SLUMBERJACK TRAIL TENT 6
TEST SERIES BY BRIAN HARTMAN
LONG-TERM REPORT
February 02, 2014
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TESTER INFORMATION
NAME:
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Brian Hartman
|
EMAIL:
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bhart1426ATyahooDOT com |
AGE:
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46
|
LOCATION:
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Westfield,
Indiana |
GENDER:
|
M
|
HEIGHT:
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5' 9" (1.75
m) |
WEIGHT:
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145 lb (65.80
kg) |
I have been backpacking for over
20 years throughout Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and most recently in Western USA.
In addition to backpacking I enjoy family camping with my wife and kids and
being outdoors in general. I would describe myself as a mid weight backpacker.
I use fairly light weight equipment and gear but still like to bring more than
the bare essentials with me while on the trail.
INITIAL REPORT
PRODUCT INFORMATION &
SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer: Slumberjack Year of Manufacture:
2013 Manufacturer's Website: http://www.slumberjack.com/ MSRP: US
$219.95 Listed Weight: 18 lbs 6 oz (8.4 kg) Measured Weight: 19 lbs (8.6
kg) Other details: Capacity: 6
Person Seasons: 3 Season Number of Poles: 4 Number of Doors: 2
Number of Vestibules: 2 Dimensions: 130 x 110 x 70 in (330 x 279 x 178
cm) Floor Area: 99.3 ft2 (9.2 m2) Vestibule Area: 2 x 27.7 ft2 (2 x 2.6
m2) Packed Size: 8 x 28 in (20 x 71 cm) Wall Material: 75D Polyester
No-See-Um Mesh Floor Material: 75D Polyester 1200 mm Fly Material: 75D
Polyester 1200 mm Pole Type: Fiberglass Tent features (as provided by
manufacturer) Color-coded clip construction for a fast and easy setup
Mesh wall panels for optimum ventilation Internal storage pockets to
keep essentials handy Waterproof, taped seams Noiseless zipper pulls
Guyout points Convenient free-standing construction Ridge pole
geometry for maximum interior space Full-coverage rain fly for a dry
overnight experience Convenient dual-entry design Quick and easy
side-release buckle tent-fly connection
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
The Slumberjack Trail Tent 6
(hereafter called the Slumberjack or Trail Tent 6) is a 6 person 3 season tent
described by the manufacturer as "perfect for any backpacking, fishing or family
camping adventure." The Trail Tent 6 is the largest of Slumberjack's Trail
Series tents which feature quick and easy set-up, comfortable, spacious
interiors and durable, all-weather construction.
The Trail Tent 6
arrived in a generously sized storage sack. Contents included the following
items:
Tent body and rainfly 2 main poles and 2 ridge poles 12 aluminum
stakes with small storage sack 4 guylines with tighteners 1 pole sack
1 storage sack 1 page user manual with care and pitching
instructions
Materials and Construction: As I examined the Trail Tent 6
on my family room floor, I found it to be well constructed with no loose seems
or wavy stitching. The vital seams on the fly and tent body were taped at the
factory to ensure a dry interior. In addition, the tent body features a bathtub
style floor with 6 in (15.2 cm) sidewalls to prevent flooding during heavy
rains.
The tent floor and rain fly are made of 75D Polyester fabric with
a 1200mm waterproof coating. In contrast, the wall panels are made of polyester
mesh to maximize air flow inside the tent. The two main poles run diagonally
across the tent, crossing over each other at the top of the tent in what
Slumberjack refers to as an 'X' frame geometry. The poles are held in place by
pole sleeves, which help secure them and prevent them from moving. At the
bottom of the tent, the main poles are secured in grommets which are located on
the stake loops at the four corners of the tent. In addition to the main poles,
two ridge poles run parallel to each other near the top of the tent, helping to
create steep sidewalls for added interior space and headroom. The ridge poles
also add significant strength and rigidity to the tent. All four poles are
fiberglass with shockcords holding their sections together. Finally, the tent
body clips attach to the main poles, lifting the tent walls and creating the
tent's dome shape profile. Below are two photos of the tent with the rain fly
removed to show how the tent poles are arranged.
The
tent comes with twelve ground stakes. The stakes are 8 in (20 cm) long and are
packed in a small sack along with four guylines. The fly, tent, poles and
stakes fit into a nylon storage sack with dimensions of 8 x 28 in (20 x 71 cm).
Setup instructions are printed on one side of an 8 x 11 in (20 x 28 cm) sheet of
paper which I found inside the storage sack. Care instructions and
warranty/repair information are written on the backside of this
sheet.
