Saturday, December 21, 2024
Tents: Compare
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Price
Report Card Grade
Pros
extremely lightweight; quick/easy to set up; offers great stability and protection in inclement weather; spacious interior and vestibule; Kerlon 1200 fabric is extremely durable (4-5x stronger than most so-called "expedition grade" tent materials)
one of the most spacious 3-person tents on the market; good ceiling height and storage space for its category; easy to set up with DAC® Jake's Feet system; good ventilation; good weather/water resistance; multi-pocket organizer panel is a step up from just normal tent pockets; reflective guy lines for nighttime visibility; NEMO Equipment, Inc. makes a huge effort to be a green company
relatively inexpensive family tent; lots of interior space and room to stand; good ventilation; very easy for 1 person to set up; tent color easy to spot in crowded campgrounds; skylight window provides light during the day and the opportunity to star gazing at night; reflective guy lines for nighttime visibility; lightweight compared to other tents in the family camping category
Cons
expensive; not freestanding; some issues with condensation inside the tent
relatively expensive; it's on the heavier side for tents in this category; some reviewers thought it was really difficult to get the poles to release during takedown
some complaints about the tent's water resistance and the fly not fully protecting it during heavy rain; tent body is polyester mesh, which isn't ideal if you want privacy or plan on camping in cooler weather; some customers didn't feel there were enough stakes and guy lines on the tent and had to buy more separately; welcome mat is cute but necessary and hard to clean; high cost of necessary accessories for the tent
Seasonality
4-season (but not designed for use in extreme weather or above the tree line)
3-season
3-season
Ideal Activities
Backpacking
Backpacking
Family, car, or base camping
Capacity
1-person
3-person
6-person
Price
$465
$381.95 -$449.95
$279.99 - $359.95
Warranty
Varies by region/country
Limited lifetime warranty
Limited lifetime warranty
Interior and/or Vestibule Space
It has an 18.3 ft² sleeping room and an 8.6 ft² vestibule.
It has a 50 ft² sleeping room and two 12 ft² vestibules.
It has 90 ft² of interior space.
Interior Height (max.)
3'
4'
6' 3"
Weight
3 lbs and 8 oz
6 lbs and 13 oz
13 lbs and 15 oz
Design Type
Stake down, tunnel style tent
Freestanding, dome style tent
Freestanding, dome style tent
Frame
Single 9 mm DAC Featherlite NSL pole (small fiberglass rods in the bottom corners of the outer tent provide extra height around your head when lying down)
Four DAC 9/9.6 mm Featherlite Aluminum Poles
Three DAC Combi Shockcorded lightweight aluminum poles with PressFit connectors.
Tent Body Materials
Highly breathable fabric that has a durable, water-repellent finish.
30D nylon rip-stop with 1500 mm waterproof polyurethane coating
Polyester rip-stop
Rainfly Material
Kerlon 1200 (nylon fabric that has three coatings of silicone on both the inner and outer surface)
30D nylon rip-stop with 1500 mm waterproof polyurethane coating
Polyester rip-stop with 1500 mm waterproof polyurethane coating
Floor Material/Design
Kerlon 1200 (one-piece bathtub style design)
30D nylon rip-stop with 5000 mm waterproof polyurethane coating (one-piece bathtub style design)
Polyester with 1500 mm waterproof polyurethane coating (one-piece bathtub style design)
Mesh Material
No-see-um mesh
Lightweight no-see-um mesh
Lightweight polyester mesh
Ventilation
The tent has a mesh panel on the door, a triangular mesh window on the opposite wall and two opposing vents on the other walls. All are fully adjustable and make it easy to regulate internal moisture and temperature.
Fly can be opened on both ends for cross ventilation. In warm, dry conditions, you can remove the outer fly and just use the mesh inner tent.
Tent body is almost entirely mesh.
Doors
1 door
2 doors (protected by vestibules)
2 doors
Packed Dimensions
22.83" x 6.69" dia.
22" x 6.5" dia.
4" x 14" x 26" (briefcase style carry bag)
Vestibule/Storage
Tent has one 8.6 ft² vestibule and also features an interior storage pocket.
Tent is designed with two 12 ft² vestibules and it also has a multi-pocket organizer panel ("Gear Caddy"). A Gear Loft is available and sold separately ($25).
It is designed with 12 interior mesh floor pockets and has gear loft loops if you want to purchase the Big Agnes Trapezoid Loft that is sold separately ($22). A 64 ft² vestibule is also sold separately ($110).
Set Up
With its single-pole tunnel design and linked inner and outer tents, a solo traveler can easily pitch the Akto in 2-3 minutes. It comes with 10 stakes total but only requires 4 stakes for each of the guylines to pitch it. You can use the other 6 stakes if you want additional stability.
One person can quickly and easily set up the tent in under 10 minutes because it features the DAC® Jake's Feet corner anchor system. Basically, it uses ball and socket attachments that lock in the main poles and then act as levers to keep the tent corners grounded while the rainfly is pulled over the top of the tent. DAC® J-Stakes are also available if extra stability is required in windy conditions.
One person can easily set up the tent in 10-15 minutes because it has color-coded webbing and buckles. It is a freestanding tent, but Big Agnes includes 14 superlight aluminum stakes that you can use if it is particularly windy.
Extras
None
Tent features the LightPocket™, which holds your headlamp and has a diffusing fabric to provide even lighting in the tent.
Attached welcome mat helps keeps dirt outside of the tent.
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