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:

Big Sky Products Summit Evolution 1P Shelter
Manufacturer	Big Sky Products
Website	www.bigskyproducts.com
Year of Model Tested	2006
Color Tested	Shelter - Plum Rainfly - Granite
MSRP	$200 US w/ Aluminum Poles	$275 US w/ Carbon Fiber Poles
Weights	Listed Weight	Measured Weight
Shelter + Fly + Carbon Fiber Poles	2 lb 4 oz (1.02 kg)	2 lb 5.8 oz (1.07 kg)
Shelter + Fly + Aluminum Poles	2 lb 9 oz (1.16 kg)	2 lb 10.6 oz (1.21 kg)
Shelter	N/A	15.6 oz (442 g)
Rainfly	N/A	13 oz (369 g)
Carbon Fiber Poles	N/A	7.4 oz (210 g)
Aluminum Poles	N/A	12.2 oz (346 g)
Stuff Sack	N/A	1.2 oz (34 g)
Accessories (8) Ti UL Stakes (2) Guylines Stake Bag Shelter Bag	Total Combined Weight 4.0 oz (113 g)	0.4 oz (11 g) per Stake* 0.6 oz (17 g) Per Guyline** Stake Bag Undetectable to My Scale See Stuff Sack
Dimensions	Listed Value	Measured value
Shelter Length	84 in (213 cm)	84 in (213 cm)
Shelter Width at Head	36 in (91 cm)	36 in (91 cm)
Shelter Width at Foot	24 in (61 cm)	24 in (61 cm)
Maximum Height	39 in (99 cm)	39 in (99 cm)
Packed Size	5 in x 19 in (13 cm x 48 cm)	4 in x 18 in (10 cm x 46 cm)
Stake Bag	N/A	4 in x 10.5 in (10 cm x 27 cm)

*I received 12 stakes for testing

** I received 4 guylines for testing

Field Conditions:

For the final two months of testing I have used the Big Sky Evolution 1P Shelter in the Grand Gulch Primitive Area, Capital Reef National Park, the Wasatch Mountains and Fish Lake National Forest. The elevations have ranged from 4,000 ft (1,200 m) to 9000 ft (2,700 m). Temperatures have been between 35 F (2 C) and 95 F (35 C). I’ve experienced rain, wind and even clear skies while sleeping in the shelter. The terrain has included sand, dirt, mud and slickrock.

Long Term Report:

For a more detailed description of the Evolution 1P and its features please see my Initial Report or my Field Report.

My average pitch time for the Evolution Shelter is around 3 minutes for the inner body and another 3 minutes to attach and guy the fly. I’ve noticed a slight hiccup in pitching the inner body of the shelter. When sliding the poles through the sleeves they tend to catch where the purple sleeve fabric meets the black webbing near the grommets (as opposed to sliding through the webbing and locking directly into the grommets). This is not a major issue, but it does increase the time in erecting the shelter as I have to walk around to the opposite side of the tent to fix the problem. Fixing this should, theoretically, reduce the setup time even more and make a quick-pitch shelter even faster. I should also note that the manufacturer informed me that this problem has been brought to his attention and is being addressed in the next model of this shelter.

The Tent Pole Snagging Where the Sleeve Meets the Webbing

Through four months of testing I have not had any condensation problems with the Evolution Shelter. I have only experienced two minor rain showers and an additional two nights below freezing, but have only had the window fog up during the night. I was surprised (and happy) to wake up on in the morning and have no condensation flowing down the interior walls of the rainfly.

Throughout the test period I have frequently rotated between using the carbon fiber and aluminum poles with the Evolution. I have not noticed any substantial difference in one’s performance over another (other then the carbon fiber poles are lighter), but I saw surprisingly very little precipitation. It only rained on me twice during the test period and both times I happened to be using the aluminum poles. Both poles were used in windy conditions at some point during the test period and both handled the elements well. Neither has been warped, deformed or damaged in any way through four months of testing.

