Reviews > Shelters > Tents > Big Agnes Seedhouse 3 > Rami Benhameda > Field Report

Big Agnes

Seedhouse 3

Field Report

www.bigagnes.com

PERSONAL BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION:

BACKPACKING BACKGROUND:(back to top)

I've been hiking and backpacking in and around Central and Southern Indiana for the past 20+ years either solo or with my wife and daughters. Within the last 5 years, I've become an avid long distance hiker with sections of the AT in Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia under my belt, as well as other long distance hiking.

PRODUCT INFORMATION:(back to top)

TESTING RESULTS:(back to top)

Addressing previous concerns:

In my Initial Report, I indicated a hesitance on my part to read directions had resulted in longer than expected initial pitching time.  Since that time I have become much more adept at a speedy setup, and can happily report that pitching and guying out of the Seedhouse 3 is as quick and easy as I expected it to be.  I will provide greater detail regarding setup later in this report.

 Additionally, I indicated in that I was unable to determine the function of two zippers located on either side of the tent body.  Since publishing that report, I have had contact with Big Agnes which makes clear the purpose of these zippers.  The relevant text is quoted below:

Rami,

When staked out nicely, we thought it would be a good use of storage space under the sides of the rain fly (h2o bottle, shoes, bb gun...).

Have fun!

Bill

Field Test Specifics:

I have had quite a good time testing the Seedhouse 3 since receiving it in April.  I've managed to spend quite a bit of time in the tent.  My longest trip has been four days (three nights) in Western Michigan, my shortest has been two days (one night) in Southern Indiana.  I have had six outings with the Seedhouse 3 and multiple nights in my back yard in which to test and evaluate the tent.

Footprint:

As a basic piece of gear, the footprint is something I have underestimated the value of.  The Seedhouse 3's footprint is custom sized to fit the specific pole system with grommets for the pole ends.  This feature is required for the fast fly set-up which consists of the footprint, pole, and rain fly.  Having a footprint which won't get bunched up under the tent during setup is an unexpectedly nice feature as well. 

Tent Body:

The tent body looks nearly new still, even after several nights of heavy rain.  The only indication that this tent has seen any action is the small stain from a slug that didn't let go before I repacked the tent.  A close inspection of the guy lines does show some discoloration from dirt and rain, but this is very slight and would probably come clean with a little fresh water and elbow grease.

Fly:

The Seedhouse 3's fly is probably my favorite aspect of the tent.  More specifically, the vestibule on the fly is the thing I tell most people about as the 'clincher' when describing how cool this tent is.  I can crouch inside the vestibule, zip it closed, then unzip and enter the tent afterwards.  It is a snug fit, but when concerned about a mosquito invasion (Western Michigan for example) this is a highly desirable feature.  In addition, the ventilation afforded by the side and end guy lines make condensation even in humid conditions quite manageable.

Pole:

The single pole, equipped with two hubs provides an adjustable pitch via the use of different grommets in the tent body.  The Y-hub pole supports a high ceiling and roomy corners inside the tent, and the single additional pole supplied for the vestibule part of the fly adds height and volume to the vestibule as I described above.

Actual Testing:

The first overnight use of the Seedhouse 3 was a solo overnight I took to a local state forest.  There is a small backcountry site I like to visit (mostly white pines and a very flat spot for a tent).  setup was accomplished in the early evening and due to the chance of rain, I used the fly as well as the tent body for a full setup. 

The rain did indeed come, but it was light and only lasted for a short part of the night.  The ground was damp in the morning, but I was dry, cozy and comfortable.  This was no real test for the Seedhouse 3, but was a fun night in a tent for me. 

In the morning, I shook the fly to get most of the water droplets off before stuffing it back in its sack.  There was no condensation of consequence inside the fly, but I did notice some dampness on the underside of the footprint.  This wasn't really a surprise since it rained in the night, but I wasn't expecting it since the ground had seemed dry when I pitched the tent the day before.

Over the course of the next several uses of the Seedhouse 3, I experienced quite a bit of heavy wind and rain (7.5 in or 19.5 cm average for May in the areas where I camped).  There were two nights on two consecutive weekends in separate locations where I was worried that the wind and rain would cause potential test limiting damage (namely death by fallen tree) to this tester.

The longest consecutive period of usage was a four day (three night) jaunt into the northwestern portion of Michigan's Lower Peninsula with my two daughters.  Our plan was to hike and explore some of the North Country Trail, the Manistee River Trail, and possibly Sleeping Bear Dunes.  We ended up cutting our hiking short in order to add more beach time to the trip and added Leelanau state park and the Northpoint lighthouse, as well as an afternoon and lunch on the beach at  Saugatuck Dunes state park.

During this trip, we pitched the tent on sand, mulch, and pine needles with no noticeable difference in the performance of the tent or in tent comfort.  I attribute this to the quality of the footprint (especially on the rough cut mulch!).  We only had rain for a short time early on the first night but it wasn't nearly of the ferocity I had experienced in solo testing.

The tent has performed extremely well in all instances and has exceeded my expectations in several areas including ventilation, stability of pitch and ease of setup and break down.  I am, as yet, unable to find any single aspect which I consider a 'down side'.  The tent is relatively heavy (see my IR for specifics) but is not meant to be an ultra-light gear item.  The weight is reasonable for its intended purpose.  In fact, an informal survey of two and three man tents of similar dimensions at the nearest retailer shows that the Seedhouse 3 is at least a pound less than its closest three man competitor and only slightly heavier than a roomy two man tent.

I have used the Seedhouse 3 as a solo tent, and as a shelter for my two daughters, age 7 and 10, and I.  As a solo shelter it is exceptionally large and roomy with a feeling of luxury.  When using my candle lantern for example, I didn't have to worry about bumping the lantern or having the lantern come too close to the tent walls.

When all three of us sleep, there is enough room for all of us plus plenty of room at the feet for clothes and other gear.  In addition, the side mesh pockets make great places to store headlamps, journals, and books at bed time.

FUTURE TESTING PLAN: (back to top)

As I outlined in my application, I intended to test the Seedhouse 3 with specific attention to the following areas:

1. Components - footprint, tent, fly, poles & stakes (& stuff sack)

    a. Durability, ease of setup, ease of breakdown, clean up, Packability and overall usage

2. Inside configuration - 1 adult + 2 children, 2 adults, 2 adults + 2 children
    a. Full setup & fast fly

 
3. Weather resistance in various configurations and various conditions.
    a. Full setup, no fly, fast fly/ rain, wind, heat, condensation, etc.

4. Anything else which may present itself while testing.

Reviews > Shelters > Tents > Big Agnes Seedhouse 3 > Rami Benhameda > Field Report