Get the Cabelas XWT 8'x8', it weights 36lbs 2oz when purchased. replace the stakes that come with the tent with kelty Nobendium lightweight stakes (.7oz ea.) and replace the guy out lines on the fly with ParaCord and Nite Ize Figure 9 rope tighteners. You have now cut the weight of the tent in half. Easily split between 2 people, each carrying about 8lbs. But, you have the ultimate 4 season tent that will withstand any amount of Alaskan snow and/or wind. Now buy the Dry set pitch kit and you can set the tent up in a driving rain and NEVER get the inside wet! I have done it! In fact, in summer, you can set just the poles and fly on the pitch kit, leave the tent at home and you have a great shelter.

p.s. - not cheap though. or buy a Kelty gunnison on ebay. good value tent and backpackable

steve

Way too heavy even at 8 lbs per person.

If they had a proper vestibule I'd order a Cabelas XPG Ridgelight right now as they're on sale.

Doh!

Bummer. I always wonder if I should PM folks that kind of information just in case someone who stumbles onto the forum for a day doesn't decide to steal the deal...

Then again, they could have been sold out for a while and failed to update.

Great tips!

I'm going to try to find the "Dry set pitch kit." Who makes it?

Thanks.

Hi Hacksaw,

The Vaude tents are apparently quite easy to pitch and take down. The online reviews have pointed this out. The design allows the flysheet to be pitched first then the inner to be hung under the pitched flysheet. This has the advantage of keeping the inner somewhat drier in wet and windy conditions.

The Mark II has some high specification materials for the price but I would consider it to be a 3 season tent simply because it is not a full geodesic and therefore isn't as strong in very high winds i.e storm force winds from 40 to 80 mph. It is very lightweight for its size and has two vestibles/entrances (his and hers ), which also allows an escape route if a bear appears at one of the entrances!!

The retail price over here in the UK for the Vaude Mark II is £200/240 or $400/480.

Cabela's. It's a model specific add on for the Extreme Weather Tent...though for a $600 tent you'd think they'd just include such a simple add on instead of charging $50 for it seperately...greedy suckers.

I noticed that the Zeus 2 EXO/Classic is on sale at the Eureka outlet for $71. It's 3 season but it's very light, very proven design and single wall so it should stay fairly dry inside when setting up in the rain. I'll have to see how much shipping costs and maybe I'll order it. Even if it's not what I need for the road trip it will make a good spring/fall backpacking tent for around here.

What I do when I have to set up or take down a tent in the rain is to put up my pop-up dinning fly. I have a 12 X 12 foot one that has the fabric on the frame and all you do is extend the poles and it’s up in under 30-seconds. Put the tent up under this and you have no problem with rain in the tent. You can buy a pop-up dinning fly for $70.00, well worth the price. I also bought a bug screen I can attach if needed, turning it into a bug free zone in the evening.

Booo. They have them in stock again but don't ship them to 'my location'. I'll have to phone tomorrow and see what's up with that.

Quick note to any of my fellow Canucks.

The Eureka Camping Center outlet store does NOT ship to Canada period even on phone orders...and there are no factory seconds in Canada. They are very rarely distributed outside the US.

Does anybody have experience with the Golite Shangri La shelters? Aside from the high price, they seem to have everything. Light weight, 4 season, modular (don't need a floor? Leave it at home!), and you can stand up in most models.