Reviews > Shelters > Tents > Black Diamond Lighthouse Tent > Andy Mytys > Initial Report

Black Diamond Lighthouse Tent and Vestibule

Initial Report

Reviewed By: Andrew Mytys Email: amytys (at) backpacker (dot) com Date Published: May 27, 2004 Update History: June 4, 2004 - added notes on post seam sealing tent/vestibule weights

Product Information Manufacturer:       Black Diamond (http://www.bdel.com) Item:       Black Diamond Lighthouse Tent and Vestibule Year of Manufacture:       2004 MSRP:       $369.00 (tent) $139.00 (vestibule) Listed Packaged Weight:       tent -         3 lb (1.36 kg), per Owner's Manual                  3 lb 3 oz (1.45 kg), per website vestibule - 17 oz (485 g) Sleeps:       2 adults Listed Dimensions:       tent -         87 x 51 x 43 in (221 x 130 x 109 cm) vestibule - 13 sq ft (1.3 sq m) Listed Packed Size:       6 x 9 in (15 x 23 cm) Color:       Maize/Gray Available Accessories:       SilNylon Vestibule, Fitted Ground Cloth, Attic Storage Loft, Pocket Pal Organizer, Soft Stakes Warranty:       Covers defects in material and workmanship for one year from date of original purchase, to the original retail buyer. Normal wear and tear, unauthorized modifications or alterations, improper use, accident, misuse, negligence, and improper maintenance are not covered by this warranty. Assembled In:       China

Specifications as Measured by Tester Tent Body w/3 Poles       3 lb, 5.1 oz (1505 g)   Tent Body       2 lb, 5 oz (1049 g)   3 Poles       16.1 oz (456 g) Tent Body Stuff Sack       1.0 oz (28 g) Tent Poles Stuff Sack       0.7 oz (20 g) Stakes (6)       3.1 oz (88 g) Seam Sealing       add 0.9 oz (25.5 g)   Vestibule w/Pole       17.0 oz (482 g)   Vestibule       10.5 oz (298 g)   Pole       6.5 oz (184 g) Vestibule Stuff Sack       0.7 oz (20 g) Stakes (2)       1.0 oz (28 g) Seam Sealing       add 0.3 oz (8.5 g)   Inner Tent Dimensions (L x W x H)       85 x 49 x 44 in (216 x 124 x 112 cm) Door Opening (W x H)       75 x 40.5 in (191 x 103) Bathtub Floor Height       4.5 in (11.4 cm) Pockets       2, 11.5 x 3.5 inches (29 x 9 cm) each   Tent Packed (L x W)       11.5 x 6 in (29.2 x 15.2 cm), 20.5 in (52 cm) circumference Tent Poles/Stakes Packed       16 in long (40.6 cm), 6.75 in (17.1 cm) circumference Vestibule Packed       19.625 in long (50 cm), 8 in (20.3 cm) circumference

Product Description:

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.

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.

Breaking Down the Parts:

Black Diamond Lighthouse Tent

• As mentioned above, the Lighthouse comes with an Owner's Manual and pitching instructions. Both of these documents are presented in English, French, German, and Japanese. The Owner's Manual actually covers Black Diamond's entire line of Superlight tents, including the Lighthouse tent, Firstlight tent, Lightsabre bivy, and Winter bivy. Specifications and features for each product are given, in addition to a list of available accessories. The Owner's Manual also covers use, care, and maintenance of Superlight series products, including staking, use in snow conditions, care and cleaning, washing instructions, zipper maintenance, proper use of poles, and pole maintenance.
  
  
• The pitching instructions outline proper Lighthouse set up procedures, and also include instructions on how to apply the seam sealer to the tent. Staking, use in snow conditions, and directions on how to attach the optional ground cloth are also covered in this document.
  
  
• The tent itself is made primarily of Epic fabric, a material constructed of fibers that are individually encapsulated in silicone and sandwiched together. Epic is "water resistant," not waterproof. The material's design also incorporates a ripstop characteristic in its makeup. The material has a very pleasant and soft feel to it - it would be interesting to test a jacket or sleeping bag that used this material in its shell. The bathtub style floor of the tent is made of waterproof silicone-impregnated 30d Ripstop nylon (SilNylon). The Lighthouse's design is different than that of most other shelters on the market, in that the poles are installed on the inside of the tent. The area in each corner of the tent is constructed of a heavy nylon material that's laminated with a urethane film on the inside (think rubber coating). This feature acts to protect the Epic and SilNylon material from being punctured by the tent's poles.
  
