Bought this as new old stock 3 years ago. Never disappointed. Good space for me. I am 6'3" and us a pretty wide pad. Love the three points of attachment for the vestibule flap.
Hey John, Thank you for your comments but I strongly disagree. I have used two trekking poles for thousands of miles and I do not backpack without them. Even in NH. If you are using them correctly they take the stress of your knees in the decent and help you power through the climbs. I have no problem adjusting the poles as I walk. It takes less than 12 seconds for me to adjust both of my Black Diamond poles with the flip lock adjustment that BD is known for. As for having a free hand, if you have your hands up through the wrist strap like you are supposed too, your hand will be free when you let go of the pole. If you look at almost every Thru-hiker you find they are using two poles. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I disagree with yours on two poles being a mistake. Thank you and happy trails.
I like the price, weight and packed dimensions of this tent. On the sierra website I notice they now sell the 2 rods in a more compact and lighter option :) Good if you don't carry trekking poles :)
it must be a real leap of faith to go for a tent with no fully zipped door. has this tent been worth the investment for you? does Sierra designs market this as a 3 season tent? many thanks, good review.
This is probably the best review on this tent that I've seen, very informative video, good job! I've been watching the FL standard and UL models for a while now, I want a small solo tent for primitive camping. They're only about a half pound difference from what I can tell, and price wise the UL is about $80 more. I'm not an ultra-light backpacker, so I think I could spend the money elsewhere, and lighten up other gear, like my air mattress.. The last trip I did a few weeks ago, I bet my ext frame pack was loaded about 40lbs, lol. (I did find things I didn't need to cull about 5+ lbs after I got home). Getting the Flaslight 1 would also cut my tent weight down about 2lbs, as I carried a 2-man Mountainsmith tent for just myself. Currently on Amazon, it seems the standard goes about $140 and the UL is about $220.
Years ago, I camped in the Guadalupe Mtns with a Mtn Hardware tent ($$$$). Despite having the fly on, when a dust storm came, it blew underneath and straight into my tent. Hard rain would cause the same problem -rain spattering up under the fly and into the tent. I purchased a Marmot -no issues at all -but it is a 3 person. Now I want a good 1 person tent so my question: is the open mesh under the gear cover/vestibule drafty? Have you experienced rain coming up from underneath the gear cover and into your tent? When it's cold/windy -do you have cover enough to break the wind?
+Nancy Granai Thank you for your question on the Flashlight 1 FL. I have never experienced any rain coming up into the mesh in the vestibule area. It has a good amount of coverage from the vestibule. It is a pretty sizable area of mesh that can not be covered up so in higher winds and dust storms there would not be a way to close that area off. You may get a little draft coming in from the mesh but just enough to have good ventilation. I hope this answered your questions. Thank you and happy trails.
Thanks man. I'm thinking of riding out on my motorbike and camping a few days. It's going to have to be really light gear for me. It'll be summer so not too cold but between tent, sleeping bag a little clothes and food... I gotta be really picky. Not sure if I even need a pad... thanks.
Hey Jeri, Yes that is supposed to be the Flashlight 1 FL. That is a mistake I had not noticed. I'm surprised you are the first to catch it since it has over 12,000 view. Good catch and thank you. Happy Trails Mike
Wonder why they changed the name? I have the same tent, which I also did a video on, but mine was called the UL, not the FL? I purchased it last year right when it came out. I weighed mine, and with everything out of the box it weighted exactly 3LBS. It looks identical to mine, did you weigh yours independently? or did you go off of the listed weight? B/C mine weighed more than the listed packed weight.
Hey Preston. The weights all came from my digital scale at home. Sierrra Designs made all of it's Ultra Light tents lighter for Spring 2015. It's the same design as last year but they changed up some materials. They may have gone from Ultra Light to F*@&ing Light, hence the name change.
Well I guess that's great over all but kind of sucky for me, sorta. I have several zpacks tents/tarps so that's what I am using mostly, but I still like this tent. And use it from time to time. Thanks for the video!
How long are the poles that come with the tent? I have fixed lenght trekking poles that I would like to use but not sure if they are long enough or are too short. My poles are 46 inches long. Thanks
+Entropian2012 I spent about 15 hours in this tent in a stupid hard rain with driving winds and stayed perfectly dry. Once you zip up the covers on the door and the back wall you are protected.
Sorry you feel that way but I disagree. I have had many of their tents over the years. I have 4 of them right now and have been very happy with all of them,
You make a mistake using two poles, at least in NH. Two poles trip you up over rough terrain, they take all your attention to place each step, you can't adjust two poles easily on the fly, and one is as useful as two. I see people using two poles going downhill and it's damned dangerous not having a free hand. Then there is the weight. Just dumb.
Bought this as new old stock 3 years ago. Never disappointed. Good space for me. I am 6'3" and us a pretty wide pad. Love the three points of attachment for the vestibule flap.
Hey John, Thank you for your comments but I strongly disagree. I have used two trekking poles for thousands of miles and I do not backpack without them. Even in NH. If you are using them correctly they take the stress of your knees in the decent and help you power through the climbs. I have no problem adjusting the poles as I walk. It takes less than 12 seconds for me to adjust both of my Black Diamond poles with the flip lock adjustment that BD is known for. As for having a free hand, if you have your hands up through the wrist strap like you are supposed too, your hand will be free when you let go of the pole. If you look at almost every Thru-hiker you find they are using two poles. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I disagree with yours on two poles being a mistake. Thank you and happy trails.
