Initial Report
Black Diamond Lighthouse Tent and Vestibule
Date: April 26th, 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:
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.
Fig. 1) Black Diamond Lighthouse Tent with vestibule.
Initial Impressions:
The tent arrived in smallish and pleasantly lightweight box with the Black
Diamond logo on the exterior. Upon opening the box, I found three grey/olive drab
silnylon bags inside. The bags consisted of the stuff sack containing the tent
body, another containing the DC Featherlite aluminum tent poles and the last
containing the tent vestibule. There was a small hang tag attached to the pull
cord of the stuff sack containing the tent body. This actually turned out to be
a small booklet which provides information on the Black Diamond lightweight
shelter product line in multiple languages (English, French, German and
Japanese).
The Tent Body: Naturally, my curiosity was initially drawn to the EPIC by Nextec
fabric of the tent body, never having seen the material before. Reading the
literature provided at the Nextec website had led me to expect something
different from what I had actually received. The website never discusses the
'hand' (or feel) of the EPIC by Nextec fabric. But the description of the
production process (a waterproofing substance forced into the fibers of the
fabric) led me to expect a fabric which resembled silnylon to some extent,
which has a silicon waterproof coating. This expectation proved to be wildly in
error. The first thing I noticed was how pleasantly soft and pliable the hand
of the ripstop fabric was. It is easy to see how this fabric could be used to
make lightweight, water resistant clothing. The bottom of the tent is made from
the same 30d grey/olive drab silnylon fabric as the three stuff sacks. Typical
of silnylon, the hand of the tent bottom is very light and slippery. Closer
examination indicated that none of the seams were taped or sealed. The primary
impression is one of lightness and delicacy.
The Tent Poles: The three DAC Featherlite poles are packed into their own
silnylon bag. Curiously, this bag arrives fastened to the tent body’s stuff
sack using two sewn-in black elastic loops. There is a small pocket at the top
of the sack, apparently intended for the six stakes. The poles are packed with
a clear plastic zip lock bag containing an owner's manual for the tent, six aluminum
6 in (15 cm) y-type tent stakes and materials for seam sealing the tent,
consisting of a tube of McNetts silicon seam sealer and a plastic syringe.
This was my first time seeing DAC Featherlite poles, so I gave them close
examination. They appear to be made of very thin walled aluminum tubing. The
first thing that I noticed was the lack of tube ferrules. Instead, each
connection is comprised of a full diameter tube section, slightly flared, which
accepts the tapered end of the neighboring tube section, thus eliminating the
need for the heavier ferrule. Examination of the tapered tube end reveals that
there is a thin metal reinforcing insert. Each individual tube assembly is held
together with a single thin piece of elastic shock cord.
The Vestibule: The longest stuff sack contains the vestibule assembly. This
consists of two primary parts, a 30d silnylon vestibule body, the same
grey/olive drab color as the tent floor and stuff sacks, and a single sectioned
pole. Also provided are two more aluminum stakes, for anchoring the door area
of the vestibule, and another tube of silicon sealer with an applicator
syringe.
Fig. 2) Black Diamond Lighthouse tent without vestibule and door open. Airy
and Roomy!
Tent Features:
Exterior:
There are four guy points. The guy points are located 24 in (61 cm) up from
each corner of the tent body, right on the corner seam and in line with the
tent poles. The guy points are made of black 1/2 in (13 mm) webbing with a wide
reflective stripe right down the center. The webbing is anchored to the tent
body using a doubled triangular patch of what appears to be the same material
as the tent body. The guy point is assembled using an x-patterned stitch and
then sewn right into the corner seams.
Corner anchor points: There are four primary anchor points, made of a 4 in (10
cm) loop of black 3/4 in (19 mm) webbing. The anchors are located right at the
four corners of the tent body, typical of most tents. The tent body is heavily
reinforced at the corners, as this is also where the ends of the main tent
poles sit. Reinforcing is accomplished using black, rubber-backed heavy duty
nylon. The rubberized face is set against the tent body, so it is only visible
if one takes the time to peel back the bit of excess material at the edge of
the patch.
There are two secondary anchor points located at the center of the front and
back panels. These are small nylon webbing loops, sewn right into the seam
which joins the silnylon bottom and tent body. As the Lighthouse uses a tub
style bottom, the seam (and the loops) end up being 3 in (7.6 cm) above the
bottom of the tent. As the tent stakes are 6 in (15 cm) long, it seems a small
guy line should be tied to these to make them more useful. This can be done
very easily, perhaps even using pieces of the guy lines provided with the tent.
30 ft (9 m) of black guy line is provided.
Fig. 3) Black Diamond Lighthouse tent, rear view. Note the open screened
vent under the wide awning.
Interior Features:
There are two small interior pockets, sized 11 in X 4 in (28 cm X 10 cm). These
are located in the center of the two side panels and are sewn into the
floor/wall seam. The pockets are made from no-see-um screen material and edged
with yellow nylon tape.
