Really appreciate your nonbiased insight. There truly is a difference in a reviewade by a person who bought the tent with their own money and not had it gifted to them.
Thank You For your compliment! I plan on always giving unbiased reviews, but it is expensive, so when companies offer me products, it helps me afford to do these videos. The first company that reached out to me Liked the honesty I provided to my viewers and offered me their product for free with no rules, so I said yes. I will always give an unbiased review even if that means companies won't send me products. Most companies aren't interested in me because I'm too small of a channel. I hope people still respect my reviews when I'm making money at this. I love doing these videos and hope to make enough money someday to do this full-time. Blessings!
It does look to be a lot better than the first Flash tent (which was pretty bad), but for even $240 on sale, I would have to look hard at the Durston X-Mid 1 for the same $240. I do get that some folks may feel better dealing with a brand name like REI, and their great warranty. Another great review!
Thank you. I want to give enough detail so that when people watch my reviews, they can get a good idea of whether the product will be a good fit for them. I appreciate your feedback!
I can say the same exact thing happened to me. I had condensation inside the tent at a corner but I was on a slope. I was coastal camping and the wind came in hard! But the tent did great!
That’s good information! Thank you for sharing your experience! When people do that, it helps others to determine whether this is the right tent for them.
I bought the flash air 1 a couple years ago. Set it up in the yard and immediately returned it. Happy to see they fixed a lot of the issues, it’s a great option for a starter light weight tent. Not as light as the best of them but a great option for the price point.
Keep in mind if you’re going to use a single wall tent, be aware of the humidity because of the air is very saturated. You want to bring a cloth to wipe the inside down after you wake up in the morning. That way you’re not carrying around water with you all day.
It looks like an affordable tracking poll tent to start learning. I have been looking around between Lanshan, gossamer gear the one and now this one. The flash seems to check all check boxes to me, seem sealed out of the box, uses 1 tracking poll and plenty of space. Now I must wait for the sale on REI!
I knew nothing about tents other than a needed one for times a hammock was going to be hard to hang. Prefer a hammock so I wanted a tent that was smaller/lighter than the hammock thinking at least it would offer something more than just no tree use. So far its been great on my bike trips poles/stakes in teh frame bag the rest is about the size of a softball in the bottom of a fork stuff sack. have doen lots of miles and many nights with it, two trips up the C&O and GAP, one out and back on the C&O, and a Brunswick MD to SnowShoe WV via the Eastern Mountain bike divide... same experience as in this vid with condensation in the one corner a couple times (Once I was early on and I thought the mesh was airflow not to let the side walls drip out, and the second was just arriving late and being lazy in perfect weather but it got really foggy early in the AM) I am 6'2" 190lbs, not many small tents would work... some seem like they would but the foot box is so low the bottom of my bag would be up against the tent wall. Great little tent, surprised its now been discontinued, thinking that keeping the same name as the poorly reviewed first model wasn't the best idea on REI's part. ***if anyone finds one keep in mind that packed its half the size of the bag it comes with. its both longer and fatter than needed, without the poles its about the size of a grapefruit or soft ball when stuffed snugly into a bag.
Best tutorial on how to set up the Flash Air. I was disappointed with the directions that came with the tent. You answered a lot of my questions. Condensation is caused by the cold rain or snow coming into contact with the heat generated by the warm sleeping body causing rain or snow in your tent. I got my Flash Air 2 5ive day ago and have not had the opportunity to take it on a bike tour. I did get it set up and an hour later a 48-hour rain came down. No seam leaks. The tent shed the heavy winds and rain with little sagging. I am new to light weight tents and found the floor a little slippery. My only concern is putting in stakes in hard parched earth. I have got spoiled using dome tents the past 20 or so years.
I was afraid of steaks with hard ground, but where I live, I go up to Donner a lot, and everything is granite. I have not yet found a place where I couldn't set the tent up. There's a technique that you use when you only have rock. It's similar to how you would do it with snow, putting the tent stakes sideways and using rocks to weigh it down. I am glad that you liked the tutorial! Than You!
