Jonathan Hanson
Supporting Sponsor
I stopped counting at 18. Some must go.
Update: Nemo has been sold.
MSR Elbow Room 3P
The Elbow Room 3P is a four-pole, two-door elongated dome tent. Without the fly it is freestanding; with the fly it incorporates a useful vestibule at each end and must be staked out. Given the four-pole construction and very taut pitch it's extremely stable in a breeze; however the large screen vents in the canopy make this best as a three-season shelter. Matching vents in the fly can be propped open with little attached struts, maintaining flow-through chimney ventilation even when battened down. It has 40 square feet of floor space, which makes it a genuinely comfortable two-person tent despite its 3P designation, and weighs a reasonable 7.5 pounds. The walls are nearly vertical, which increases the feeling of space inside.
We used this tent on a couple of archaeological expeditions on islands in the Sea of Cortez, where it performed perfectly in blustery El Norte winds. However, due to the rough substrate there are several small wear holes on the floor which should be sealed. I have included an unused MSR footprint to reduce the chances of this happening in the future. Otherwise the tent is in near-new condition. It has a full set of compact aluminum stakes, although a couple are mismatched if that bothers you. Original retail on the Elbow Room was $440; you can still find them new for around $320. I'd like to get $175 plus shipping.
Nemo Espri 2P
This is a two-person, three-season, five-pound tent of the difficult-to-improve-on two-pole-cross design, with a near-rectangular (wider at the front) 28-square-foot floor, making it comfortable for one or cozy for two. The canopy is mostly screen at the top, thus it's a summer or three-season design. The fly comes with two doors that interchange instantly: a weight-saving standard door, or a stake-out door that creates a vestibule. In addition I'm including an optional fly assembly that incorporates a large vestibule designed to be supported with a trekking pole. I've also included a footprint, which is already clipped into the floor and pitches with the canopy. Only used for a review. $200
Hilleberg Soulo
This one is special. Hilleberg makes some of the finest tents in the world—every aspect of a Hilleberg is a cut above outwardly similar tents, and is reflected by the price. For example, most tents employ a polyurethane coating on their rain flies. The coating is applied to the underside of the fly because it is UV sensitive; to keep water out of the fly material the upper side is given a DWR (durable water repellent) coating. Unfortunately the DWR wears off with time, meaning your tent fly soaks up water when it rains, even if you remain dry. If the fly is at all damp when stored, hydrolysis occurs in the polyurethane, breaking it down. If you've ever pulled a tent fly out of its storage sack and found it smelly and stuck together, you've experienced this. By contrast, Hilleberg uses much more expensive silicone on both sides of the fly material. Silicone penetrates the fabric, actually increasing its tear strength considerably, and adding significant UV protection. It's so frictionless you can just shake a wet fly and it will be nearly dry.
The Soulo is a one-person tent (22 square feet plus 8 in the vestibule, 4.6 pounds) capable of sheltering its occupant comfortably in conditions ranging from warm Mexican beaches to the Arctic. Its three-pole design, using DAC aluminum poles, is completely freestanding if conditions require it, including the vestibule. Yet the Soulo can be anchored with up to 12 stakes including the attached guylines. Thusly connected to the earth I found it essentially immune to wind, yet throughout a storm the covered roof vent will continue to promote ventilation. If it's a warm night, the entire door side of the tent can be opened with insect screen between you and the mozzies. Pitching is simplified because the canopy stays attached to the fly. The only hassle I found was that all those guylines tend to snarl if you don't lay them out before staking the tent—a small gripe considering the security they add. For a motorcyclist or other solo traveler, the Hilleberg Soulo represents the pinnacle of tent design and construction. Retail on the Soulo is now $645 plus $58 for the footprint I've included. This tent might have a bit of Grand Canyon dust on it but is otherwise essentially new. I'm asking $400 plus shipping.
Thanks for looking!
Update: Nemo has been sold.
MSR Elbow Room 3P
The Elbow Room 3P is a four-pole, two-door elongated dome tent. Without the fly it is freestanding; with the fly it incorporates a useful vestibule at each end and must be staked out. Given the four-pole construction and very taut pitch it's extremely stable in a breeze; however the large screen vents in the canopy make this best as a three-season shelter. Matching vents in the fly can be propped open with little attached struts, maintaining flow-through chimney ventilation even when battened down. It has 40 square feet of floor space, which makes it a genuinely comfortable two-person tent despite its 3P designation, and weighs a reasonable 7.5 pounds. The walls are nearly vertical, which increases the feeling of space inside.
We used this tent on a couple of archaeological expeditions on islands in the Sea of Cortez, where it performed perfectly in blustery El Norte winds. However, due to the rough substrate there are several small wear holes on the floor which should be sealed. I have included an unused MSR footprint to reduce the chances of this happening in the future. Otherwise the tent is in near-new condition. It has a full set of compact aluminum stakes, although a couple are mismatched if that bothers you. Original retail on the Elbow Room was $440; you can still find them new for around $320. I'd like to get $175 plus shipping.
Nemo Espri 2P
This is a two-person, three-season, five-pound tent of the difficult-to-improve-on two-pole-cross design, with a near-rectangular (wider at the front) 28-square-foot floor, making it comfortable for one or cozy for two. The canopy is mostly screen at the top, thus it's a summer or three-season design. The fly comes with two doors that interchange instantly: a weight-saving standard door, or a stake-out door that creates a vestibule. In addition I'm including an optional fly assembly that incorporates a large vestibule designed to be supported with a trekking pole. I've also included a footprint, which is already clipped into the floor and pitches with the canopy. Only used for a review. $200
Hilleberg Soulo
This one is special. Hilleberg makes some of the finest tents in the world—every aspect of a Hilleberg is a cut above outwardly similar tents, and is reflected by the price. For example, most tents employ a polyurethane coating on their rain flies. The coating is applied to the underside of the fly because it is UV sensitive; to keep water out of the fly material the upper side is given a DWR (durable water repellent) coating. Unfortunately the DWR wears off with time, meaning your tent fly soaks up water when it rains, even if you remain dry. If the fly is at all damp when stored, hydrolysis occurs in the polyurethane, breaking it down. If you've ever pulled a tent fly out of its storage sack and found it smelly and stuck together, you've experienced this. By contrast, Hilleberg uses much more expensive silicone on both sides of the fly material. Silicone penetrates the fabric, actually increasing its tear strength considerably, and adding significant UV protection. It's so frictionless you can just shake a wet fly and it will be nearly dry.
The Soulo is a one-person tent (22 square feet plus 8 in the vestibule, 4.6 pounds) capable of sheltering its occupant comfortably in conditions ranging from warm Mexican beaches to the Arctic. Its three-pole design, using DAC aluminum poles, is completely freestanding if conditions require it, including the vestibule. Yet the Soulo can be anchored with up to 12 stakes including the attached guylines. Thusly connected to the earth I found it essentially immune to wind, yet throughout a storm the covered roof vent will continue to promote ventilation. If it's a warm night, the entire door side of the tent can be opened with insect screen between you and the mozzies. Pitching is simplified because the canopy stays attached to the fly. The only hassle I found was that all those guylines tend to snarl if you don't lay them out before staking the tent—a small gripe considering the security they add. For a motorcyclist or other solo traveler, the Hilleberg Soulo represents the pinnacle of tent design and construction. Retail on the Soulo is now $645 plus $58 for the footprint I've included. This tent might have a bit of Grand Canyon dust on it but is otherwise essentially new. I'm asking $400 plus shipping.
Thanks for looking!
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