There are four nylon fabric loops located in the tent ceiling. The loops are
positioned above my head when sitting in the tent and it appears that they are
well located to support a gear loft. They form a rectangle that is 16 in X 25
in (40 cm X 64 cm) with approximately 4 in (10 cm) of 'headroom' at the tent's
peak. I have never had the opportunity to use a suspended stove setup, but it
seems that these loops are well located to do this. They are off center enough
to leave plenty of sitting room while cooking, but not so far off center that
the store would be too close to the side wall. As they are sewn into the corner
seams, and therefore the tent support poles, any load placed on them is
transferred to the tent structure. Note: There is a large warning tag sewn into
the rear of the tub/tent body seam. This tag warns (in English and French) that
the tent is not fireproof and under no circumstances should one bring a flame
source of any kind into the tent.
Here is one of those little details that sets a product apart and tells me that
the people over at Black Diamond are awake and really working at improving
their products: Interior door/screen toggles. Every tent I have ever used has
these little 'toggle-and-loop' arrangements for securing the loose material of
an open tent door or screen. They work well enough and I was always glad to
have a way to keep things tidy and organized (at least these things helped make
it look that way!). The only real shortcoming of the 'toggle-and-loop' is that
it is a fixed size. One had to hope that the manufacturer got the size right,
which was not always the case. Too big and the secured panel would flop around
and occasionally come undone. Too small and one could ruin an otherwise perfect
day trying to get them to close. With one really clever modification, Black
Diamond has changed everything. All they did was replace the toggle (normally a
small, solid plastic cylinder which is tapered a bit at the ends) with a spring-loaded
toggle of the type often found on a typical stuff sack, allowing the tension on
the secured toggle and loop to be adjusted! In use, this is no different from a
more ordinary toggle (just slip the toggle through the provided loop), EXCEPT
that by pulling on the bit of nylon that secures the toggle, I can now tighten
it on the secured panel. Once this is done, it leaves a very tidy secured panel
that is highly unlikely to come apart until I want it to. Really and truly
nice.
If the guy (or gal) who thought this up reads this review: I hope you received
a raise or a bonus for this little winner. If you didn't, go ask for it now,
you deserve it. Tell them I said so.
Setting Up:
My initial set up was done in a spare bedroom so I could leave the tent up long
enough to apply the seam sealer and allow it to cure properly. As this was my
first experience with a single walled tent, as well as a tent that uses
interior poles, I departed this one time from the normal practice of my fellow
males, and read the set-up instructions before trying to set the tent up!. As
the process is quite a bit different from more common tents which use exterior
poles under a separate fly, this proved to be a good idea.
First, I assembled all three poles. Next I spread the tent body on the floor.
After making sure the tent door was open, I inserted the awning pole. This is
the shortest of the three poles and has a slight peaked shape to the center
section. It turns out that this pole slides through two metal (brass?) grommets
located under the front and rear awning panels. The ends of this pole have aluminum
inserts designed to fit into the two receiving grommets located at the center
of the awning panels on small bits of black nylon webbing. Once this was done,
I sat in the tent. Taking one of the main poles, I reached back to my right
rear and located the right rear reinforced corner of the tent. At the base of
the corner patch is a small metal snap which is supposed to accept and hold the
end of the main support poles. I placed the end of the pole in the snap and
then started gently bending the pole while sitting back up. Once fully upright,
I continued bending the pole until I could reach the far end, which I then
guided into the opposite left front corner of the tent and into the mating
corner patch and snap. Once in place, I pulled the tent body over my head and
the pole. I then repeated the process with the last pole, inserting the end
into the left rear corner patch and snap and finishing with the right side
front. Now, I started fastening the twelve hook and loop fasteners (yes,
twelve) that secure the tent body directly to the poles. This takes a bit of
fiddling, as the tent body develops considerable tension as this process is
completed. Once done, the tent becomes quite taut around the frame. The term
‘tight as a drum’ comes right to mind. This seems a bit complex, but is much
easier than it sounds. The process is much quicker than most tents I’ve used,
and I expect it will go even faster as I develop more experience with the
process.
The tent instructions state that the tent should be staked down immediately
upon being set up. Take this seriously. The second time I tried setting up the
tent (the first time outside), I stood up outside the tent to admire it and it
started to fly away! There was a moderate breeze and the tent easily became
airborne! Fortunately I was able to grab it and hold on without any difficulty.
I then followed the instructions and promptly staked out the tent!
Assembly and installation of the vestibule is very straightforward. The single
aluminum pole uses a ‘pin and grommet’ system (this is an Easton aluminum pole,
not DAC Featherlite). There is a black nylon webbing strip that connects the
sides of the vestibule. Once the pole is installed, this strap keeps the pole
under tension while the vestibule is attached to the tent body. The grommets
which accept the pins on the end of the single poles are located near the point
where the webbing meets the silnylon sides of the vestibule. I placed one end
of the pole into one grommet, and then gradually bend the pole until I can insert
the opposite pin in the remaining grommet. This takes a fair amount of effort.