  
• There are three poles that are used in erecting the shelter - an awning pole, and two main poles that support the overall structure. These poles are ferrule-free, DAC Featherlite poles. The awning pole, which breaks down into five segments, is the shortest of the poles. When collapsed, this pole's length is 14.25 inches (36.2 cm). When fully extended, the pole has a slight bend to it and measures 39 inches (99 cm), tip-to-tip. This pole weighs 2.3 ounces (65 g), and is used to prop up the Lighthouse's front and rear awnings.
  
  
• The remaining two poles break down into ten segments, at just over 15.5 inches (39.5 cm) each. When assembled, each pole has a length of almost 11 feet, 10 inches (360 cm). These poles each weigh 6.9 ounces (196 g). The longer poles do not have their ends capped, which allows for easy adjustment of the shock-cord should it become stretched out and loosen over time.
  
  
• The Lighthouse tent comes with six stakes, which each measure just a hair under 7 inches (178 mm) and weigh slightly over 0.5 ounce each (14 g). The stuff sack that holds the tent poles has a small pocket on its inside, designed to hold the stakes.
  
  
• The Lighthouse also comes with a little over 30 feet (915 cm) of cord, which is intended to be used as guy line. The weight of this cord is 1.7 oz (48 g).
  
  
• The seams of the Lighthouse are not seam taped, and making the shelter watertight is the responsibility of the owner. A seam sealing kit, consisting of a tube of SilNet silicon seam sealer and an irrigation syringe, is provided.

Black Diamond Lighthouse Vestibule

• The documentation that comes with the vestibule is presented in English, French, German, and Japanese. Covered topics include pitching, seam sealing, care and cleaning, proper use of poles, zipper maintenance, and vestibule repair policies. In the pole care and maintenance section, the text talks about ferrules - the poles that the Lighthouse uses for both the tent and vestibule are ferrule-free.
  
  
• The vestibule is made of waterproof SilNylon. It is an optional accessory, purchased separately, that is specifically designed for the Lighthouse tent. As with the tent, its seams are not sealed and a seam sealing kit is provided - it is the user's responsibility to apply the sealer, which results in maximum weather protection.
  
  
• The vestibule uses one pole to hold its shape. The pole weighs 6.5 ounces (184 g). It collapses into seven segments, each of which are a little over 19.5 inches in length (50 cm). When fully extended, the pole measures over 9.5 feet in length (294 cm). Unlike the tent's long DAC poles, the vestibule pole is manufactured by Easton, and has its ends capped - inch for inch, it is a slightly heavier.
  
  
• The vestibule comes with two stakes, of the same type that were included with the tent.

Pitching the Lighthouse Tent:

I found pitching the Lighthouse tent to be an easy and straightforward task, although I had some hesitation the first time I erected the tent. To pitch the Lighthouse, I followed Black Diamond's instructions.

• Spread the tent out and unzip the door completely
  
  
• While not documented in the setup instructions provided with the tent, Black Diamond recommends, in a video found on their website, assembling their poles from the center segment outwards in order to reduce stress on the shock-cord. I followed this tip while assembling the poles.
  
  
• The awning pole should be installed first, by inserting the short pole through a small reinforced hole found at the top center of the door, passing it along the center ridge of the ceiling, and out through another reinforced hole found at the top center of the tent's rear wall. The ends of the ridge pole should then be secured in the grommets found at the ends of each awning, effectively extended the two awnings out.
  
  
• The next step is to insert each of the long poles into the tent, forming an "X" (i.e. match corners front left with rear right, and front right with rear left). Each corner has a snap in at its deepest point, which can be used to securely hold the open-ended pole's tip. The pitching instructions state to "shift the main pole to the center and secure using the hook-and-loop fastener on the ceiling of the tent," then goes on to read, "secure the two hook-and-loops next to it." I couldn't find the hook-and-loop fastener on the ceiling of the tent, so I just fastened the first pole using two hook-and-loop fasteners found near the ceiling of the tent, just so that the pole was held in place. I then moved to the next pole and repeated the process using the remaining two corners of the tent. I didn't bother navigating the pole tips into the snaps until after I had everything else in place to my liking.
  
