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Reviews > Shelters > Tents > Black Diamond Lighthouse Tent > Andy Mytys > Field ReportBlack Diamond Lighthouse Tent and VestibuleField Report
Product Information:
Specifications as Measured by Tester:
The information in this Field Report of the Black Diamond Lighthouse Tent and Vestibule is to be taken in addition to my Initial Report (contains lots of pictures, for those interested). Product Description:
The BD Lighthouse tent and vestibule came packaged in three SilNylon stuff sacks - one containing the tent and a length of cord, a second holding tent poles, stakes, pitching instructions, and a seam sealing kit, and a third stuff sack containing the vestibule, vestibule pole, stakes, vestibule pitching instructions, and a second seam sealing kit (recall that the vestibule is purchased separately). Sewn to the side of the tent stuff sack are two loops of elastic material, which are used to hold the sack containing the tent poles. Hang tags attached to the main tent stuff sack included an Owner's Manual to Black Diamond Superlight tents and a card explaining proper use of the Dongah Aluminum Corporation (DAC) Featherlite poles. The seam sealing kits are comprised of a tube of SilNet silicon seam sealer and an irrigation syringe for use in applying the sealing compound.
My Style of Tenting and Conditions Met Thus Far: In general, I pack my tent in the morning and pitch it when I arrive in camp that evening. I tend to hike late into the day, and it is extremely rare that I will pitch my tent, let alone be in it, before six o'clock in the evening. What this means is that I don't really use a shelter during the hottest parts of the day. Summer conditions in my area can get down right miserable, with nighttime lows in the 80's (~30 C) and humidity levels that are 85% or better. I have not experienced such conditions with the Lighthouse thus far, and this field report has yet to test all the bounds of the tent's breathability - specifically, how much of a cooling effect do the mesh panels have in hot and humid conditions, and how effective is the Epic material at holding in body heat when temperatures are near or below freezing. To date, my field-testing has been done in what many may classify as "ideal" sleeping conditions.
Condensation and Single-Walled Tents - Dispelling the Myth: Traditionally, choosing a single-walled tent as a backcountry shelter has meant a tradeoff - less weight in the pack at the expense of having to battle condensation build-up within the shelter itself. In humid climates such as those found in my home state of Michigan, nature often deals a crushing blow to those inhabiting tents, with wet walls, damp sleeping bags, and, at times, even a slight fog in the tent. Due to limited occurrences of outside airflow, even trying to promote ventilation by opening doors and windows may not provide any relief. In the past, I've used traditional three season tents composed of an inner tent made with breathable mesh walls and a "bathtub" floor, with a nylon fly covering the entire structure to protect the mesh from precipitation. These tents, at the very least, have had condensation along the side nylon walls of the bathtub floor and, in situations with low levels of airflow and high levels of humidity or precipitation, condensation has actually built up on the underside of the fly, which in turn found itself getting through the tent's mesh ceiling. The performance of tarps and tarp-tents was also mixed for me, as the non-breathable material, given the right conditions, became an area where high levels of moisture would form. Given this history, it is understandable why I was skeptical that the Lighthouse would remain condensation free in my usual stomping grounds. Yet here I sit, ready to make the statement that the only tent or tarp type design that I've ever been able to use and have an experience that was consistently free of condensation was in a single-walled tent. Yes, zero condensation, throughout each night with no moisture greeting me in the morning. Six months ago, I would have bet the farm that this just wasn't possible... not in a single-walled tent of this size. Not when used in Michigan. However, much to my delight, the Lighthouse has proven me wrong. The secret to the Lighthouse being able to keep out condensation lies in its fabric - Epic by Nextec. Black Diamond advertises it as being "extremely breathable," but I really wasn't prepared for the results - a product that meets and even exceeds the hype of marketing. Initially, I was doubtful that the Lighthouse would remain condensation free, at least not without using the HUGE no-see-um mesh door/wall (measured at 75 x 40.5 inches, or 191 x 103 cm). So, I set up the tent and left the entire mesh door and rear window open. I also attached the vestibule to the tent, so that the exposed door would be protected from the elements. I was sure to keep the vestibule door open, so that there would be as much airflow as possible entering the tent. Rain fell that night and, while not the torrential downpour that I had been hoping for, there was enough to get the tent wet. Temperatures were falling and the wind was picking up, so I closed the vestibule door and the outer door panel, covering the mesh door completely. The rear window was still open, and I could feel a slight breeze entering the tent. I went back to sleep. An hour later I woke up again. My sleeping bag didn't have a hood, and I was cold as a result. I put on a knit hat, and inspected the tent. Still no signs