Field Report
Black Diamond Lighthouse Tent and Vestibule
Date: June 29th, 2004
Reviewer Information
Name: Jim Sabiston
Age: 50
Height: 6' 3" (1.9 m)
Weight: 207 lb (94 kg)
Girth at shoulders: 52” (132 cm)
Width at shoulders: 21” (53 cm)
Email address: JimSabis(at)aol(dot)com
State: New York
Country: USA
Backpacking Background:
I've been camping for several decades. I joined the Adirondack Mountain
Club four years ago, the Appalachian Mountain Club a year later and am active
in both. I have also expanded my backpacking to include more winter trips,
mountaineering and backcountry cross country skiing, and participated in the
AMC's Winter Mountaineering training program with Chauvin International Climbing
Guides. More recently, I have actively studied ways to backpack lighter and
more efficiently. During the summer months, my style tends toward very light,
but not quite ultralight. I use a hammock or tarp for warm weather, and a small
four-season tent for winter trips. Most of my other gear is very changeable, as
I am constantly experimenting with gear and techniques.
Product Information:
Manufacturer: Black Diamond Equipment
Year of Manufacture: 2004
URL: www.bdel.com
Color: Maize (Yellow)
Manufacturers Specifications:
Capacity: sleeps 2
Tent Dimensions:
- Height: 43 in (109 cm)
- Length: 87 in (221 cm)
- Width: 51 in (130 cm)
- Weight (Tent with poles): 3 lbs 3 oz (1.45 kg)
- Weight (Packed): 3 lbs 12 oz (1.7 kg)
Note: Packed weight: includes tent, poles, stuff sacks, stakes, guyline,
Seam Grip, Monojet syringe applicator and instruction/care manual.
Vestibule weight: 1 lb 5 oz (605 g)
Pack Size: N/A
MSRP (Tent): $369 US
MSRP (Vestibule): $139 US
Tent Dimensions as measured:
- Height: 43.5 in (110 cm) (to the bottom edge of the lowest pole)
- Length: 86 in (218 cm) (rear, outer corner to corner at ground
level)
- Width: 51 in (130 cm) (outside corner to corner at ground level)
Weight as measured:
- Tent: 3 lb 4 oz (1.47 kg) (unsealed tent body and poles, no stuff
sacks or stakes, etc.)
- Tent: 3 lb 12 oz (1.7 kg) (packed for travel: sealed tent body, 3
poles, 6 stakes, supplied guy lines)
- Vestibule: 1 lb 3 oz (532 g) (all up: vestibule body, 1 pole, 2
stakes)
Packed sizes as measured:
- Tent body: 6.5 in X 10.5 in (17 cm X 27 cm)
- Tent poles: 16 in X 2.25 in (41 cm X 6 cm)
- Vestibule: 21 in X 4 in (53 cm X 10 cm) (can be compressed to
about 2 in (5 cm) diameter)
The Black Diamond Lighthouse Tent:
Fig. 1: The Black Diamond Lighthouse tent on the shore of Pharaoh Lake.
The Black Diamond Lighthouse Tent is a two person, free-standing dome style
tent. The tent is a slightly smaller, and much lighter, version of Bibler’s
Ahwahnee tent. The targeted markets are mountaineering applications and
lightweight backpacking. The tent is of single walled construction with
interior poles. The design includes an awning and an awning pole intended to
permit the rear screened window and front screened door to be left partially
open in inclement weather. The front door comprises one full side of the tent
and has a no-see-um mesh screen panel, permitting easy access and an enormous
amount of bug free ventilation. The tent body is constructed of EPIC by Nextec
fabric, a highly breathable and water resistant (not waterproof) material. The
tent’s tub style floor is constructed using a grey/olive drab waterproof
silnylon.
The vestibule is designed specifically for use with the Black Diamond
Lighthouse Tent. It is constructed of a grey/olive drab silnylon fabric, just
like the various stuff sacks and the tent floor. The vestibule uses a series of
hooks to attach to the tent body and a single tensioned hoop for structure with
two stakes at the vestibule door for additional support.
For a more detailed description of the Black Diamond Lighthouse Tent, including
a description of the set up process, please refer to my Initial Report
Field Experience:
Location: Friday and Balsam Cap mountains, Catskills, NY.
Conditions: Variable. Started hot, near 90 F (32 C). Partly cloudy, becoming
overcast and finally changing to intermittent then steady rain with cooling
temperatures. Occasional moderate breeze.
