Backpacker Magazine – November 2008

Little Big Houses: Three-Season, Double-Occupancy Shelters

At right around two pounds per person, these three-season, double-occupancy shelters do everything but weigh you down.

by: Kelly Bastone, Photos by Brooks Freehill

Tags:
• Gear
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• Tents
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• Weekends
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• Destinations
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• Sleeping bags
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Best All-Around | Storm Ready | Top Single-Wall | Big-Guy Favorite | Customizable | Lightest

TOP SINGLE-WALL
The North Face Vario 23

 

 

 

Single-walls and hybrids like the Vario offer smart weight savings when used in relatively dry climates: You benefit from the lightweight construction (less fabric) without suffering much from the unavoidable penalty (more condensation than with a double-wall tent). That made the Vario, with its roomy interior and stable, gust-busting pitch, a favorite for trips in the Rocky Mountains and the Southwest, where prolonged wet weather is unusual. Setup is fast, and the pitch is taut: "I could do it at night and in the rain; once up, 40-mph gusts barely fluttered it," said one tester. Two D-shaped doors conveniently hang to the side–not on the floor–and each camper gets a small but functional vestibule. The easy pitch and convenience of twin doors and vestibules elevated the Vario above some larger digs, but it's hardly tiny: The spacious floor and 41-inch-high ceiling are plenty roomy for a pair of six-footers. And packed into its compression sack, the Vario squashes down to the size of a gallon jug. Just note that condensation is fierce in humid locations and long storms. Testers in the drippy Northwest had problems even with only one occupant. Reader service #103

 

• Floor space 32 sq. ft.
• Vestibules Two (6 sq. ft. each)
• Weight 4 lbs. 2 oz.
• Price $289
• Info thenorthface.com

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