of condensation. I really didn't think that having the rear window closed was contributing much to keeping condensation levels down, so I closed it and went back to bed. I would wake up a few more times throughout the night - the first night in the backcountry is always a restless one for me. This allowed me to monitor temperatures on quite a regular basis, checking thermometers that were present both inside and outside the tent. I was sleeping in the Lighthouse with my wife, so the "two person" capacity was being used up. The vestibule was still on, and all ventilation screens were covered by their Epic panels - the Lighthouse was as sealed as it could be. The temperature variance between the inside and outside of the Lighthouse was a mere 6.7 degrees (3.7 C), with temperatures inside the Lighthouse hovering around 62 degrees (16.6 C). When morning finally came, there was still no condensation on the inside of the tent. Also, while the outside walls were wet with rain, there was no moisture present on the inside of the tent. Needless to say, I was more than impressed with the level of breathability characteristic of the Epic fabric. As nightly temperatures continued to be on the cool side, to the point of not being overly hot inside the tent with all the panels closed, I decided to continue my field-testing with panels closed, just to see if and when I would experience condensation. I am pleased to say that I experienced no condensation on any outings during my field-testing. This included sharing the tent with my wife, with my dog (an 80 pound (36 kg) flat-coated retriever) and when using the Lighthouse as a solo shelter. Nightly temperatures were recorded in the 50 - 65 degree range (10 - 18 C), with temperatures inside the typically being 5-7 degrees (3 - 4 C) warmer. Looking outside the tent in the morning, I noticed dew on the grass and, in some instances, a fog in the air. Yet the inside of the tent remained dry and comfortable. To date, I've really had no need for the mesh panel, outside of it giving me a view of the outside world while keeping the bugs at bay. The Epic fabric breathes well enough that air feels fresh on the inside of the Lighthouse, even when all panels are closed. There is only a slight difference in temperature between the air found inside and outside of the tent, and I really do not find myself longing for the breezes that would be available if I were to use the mesh door and window panels. It will be interesting to note my opinion on the mesh panels once I've encountered the hot and humid conditions of a Michigan summer.
Pitching the Lighthouse: I've found that it's easiest to pitch the Lighthouse if all four corners are staked out beforehand. Once the floor dimensions are well defined and stabilized, it's a lot easier to place the poles into their corner "pockets". I can "lance" the rear corners with confidence and, once the pole tip is in, having the corners secured helps to ensure that the pole will stay in its place while the other pole end is being maneuvered into the opposing corner. Once the poles have been attached to the tent using the hook-and-loop fasteners found along the seams of the tent's inner walls, the pitch is "showroom tight." There's no need to fiddle with stake position, guy line tension, and other tricks in order to produce an optimal pitch.
Using the Stakes: The stakes that come with the Lighthouse have a point to them, and three sides that angle out from the stakes' center. Each stake measures just a hair less than 7-inches (178 mm) and weighs slightly over 0.5 ounce (14 g). Inserting the stakes into the ground is simple enough, but once resistance comes into play the top of the stake really chews into the palms of my hands. They are rather strong, however, and I've found that I can spare my skin and simply press down on the stakes with my shoes, pushing them securely into the ground. I am careful to push straight down, rather than on an angle, and have yet to have one bend from such use. I find that the stakes hold well in both soft and hard ground, and that their shape makes them ideal to use across varied types of terrain. Areas of concern are those types of surfaces that call for specialized stakes, such as snow and sand. Black Diamond insists on staking out the Lighthouse, as the tent can be dragged by even "modest winds." I've found that this isn't the case, and as long as the tent is filled with gear, a "modest" wind isn't going to send it rolling away. However, if I was in an area where sudden strong winds were the norm, or if winds were beginning to pick up speed due to an incoming storm, I would certainly want to stake the tent out if I was not intending to stay inside it at all times. For the areas that I hike in, however, it is not worth my carrying the extra weight of stakes - I'll probably end up just carrying one, in case of emergency. As for the corner points, I plan to tie a section of guy-line to the corner stakeout points so that the Lighthouse will always have easy to use, versatile stakeout points. Using what nature provides, in the form of rocks and downed wood, makeshift stakes can be quickly assembled if needed, at least in the areas that I frequent. The guy-lines will allow me plenty of options in terms of attaching whatever's appropriate to hold the tent down in the given situation, and save me the weight of carrying stakes. The optional vestibule, however, does require staking down at two points - I do plan to carry the necessary number of stakes during those times where I decide to pack the vestibule.