The Slumberjack features two large polyester mesh doors which
allow easy access to its large interior, measuring almost 100 ft2 (9.5 m2). The
doors are so large in fact that a full-size inflatable air mattress would fit
through the opening. Once inside the tent there are four mesh storage pockets
located near the four corners of the tent. The pockets measure approx 6 x 18
in (15 x 46 cm). They offer plenty of storage for electronics, watches,
glasses, flashlights and any other items that might otherwise get lost or
stepped on. Since the tent walls are entirely mesh, Slumberjack provides a full
coverage rain fly that extends almost to the ground. When the rain fly is
attached, it creates two small vestibules at the front and back of the tent with
dimensions of 24 x 30 inches (61 x 76 cm). The following three photos show a)
the interior of the tent, b) the storage pockets and c) the full coverage rain
fly.
TRYING IT OUT
The Trail Tent 6 was a breeze to
set up in my backyard (literally - as I'll explain in a minute). It took me
roughly nine minutes to pitch the tent and attach the rain fly. In particular,
I found it very easy to stake out the tent body, insert the poles into the tent
grommets, clip the tent walls to the main poles and attach the fly to the tent
via the quick-connect buckles. Things would have gone even quicker with a
second person helping, especially the tasks of raising the two main poles and
getting the fly over the top of the tent. These tasks were difficult to
accomplish by myself simply because the main poles are 20+ ft (6 m) in length
and the tent stands close to 6 ft (1.8 m) tall.
Once the tent was erected
I staked out the four corners and went back inside my house to get a camera so I
could take some photos for this report. To my surprise, when I came back
outside only a few minutes later the tent was nowhere to be seen. After staring
for a few seconds in disbelief at the empty spot where the tent used to be, I
ran to the back of my yard and looked up and down our tree row. Off in the
distance I could see the Trail Tent 6, on its side and wedged against the trunk
of a large walnut tree. Granted, it was windy outside; but I'd set up my
backpacking tents in my backyard dozens of times and never had this happen.
What I failed to consider at the time was that my other tents are much more
streamlined and shorter in height than the Trail Tent 6. Mental note: the
profile of the Slumberjack is much larger than my backpacking tents and will
catch wind like a sail if not properly secured with guylines. It took a while
for me to get the tent separated from the tree but luckily there were no rips in
the tent or rain fly and none of the poles had broken.
Slumberjack has
incorporated a lot of nice features into this tent including steep sidewalls for
plenty of headroom, large entry doors, lots of storage pockets and factory taped
seams. So far my only wish is that the vestibules were larger. This would
allow more items to be stored outside the tent while still being protected from
the elements. Needless to say, I am looking forward to the next four months of
backpacking with this tent.
SUMMARY
What I like: Lots of interior
space and plenty of headroom Simple design makes for fast set up Bathtub
floors Large doors allow plenty of room to get stuff into and out of the
tent Plenty of storage pockets to keep stuff organized and off the
floor Mesh walls so air circulation and condensation shouldn't be a
problem
What I don't like: Vestibules could be larger
I have
high hopes for the Slumberjack Trail Tent 6. It has all of the makings for a
great family tent. It is large, well designed, easy to pitch and appears to be
very sturdy.
This concludes my Initial Report for the Trail Tent 6. I
will post a Field Report in approximately two months so please check back then
for further information.
FIELD
REPORT
FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
During the past two months I used
the Slumberjack Trail Tent 6 on two family camping trips and a backyard
sleepover for a total of five nights. My first outing was a three-night trip to
Southern Indiana where we had great weather with sunny skies and temperatures in
the mid 70's F (23 C). Our second outing was a backyard sleepover that included
my kids and one of their friends. The weather was mild with temperatures in the
lower 60's F (16 C) and intermittent rain showers during the night and early
morning. My third outing was an overnight trip with my brothers to Oldenburg,
Indiana (IN). The weather on this trip was much colder with snow and a
nighttime low of 12 F (-11 C).
1. We hiked, fished and waded through
creeks looking for tadpoles on this family camping trip to Southern Indiana.
The terrain was hilly with lots of open and forested areas to
explore.
Location: Franklin County, Indiana (IN) Type of Trip:
Off-trail hiking Distance: 6 mi (9 km) Length of Trip: 3
nights Backpack Weight: 24 lb (11 kg) Sky and Air Conditions: Mostly
sunny Precipitation: None Temperature Range: 72 F to 78 F (22 C to 25 C)
2. Backyard campout. Temperatures were in the low 60 F (16 C). Rain
showers off and on throughout the night and early morning with accumulation of
0.25 in (0.64 cm).
