COMPANY INFORMATION:

Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd.
Company Web Site: www.blackdiamondequipment.com

TESTER INFORMATION:

Name:	Michael Wheiler
Location:	Idaho Falls, Idaho
Gender:	Male
Age:	48
Height:	5' 10" (178 cm)
Weight:	175 lbs (79 kg)
Email Address:	jmwlaw@ida.net

PRODUCTION DESCRIPTION:

Tent color:	Maze (yellow) exterior with a green floor.
Vestibule color:	Green.
Poles:	DAC Featherlite aluminum.
Canopy material:	"Highly breathable, windproof, and water resistant" Epic fabric by Nextec (Nextec uses an encapsulation process to instill silicone-based polymers into the material).
Floor style and material:	Silnylon material in a bathtub style floor.
Door and window:	Full zippered side entry door backed by a full "noseeum" screen and a zippered small back window with "noseeum" screen.
Tent pegs:	Six (6) Easton 7075-T6 anodized pegs.
Capacity:	Two (2) person.
Floor area:	87 in x 51 in (221 cm x 130 cm) or 31 sq ft/9.5 sq m.
Interior peak height:	43 in (109 cm).
Packed size:	6 in x 9 in (15 cm x 23 cm).
Reported packed weight:	3 lb 3 oz (1.45 kg) per information on the company web site; 3 lb (1.36 kg) per the manual enclosed with the product from the company.
Vestibule material:	30d Silnylon.
Interior area:	13 sq ft (1.2 sq m).
Packed weight:	1 lb 1 oz (485 g) per the manual enclosed with the product from the company.
Weights as determined by tester:	Tent canopy: 2 lb 5 oz (1.06 kg); tent stuff sack: .9 oz (25 g); stakes .5 oz (14 g) each with a total of 8 stakes for the tent and vestibule; tent long support poles: 1 lb (454 g); tent awning pole 2.2 oz (62 g); pole stuff sack: .7 oz (20 g); guy lines (1.3 oz (37 g); vestibule: 10.5 oz (298 g); vestibule support pole: 6.5 oz (184 g); vestibule stuff sack: .7 oz (20 g).
Tent support system:	2 1/2 pole design which allows the user to pitch the tent from the inside with the exception of the awning pole.
MSRP:	Tent: US$369.00 Vestibule: US$139.00

LONG TERM TESTING:

In addition to the testing I reported on in my Field Report, I used the Lighthouse on two additional outings. I used the Lighthouse in early August during a three-day backpack trip from Beckler Ranger Station into Union Falls in Yellowstone National Park by way of the North Boundary Trail. This was a 32 mile (52 km) trip which ran from Sunday night through Wednesday evening. Given the size of the group we were leading, one other adult leader and I set-up a base camp Sunday night outside of Yellowstone Park near Fish Lake. I set up and slept in the Lighthouse that night. The weather was perfect. The next morning, I took down the Lighthouse and packed it with all of my other gear and the vestibule in my Gregory Z Pack. I was going to be using the Lighthouse solo on this trip. I had no difficulty fitting all of my gear including the Lighthouse and vestibule into my pack for this three day adventure. We loaded our gear into the pickup truck and met the rest of the group at Beckler Ranger Station where we began our 9 mile (14.5 km) hike back to Fish Lake. We were leading a group of 15 young women ages 14-18. Many were inexperienced backpackers and while on the trail several of the adult leaders had to lighten pack loads by taking gear and putting it in our packs. I had no trouble adding this extra gear to my pack despite the fact that I was carrying the Lighthouse complete with vestibule. However, I was very grateful for the minimal weight and compact nature of the Lighthouse and vestibule.

Back at base camp, I again set up the Lighthouse and vestibule without difficulty. I am always amazed at how "drum tight" the Lighthouse is when set-up. I stored my pack and other gear in the vestibule, laid out the ProLite 4 pad, and rolled my Wisp sleeping bag out on top of the pad. I felt like a king with all the extra room. While inside the Lighthouse with the sun shinning, I was impressed with the nice, bright ambiance created by the color of the Lighthouse. That night we encountered a fairly significant thunderstorm which poured water on the camp. That night, I kept the side window and the solid material portion of the door partially open for cross-ventilation while I slept. Nothing in my tent or under the vestibule got wet and I didn't even notice any condensation on the inside of the tent the next morning. Water droplets covered the outside of the tent from the evening rainstorm. Exiting the vestibule from the Lighthouse is one of my only complaints about this tent. As previously noted in my Field Report, the entrance to the vestibule is small and made it difficult to exit and enter without crawling and getting my knees and hands wet on the soggy ground outside the vestibule. After exiting the vestibule, I simply grasp one of the tent poles through the tent material and gently shook the rain residue off the exterior of the tent.

