Blow-up Tent

[Northern Dancer]

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

It's been my custom to retire some good equipment approximately every three years and donate the same to a local scouting group. This year it's time to donate a four-season tent that's still in good shape and should last for years to come.

With one tent gone, I can afford to replace it with a new one. The new one has to be of good quality and have a high rating from consumers. I also wanted to do something different, so this time I'm going to try a blow-up tent and see how I fare. I will be yard testing it these next few weeks in preparation for a winter camp that I plan to attend in the first week of February.

So...this is what it looks like ----->

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As well as having a stove jack, it also has a sky view. I want it to survive a winter storm and thus this model comes with 8 ground stakes, 8 guylines, and two iron support rods for a summer canopy over the front door. There are no other poles and none that I would use for winter. I wanted to have sheltered windows so they could be open during snow and rain for ventilation because I will be using a heating device. In the summer I want a lot of ventilation. I've never had a tent with a sky view, so that will be interesting. Now the weight is more than I would like to entertain when I pile it into a canoe. It's about 55 pounds. But I think I'm okay because I have never filled my canoe to the weight max. [I'll just have to leave the air conditioner and refrigerator at home. ] The tent is designed for 4-6 people, but as you know I never engage any more than myself and rarely one other person, though I would prefer a dog as a companion.

I'll report back as to my observations and feelings about this new venture. If by chance you should own this kind of tent or a similar one I would appreciate your feedback.

 

[ppine]

Good for a base camp on a longer trip. A little hard to move around while traveling by car or canoe.
I gave away a sleeping bag to my friend's grandson yesterday at the campfire. Pass it On.

 

[Roybrew]

Ooh you bought one of those! I was wondering if I'd read about someone's experience with one. The sky view would be great. 55lbs is a little hefty, but it's not like you'll be backpacking with it. I can't wait to read how it works out.
ROy

 

[Northern Dancer]

Tent testing begins next week. I have a new kerosene heater I will be testing too. Rugs were on sale in our neck of the woods, so I thought, ya, that would be a good idea, so I bought one for the tent floor. And you're right, I will not be backpacking with it, though I think I might chance it in the interior since we establish a base camp there.

We have some snow here at the moment though not very much - we have experienced an unusually warm December and we are being told we will be paying for it come summer.

 

[Northern Dancer]

The temperature is 10 degrees.
Snow has fallen - yahoo!
I say it's a good time to check out the new tent before I use it officially.
Speaking of which - I always, and almost everyone else, recommend
you never take a new tent on a trip unless you have put it up and checked it out.
That goes for all new pieces of equipment.​

The pros...

The carrying bag is big enough to pack away the tent. You know how often you can't get the tent back into the bag, especially if it's wet.
There is a stove jack designed to take a woodstove chimney.
A skylight is located on each side of the roof. and can be covered.
The two windows located at the base on each side have a canopy that permits them to be open even if it's raining.
There are two doors and one has a canopy that provides extra protection.
There is a vent at the top of each door that can be opened or closed.
I was surprised by how quickly it blew up and how easily it came down.
They placed a protective sleeve around each air column for added protection.
There is a light rope that runs from door to door and has two hooks for lanterns.

The negs...

The immediate one is the fact that no way could you get four people in unless they were pigmies.
Some may not like the idea of so many guylines - but I don't have any issue with that. They are really valuable during a snow storm.

What's next?

The real test is when I use it for the first winter camp of the year coming up shortly.
Along with the new tent, I also have a new kerosene heater, tent rug, and outside remote-controlled lantern.



Remember - I don't recommend any product. The statement stands. Do your research, check out independent consumer reports, and compare prices from other sources. Always purchase equipment on sale if you can and be super critical of what you read and see.
The information provided here is for interest sake.

 

[Northern Dancer]

REPORT ON THE BLOWUP TENT - Simply reported.

PROS
It was up in five minutes.
Spacious - lots of room for my full-size military cot, night table, chair, kerosene heater, and probably a dog.
Lots of headroom.
I didn't have any trouble putting it up.

CONS
I had a lot of trouble detaching the pump from the tent. When I removed the same, I couldn't get the seal cap on fast enough and the tent deflated in moments. I left it attached. When the warmer weather gets here I will reexamine the method. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong.
This is a heavy tent designed primarily as a base camp shelter. I knew that of course, but it needs to be said again.
I don't feel confident in its life expectancy or durability. Time will tell.
The tensioners are cheap so I made new ones out of wood - it goes nicely with the look of the tent.
I tend to dump the manufacturer's guylines and replace them with something more durable and better looking.

SUMMARY
It's really important to test any new equipment at home before you use it out there. I did that of course but I think I needed to do a better job.

I like the tent but I'm still skeptical until it's been through a storm and some high winds. Until I'm feeling confident I will take a backup tent just in case the blowup fails me.

In conclusion, I need to have better field trials before giving it a thumbs up.