  I also found that, on my first pitch, I really had to pull and stretch the fabric in order to get the pole into the last corner. I was at times worried that the pole would break under the tension, and at the same time I worried that the pole would free itself from my grasp, and that the uncapped end would rip through the unprotected fabric of the tent. I covered the pole's tip with my finger while installing it, and any time I felt unsure of what I was doing I positioned the pole end outside of the tent and released the tension. The poles are rather long, and they can easily protrude a few feet into the air on the outside of the tent. As a safety precaution, I would recommend making sure the area around the tent is free of people before setting it up, particularly if there are small children running about.
  
  
• Once both poles have been installed, they should be secured using the hook-and-loop fasteners that are found along the seam of the tent walls, parallel to the natural curve that the poles are in. Each pole is held in place at the corner points, as well as by the hook-and-loop fasteners, found at six points along its length. The final pitch is "drum tight."

The pitching instructions for the Lighthouse tent direct the user to always stake out the tent using all points provided, as the tent can be dragged by even modest winds. I found that without the front of the shelter secured in some way, the tent tended to flop back on itself with the awning and one long pole installed - by staking down the two front corners of the tent, I was able to avoid this problem.

Lighthouse Features:

Once pitched, I took a tour of the Lighthouse and noted its many features:

• Design highlights steep walls, maximizing horizontal space and headroom.
  
  
• Six anchor points, located at the base of each corner and at the center of the front and rear walls, where the bathtub floor seam meets the tent's Epic canopy (approximately 4.5 in (11.4 cm) off the ground).
  
  
• Four supplemental tie-out points, found along each corner seam, that exert force at about the halfway point of the tent's peak height. These tie-out points have loops accented with a reflective material.
  
  
• HUGE front door. Measured at 75 x 40.5 inches (191 x 103 cm), almost the entire front wall makes up the door to the Lighthouse. The door is comprised of a panel of Epic fabric, with a secondary door constructed of no-see-um mesh. The Epic door panel faces the outside of the tent when both panels are used. The panels can be zipped open and closed individually, and can be held down and out of the way when opened using a pair of loop and cord designs that are adjustable, thanks to an integrated cord-lock device affixed to each cord. The panels have two zipper pulls, allowing the doors to be opened from either the left or right side, and also letting the user adjust the size and location of the door openings.
  
  
• Rear mesh window, 34 x 5.5 inches (88 x 14 cm) in size. The window can be closed by zipping the section of Epic fabric over the mesh. The Epic fabric cover can be held down and out of the way using the same adjustable loop and cord setup that's found in the door's design.
  
  
• Two inner mesh pockets, measuring 11.5 x 3.5 inches (29 x 9 cm) each - the pockets are about the size of a 32 oz (1 l) Nalgene bottle.
  
  
• Four inner loops around the center of the tent's ceiling, for use with the optional attic storage loft. I plan to suspend a string between these points, creating a small clothesline. The loops are spread apart in a manner where I could form a rectangle approximately 24.5 x 13.5 inches (62 x 34 cm).

Pitching the Vestibule:

Pitching the vestibule mirrored my experience with erecting the tent - it was a very simple task to perform.

• As with the tent, I first spread the vestibule out and assembled the vestibule pole as directed on the Black Diamond website.
• While not documented in the setup instructions provided with the vestibule, Black Diamond recommends, in a video found on their website, to "loop the Velcro ties prior to adding the pole" to the vestibule.
• Once the five Velcro loops were formed, I fed the pole through them, secured one of the pole's tips through the grommet found at the end of a black nylon strap, then flexed the pole and guided its end into the grommet found at the other end of the strap, forming an arch. The setup instructions that came with the vestibule tell the user to now secure the pole in place using the hook-and-loop fasteners - creating the loops and feeding the pole through them beforehand, as recommended in the video, is a much more efficient way of getting the vestibule assembled, in my opinion.
• The next step is to connect eight hooks found along the edge of the vestibule with eight loops found under the awning of the tent. I found it easier to perform this step from the inside of the tent, as I could see what I was doing rather than just being able to feel my way through the process, as is the case when connecting the vestibule from the outside of the tent. There's also a center, hook-and-loop closure that's used to secure the vestibule around the Lighthouse's center awning pole.
• The vestibule should now be staked out. The instructions mention that the loops closest to the tent should be staked out to the same stakes as the tent corners. The vestibule for the Lighthouse tent, however, does not have any rear corner loops on the vestibule - it is held in place by the tension created between the front stakes, the pole, and the connection to the tent itself.