Then I swing the pole into the top of the vestibule body, lining it up with the
hook and loop straps. The hook and loop fasteners are then secured around the
pole, securing it in position. The vestibule is now ready to install. One edge
of the vestibule body has a series of hooks which mate with a matching series
of webbing loops under the front awning of the tent body. The instructions
recommend fastening the vestibule from the inside, stating that it is easier to
see the hooks and webbing loops. This may be true, but I had no problem at all attaching
the vestibule from the outside. Once this is done, it is a simple matter to
pull the vestibule out tight and anchor the door panel area with the two
supplied 6 in (15 cm) aluminum ‘Y’ stakes. Note: The website data tables and
the tent package literature make reference to another variation on the
vestibule attachment system, using clips instead of hooks. The instruction
manual actually gives complete instructions on using the clip system in
addition to the hook system. I do not know if other Lighthouse tents will be
marketed with this alternate fastening system.
The vestibule has a small vent built into the door top. A wire stiffener holds
the vent brim open. The door zipper is two sided, so the top section can be
opened slightly, under the protection of the vent brim, while the most of door
is zipped closed. There is a single toggle and loop to secure the door when
open, but it is the traditional type, not the innovative sliding toggle used in
the tent itself.
Disassembly of the tent and vestibule is essentially the reverse of assembly.
While taking down the tent, I noticed another great little detail. The hook and
loop fasteners used to hold the tent poles in place have a little bit of nylon
webbing sewn on them. A little tug on this tab causes the fastener to come
right apart. This really speeds up the breakdown process and eliminates what
might otherwise be a bit of a nuisance. I note that this feature was not used
on the vestibule, however.
Summary:
Things I like:
1 - Roomy design.
2 – Very light weight.
3 – That wide open panoramic door.
Things I Don’t Like:
1 – Seam sealing.
2 – I wish the vestibule shared the same innovative details as the tent.
Overall, the Black Diamond Lighthouse Tent is very impressive. The tent is a
spacious and roomy design at a wonderfully low weight and equally impressive
pack size. The tent in particular is loaded with nicely thought out construction
details. I can’t wait to get this out into the woods and mountains to try it
out.
I was surprised that the tent required seam sealing. Is it possible that the EPIC
by Nextec fabric does not lend itself to seam taping? I find it odd that some
of the features of the Lighthouse are not used in the vestibule (specifically
the hook and loop tabs, the sliding toggle and the DAC Featherlite poles), as
the vestibule is an option dedicated to the Lighthouse tent. The effect is that
the vestibule comes off as a bit ‘pedestrian’ while the tent shines in these
many details. Otherwise, this is a really impressive tent/vestibule
combination.
Test Plan:
As the Black Diamond Lighthouse Tent offers some new technology to the single
wall tent world, this test will require special consideration on this point.
Constructed of Nextec’s proprietary EPIC fabric, the tent is supposed to offer
unexcelled breathability. Naturally, this is intended to reduce the longtime
bug-a-boo of single walled tents: interior condensation. This factor has
generally limited single wall tents to high alpine or very cold weather use. It
is of particular interest to me that Black Diamond is offering these tents to
be tested outside of the normally recommended environments. This would indicate
some confidence on their part that they have a real improvement to offer.
Accordingly, I will seek out conditions that put the EPIC by Nextec fabric to
the test. This will include wet lake shore environments and rainy, damp
weather. A great deal of the field time will be spent in the Adirondack Lake
regions, the Catskill Mountains and Harriman State Park.
A visit to the Nextec and Couloir Online websites gives some good information
on the theory behind the EPIC fabric, as well as information on its structure
and properties. As a woven, non-laminated fabric (the treatment is imbedded in
the individual fabric fibers rather than the traditional surface laminate), it
is easy to see how the fabric would have improved breathability. It is also
easy to wonder about the degree of water-resistance. How long will the fabric
hold up to a thunderstorm before leaks start to show up? Will this improved
breathability eliminate condensation?
The Black Diamond Lighthouse Tent is based on the Bibler Ahwahnee tent, but the
floor dimensions have been scaled down slightly to the dimensions of the Bibler
Eldorado. As a ‘big and tall’ kind of guy, I can fill up a two person tent
pretty quickly. The Lighthouse is not huge, but seems to be quite roomy for my
wife and myself. The tents ability to house us and our gear will be checked
both with and without the vestibule. It should be positively cavernous for solo
trips.
Of, course, the more typical tent issues will be considered:
-Does the vestibule offer enough room for gear storage and cooking in foul
weather?
-How much more difficult does the vestibule make entering and exiting the tent.
-Do the interior poles offer some advantages in setting up, such as erecting
from the inside during a rain storm?
-Is this pole system easier or more difficult than an exterior pole system at
the end of a long day?
-Is the vestibule/tent joint weatherproof?
-How does the vestibule affect ventilation in warm weather? Or rainy weather?
-How does the design hold up to wind? Are the DAC Featherlite poles strong
enough for exposed tent sites?
-Is the EPIC fabric so breathable that it affects the tents heat retention in
cool weather?
-How durable is the silnylon floor of the tent?
-How durable is the silnylon construction of the vestibule?
-How durable is the EPIC by Nextec fabric?
Overall, can the tent be expected to last for many years of use, or will the
lighter fabrics compromise longevity?
I would like to thank Black Diamond Equipment for the opportunity to test this
tent and vestibule.