3. My third trip was to Oldenburg, Indiana (IN).
During this two-day outing we did some bushwhacking and also explored several
frozen creeks. Daytime temperatures were in the mid 20's F (-3 C) and
elevations ranged from 570 ft (174 m) to 780 ft (238 m).
Location:
Oldenburg, IN Type of Trip: Family camping Distance: 4 mi (6 km)
Length of Trip: 1 night Backpack Weight: 32 lb (15 kg) Sky and Air
Conditions: Overcast Precipitation: 0.75 in (2 cm) snow Temperature Range:
12 F to 26 F (-11 C to -3 C)
PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
SETUP: Setting up the Slumberjack Trail Tent 6 during the past two months was
easy with help from a second person. With my kids' assistance I was able to
pitch the tent in under seven minutes. We found the quickest method was to
stake the four corners first and then insert the two main poles. Then we could
erect the tent and attach the two ridge poles. Finally the tent clips could be
fastened to the main poles and the rainfly secured. Since the Slumberjack blew
away during my initial setup, I now secure the guy lines on the rainfly every
time I pitch the tent. Staking out the guy lines has also kept the rainfly from
flapping in the wind and/or sagging and touching the tent body in wet weather.
Tear down of the tent is straight forward and I usually can get it packed away
in ten minutes or so. I have found the storage sack is big enough to fit the
tent and rainfly as long as they are neatly folded.
SIZE: Slumberjack did
a great job designing the Trail Tent 6. The interior is laid out efficiently
and the high angled walls and 70 in (178 cm) ceiling height provide ample
headroom for sitting and moving around. In fact my kids were easily able to get
dressed while standing. So far the maximum number of people that have slept in
the tent at one time is six and it was cramped. With 100 sqft (9.5 m2) of floor
space there was just enough room inside the tent for everyone to lay out their
sleeping bags. Everything else had to go in the vestibules which provided
additional space to leave items outside the sleeping area while still protected
from the weather. Unfortunately, the vestibules aren't very large and items
placed there blocked entry and exit from the tent. To make room, we ended up
leaving some items outside the tent and of course they were covered in dew in
the next morning. My wife and I liked having two entry doors. They came in
handy more than once so people didn't have to crawl over each other getting into
and out of the tent. I also like that the doors are nearly vertical, which
makes them easy to climb through.
When my brothers and I went camping
in Oldenburg there was plenty of room for the three of us inside the tent as
well as all of our gear. Of course we made full use of the storage pockets for
our flashlights, watches, glasses, wallets, pocket knives and other items we
wanted easy access to during the night or the following morning and the three of
us were easily able to stretch out while sleeping.
BREATHABILITY: The
Slumberjack breathes very well as the tent body is mostly mesh. With five
people in the tent we had some light condensation but it wasn't bad at all. On
all occasions we slept with the rainfly on and the vestibules closed. In
sub-freezing temperatures, I noticed a layer of ice crystals inside the tent but
I actually expected it to be more noticeable.
WATERPROOFNESS: Although
the Trail Tent 6 appears well suited for heavy rains with its sealed seams,
bathtub floor and double wall design, my appraisal of its waterproof
capabilities will have to wait until Mother Nature obliges me. Until then I can
only refer to the 1200mm waterproof rating that Slumberjack lists for both the
rainfly and floor. So far I have encountered only light rain showers in my
backyard and snowfall of 0.75 inches (2 cm) on my last outing. During this time
water beaded up nicely on the rainfly and it stayed taut. To date I have not
noticed any leaks in the tent floor.
DURABILITY: So far the Slumberjack
has performed well in strong winds, snow and freezing temperatures. I have only
had one mishap and that was a broken main pole which the manufacturer replaced
immediately. I'm not sure what happened to cause the pole to break. I suspect
it wasn't seated fully in the adjacent pole insert and cracked under stress when
the tent was pitched, but that is just a guess. Luckily it didn't break in two
(even though there was an obvious crook in the pole section) so we were able to
finish our campout. Cudos to Slumberjack; they were wonderful to work with and
I had a new main pole within a few days. See photos below.
Apart
from that incident, the tent's four pole design seems to be quite sturdy. The
tent body and rainfly are still in great shape. The interior floor shows no
signs of wear and the door zippers continue to work smoothly. The floor bottom
has some scratches and scuff marks but that is to be expected when camping in
the woods. The tent stakes are doing well except for one I accidently bent
while trying to pound it into frozen ground. The tent has not yet experienced a
major rainstorm or heavy snow fall so I can't speculate at this point on how it
would handle the load.