After a long, hot slog to about 2,700 ft (823 m), we contoured the side of
Friday Mountain's south ridge toward the main drainage gully. Our goal was to
find the wreckage of an old B-25 Mitchell bomber that had crashed there many
years ago. We had a set of GPS coordinates, but the approach was a typically
brutal Catskill bushwhack. We found the wreckage precisely on the GPS
coordinates. It was a very sobering moment, as the plane was far more intact
than I had expected, yet it was clear that no one could have survived. While
the main fuselage was essentially all there, large parts of the bomber were
scattered along a wide area of the gully. It seemed pretty clear that the plane
came apart as it hit the trees before slamming into the very rocky gully.
I took many photos, but the black flies were out in force here, as the wreckage
was spread over the boulders of the gully, and water was flowing underneath.
This was their territory. On top of that, we were running out of daylight. As
there was no place even remotely acceptable to pitch a tent in this bug
infested boulder field, we decided to head back to the south ridge in search of
a place to camp. Intermittent rain began to fall as we climbed back up the
ridge. We finally struggled to the top of a ledge near the 2900 ft (884 m) line
and pushed our way through a dense stand of hemlock and birch to a small spot
just barely large enough to place our tents. It was the first level ground we
had seen all afternoon. The rain became increasingly heavy and steady as we
prepared the site and set up our tents in the fading daylight.
I had experimented with different ways of setting up the Lighthouse in anticipation
of a rainy trip and it paid off here. Leaving the tent body in its silnylon
stuff sack, I assembled the three poles. Next, I spread out the ground cloth (2
mil polyethylene), and finally pulled the tent body out and spread it out over
the ground cloth. Making certain that my wet, booted feet stay out of the tent,
I pulled open the front door of the Lighthouse and sat inside, pulling the roof
of the tent over my head. This covered both me and the tent interior, and kept
everything dry. Naturally, my jacket and I were wet, but this seemed to have
minimal impact on the tent interior. I then proceeded to insert the respective
poles as normal, but all the time keeping the roof of the tent pulled overhead,
thus sheltering the tent interior from the brunt of the rain. It worked out
very well. The awning pole required a bit of finesse, as it passes out of the
tent interior and has to be set into its grommet at the edge of the rear
awning, but this was not difficult. The tent interior got wetter when I brought
in my backpack than when I set the tent up.
I left the vestibule home on this climb, as I wanted to maximize the weight
reduction and I anticipate using the Lighthouse in this configuration the most,
especially when on solo trips. I also wanted to see how the Lighthouse works in
the rain without the vestibule. There was a moderate breeze behind the rain,
but this was largely subdued by the thick hemlock. The tent overhangs were more
than sufficient to keep the rain out of the wide open rear window and the front
door. Needless to say, ventilation was excellent with this configuration.
The maize yellow of the tent proved to be ideal for silhouetting black flies
that had gotten into the tent. They were located and dispatched with ease. The black
flies actually made a kind of thumping ‘boing’ noise as they repeatedly bumped
into the taut tent sides.
I slept with the rear window wide open, and the front door about half open. The
front door no-see-um screening was closed, of course, and not a single black
fly got in during the night. With such wide open venting I slept comfortably
all night. The rain continued throughout the night, but I remain dry and snug.
The next morning, the tent interior was damp, but this was to be expected as
the tent was essentially wide open, allowing the wet exterior air to circulate
freely.
I have become an instant fan of the interior tent poles. The poles permit an
enormous amount of freedom in finding places to hang stuff. My Tektite
flashlight was a natural to hang from the pole intersection as an interior
light. The ceiling loops were perfect for hanging my glasses while I slept (why
did I never think of that before?).
There was one very small puddle located in the front left corner of the tent
floor, which happened to be the low point of the tent floor. As the tent fabric
remained leak free, I suspect some rain water got past the screening and was
channeled to this corner by the fabric folds in the half-closed door.
Location: Pharaoh Lake Wilderness, Adirondacks, NY.
Conditions: Clear, sunny skies. Started cool, near 45 F (7 C), with a high
temperature of about 68 F (28 C). Moderate breeze.
After a long 2.25 (3.6 km) mile carry, (that’s a 'portage' anywhere outside the
Adirondacks) we launched our canoes on Pharaoh Lake and paddled east towards
the heart of the lake. Our intention was to get one of several lean-tos as a
camping base. As it turned out, the Memorial Day crowds had showed up even out
here and the shelters were all taken. This ended up working to our advantage,
as we ended up making camp on a rocky point. The exposed location meant almost
constant breezes which went a long way to keeping the black flies and
mosquitoes at bay.