I just pitched both the new REI flash 1 and Durston x mid P1 (2022). Disappointingly small and awkward floor, and pitch from the durston. The flash is very spacious, decent pitch, and way lighter. A comparison ofthe durston pro 1p vs the new REI flash 1would be interesting as they’re both single wall.
I would love to do a comparison I haven’t been able to get my hands on the Durstan. If anybody wants to send me one, I will be more than happy to do the comparison video :-)
I'm really surprised at how much weight they added. My 2020 Flash Air 1 is 1lb 13.75 oz on my scale. That's including the tent, poles, stakes, guy lines, all 3 stuff sacks and a DIY footprint. It looks like the new version has more effective ventilation and will handle condensation better.
I will check it out. Part of what I do on this channel is review lots of tents so I can share my experiences with other people. Thank you for sharing a new item with me that I didn’t know about!
Was waiting for a review like this. It seems like the biggest fault in this tent is that the inside corner doesn't have mesh that goes all the way around like other similar tents. I will probably still buy it once it goes on sale. haha
I have two trekking pole tent's, that I haven't yet used. My big concern is hard ground that's hard to drive stakes in or sand that's too loose to hold them.
Where I live in California our ground is full of granite or loose dirt. There’s a technique you use with rocks and as far as the loose dirt goes, turn your steaks sideways and bury it in the dirt like you would for a deadman’s anchor. both techniques work well and he shouldn’t have any problems. I used trekking pole tents quite often, and I’ve never ran into a situation where I couldn’t make it work.
Skeptical about the condensation, but with the return policy I think it's worth a shot. Also i saw on the website, someone asked if its fire retardant free and it is! So I guess they are following through with their goal of eliminating products that have fire retardants when possible.
Durston is definitely superior. I have flash air, x mid, and x mid pro. The flash air is horrible in the rain. Plus only 1 air vent, condensation considerably worse. Durstons design is superior. Having owned multiple z packs tents the x mid pro is the best tent ever.
No, the original didn't have the mesh. It also significantly increased the head height and foot height of the tent. There is very little that is the same. I hope that helps!
This is only a guess I believe they sold out of all of their stock. Whenever they sell out of stock, they take it off their website until they get another shipment. They usually resupply around late March early April for the summer season. Like I said, this is just a guess based off of what I’ve seen them do in past years.
This is an amazing review. Ty!
My Pleasure!
Really appreciate your nonbiased insight. There truly is a difference in a reviewade by a person who bought the tent with their own money and not had it gifted to them.
Thank You For your compliment! I plan on always giving unbiased reviews, but it is expensive, so when companies offer me products, it helps me afford to do these videos. The first company that reached out to me Liked the honesty I provided to my viewers and offered me their product for free with no rules, so I said yes. I will always give an unbiased review even if that means companies won't send me products. Most companies aren't interested in me because I'm too small of a channel. I hope people still respect my reviews when I'm making money at this. I love doing these videos and hope to make enough money someday to do this full-time.
Blessings!
Looks like you are the only review on the upgrade version. Thanks for keeping us informed!
My pleasure! I hope you enjoyed it!
Another helpful and well done review. Thank you
My pleasure! Thank you for your feedback.
Great review. Thank you🏔
Thanks for watching!
It does look to be a lot better than the first Flash tent (which was pretty bad), but for even $240 on sale, I would have to look hard at the Durston X-Mid 1 for the same $240. I do get that some folks may feel better dealing with a brand name like REI, and their great warranty. Another great review!
Thank you. I want to give enough detail so that when people watch my reviews, they can get a good idea of whether the product will be a good fit for them. I appreciate your feedback!
Durston's customer service seems to be superb. I'd take a Durston over this at the same price any time.
Great review!
Thank You!
good video. thank you
My pleasure!
I can say the same exact thing happened to me. I had condensation inside the tent at a corner but I was on a slope. I was coastal camping and the wind came in hard! But the tent did great!