Living in the Lighthouse: The Lighthouse is a very cheerful tent to spend time in. Its translucent yellow walls create a warm, diffused glow and the bright yellow color makes even cloudy days seem sunny and bright. The yellow color also makes most bugs stand out, making the task of evicting pets and making sure you "got them all" that much easier. While on the AT, I was especially grateful that I had such a brightly colored tent as one of the bugs that was found turned out to be a tick. The Lighthouse's design highlights high walls that have a gradual slope to them, at least when compared to typical three-season tents. The result is that the Lighthouse feels more like a small three-person tent than a two-person tent. Two adults at around six feet (185 cm) in height can sit up inside the tent simultaneously, without their heads touching the ceiling. In fact, both my wife and I can sit in the tent, play cards, and still have room for our large dog to lay next to us. Yes, I'm talking about the base tent, not including the optional vestibule. In fact, two people can change their clothes or roll out their bedding at the same time - there's no need for one individual to huddle in a corner while the other goes about their housekeeping business. For the lightweight backpacker, there's also enough room in the tent after mattresses and sleeping bags have been laid out to accommodate packs. In my case, I put all my clean clothes in my pillow case, store my hiking clothes under my sleeping mat - or hang them on a line to dry if washed - store my headlamp in one of the tent's pockets, store my water in the space between my sleeping pad and the side wall of the tent, and have my pack, which is now near empty and contains just my first-aid and toiletries kit, in the foot area of the space between my and my partner's sleeping areas. Of course, my food and cooking kit are stored outside the tent, in a bear canister or hung from a tree. I find that lightweight synthetic clothing holds very little water when properly wrung out and have been able to run a line through the four "gear attic" loops along the ceiling of the tent, creating a clothesline. I have also failed to notice any degradation to the shape or structural integrity of the Lighthouse when using the loops to support a clothes line, drying up to two shirts and two sets of zip-off pant legs at a time. I also find the loops to be useful in hanging delicate items that I like to have easy access to, such as my watch or my glasses. I run my watch band through a loop, then close the watch band at its largest setting. I then feed one of the arms of my glasses through the watch loop, allowing the glasses to hang in the air. When the clothesline is rigged, it's even easier to find a place to hang odds-and-ends. Moving onto the tent's integrated pockets, I find that they are too short and wide to hold heavier items. For small items, like a knife or headlamp, they work fine. Light and bulky items, items such as a knit hat and a pair of fleece gloves, can also be stored in the pockets without concern. However, I find that my medical kit has problems staying in the pocket. The weight of the pocket's contents pulls its opening forward and, as the bottoms of the pockets fail to reach the tent's floor, the contents spill out. At night, I find the reflective guy points to be of use in alerting people walking by camp of the tent's general footprint. Walking around with a light source, one can see the reflection off the corners of the Lighthouse from quite a distance, decreasing the chances of someone passing too close to the shelter and tripping on a guy-line.