This time, I brought the vestibule along and set it up from the inside as recommended
in the instructions. It is easier to attach the vestibule this way, but
attaching it from the outside is not as onerous as the instructions tend to
imply. Another tester suggested setting up the vestibule by closing the hook
and loop pole securing points first, assembling the pole and then inserting the
pole through the closed loops, finally setting the pole ends into their
respective grommets. This worked extremely well and has two advantages over the
method noted in the vestibule instructions. First, I can perform the entire
vestibule assembly and attachment from my sitting position in the main tent,
where I am already sitting when I finish erecting the Lighthouse. Second, I
actually found the vestibule easier to assemble using this method, with one
caveat. I must remember to make certain that the pole curves to the inside as I
set the grommets. On my first attempt at trying this, I discovered that I had
set the pole inside out! The only remaining step is to go outside the tent to
set all the stakes.
When it was time to retire for the evening, the tent was set up with the rear
window fully open, the vestibule fully closed, including the vent, and the
tent's front door fully closed. The night time temperature dropped to about 40
F (4 C). This was the first time I shared the tent with someone (my wife,
Nancy) and would prove an ideal opportunity to see if any condensation would
form.
The next morning, we rose at 5:30 am to a very heavy mist rising off the lake
and a spectacular sunrise. The canoes and paddling equipment had a light
coating of dew, but the tent was dry inside and out. The outside surface of the
EPIC fabric was damp to the touch, but had no visible dew on it. There was no
evidence of condensation inside the tent at all.
I discovered I could wedge one of the ear pieces of my glasses behind a tent
pole, thus having a secure storage spot directly above my head and within easy
reach.
Location: Pharaoh Lake Wilderness, Adirondacks, NY.
Conditions: Clear, sunny skies. Started cool, near 40 F (4 C), with a high near
70 F (21 C). Moderate breeze to very windy.
Wind speeds easily exceeded 25 (40 km) mph in the gusts, but the Lighthouse
never budged. The tent stakes (six including the vestibule) were very secure,
having been pounded into the rock/root/soil mix with a small rock. The ‘Y’
stakes supplied with the Lighthouse stood up to this abuse very well and made
for a rock-solid anchor. The tent structure withstood the wind easily, with no
significant distortion under the wind load. Guy lines were not used or needed.
Night temperatures dropped to about 45 (7 C). This time, I set up the tent with
the rear window wide open, the vestibule fully closed, including the vent, the
tent door fully open, but the no-see-um screen door closed, as there is room under
the vestibule bottom edge for bugs to get in. I arose early again, at 5:20 am
to take some photographs of the sunrise. I immediately noticed significant
condensation on the inside of the silnylon vestibule, but absolutely none on
the inside of the tent itself. Inquiry with our camping partners, who were
using a good quality, name brand, two person tent (a traditional waterproof fly
over breathable tent body design), indicated they suffered substantial
condensation in the cool, humid conditions, to the point that the condensation
was dripping on their faces as they slept. The EPIC fabric proved to be an
excellent performer in these conditions, completely eliminating any detectable
trace of condensation in the tent body. This is particularly significant when
compared to the large amount of condensation experienced on the inside of the
silnylon vestibule which was subject to the same moisture levels as the EPIC
fabric body. This was a very impressive display.
Adding the vestibule has a dramatic impact on the feeling of roominess in the
Lighthouse. The high ceiling also adds to this feeling, especially when lying
down. There is no feeling of claustrophobia at all. The vestibule opening is a
bit narrow, especially for a big guy like me, but otherwise manageable.
The maize fabric color has proven to be a pleasant choice. I normally choose
colors that blend into the woodland setting. Yellow definitely does not qualify
on this front, but the 'maize' variation softens the visual impact normally
associated with the brighter yellow tones. In addition, the coloring lends a
warm, cheery glow to the tent interior without being garish.
To date, I have found only three negative characteristics of the Lighthouse,
and they should be filed firmly under nitpicks: The vestibule, when properly
set up, makes a taught, roomy addition to the Lighthouse. However, when closing
or opening the vestibule door, the zipper ends up tucked well out of site under
the curve of the fabric and is a bit difficult to reach when opening or closing
the vestibule door from the inside. Next, the single cinch cord-lock on the
vestibule door does not work very well. The slick silnylon fabric seems to
slide right out of the elastic strip. This could be cured by using two of the
very clever adjustable cord-locks as used on the main tent body to secure the
open tent doors, instead of the single toggle-and-loop arrangement currently
used.