All in all, the Slumberjack Trail Tent 6 has
performed very well during the past couple of months and I have enjoyed using it
for family campouts. It is well constructed, easy to set up and has enough
floor space for up to five people with plenty of headroom. Tear down is equally
simple with the large storage sack. The tent remains in great condition, with
the door zippers functioning smoothly and the tent floor and rainfly still
completely waterproof. Although I had one of the tent poles break, the others
show no signs of stress or cracking. The vestibules are not huge but they
provide adequate storage for essential gear. The tent's four pole design and
polyester body offer strength and rigidity in windy conditions and I have had
minimal condensation inside the tent thanks to its mesh body. Though I have
only had it out in light rain and snow the Slumberjack appears suitable for poor
weather trips. My experience so far is that this tent is well suited for 3
season camping.
SUMMARY
This concludes my Field Report
for the Trail Tent 6. I will post my Long Term Report in approximately two
months so please check back then for further information.
LONG-TERM
REPORT
LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND
CONDITIONS
I was only able to take one trip
with the Slumberjack during this test period due to unusually nasty winter
weather that's been going on for the past month. On this trip I camped solo as
my kids and brothers weren't interested in venturing out into a winter storm
that was scheduled to hit that night. I don't blame them as 13 in (33 cm) of
snow fell overnight and temperatures dropped to -7 F (-21 C) with strong winds
making conditions less than ideal for driving much less camping in a 3 season
tent. Thankfully there were several large evergreen trees near my campsite and
they provided adequate protection from the worst of the wind and snow until
morning.
Location: Noblesville, Indiana (IN) Type of Trip:
Camping Distance: 1.5 mi (2.4 km) Length of Trip: 1 night Backpack
Weight: 26 lb (12 kg) Sky and Air Conditions: Overcast with heavy snowfall
followed by gusty winds Precipitation: 13 in (33 cm) of
snowfall Temperature Range: 18 F to -7 F (-7 C to -21 C)
PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
The Slumberjack performed
exceptionally well during my polar adventure this test period. The tent set up
quickly and even though it wasn't rated for four season use it proved itself
capable of withstanding high winds, heavy snow and subzero temperatures.
Although initially I had concerns about pitching the tent in this weather it
performed admirably. After my mishap a few months ago during which the
Slumberjack blew away in strong winds, I've conditioned myself to always stake
out the tent. On this occasion, I used all twelve stakes and four guy lines and
the tent stayed firmly in place. The rainfly did a good job of deflecting the
wind while the fiberglass poles were able to handle the stress of the cold and
weight of the snow with no problems. The ridge poles did a good job of
distributing the weight of the heavy snow on top of the tent, allowing the tent
to handle much more weight than it ever could have with just two main poles.
There were no durability issues with the tent body, rainfly, poles,
zippers, or any other components during this test period. The tent floor also
remained in good shape despite being trampled on with boots and paws. Finally,
the bottom of the tent still looks practically new as I always use a ground
cloth to protect it from sticks and sharp rocks.
The Slumberjack didn't
do much to keep me warm in below zero temperatures but that's fine because it's
a three season tent with mesh walls. The mesh is there to minimize condensation
issues during summer months. Although I had no major condensation issues with
the Slumberjack, on my last campout I awoke to a winter wonderland in my tent,
with a blanket of frost and snow on my sleeping bag and everything else in the
tent. Strong winds had forced a significant amount of snow under the rainfly
and into the tent during the night. After assessing the situation the next
morning, I decided against packing the tent neatly in its storage sack as I knew
I would just have to set it back up again to dry out once I got
home.
Even though the rainfly allowed some snow into the tent, things
could have been a lot worse. Slumberjack did a good job of designing this
rainfly to be a lot longer than most to prevent wind, rain etc. from coming into
the tent. On this campout I appreciated the fact that Slumberjack designed two
doors on the tent so that I could enter and exit from the direction opposite
from which the wind was blowing.
SUMMARY
The Slumberjack is a great family
tent. It was easy to set up and tear down and had plenty of room for five
people with gear. It proved to be durable throughout testing, even surviving
the now famed 'Polar Freeze'. My family and I will continue to use this tent on
future campouts.
This concludes my Long Term Report and this test call.
Thanks to Slumberjack and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test the
Trail Tent 6. This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org
Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.
Read more reviews of Slumberjack gear
Read more gear reviews by Brian Hartman
|