The Optional Vestibule - Must Have or Dead Weight?: The vestibule's SilNylon material allows lots of light to pass through, giving a bright appearance to its underside.. The cut of the vestibule, dovetailed with its dedicated hoop, gives the illusion that the tent's ceiling extends out from the front wall of the tent a few feet. This makes the vestibule's space look surprisingly large and open, more like a spacious foyer than a simple add-on nook that's protected from the elements. I find the Lighthouse's vestibule to be a seductive addition to the shelter, especially if one finds themselves traveling at times of heavy rainfall where they will be sharing the shelter with a partner. At the same time, I weigh its utility against the 18-ounces (510 g) that it will add to my pack weight, including the vestibule, pole, and two stakes. My conclusion thus far is that, if traveling solo, I will leave the vestibule at home and when traveling with a partner in areas where long periods of rain are likely, I'll bring the vestibule along. As I've shown above, two adults who pack light and carefully organize themselves in the Lighthouse have more than enough room for themselves and their gear. Should muddy boots and wet packs become a short-term issue, one could always pack along a 42 gallon (88 L) heavy duty trash bag and use that as a makeshift vestibule, or better yet as an auxiliary dry-bag. Such a solution would weigh around three ounces (85 g). As a solo hiker, I definitely feel that taking the vestibule is nothing more than being ostentatious. For a single hiker, the inside of the Lighthouse has plenty of room, which can be divided into a "wet" and "dry" area. The garbage bag idea can be used here as well, to hold wet gear or as a staging area to put wet boots on, protecting the inside floor from getting wet and muddy. During mosquito season, I feel the vestibule should be pitched only when rain is actually falling, or if there is a high probability of it falling overnight. The issue here is that the vestibule provides an area sheltered from strong breezes, which translates into a refuge for mosquitoes that are lured into the area by the presence of exhaled carbon dioxide. Leaving the tent for just a moment, with the door opened halfway only for a few seconds, resulted in over fifty mosquitoes entering the Lighthouse (it wasn't even prime mosquito season yet). Fortunately, the yellow color of the walls made them easy to track down and kill. Some were already so fat that killing them caused blood to squirt onto the walls of the tent - the yellow walls made cleanup a breeze, and the blood wiped away easily using water and a bandana. Overall, such exercises have caused me to seriously consider packing a "pee bottle."
Shhhh... Don't Wake the Neighbors:
A fully opened panel will have one of its zipper pulls positioned in the left corner, and the other pull positioned at the opposite end, ten-feet (300 cm) of zipper length away. A closed panel will have both of its zipper pulls drawn together. I've learned to strategically keep the two zipper pulls of a closed panel at the twelve o'clock position, which allows me to open the door to either the left or right side by traversing only five feet (150 cm) of zipper. Being somewhat thin, I find that I can enter and exit the tent without causing harm to the door panels if the doors are as little as halfway opened. This also minimizes the size and duration of the opening, giving the bugs less time to invade my humble abode. Because the Epic panel is located on the outside of the tent, if I want to close it on a buggy night I've got a lot of noise making, neighbor waking, zipping in front of me. As mentioned above, an opening in the mesh, even for a short while, can lead to many bugs entering the tent. Naturally, I want to avoid this at all costs. In order to keep the mesh door sealed while closing the outer panel, I have to first move the two zippers of the inner mesh panel together towards one of zipper pulls from the Epic panel. I then separate the two zipper pulls slightly, giving myself enough room to get two fingers through, and grab the cord from the outer panel's zipper pull, pull it into the tent. Then I bring the two zipper pulls from the mesh together, closing the small hole, and pull all three zippers across the ten-foot (300 cm) span of zipper until I meet up with the outer panel's second zipper pull. At this point, both panels are closed. If I want to give myself a little extra ventilation through the mesh door, but control size of the opening, there's more zipping involved. The process now has me moving all four zipper pulls together in order to define one edge of the opening, then moving three zipper pulls together to create the actual opening. Zip, zip, zip, zip, ZIP! There's an easy 20-feet (600 cm) of zipper pulling in the process, a sound that is amplified by the tightness of the fabric connected to either end of the zipper. Much of this zipping could be entirely avoided if the panels were swiched, with the mesh panel located on the outside of the Lighthouse and the Epic panel facing inside. The other penalty that is paid by having such a large door is that of protection from the weather. Hiking without the vestibule means that the inside of the tent will be extremely exposed, if only for brief moments, whenever there's inclement weather and the occupants need to exit or enter the tent.
Pitching the Lighthouse in Foul Weather: I have yet to come across the opportunity to pitch the Lighthouse in severe weather. I have given it much thought however. The trick will be pitching the tent with as little water getting inside as possible. My first plan of attack was to leave the vestibule attached to the Lighthouse, then simply stake out the four corners, install the awning pole, throw myself under the vestibule, open the tent's door, and install the two main support poles. This plan failed before I could even try it, however. I found that, due to a lack of tension, the vestibule tends to fall off of the tent body when the two are packed together. My next plan was to stake out the tent, install the awning pole, assemble the main poles, then open one corner of the door at a time, using a small, fist-sized opening to install the poles. In dry trials, this technique also failed. The poles need to securely go into their protective corner pockets before any pressure is put on them. With such a small opening in the door, the fabric of the tent collapsed inwards, making it difficult to see if the pole's end was indeed in its pocket. The risk of piercing the Epic fabric of the tent's body was just too high for me to justify using this technique. My current plan is to install the awning pole, then open the door, throw my pack in, and jump inside the tent, quickly closing the door behind me. I will then assemble the poles inside the tent, feeding the excess length of each pole out a small opening in the door. This will allow me to watch the pole's tip going into its corner pocket, limiting the amount of pole that's being exposed to the elements. My only concern is that my body pressing against the inside fabric of the tent for a few minutes during a downpour will promote a leak. I can't wait to find out!