That’s good information! Thank you for sharing your experience! When people do that, it helps others to determine whether this is the right tent for them.
Interested in the 2 person version too! I’ve always had good experiences with REI brand products
I haven't tried it yet, but it should be roomier.
Excellent review.
Thanks for watching!
I bought the flash air 1 a couple years ago. Set it up in the yard and immediately returned it. Happy to see they fixed a lot of the issues, it’s a great option for a starter light weight tent. Not as light as the best of them but a great option for the price point.
I agree!
Great review.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks. Am in need of an ultra lite and going to rainy Ireland in September.
Keep in mind if you’re going to use a single wall tent, be aware of the humidity because of the air is very saturated. You want to bring a cloth to wipe the inside down after you wake up in the morning. That way you’re not carrying around water with you all day.
It looks like an affordable tracking poll tent to start learning. I have been looking around between Lanshan, gossamer gear the one and now this one. The flash seems to check all check boxes to me, seem sealed out of the box, uses 1 tracking poll and plenty of space. Now I must wait for the sale on REI!
Sounds like a good plan!
I knew nothing about tents other than a needed one for times a hammock was going to be hard to hang. Prefer a hammock so I wanted a tent that was smaller/lighter than the hammock thinking at least it would offer something more than just no tree use. So far its been great on my bike trips poles/stakes in teh frame bag the rest is about the size of a softball in the bottom of a fork stuff sack. have doen lots of miles and many nights with it, two trips up the C&O and GAP, one out and back on the C&O, and a Brunswick MD to SnowShoe WV via the Eastern Mountain bike divide... same experience as in this vid with condensation in the one corner a couple times (Once I was early on and I thought the mesh was airflow not to let the side walls drip out, and the second was just arriving late and being lazy in perfect weather but it got really foggy early in the AM) I am 6'2" 190lbs, not many small tents would work... some seem like they would but the foot box is so low the bottom of my bag would be up against the tent wall. Great little tent, surprised its now been discontinued, thinking that keeping the same name as the poorly reviewed first model wasn't the best idea on REI's part. ***if anyone finds one keep in mind that packed its half the size of the bag it comes with. its both longer and fatter than needed, without the poles its about the size of a grapefruit or soft ball when stuffed snugly into a bag.
I don’t know if it is discontinued it might just being out of stock until another shipment comes in next season.
Good review. It looks like a great tent.
It is! Just Be aware of the condensation.
@@BackpackingGearNut I haven’t ever had a tent stay perfectly dry. A little puddle like that is more than acceptable to me. Thanks again
@@RonOrud my pleasure
Sounds better than the previous flash air 1
With most tents, you see small improvements with hardly any change in the design but with this tent, they did a complete re-design.
Best tutorial on how to set up the Flash Air. I was disappointed with the directions that came with the tent. You answered a lot of my questions. Condensation is caused by the cold rain or snow coming into contact with the heat generated by the warm sleeping body causing rain or snow in your tent. I got my Flash Air 2 5ive day ago and have not had the opportunity to take it on a bike tour. I did get it set up and an hour later a 48-hour rain came down. No seam leaks. The tent shed the heavy winds and rain with little sagging. I am new to light weight tents and found the floor a little slippery. My only concern is putting in stakes in hard parched earth. I have got spoiled using dome tents the past 20 or so years.
I was afraid of steaks with hard ground, but where I live, I go up to Donner a lot, and everything is granite. I have not yet found a place where I couldn't set the tent up. There's a technique that you use when you only have rock. It's similar to how you would do it with snow, putting the tent stakes sideways and using rocks to weigh it down. I am glad that you liked the tutorial! Than You!
I just pitched both the new REI flash 1 and Durston x mid P1 (2022). Disappointingly small and awkward floor, and pitch from the durston. The flash is very spacious, decent pitch, and way lighter. A comparison ofthe durston pro 1p vs the new REI flash 1would be interesting as they’re both single wall.