Vestibule Features:

Once pitched, I took a tour of the Lighthouse's vestibule and noted its features:

• Two anchor points, located at the either side of the vestibule's front.
  
  
• Two supplemental tie-out points, found along the fabric covering the pole area, that exert force a at a point that's a little higher than half the vestibule's peak height, and a little lower than the point that the supplemental tie-outs on the tent are set at. These tie-out points have loops accented with a reflective material.
  
  
• Entry door that can be unzipped from the top or the bottom. The doorway, when opened, is large enough for me to quickly crawl through without any contortion, and available space to either side of the opening is such that there's still plenty of protective room for boots and packs without anything impeding the route into the tent. The door can be held open and out of the way using a loop and buckle design - it is fixed in length however, and not adjustable like all the tie-downs found in the tent.
  
  
• The vestibule also has a small awning over the apex of the door. This allows occupants to unzip the door from the top in inclement weather, creating a covered ventilation port.

Tear Down and Storage:

Essentially, breaking down the tent is the reverse of putting it up. Stakes are removed, the vestibule is unattached, and its pole is separated and collapsed. The tent poles are also removed, one at a time, and broken down. Removal of the tent poles is made easier by a very clever detail - the hook-and-loop fasteners found inside the Lighthouse have a small pull tab integrated into their fronts. There's no need to feel about each tab, trying to get a good grip along each tab's edge.

Unfortunately, the stuff sacks with the integrated stake pocket that holds the tent poles is sized around the tent poles - it cannot be used for the vestibule pole, which is 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) longer than the Lighthouse's poles. The stuff sack that came with the vestibule can be used to hold all the poles, but it lacks a dedicated pocket for the stakes. Placing stakes into this stuff sack would have them flailing about loosely, and I worry that their sharp points could puncture the SilNylon fabric. I have been able to get both the tent body and SilNylon vestibule into the stuff sack that came with the tent though, and due to the size of the Lighthouse's door and the need to leave it open while pitching the tent, leaving the vestibule connected to the tent in storage may be a good way to protect the inside of the tent from getting soaked while pitching during heavy downpours.

Seam Sealing:

The Lighthouse and vestibule both come with seam sealing kits comprised of a tube of SilNet silicon seam sealer and an irrigation syringe, to be used while applying the sealing compound. This is the first product I've ever received that provided a syringe for seam sealing. My prior experience involved either a small nylon brush, or an applicator sponge with an integrated handle and fine edge for dabbing and dragging sealing compound into seams. I went about the process of seam sealing the Lighthouse in my garage, which provided a sheltered environment with plenty of ventilation. In order to ensure I had the light needed to carefully inspect my work as I progressed, I wore my Petzl Zipka headlamp while sealing the seams. Using the syringe, it took me about two hours to seam seal the entire tent and vestibule. The syringe was easy enough to use, but would have been more comfortable had the finger supports on its side been larger. For doing dental work on a couple of teeth, or quickly irrigating a wound, the syringe's design may be fine. For seam sealing around 50 feet (15 m) of seams, it gets a little tiring. After an hour or so into the job, I just held the syringe in my fist and pushed on the plunger with my thumb.