My Own Additions: As mentioned above, I've been able to run a line through the four "gear attic" loops along the ceiling of the tent and successfully use it as a convenient clothesline. I've also cut a 72 x 80 inch (183 x 203 cm) section of Tyvek HouseWrap for use as a ground cloth. The Tyvek is large enough to protect the floor of the tent, with enough left over to provide a small ground tarp beneath the vestibule. When I leave the vestibule at home, I just fold the extra Tyvek back on itself and tuck it under the tent. This ground cloth weighs 8.7 oz (247 g) and protects the SilNylon floor from abrasion, as well as from substances such as tree sap and mud.
How Things Are Holding Up After Two Months: The tent itself is holding up fine. It still pitches tight as a drum, and I haven't noticed any leakage. I was forced to set up in a rather muddy area one night, and as a result some mud got on the yellow Epic fabric. The cleaning instructions for the Lighthouse specifically state to "never use detergents or liquid soaps of any kind," so I've cleaned it the best I could, using the suggested damp sponge with warm water technique. For the most part the mud washed off, but I know where it was and, if I look carefully, I can still see a residual stain on the material. I've also noticed that packing a wet tent can result in moisture getting through the supplied stuff sack, and I've since gone back and sealed the seams of the stuff sack.
I've also noticed that the seam sealer that I put on the tent when it was new has started falling off in places. Recall from my Initial Report that I used the supplied irrigation syringe to apply the seam sealer to the tent, a process which resulted in the sealer taking on the appearance of a bathroom-calking job. This protruding line of sealer is crushed in all directions when the shelter is packed, and as a result it has split and flaked off in places. I plan to go back to the old "sponge" technique of applying seam sealer, where a quarter inch wide (6 mm) angled sponge is used as an applicator, with the sealer dabbed into the seams and then dragged across the seams for good measure. This technique results in a flat application of seam sealer, which looks more like tape than caulk. I hope that this will result in a seal that's more durable than what was produced by using the syringe.
Next Steps: In the final four months of testing, I will continue to evalate the Lighthouse's breathability and ventilation, and hopefully be able to document various experiences while pitching the shelter in incliment weather. Personal Biographical Information:
Backpacking Background: I live in Michigan and have been hiking seriously for 15 years, although I've camped since I was 6 years old. I consider myself a lightweight hiker. I carry the lightest gear I can get my hands on which will provide a comfortable wilderness experience and adequately support the goals of my trip. Unless my goals are time/distance oriented, my pace is always slow. I rarely exceed 1.5 miles (2.4 km)/hour. I rest frequently, hike long days, and enjoy whatever nature throws my way. Read more reviews of Black Diamond gear Read more gear reviews by Andrew Mytys Reviews > Shelters > Tents > Black Diamond Lighthouse Tent > Andy Mytys > Field Report | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Black Diamond Lighthouse is a single-walled, free-standing dome tent made primarily of a breathable, water resistant, fabric (Epic by Nextec). It has a bathtub style floor made of waterproof silicone-impregnated 30d Ripstop nylon (SilNylon). A SilNylon vestibule, which is an optional accessory specifically designed for the Lighthouse tent, has also been provided for the purposes of this test.
Essentially, the entire side wall of the Lighthouse is a door. Measured around its edge, there's about ten-feet (300 cm) of zipper that needs to be traversed in order to fully open the door. And, there are two sets of doors on the Lighthouse - an inner, mesh panel and an outer, Epic panel. Each panel has two zipper pulls attached to it, so that the door can be opened or closed from either the left or right sides. Having two zippers gives me total control - I can have the mesh panel up to protect myself from bugs, and at the same time control how much of the mesh is exposed, and the location of the exposure, by partially closing the Epic panel, as shown in the image to the right.