I would love to do a comparison I haven’t been able to get my hands on the Durstan. If anybody wants to send me one, I will be more than happy to do the comparison video :-)
@@BackpackingGearNut I have a 2022 XMid 1 I'd trade you for the Flash Air! :)
@@bobbybrowning5898 thank you for the offer, but I actually want to keep this tent at some point. I’d like to have both for a comparison video.
Way lighter? Don't think so unless Durston is very seriously understating the weight of his tent.
I'm really surprised at how much weight they added. My 2020 Flash Air 1 is 1lb 13.75 oz on my scale. That's including the tent, poles, stakes, guy lines, all 3 stuff sacks and a DIY footprint. It looks like the new version has more effective ventilation and will handle condensation better.
It will, but not perfectly.
Good video. If this tent doesn’t check all boxes for you then look into the new Argali Owyhee. Looks to be lighter, modular and larger. 🤷♂️
I will check it out. Part of what I do on this channel is review lots of tents so I can share my experiences with other people. Thank you for sharing a new item with me that I didn’t know about!
@@BackpackingGearNut 👊
@@timg7627 👊
Was waiting for a review like this. It seems like the biggest fault in this tent is that the inside corner doesn't have mesh that goes all the way around like other similar tents. I will probably still buy it once it goes on sale. haha
I really like the tent, but it's not for high-humidity climates.
I have two trekking pole tent's, that I haven't yet used. My big concern is hard ground that's hard to drive stakes in or sand that's too loose to hold them.
Where I live in California our ground is full of granite or loose dirt. There’s a technique you use with rocks and as far as the loose dirt goes, turn your steaks sideways and bury it in the dirt like you would for a deadman’s anchor. both techniques work well and he shouldn’t have any problems. I used trekking pole tents quite often, and I’ve never ran into a situation where I couldn’t make it work.
Skeptical about the condensation, but with the return policy I think it's worth a shot. Also i saw on the website, someone asked if its fire retardant free and it is! So I guess they are following through with their goal of eliminating products that have fire retardants when possible.
Thanks for the info! I didn't know the answer. I do like there return policy.
It's nice but I think the Durston X-Mid is superior
i’m hoping to get one pretty soon so I can try it out.
No. Too much hype around durston. Such a sloppy design on the inside and low quality stakes for such an expensive product.
Durston is definitely superior. I have flash air, x mid, and x mid pro. The flash air is horrible in the rain. Plus only 1 air vent, condensation considerably worse. Durstons design is superior. Having owned multiple z packs tents the x mid pro is the best tent ever.
What changed in the 2023 redesign? Did the original Flash Air 1 have the mesh strip between the floor and walls?
No, the original didn't have the mesh. It also significantly increased the head height and foot height of the tent. There is very little that is the same. I hope that helps!
Do you use a tent footprint?
No, I don't use a tent footprint. I haven't felt like I needed to.
Why can't I find where to buy this tent?
If you don't see it on their website, then that means that they're out of stock. Just keep watching because they will restock at some point.
Nice tent but the color
yeah, I could see how people might not like the color. I personally feel neutral about it. But I really like the tent.
If you are a weekend warrior it is fine but for a long hike not so good.
Thanks for being part of the community! Your comments are helpful!
Why? Just not durable enough for “primitive,” continued use?
Sadly for some reason they don't carry this tent anymore.
This is only a guess I believe they sold out of all of their stock. Whenever they sell out of stock, they take it off their website until they get another shipment. They usually resupply around late March early April for the summer season. Like I said, this is just a guess based off of what I’ve seen them do in past years.
Can it beat the X-Mid? Nope. Trekking pole is still in the middle of the door.
Warranty is still only 1 year and they wont sell you parts.
I just looked it up, and you are correct. In the past, they gave lifetime warranties.
@@BackpackingGearNut woah did they stop that?
@@boredandagitated i’m not sure when they Stopped it. It must’ve been fairly recent.
@@BackpackingGearNut It was about 6 years ago. It is now one of the worst warrantys in the industry.
@Christo Kuzmich REI stopped the lifetime warranty in 2013.. so 10 years ago.