By Michael Wheiler

April 21, 2004

 

Company:

 

    Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd.
    www.blackdiamondequipment.com

 

Product:

 

    Lighthouse Tent and Vestibule
    Tent Color:  Maze (yellow) exterior with green floor
    Vestibule Color:  Green

    Date Received:  April 15,  2004

    MSRP For The Tent:  $369.00 USD
    MSRP For The Vestibule:  $139.00 USD

 

Personal Data:

    Name:    Michael Wheiler
    Location:    Idaho Falls, Idaho
    Gender:    Male
    Age:  47 years old (nearly 48)

    Height:  5'10"  (178 cm)
    Weight:  175 pounds  (79 kg)

    Email:  jmwlaw@ida.net

 

Initial Report:

The Lighthouse and vestibule arrived undamaged and with all of the components.  The tent components included a single wall half-dome or wedge tent, a long section of cord to make guy lines, two 141 3/4 in (3.6 m) long DAC Featherlite poles which collapses into 10 sections connected with shock-cord (the support poles), one 36 in (91 cm) long DAC Featherlite pole which collapses into 5 sections connected with shock-cord (the ridge or awning pole); 6 Easton 7075-T6 anodized tent pegs, a stuff sack for the tent, a stuff sack for the poles, pitching instructions and a 1.5 oz (42.5 g) tube of SilNet with applicator.  The length of the poles in the stuff sack is approximately 15 5/8 in (40 cm).  The tent in the stuff sack is approximately 12 in (30 cm) in length and 6 in (15 cm) in width.  On the exterior of the stuff sack for the tent there are two loops of elastic material through which the stuff sack containing the tent poles and stakes can be secured so the two packages can be carried as one unit.

The vestibule components included a single wall vestibule, one 115 11/16 in (2.9 m) long DAC Featherlite pole which collapses into 7 sections connected with shock-cord, 2 Easton 7075-T6 anodized tent pegs, a stuff sack, pitching and care instructions, and a 1 oz (28.4 g) tube of SeamGrip with applicator.  The length of the vestibule and support pole in the stuff sack is approximately 20 in (51 cm).

Attached to the Lighthouse was a Black Diamond Superlight Tents manual (in English, French, German and Japanese).  The English version is seven pages long and provides the specifications for all of the Superlight models and the use, care and maintenance instructions. 

 

Manufacturer Specifications:

I read the brief instructions and manual regarding pitching, care and maintenance.  The pitching instructions that came with the Lighthouse included drawings.  Although the instructions were generally easy to understand, it wasn't quite clear from the instructions that the support poles for the tent were to go inside the tent.  After reading all of the printed materials and looking at the tent, I came to the conclusion that the poles were to go on the inside of the canopy.  I attempted to pitch the Lighthouse by myself in my backyard during a cold, steady rain storm with a slight wind.  Per the instructions, I  laid out the tent, opened the door completely, placed the ridge or awning pole through the small reinforced hole near the top center of the door zipper, and then inserted each of the long support poles inside the tent.  The support poles have blunt tips on each end that are inserted into a metal recepticals located in each corner.  I then secured each pole with the hook-and-loop fasteners located at strategic points inside the tent.  I noticed that these fasteners were designed to include a pull-tab for each release of the fasteners.  I then staked out the Lighthouse.  I did not attempt to pitch the vestibule nor did I use guy lines.  I was very impressed with how easy it was to pitch the Lighthouse even in less than ideal weather conditions.  The Lighthouse I set up looked identical to the picture I had previously seen on the website.

At bed time, the temperature was 38° F (3° C) and due to the ice crystals I found on most everything the next morning, it appeared to have gotten below the freezing mark before 7:00 a.m. when I got up.  I partially unzipped the small side window and also partially unzipped the cover over the "noseeum" mesh on the side door to allow for cross-ventilation during the night.  As pitched, the Lighthouse seemed almost as tight as a drum.  I drifted off to sleep while listening to the constant tapping of the rain on the Lighthouse.  I was comfortable and warm all night.  The next morning, I did not notice any measurable moisture build-up on the interior of the canopy but I did find some moisture on the support poles where they were in contact with the canopy.  Taking down the Lighthouse was easy as well.  Since we were expecting more rain that day, I hung the Lighthouse on a line in our storage room in the basement.  I noticed that it was dry the next day.  I re-stuffed everything without difficulty.