The instructions say to "run a small bead of SilNet directly down the center of ALL exterior seams." I don't know if my bead was "small" - my end result looks more like a bathroom-calking job then anything else. Suffice it to say the seams are sealed. In terms of the areas sealed, I did not seal the seams on the outsides of the awnings, or along the reinforced corners of the tent as, due to location or construction, I did not have a concern with leakage in these areas. I did seal the seams along the roof, walls, pullouts, and bathtub floor of the tent, and along the top of the vestibule. The instructions called for a 24 to 48 hour dry time, and I elected to wait the full two days. Once the compound had completely dried, I removed the poles from the Lighthouse and turned it inside out, exposing the corners of the tent. I then sealed the inside inside corners, applying sealer around the edges and directly into the center of each corner snap. One tube of SilNet was more than enough to seal BOTH the tent and vestibule. Seam sealing the tent and vestibule added a total of 1.2 oz (34 g) to the weight of the shelter.

I wanted to be able to reuse the syringe, in the off chance that I found a leak in the future. In order to save the syringe, I had to get rid of all of the sealing compound that was inside - allowing excess sealer to dry in the syringe would plug it up, rendering the syringe useless. I flushed mineral spirits through the syringe several times, then let the syringe sit submerged in mineral spirits for an hour. I then flushed the syringe out multiple times with a mix of warm water and dishwater detergent, and then finally flushed it out again with clean water.

Black Diamond Website Feedback:

Black Diamond's website is broken down into four main categories - Rock, Alpinism, Backcountry, and Performance Lightware. Where are the freakin' tents? Seriously, there was NOTHING that screamed gear. Looking at the fine print near the bottom of the page, I saw the whiz-bang graphical categories spelled out in text, with hyperlinks underneath to specific products. There was a link to "Superlight Tents" under the category "Rock." Thankfully, the link defaulted to the Lighthouse, as if I needed to get to another "Superlight Tent" I'd be at a loss. The webpage for the Lighthouse highlights the tent and vestibule, but gives no mention to the other available accessories such as the fitted ground cloth, attic storage loft, pocket pal organizer, or soft stakes. There's also NO INFORMATION in terms of unit specifications. What are the inner dimensions of the tent? Potential customers want to know! Seriously, I had to go to a retail website to get the stats on this tent online - I couldn't get the information from Black Diamond's own website. The site also contains a couple of QuickTime videos - one detailing "how to set up your tent," and another on "how to add on a vestibule." The products used in the video demonstrations are very different in their design when compared to the Lighthouse, and much of what's covered just doesn't apply. In addition, the videos include a 30 second introduction and theme music, making them 22 and 14 MB in size. Try bringing that down during a dialup connection.

Test Plan:

Future reports will comment on setup experiences across various environments.

I will also be analyzing how roomy the tent is when used as a two-person shelter. Saying that a shelter fits two for a night's sleep is one thing; saying that two adults can comfortably spend an extended period of time in the Lighthouse during non-sleeping hours is something altogether different. How much room is left inside the tent, once occupied with two adults, for additional items such as a toiletries kit, water bottles, etc? In terms of allowing for freedom of movement, can two adults be in the Lighthouse and still have room the change their clothes and clean themselves up? How well does the Lighthouse accommodate tall sleepers - will the tent allow me to stretch out without the foot of my bag coming into contact with the walls of the tent? How much headroom does the shelter deliver and how practical is it? That is to say, is there a small spot of "peak height", with the walls quickly sloping down, or can most areas of the tent be accessed without me having to lay on my stomach to reach them?

Can the shelter support more than two people, say two adults and one child or dog, or perhaps be used as a meeting space where a few people can sit back and play some cards while awaiting a storm to pass?

My main concern over the course of testing will be that of condensation buildup within the tent itself. The Lighthouse is a single-walled tent, yet nowhere in the product description is use limited to high-altitude or dry environments. Does Black Diamond expect its customers to understand the limitations of the Lighthouse's design, or, can the Lighthouse adequately function in areas of high humidity and little, if any, airflow? Performance, in terms of moisture management, is where my testing will be focused.

From my initial overview of this tent, I am very optimistic in the sense that I believe that the Lighthouse will provide adequate ventilation in most, if not all, applications. To start with, it has that MASSIVE front door. The vestibule is also rather deep, and it appears that the door on both the tent and vestibule could be kept open for the purposes of ventilation in all but the worst of wind-driven storms.