I have the 2P version I've enjoyed the tent. Unfortunately SD has discontinued it. IMO it was one of their better designed tents.
I saw you hiking the other day Mikey....I had to turn away...I could not watch you hike. I do have that tent and like it a lot.
I like the price, weight and packed dimensions of this tent. On the sierra website I notice they now sell the 2 rods in a more compact and lighter option :) Good if you don't carry trekking poles :)
it must be a real leap of faith to go for a tent with no fully zipped door. has this tent been worth the investment for you? does Sierra designs market this as a 3 season tent? many thanks, good review.
This is probably the best review on this tent that I've seen, very informative video, good job!
I've been watching the FL standard and UL models for a while now, I want a small solo tent for primitive camping. They're only about a half pound difference from what I can tell, and price wise the UL is about $80 more. I'm not an ultra-light backpacker, so I think I could spend the money elsewhere, and lighten up other gear, like my air mattress.. The last trip I did a few weeks ago, I bet my ext frame pack was loaded about 40lbs, lol. (I did find things I didn't need to cull about 5+ lbs after I got home). Getting the Flaslight 1 would also cut my tent weight down about 2lbs, as I carried a 2-man Mountainsmith tent for just myself.
Currently on Amazon, it seems the standard goes about $140 and the UL is about $220.
Years ago, I camped in the Guadalupe Mtns with a Mtn Hardware tent ($$$$). Despite having the fly on, when a dust storm came, it blew underneath and straight into my tent. Hard rain would cause the same problem -rain spattering up under the fly and into the tent. I purchased a Marmot -no issues at all -but it is a 3 person. Now I want a good 1 person tent so my question: is the open mesh under the gear cover/vestibule drafty? Have you experienced rain coming up from underneath the gear cover and into your tent? When it's cold/windy -do you have cover enough to break the wind?
+Nancy Granai Thank you for your question on the Flashlight 1 FL. I have never experienced any rain coming up into the mesh in the vestibule area. It has a good amount of coverage from the vestibule. It is a pretty sizable area of mesh that can not be covered up so in higher winds and dust storms there would not be a way to close that area off. You may get a little draft coming in from the mesh but just enough to have good ventilation. I hope this answered your questions. Thank you and happy trails.
great review. Does the pad come with it?
+Dro Rez
Sorry but the pad does not come with the tent. I used it in the video so you could get a reference of the size of the interior.
Thanks man. I'm thinking of riding out on my motorbike and camping a few days. It's going to have to be really light gear for me. It'll be summer so not too cold but between tent, sleeping bag a little clothes and food... I gotta be really picky. Not sure if I even need a pad...
thanks.
good review. Thanks. I might go with the 2 man version of this for my son and I.
Any mesh on the doors for when there are bugs and one needs ventilation?
Yes, both the door and the back wall, opposite of the door, have mesh so you can get a good cross flow.
What is a Sierra Designs Flightlight? I can't find that model in their line. Maybe you meant Flashlight?
Hey Jeri,
Yes that is supposed to be the Flashlight 1 FL. That is a mistake I had not noticed. I'm surprised you are the first to catch it since it has over 12,000 view. Good catch and thank you.
Happy Trails
Mike
Great review !
Wonder why they changed the name? I have the same tent, which I also did a video on, but mine was called the UL, not the FL? I purchased it last year right when it came out. I weighed mine, and with everything out of the box it weighted exactly 3LBS. It looks identical to mine, did you weigh yours independently? or did you go off of the listed weight? B/C mine weighed more than the listed packed weight.
Hey Preston. The weights all came from my digital scale at home. Sierrra Designs made all of it's Ultra Light tents lighter for Spring 2015. It's the same design as last year but they changed up some materials. They may have gone from Ultra Light to F*@&ing Light, hence the name change.
Well I guess that's great over all but kind of sucky for me, sorta. I have several zpacks tents/tarps so that's what I am using mostly, but I still like this tent. And use it from time to time. Thanks for the video!
How long are the poles that come with the tent? I have fixed lenght trekking poles that I would like to use but not sure if they are long enough or are too short. My poles are 46 inches long. Thanks
It looks like rain would drench this tent from coming in on the sides the fly don't cover them.
+Entropian2012
I spent about 15 hours in this tent in a stupid hard rain with driving winds and stayed perfectly dry. Once you zip up the covers on the door and the back wall you are protected.
Thank you for this review, I'm looking for a (1) person tent , check us out we are from the Smokey Mountains in the Tennessee area
Garbage tent company
Sorry you feel that way but I disagree. I have had many of their tents over the years. I have 4 of them right now and have been very happy with all of them,
You make a mistake using two poles, at least in NH. Two poles trip you up over rough terrain, they take all your attention to place each step, you can't adjust two poles easily on the fly, and one is as useful as two. I see people using two poles going downhill and it's damned dangerous not having a free hand. Then there is the weight. Just dumb.
+John Smith I disagree. Two poles doing down hill on the AT has saved my ass from falling numerous times.