 

Initial Impressions:

 

Although it is made of a fairly light material, the Lighthouse appears to be well constructed and sturdy.  It is a common wedge or half-dome design with a unique awning added to the top which I really like.  The color combination is also very attractive and the Maze color brightened a fairly drab morning inside the tent.  According to Black Diamond, the Lighthouse can be pitched from inside the tent during stormy weather which, if true, will be a very nice feature.  I definitely want to check out how easy the Lighthouse is to set-up from the interior.  Given my short observations during the windy conditions after my initial set-up, the Lighthouse was very stable.  Two persons could sleep fairly comfortably inside the tent but additional space for gear would be limited if the vestibule was not being used concurrently.  Gear can be easily stowed in the vestibule.  I also like the light weight of the Lighthouse.  It is compact and fits easily inside most of my backpacks.

 

Field Testing Strategy:  

In early summer, I plan to hike the Cascade Lake to Grebe Lake trail loop in Yellowstone National Park.  This is a 7.5 mile (12 km) hike and we will camp near the trail head the night before.  Since I have three daughters who will be attending girls camp this year, I will most likely be attending girls camp in August for at least one night.  This year they are going to be in the Warm River area.  My family and I are also planning a backpacking trip into the Sawtooths in August.  I hope to find a three day weekend to backpack into Union Falls (Yellowstone) in July.  I'm going to climb Table Mountain near the Tetons with my family in July and plan to climb Mt. Borah in August as well.  We will stay overnight at a base camp before attempting each of these climbs.  Most of these outings, will be in very mountainous terrain--5,500-8,500 foot (1,670-2,591 m) elevation.

I plan to take photographs of several unique features of the Lighthouse and will include those in my Field Report.  I will be testing the strength, breathability, water resistance, and packability of the EPIC fabric.  Single wall tents are notorious for generating significant condensation.  As such, I plan to determine just how well the ventilation system works in the Lighthouse.  I'm extremely interested how well the available ventilation works at reducing condensation in conjunction with the EPIC fabric's ability to wick away interior moisture.  Given the generally rocky ground we camp on in these areas, the tent pegs will surely get a good work-out as well!  I like the full length side entry door which should allow for easy entry and exit.  I plan to report on the durability of the door zippers.  It seems like zippers in tent doors are always the first to exhibit signs of wear.
 
Finally, I will use the Lighthouse with and without the vestibule.  There will be times when the anticipated weather will allow me to leave the extra weight associated with the vestibule.  However, for the little extra weight, I also like the additional space afforded by the vestibule especially on those trips where I will be sharing the tent with another person or I am expecting wet weather.  I will test the ease with which the vestibule is attached (by clips) to the main body of the tent.  I will want to see how use of the vestibule affects the ventilation of the main tent.  I am also curious as to how the vestibule affects entry and exit from the Lighthouse.  The Lighthouse will certainly receive the inevitable wear, tear, stress and strain of accompanying a guy, a dog, and occasionally his family into the woods. 

 

Additional Personal Biographical Information:

I have had more than 35 years of outdoor experience.  I've been car camping/hiking/backpacking since my early teens; mostly weekend trips but some week long trips.  I try to take a week long trip at least once a year.  I was a scoutmaster over 12-14 year old Boy Scouts for the past seven years and we camped/hiked every month regardless of the weather.  Although my assignment in that regard has changed, I plan continue to camp/hike with my family and friends at least once per month.

 

Geographic Information: 

 

Most of my camping occurs in the southeastern Idaho area but spills over into western Wyoming (Grand Teton National Park) and western Montana.  The elevations of the areas I frequent generally range from 5,500 feet (1,670 m) to 8,500 feet (2,591 m) above sea level.  The weather in southeastern Idaho is fairly typical of a high desert plain.  Winters are usually cold and snow depths vary but are generally over 10-12 feet (3-4 m) in most of the areas where we camp and snowshoe.  Springs can be moderately wet and cold.  Summers are typically dry and warm (80° to the upper 90° F (27°-32° C) although this year we have seen temperatures over 100° F (38° C) with occasional thunderstorms.  Fall weather is actually the best--crisp mornings, warm afternoons and cool evenings with little moisture.  In the winter, although we can expect colder temperatures, we generally try not to camp in anything colder than -10°  F (-23° C).

 

My thanks to Black Diamond and BGT for the opportunity to test the Lighthouse.

 

Mike