Typhoon? Bah!

By James K Backman Ranked #555 - 3-Season Tents August 17, 2009

Just spent 5 nights in this tent in all types of weather. Great overall tent.

Location: Daisetsuzan National Park, Hokkaido, Japan (and environs)

The trial by fire: A Tropical Storm brushed Hokkaido while I was backpacking. I staked her down, but could only use 2 guylines, and then hoped for the best. What ensued was hours upon hours of mid to heavy wind gusts, and torrential rain.

Inside was essentially 100% dry. In one spot, the floor changed color, but was not wet to the touch. I assume some water had pooled between the tarp and my tent, but was not passing through the floor material. As for wind, I felt a few times during that night she would come apart under the wind pressure, but she remained rock solid, with the main hub only moving a couple inches. Lost one fly staking due to sodden ground, but that was my fault for not tying her down beforehand.

After the storm, the day temps were 85+ F, and nights 65+ F. It revealed decent, but not fantastic, ventilation. Leaving the top part of the vestibule zips open helps a lot.

She survived a brushing with a Tropical Storm, and can handle a respectable temp well. This was my first use, but I think this was a solid test to understand what this thing is capable of...

Only complaint is that while the mesa is not a heavy tent, I still wish she was lighter. But hey, you cannot have everything.

View Details: Black Diamond Mesa 2-Person 3-Season Tent

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