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Reviews > Shelters > Tents > Terra Nova Zephyros 2 tent > Test Report by Erin Marie Hedden
TERRA NOVA ZEPHYROS 2
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TESTER INFORMATION
Backpacking Background: I have been backpacking since 4 years of age, taking long trips into the mountains with my family. I hike various terrains from mountains and plateaus to grasslands and prairies. My excursions can be a day hike with a light-weight waist pack, a loop trail taking up to 5 days on which I keep my pack as light-weight as possible, or an in-and-out trip for a night or two where my pack can be heavy. Slow and steady is my pace and I use a tent or a hammock depending on weather and terrain.
INITIAL REPORT
PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer: Terra Nova Year of Manufacture: 2012 Manufacturer's Website: http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/ MSRP: £150.00; 186 USD Listed Weight: 3 lb 9oz (1.62 kg) Measured Weight: 3 lb 8 oz (1.59 kg) Other details: Capacity: 2 Person Single door Single main pole Pack size: 22 in x 5.5 in (57 cm x 14 cm) Range: 3 season backpacking tent Flysheet: Ripstop Pu Polyester 4,000 mm Floor: Ripstop Pu Polyester 6,000 mm Poles: 8.5 mm Superflex Alloy Pegs: 10 x Aluminum V-Angle Guylines: 4 x black reflective 2 year manufacturer warranty Guaranteed Waterproof PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
The Wild Country Terra Nova Zephyros 2 is a lightweight three season tent that is based on Terra Nova's Laser Competition series of tents. Terra Nova describes the Zephyros 2 as being "perfect for weight conscious backpackers and price conscious adventure racers". The Zephyros 2 can be set up as a whole, with the interior attached, or the interior can be removed and the flysheet can be set up on its own as a lightweight alternative. The fly, the inner tent, pole and the pegs all fit into one 22 in x 5.5 in (57 cm x 14 cm) nylon stuff sack. Setup instructions are printed on a sheet which is sewn on to the inside the stuff sack itself. The door to the interior of the Zephyros 2 tent is accessed from the side after unzipping the fly itself. Both the flysheet and the door have two zippers so that they can be opened and closed in any number of different ways. The flysheet can be left opened by using a hook and loop system. The hook is found on the bottom interior of the flysheet door flap and the loop is located on the top side of the interior portion of the tent. Once inside of the tent there is plenty of head room and measures 90 in long x 38 in wide x 37 in high (230 cm x 97 cm x 95 cm) according to my measurements. Inside there are 2 mesh vents at either end of the tent that are held closed with hook and loop. There is also a small pocket for stowing away and gear that may be needed for quick access during the night. The pocket measures 6 in x 9 in (15 cm x 22 cm) and holds the items I would use most while inside of the tent quite nicely. TRYING IT OUT
Setting up the Terra Nova Zephyros 2 tent took a total of 15 minutes and wasn't hard to figure out after unrolling the tent and laying it out. After setting it up I inspected the outside of the tent for any defects and found none. The interior was free of any defects as well. THINGS THAT I LIKE
I like the easy set up of the tent. THINGS THAT I DISLIKE
At this point I only have one concern, and that is with the poles that are attached to the interior portion of the Terra Nova Zephyros 2, however, I will need more time and experience with the Zephyros 2 in order to definitively say that this will be something I like, or dislike. FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
The first time out with the Zephyros 2 started out with a night spent in the Ophir Creek area at 8,500 ft (2591 m) in elevation, an area comprised of aspen grove, stream-side willow and a mixed-conifer forest and ended with an elevation gain of 3,000 ft (914 m) and a night in high mountain forest just below St. Charles Peak in the Wet Mountains of Southern Colorado. The weather was consistent and fairly warm without any rain or wind, just a wispy summer breeze that came up and continued for the entire time spent above 9,700 ft (2957 m) of elevation. The first morning was cloudy and cool with a temperature of 62 F (17 C), but that soon changed and the day heated up rapidly enough. I found the second morning to be 61 F (16 C) and the third and final morning spent on the mountain to be 57 F (14 C). There were no significant weather events or dramatic temperature variations during this first trip out with the Zephyros 2 by Terra Nova. PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
The Terra Nova Zephyros 2 tent was no problem to carry on my pack and was easy to set up and take down, even in the dark as was the case on one occasion on a mock bug out when I pushed myself to gain more hard miles and wound up having to set up camp in the dark. Everything went smoothly and even though I never experienced any rain during any of my trips out into the back country due to the drought the state suffered this year I did encounter a bit of high wind on two different occasions. The tent stood up to the high winds and did not come apart, however, when sand and debris was being blown at the tent some dust and sand particles did manage to find its way into the tent via the door, but not a lot. When it came time to clean the sand and dirt out of the tent it was easy to clean up and get rid of because of the way the door itself can be opened. Clean up was a breeze. SUMMARY In summation I found that the Terra Nova tent was lightweight and easy to pack up and set up. I liked that clean up of the interior of the tent was easy and I did not have any problems with air flow or condensation collecting on the interior of the tent. I did not have an opportunity to see how well the tent did against water and rain because of the drought that is currently plaguing the United States but I hope to eventually get lucky and get it set up on a day this fall when the rain decides to fall because of my curiosity about the claim that the tent is water proof. The tent stakes were sharp and hard to get into the ground without cutting myself so I had to start using gloves to prevent injury and two of the stakes ended up bending over at the grooves in the head. These bends were easily remedied with a pair of pliers in the field so that they would work out until I could get home and work out the bend in them a little better with a hammer. The stakes still maintain their shape and function after the problem with them bending over was remedied and repaired and are still being used with the tent. LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
In late summer I used the Terra Nova Zephyros 2 tent during a pre-hunting season scout in the Sangre De Cristo Mountains in Huerfano County, Colorado for a two night stay at an elevation of 7,500 ft (2,286 m) while the weather was clear and sunny during the day and clear and star lit during the night. For this trip I did not get any temperature readings as I had left some gear back at the car by accident. PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD I had no problems with condensation forming on the interior portion of the tent itself until October when I found that ice crystals from dew and condensation, probably from my breath, had formed on the ceiling of the tent and fallen down into my face as I moved around trying to get out of my sleeping bag. On the last occasion when I used the tent the screen material on the door became separated from the door itself leaving me two feet of open space that I had to patch up with duct tape on the fly. The overall set up and take down of the tent was easy and took little time. The cleaning of the tent and removal of dirt, leaves, sand, grass and other debris from the interior of the tent was a breeze due to the fact that the door actually opens up all the way around and this was a wonderful luxury for me. SUMMARY
In summary there are many great things about the Terra Nova Zephyros 2 tent that I like, such as the easy clean up, the easy set up and take down, its weight and the fact that the interior sleeping compartment can be removed to reduce the weight of the tent even further while using the exterior fly on its own, but there are also a few things about it that I did not like about this tent. One of the things that I think could be better was the hook and loop system used to pin back and open up the exterior door flap. It is a loose fit and because of that the door is hard to keep open and secure when there is a breeze blowing or when you are getting in and out of the tent during the night. I was a little disappointed with the way the screen became separated from the door on the interior sleeping compartments door to the Zephyros 2 and I thought that perhaps a way to hang a lantern or light from the center of the interior sleeping compartment could have been included in the design of the tent. Other than that I had no real issues with this tent and enjoyed my time testing it. Read more reviews of Terra Nova gear Read more gear reviews by Erin Marie Hedden Reviews > Shelters > Tents > Terra Nova Zephyros 2 tent > Test Report by Erin Marie Hedden |