The no-see-um mesh has successfully kept all biting insects from entering the shelter and sucking me dry. On a trip in Fish Lake National Forest I was attacked by mosquitoes and biting flies. I was able to find sanctuary from the insect army inside the Evolution which forced the assailants to try and lay siege to my shelter. They were denied any access to my blood until I ran out of food and was forced to temporarily abandon the shelter’s safe confines and make a mad dash for my food bag. (Just a side note here: being able to enter/exit the shelter rapidly was a blessing in these conditions as a slow hiker is a bitten hiker and the bugs do not waste time in entering through an open tent door.) In Grand Gulch the insect problem was not nearly as bad, but kept my hiking partner (who elected to not bring a shelter) up all night. I, however, remained unmolested behind the mesh barrier provided by the Evolution.

On the same trip in Grand Gulch, the daytime high temperature was around 95 F (35 C) almost every day. My shirt was soaked from sweat everyday. I slept topless allowing my shirt to dry overnight in the hamper. Every morning when I put it on it was bone dry even though it smelled rather ripe. This brings me to my next point. I like the location of the hamper in the shelter. It’s located at the foot end of the tent which means when I roll over during the night, my nose it not in close proximity to dirty laundry and I don’t gag from the odor. Wind currents can still bring the smell to my nostrils, but orientation of the tent with respect to the wind can easily prevent this from happening.

For the majority of the test period I tested the Evolution with my own stakes and guylines. I received the manufacturer’s stakes, silnylon stake bag and guylines, but only had enough time to use them on two trips so cannot make a fair assessment on their durability and only a rough first impression on their performance. I received 12 shepherds hook stakes and four black and white (reflective) guylines. I have not had any problems using these with the Evolution tent, but again, my experience with them has been brief.

The Evolution's Stakes, Stake Bag & Guylines

The reflective guylines are easy to see when my headlamp shines anywhere near them, but I have tripped over them twice while venturing outside the shelter with no light source (this clumsiness is due to my own stupid, carelessness and should no way be attributed to the manufacturer’s product). The stakes have not bent or broken when staking down either the tent or the fly.

When I initially received the Evolution Shelter I was concerned about the silnylon floor being damaged because it was very thin and light. I am happy to report that my concerns were completely unfounded. The tent has been used on dirt, mud, sand and slickrock with no damage at all. While I always tried to remove the largest debris before setting up the shelter I never even came close to clearing all the pebbles, twigs, leaves of needles from under the Evolution.

The excellent durability of the shelter is not just applicable to the floor. The rainfly, poles, mesh pockets and walls also survived my testing unscathed. I used the rainfly as a pillow, footrest and as additional insulation for my lower legs and feet during the test period (when precipitation wasn’t likely to fall) and it has no scars whatsoever. I have enough faith in the fabric that I have started carrying it outside my pack exposing it to any low hanging vegetation.

On all of my trips I have stored all my gear (except my food bag) inside the shelter or in the vestibule. I still need room to toss and turn during the night so I typically store my gear in the side pocket or the clothes hamper. I have filled the side pocket to where it is overflowing with items and stuffed enough gear in the hamper as to force the entire wall to lean inward slightly. I expected to have something rip or tear, but all the storage compartments are good as new. The seams, stitching and zippers all work as good as new.

Summary:

Overall I have been very impressed with the Summit Evolution 1P Shelter. It is lightweight, roomy, and with the exception of a minor pole snag is quick and easy to setup and take down. It performs as well, if not better, than any other tent I’ve tried and I will continue to use this free-standing shelter as when hammocking is not practical.

Things I Like:

Lightweight
Quick & East to Pitch
Very roomy
No condensation issues
Bug proof
Durable

Concerns:

Zipper on the fly snags frequently
Blowing sand can sneak under the fly and through the mesh
Poles catch when erecting the inner body

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

Long Term Report

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