Of course, there may indeed be times when the tent may have to be closed down, such as when the vestibule is left home and an unexpected storm hits. In such cases, condensation management will have to be controlled using the design and physical characteristics of the tent's materials. Is the rear awning large enough to protect the Lighthouse's window, allowing it to be opened for ventilation purposes during inclement weather? Does the Epic canopy breath well enough to combat condensation buildup?

Does the rear window, when coupled with a small opening in the front door, promote an environment where natural convection occurs and effectively pumps moisture out of the Lighthouse?

In general, what methods of combating condensation are effective, and how do environmental factors apply in terms of choosing which technique is the best to implement?

On to biometrics - I tend to have a slow and steady respiratory rate, and breath through my nose when I sleep. I don't really introduce a lot of moisture into the environment. To really challenge the tent, I'll need help! Adding my wife as a second occupant will allow me to up the ante a bit, effectively lowering the amount of available air space in the shelter while, at the same time, substantially increasing the moisture content in the environment. A third source of exhaled moisture would be realized by introducing my dog into the mix - she tends to pant profusely, even in her sleep. The coup de gras will be sleeping in the tent with fellow hikers that really know how to snore. I've seen some of my friend's shelters that, after a good night's sleep, resemble a South American rain forest on the inside, with walls covered in water droplets, a haze in the air, and sleeping bags that are covered in moisture. How will things look on the inside of the Lighthouse after a night spent with such a guest?

Of course, water can also enter into the tent from the outside. How well did I do in seam sealing the structure? Are there any hidden seams that I missed? How about those internal poles – I've always been taught to never come into contact with the inner walls of a wet tent, as water will start dripping into the tent from the spot that was touched. The Lighthouse has poles on the inside of the tent, which seems to be in direct contrast to this rule. What effect, if any, will internal poles have on moisture levels inside the tent?

Speaking of keeping the inside of the tent dry in the rain, how does one go about pitching the Lighthouse in the rain? The front door needs to be opened in order to get the poles in, but opening it essentially brings down an entire wall of the tent. Can the tent be pitched with the vestibule attached, in order to avoid driving rain coming into the tent during the pitching process? How about with the tent door facing the ground, with user essentially wearing the tent while pitching it? Or maybe it's better to get in the tent, zip it up quickly, and start assembling the poles and pitching the tent solely from the inside? What's the best approach to pitching the Lighthouse during a storm, with the goal being keeping the tent's interior as dry as possible?

In addition, I am curious how warm the inside of the tent gets in the morning and how efficient the canopy is at allowing light to pass through. Will the Lighthouse become a bright sauna five minutes after the sun rises? How does body heat effect temperatures inside the Lighthouse?

I'm also interested in the overall durability of the shelter – in particular, how well does the SilNylon floor hold up over time? Can I basically pitch it on granite, sand, and all sorts of other harsh terrains or do I need to look for a nice, soft spot to pitch the tent on? If abrasion is a concern, will a simple ground cloth improve the situation?

Other long-term concerns include the tent's ability to maintain a taught pitch over time.

Miscellaneous thoughts:

• The Lighthouse is a freestanding tent, yet Black Diamond insists on using stakes, as the tent can be dragged by even "modest winds." Is this a case of BD washing their hands of any liability, or does the tent really fly about camp when weighed down by sleeping bags, packs, and other gear?
  
  
• Epic fabric is listed as being "water resistant," not waterproof – is the level of resistance good enough to put up with heavy, wind drive storms that last for extended periods of time?
  
  
• Backpacking can involve waking up to wet conditions, packing up camp, moving to the next camp's location in the rain, and then pitching the tent in yet another storm. What effect does packing a wet tent have? Will water be pressed through the fabric, resulting in a wet interior and exterior when the tent is unpacked at the end of the day?
  
  
• How quickly does a wet tent dry?
  
  
• How much water does wet fabric retain when shaken out?
  
  
• How much noise does the Lighthouse's fabric make when exposed to high winds?

Personal Biographical Information:

Reviewer: Andrew Mytys Email: amytys (at) backpacker (dot) com Homepage: Andy's Lightweight Backpacking Site Location: Michigan Age: 33 Gender: Male Height: 6'1" (185 cm) Weight: 165 lb (75 kg)

     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.

Reviews > Shelters > Tents > Black Diamond Lighthouse Tent > Andy Mytys > Initial Report