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Reviews > Shelters > Tents > Big Sky International Evolution 1P > Ken Bigelow > Initial ReportBig Sky Products Summit Evolution 1P Shelter
Initial Report February 15, 2006  Name: Ken Bigelow Age: 27 Gender: Male Height: 5' 9" (1.8 m) Weight: 205 lbs (93 kg) Email address: krb84108 (at) yahoo (dot) com Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Backpacking Background: I was first dragged on a backpacking trip eight years ago and have been addicted to it ever since. My adventures vary in length from a weekend to over two weeks. I am slowly shifting my backpacking style to a lightweight approach. I recently upgraded to a hammock to reduce weight. From spring through fall I typically backpack in the mountains or desert, while in winter I often go snowshoeing. I typically see a wide variety of climates ranging from 10 F (-12 C) with snow to 90 F (32 C) and sunny with just about everything in between. Product Information:
 Dimensions of the Summit Evolution 1P Shelter  The Summit Evolution 1P Shelter in its
Stuff Sack (Ruler Shown for Scale)
Product
Description & Initial Impressions:The Big Sky Products Summit Evolution 1P Shelter is a double wall, freestanding tent designed for lightweight, solo backpacking. The shelter consists of a plum-colored (dark purple for those not into the fancy color scheme) bathtub floor with black no-see-um mesh for the walls and ceiling. This large percentage of mesh should, theoretically, provide excellent ventilation when the rainfly is left off. Two pole sleeves hold a pair of either aluminum or carbon fiber poles and help provide the Evolution with its strength. I was provided with both types of poles and I intend to rotate their usage throughout the test period. Entering the shelter is accomplished by unzipping a large side door. The shelter is noticeably wider at the head end and tapers in slightly towards the foot of the tent. The interior has two locations for storing gear. The first is a mesh pocket at the head of the shelter located next to the door. The second is a more unique feature – a clothes hamper. The hamper is located opposite the door at the foot of the shelter. It is essentially a giant, triangular mesh pocket that extends from the edge of the bathtub floor to more than half way up the wall. The hamper is designed to aid in storing and drying out clothes.  Some Features of the Summit Evolution 1P Shelter The pole sleeves only allow the poles to be inserted from the foot end of the tent. Each sleeve has a small paper tab labeled with a “1” or “2”. When erecting the tent, the first pole inserted should be through the sleeve tabbed with a“1” and the second pole in the “2” sleeve. At the head of the shelter, the sleeves continue all the way to the grommets, which should allow the erecter to guide the poles’ locking tips into their respective grommets with ease. Each grommet also has a cord that connects directly to a corner of the bathtub floor. These cords are designed to keep the corners in tension and reduce the effort required to slide the locking tips into the grommets. The shelter certainly appears to be designed for a quick and easy setup.   The Poles at the both Foot (Left) and the Head (Right). The Poles are Inserted Through the Sleeves from the Foot End of the Shelter  The Extended Vestibule (Shown Open) of the Summit Evolution 1P Shelter  The Location of the Window & Vent on the Rainfly  The Vent Braced Open Big Sky's website does an excellent job
describing the Evolution 1P. The listed measurements are fairly
close to those I measured and the images closely resemble the product I
received. I did, however, find two small irregularities between
my Evolution and the one displayed on the website. The
description of the Evolution 1P on Big Sky's website lists pole clips
instead of pole sleeves and in one of the pictures, pole clips are
clearing connecting the shelter to the poles. The photographs on
Big Sky's website also show two vents on the rainfly (one on the foot
end of the fly above the window and another near the tent's apex)
instead of one. I was surprised to find these differences, but
not disappointed as they could easily just be modifications from a
previous year's model.
I go hiking/camping or backpacking in Utah almost every weekend from the spring through the fall and will bring the Summit Evolution 1P on every trip. This spring I plan on returning to both Canyonlands National Park and the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. I also hope to venture into the San Rafael Swell in either late April or early May. If the weather permits, I also intend to go backpacking in Fish Lake National Forest in late May. The terrain will vary greatly and will include wet and muddy corridors, slickrock, steep and rocky terrain as well as plain old dirt paths. Temperatures should range from 25 F (-4 C) to 85 F (29 C). I will likely see all types of weather ranging from heavy rain to sunny. The elevations experienced should be between 4,000 ft (1,200 m) and 9,000 ft (2,700 m). Testing Plan: I am trying to reduce my pack load and convert to a more lightweight approach to backpacking. One of the main loads I have managed to lighten is my shelter. Last year I switched from an extremely ancient 9.5 lb (4.31 kg) tent to a hammock. While this substitution is helpful, it is not always practical. Neither the desert nor higher mountains of Utah have any trees adequate to hang a hammock. This means I end up sleeping under the stars and being eaten alive by any insect near my campsite or end up reverting back to my enormously heavy, old tent. The Summit Evolution 1P tent is touted as a fast, lightweight and easy to use refuge. These claims need to be thoroughly tested in the field. Is setting up and taking down the tent easy? How quickly can I pitch it? Can it be done in high winds? Will the aluminum and carbon poles perform substantially different from each other if I test both models in similar conditions? Does guying out and anchoring the tent require any special care and time? Can I enter or exit the tent quickly and easily? Will the vestibules provide enough space for my gear or will I have to leave it exposed to the elements? Do I have enough room to cook in the vestibule if the weather is bad? Can more than one person fit inside the tent if the need arises? Will the interior make me feel like I'm in a coffin or will I have a “no claustrophobic” feeling when I’m inside? Will I brush up against the sides of the tent if I toss and turn during the night? How big is the interior pocket and clothes hamper? Are they useful at all for storing and organizing my gear? Will the hamper allow enough ventilation for clothes to dry out over night? Is there enough headroom or floor space to quickly and easily change clothes and pack my sleeping bag? Does the no-see-um mesh help properly ventilate the air and prevent moisture from condensing inside the tent when temperatures are either above or below the dew point? Will bugs penetrate the no-see-um mesh if I try and ventilate the tent? Will the silnylon fly fabric flap around in high winds and create enough noise that I will not be capable of sleeping? Will the fly sag during the night or need constant re-adjusting? Will the "double wall construction" provide enough strength to handle high wind, rain, hail or possibly even a light snow? Is the stuff sack waterproof? I am trying to be more weight conscious when backpacking so I do not intend to carry a groundsheet to protect the shelter’s floor. If no groundsheet is used, will the silnylon floor fabric resist abrasions and lacerations caused by the ground? Will the zippers easily snag? Will the shelter fabric or fly rip, tear or in any other way be damaged over the course of the test period? Will the interior pockets and hampers be damaged after four months of testing? Will the aluminum or carbon fiber poles survive for the full four months of testing? Will the poles permanently warp or deform during the test period? I have not yet received any stakes or guylines from the manufacturer. I will use my own set until the manufacturer’s arrive. Will the manufacturer’s titanium UL stakes easily bend when hammering them into the ground? Will any of the seams, stitches or zippers come loose and need to be repaired or replaced? I look forward to testing the Evolution 1P over the next four months and hope it proves to be an adequate lightweight shelter. I would like to thank Big Sky Products and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to test the Summit Evolution 1P Shelter. Read more reviews of Big Sky International gear Read more gear reviews by Ken Bigelow Reviews > Shelters > Tents > Big Sky International Evolution 1P > Ken Bigelow > Initial Report | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||