The third item is a bit more subtle. It has been awhile since I spent this much
time using a tent, so I did not notice one design characteristic which is worth
mentioning. Every other tent I have ever used installs the no-see-um screen
door as an insert on the main door. Black Diamond chose to have two completely
separate and independent doors. The EPIC by Nextec fabric door is installed as
the outer door panel, with the screen door on the inside. I discovered that it
is necessary to open the screen in order to close the EPIC by Nextec door from
inside the tent. In buggy environments, this guarantees that some unwelcome
visitors will get inside the tent before I can untie and close the outer door.
This, of course, means a ‘hunt and destroy’ mission before I can go back to
sleep or whatever it was I was doing when I decided closing the tent up would
be a good idea. The solution to this would be to install the screen panel as an
insert on the main door, as is done on most other tents.
The Lighthouse’s light weight fabrics seem to belie its toughness. I know from
my experience with my silnylon tarp that this wispy fabric is far tougher than
one would think. None-the-less, I always use a ground cloth to provide extra
protection. In keeping with the light weight concept of the tent, I cut a bit
of 2 mil polyethylene from an inexpensive plastic drop cloth. This makes for a
reasonably durable, light and easily packed ground cloth. I do not have enough
mileage on the tent yet to have a basis for commenting on the durability of the
EPIC by Nextec fabric, but it still looks like new.
EPIC by Nextec Performance observations:
The EPIC by Nextec fabric has proven to be a real winner, so far. Light weight,
with a pleasant hand and color, the fabric has been a real pleasure to live
with. It stuffs easily into the supplied stuff sack, dries quickly when wet,
and takes up a fraction of the space of my other tents.
The fabric has proven to be very breathable in very humid conditions. The
campsite on the shore of Pharaoh Lake was designed to cause condensation, and
it did, everywhere except inside the Lighthouse tent. Our neighbors got a good
soaking in their tent, while my wife and I stayed perfectly dry inside the
Lighthouse.
In the rain, the EPIC by Nextec fabric behaves like any fabric treated with a
DWR (durable water resistant) finish. Instead of wetting out, the rain just
beads up on the surface of the fabric (see Fig. 2 & 3), and then just rolls
off..
Fig. 2: The Black Diamond Lighthouse in the rain. This photo was taken at
night during moderate rainfall. The reflected flash highlights the rain beaded
on the surface of the EPIC fabric.
Fig. 3: The following morning, after nearly 10 hours of steady rain, the
rain drops are still beading up on the surface of the tent fabric. There was no
evidence of wetting out. Note the sealed seams.
The Catskill climb subjected the tent to an extended, moderately heavy rain.
There was absolutely no evidence of water penetration. Nor was there any
evidence of the fabric wetting out. As this was a pretty typical Catskill rain,
this bodes well for the tent’s usefulness in ‘normal’ rainy situations. The
taut tent setup makes it a snap to shake off the majority of the rain when
readying the tent for packing. I’m tempted to try a mesh stuff sack to assist
the tent in drying after being packed, as the silnylon stuff sack provided
ensures that any rain on the tent when packed will still be there when the tent
is unpacked.
Things I Like:
1 – Light weight and small pack volume.
2 – Single wall, interior pole design.
3 – That huge and airy front door!
4 – Let’s not forget the rear screened window and awnings.
Things I Don’t Like:
1 – The separate main door/screen door design. This is only an issue in buggy
environments, though.
Summary:
I love this tent! The combination of light weight, small pack volume and
superior breathability and ventilation make this a tough combination to beat.
Everyone who has seen it supplies an ample chorus of ‘ooohs!’ and ‘aaahs!’. The
Lighthouse’s ability to breath, even in humid environments, is remarkable. The
structure seems strong enough to easily handle any winds I am likely to see
short of a mountain summit, even without using the supplied guy lines. The
domed shape makes a very roomy and comfortable interior, with plenty of
headroom for my 6’ 3” (1.9 m) frame. The tent floor is just long enough for me
to lay comfortably with just a bit of room to spare, and just wide enough for
my wife to share the tent with me. There is plenty of room in the enormous
vestibule to shelter all our backpacking gear. What’s not to like?
The only question remaining, aside from long term durability, is the tent’s
ability to withstand a proper thunderstorm. I have not been fortunate (?)
enough to have the tent handy when one of these rollers has come through yet,
but it is only a matter of time.
