is not a big deal, since
all tents should be staked to deal with wind. Stephenson has a small catalog,
and they have a video tape for around $10, showing their products. Since they
are naturalists, they have 2 versions of the tape, the 'clean natural' one
and the one for repressed people.
Stephenson Rfd 4 Box 145 22 Hook Rd. Gilford NH 03246 603 293 8526
--
Jeff (turbo) Deifik Internet: jde...@isi.edu tu...@isi.edu
Phone: (310) 822-1511 x241 work (818) 347-3428 home
NSA food: KGB NRO DIA GRU COMINT TELINT SIGINT COMSEC DES cryptography
terrorist resolution 50 hz line seawolf decoy demodulation byeman
Mark Underwood
writes:
> I don't have my TNF catalog handy, but that sounds right. If the
Starfire is
> indeed the bigger of two, then you're right.
>
Starfire = Firefly (2-man)
Starship = Bigfrog (3-man)
> Hmm, it just occurred to me: if I remember correctly, one of the TNF
tents you
> mention, I forget which, has the door made so that it opens from the
bottom up,
> so that it is impossible to have the upper (more covered) part of the
On the NHP versions, there isn't a solid door, just no-see-um mesh. These
zip from bottom up the sides (at least on the old versions). On the
Extreme models, with double doors (solid AND mesh), and maybe on the new
NHP (round doors), the attachment is on the side, so opening the top is
possible.
>
> Ed Salmon
Mark S. Underwood
EE Student, University of Kentucky
E-Mail: msun...@mik.uky.edu
msund...@delphi.com THINK!!
Andrew J. L. Cary
Stephenson's still around? Good deal. He has always made stuff a little
different then everyone else. Are his catalogs still more text the pictures?
(artsy pictures them)
What amazes me is that my (now seldom used) old bullet-proof Sierra Designs
double A-frame mountaineering tent w/external guys, fly, poles, stuffsack,
cookhole and snow tunnel weighed in at 4lb 10oz. in 1972. Seems like all
those dome tents, and self supporting 'insect' tents weigh more and take up
the same amount of area on the ground... I stopped using it because I mostly
use a megamid now (2 lb pyramid shaped rainfly) rather then a tent.
Does anyone remember the Mt Logan tent. a single interior pole 4-6 man tent
that weighted about 7 lbs? Another bomb proof tent that has vanished.
I often wonder if tent and gear designs are changing so rapidly in order to
sell more gear, rather then improve the art. I know that the tent I
bought in 1972 still works fine, We still use my 1969 REI McKinley and 1970
SnowLion sleeping bags (I'll confess I have bought a newer 'magic' bag
for myself) they old bags are all of 6 oz heavier then modern bags and are
probably more durable. .
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andrew J L Cary, Senior Curmudgeon : In general, these are my opinions &
CBDM, Development Research : do not reflect those of my employers
Syntex (USA) Inc, Palo Alto, CA 94301: they ARE welcome to use them
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
ED SALMON
> Starlight = Tadpole (small 2-man)
> Starfire = Firefly (2-man)
> Starship = Bigfrog (3-man)
Right, but the old Firefly NHP was the same basic design as the Bullfrog (not
NHP). So Starfire NHP = Firefly NHP and Starfire Extreme = Bullfrog.
> [Ed Salmon] wrote:
>> Hmm, it just occurred to me: if I remember correctly, one of the TNF tents
>> you mention, I forget which, has the door made so that it opens from the
>> bottom up, so that it is impossible to have the upper (more covered) part of
>> the door open and the lower half closed.
>
> On the NHP versions, there isn't a solid door, just no-see-um mesh. These
> zip from bottom up the sides (at least on the old versions). On the
> Extreme models, with double doors (solid AND mesh), and maybe on the new
> NHP (round doors), the attachment is on the side, so opening the top is
> possible.
That's another strike against the NHP tents, then. It means you have to have
the vestibule completely closed (or nearly) whenever it's raining, and that
there's no way to keep rain from falling into the tent when you're getting in
or out.
Ed Salmon