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Backpacker Magazine – Fall/Winter Gear Guide 2011
Fall/Winter Gear Guide 2011: Mountain Equipment Co-op TGV2 Tent
No other double-wall tent we tested offers so much protection for so little money and bulk.
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No other double-wall tent we tested offers so much protection for so little money and bulk. It’s bomber in driving rains, and “BB-size graupel pinged off the 75-denier fly like it was a trampoline,” says one tester. And the three-pole structure barely sagged when it got piled with six inches of snow during a winter trip in Colorado’s Indian Peaks. Fully guyed out, the TGV held fast against sustained winds upward of 35 mph. And the tent is cheery in gloomy weather: “The alternating orange and white panels on the fly (not pictured) gave the interior a beach-ball vibe,” says a tester.
The 30-square-foot interior is tight for two (fits campers up to 6’2”), but it warms up quickly. The single, 9.7-square-foot vestibule is similarly pinched; a climbing duo had to secure their packs outside. This makes it best for tight spaces or shorter, less gear-intensive trips. All testers loved the rigid vent/window, which props open like the hood scoop on a Mustang to enhance ventilation; but on windless nights, testers reported waking up frosted.
Bonus: Packed and compressed, it takes up little more space than a growler.
$250
5 lbs 14 oz
www.mec.ca
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READERS COMMENTS
Eureka Alpine Light 2xt. I've had one for a decade. $250 bucks and handles weather like a house. The kind of tent that almost makes you want it to storm or be cold because you enjoy the feeling of imperviousness you have while sitting in it(all the way up by the way). Pound lighter than this thing, too. I'd have never bought a non-dome, but this thing was half price at a going-out-of business sale, and now it's my favorite tent ever.
Yeah - I can't find it either. Booo! Hey Backpacker - what's the next best options?
The REI Arete costs $299 ($269 after dividend), has more square footage, weighs less, and has very similar characteristics. And it's for sale in the USA and has the REI warranty. I think it's a bargain.
I just checked MEC's website, and this tent is no longer available. A Google search found none of these tents available anywhere for sale.
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