Backpacker Magazine – April 2009

Gear Guide 2009: Big Agnes String Ridge 2 Tent Review

Adequate space, bomber construction, and light weight make the String Ridge our pick for this year's best mountaineering tent.

by: Kelly Bastone

Tags:
• Gear Review
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• Gear
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• Tents
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• Mountaineering
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Best All-Around
After a gusty storm in North Cascades National Park, a tester said, "This double-wall dome delivers a level of wind-worthiness you'd expect from tents twice its weight." Credit the bomber pole structure: A hubbed system increases strength by linking the tent's four corners, a crossing pole reinforces the structure, and another pole stabilizes the vestibule.

Space is adequate, not luxurious: Headroom and length satisfied six-foot testers, and sleeping pads fit side by side with an inch or two to spare. The 11-square-foot vestibule is big enough to store packs and axes, but you only get one, and one door as well. $500; 5 lbs. Bigagnes.com

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