We did a day hike of 14 miles (22.5 km) from base camp to Union Falls on Tuesday. I left the Lighthouse set-up to dry and provide protection to the gear I was not taking on the hike to Union Falls. Upon our return, I took a short nap in the tent. Although the sun was beating on the exterior of the tent on this late August afternoon, a slight breeze circulated the air inside the tent through the side window and door creating a very comfortable inside temperature. That evening another thunderstorm forced us into our tents for an early evening. I was able to stretch out on my sleeping bag and read with the aid of my headlamp. The next morning was similar to the previous morning. I left the Lighthouse up while we prepared and ate breakfast and within an hour both the tent and vestibule were dry enough to stuff. I stowed them in the Z Pack and we began our journey back to Beckler Ranger Station. Because we had consumed much of the food previously carried in the pack, there was more room for the Lighthouse and vestibule in the pack. The remainder of the trip was uneventful. When I arrived at home, I removed the Lighthouse and vestibule from their stuff sacks, inspected them for damage and hung them up to "air out" in the basement. During my visual inspection, I saw no damage or wear spots on the tent or vestibule. Likewise, I did not see any parts of the poles that appeared to have suffered any damage.

I last used the Lighthouse on a trip with the Boy Scouts in September. We camped at Lake Hebgen near West Yellowstone, Montana. We had plans to do a 50 mile (81 km) bicycle trip from the West entrance to Old Faithful in Yellowstone Park. I again set up both the tent and vestibule-this time in the dark with a headlamp. Despite the additional element of pitch-black darkness, perhaps because of my familiarity with the equipment, I had no difficulty erecting the tent and attaching the vestibule. On this outing, I shared the tent with another adult leader who has a slightly larger build than my own. While things were a bit tight inside the tent with two full-size pads and sleeping bags, we were still able to maintain our own individual space and slept comfortably. Just about the time we retired to the tents, we encountered another thunderstorm with serious gusts of wind. Unfortunately, I did not have my Brunton weather station with me and I was unable to measure the wind speeds but we were concerned that the high winds might damage some of the Scout tents. The Lighthouse handled the wind without a problem. I was watching the flashes of lightening and listening to the thunder overhead when I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning we arose, fixed breakfast and I packed the wet tent and vestibule in the stuff sacks. Taking down the tent and stuffing the tent and poles into the stuff sacks was easy even though the tent fabric was wet. We stored the packs in the vehicles and drove to the West entrance to Yellowstone Park. We unloaded the bicycles, took our day packs, and completed our 50 mile (81 km) trip (despite high winds and some cold rain). When I arrived home, I unpacked the tent and vestibule and hung them to dry in the basement. In a few days, I again checked the tent, vestibule, and poles for damage. Finding nothing that needed repair, I stuffed them in their stuff sacks and set them on the shelf for my next outing.

CONCLUSIONS:

Thus far, I have been impressed with the strength, breathability, water resistance, and packability of the EPIC fabric of the Lighthouse. Ventilation does not seem to be a problem but I do plan to use the Lighthouse at least once during the winter to really check for condensation problems. I have seen no sign of wear or tear in the poles or zippers. The frame work of the Lighthouse was capable of handling some fairly significant weather without difficulty. My only complaint is the small size of the vestibule entry. It is difficult for even a guy with a medium build to get in and out without difficulty.

Likes:

• Lightweight, two-person tent
• Nice earth-tone colors
• Water resistant fabric and seams
  
• Easy to set-up even in less than ideal conditions
• Well constructed; "drum tight" fit over a strong frame
• Complete tent and vestibule stows easily in backpack
  
• Unique design (half-dome with awning)

Dislikes:

• Small door opening in the vestibule

ADDITIONAL BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION:

I have had about 39 years of hiking, camping and backpacking experience; my father took me camping/backpacking as often as possible. I have camped, hiked, or backpacked at least monthly during the last seven years. Most of my camping occurs in the southeastern Idaho area but spills over into western Montana and western Wyoming. The elevations of the areas I frequent generally range from 5,500 feet (1.600 m) to 8,500 feet (2,600 m) above sea level. Winters sometimes reach -20° Fahrenheit (-29° Celsius). Snow depths vary greatly but are generally over 10-12 feet (3-4 m). Summers are typically dry and warm with day-time temperatures ranging from 80° to the upper 90° Fahrenheit range (27° to 32° Celsius).

I have genuinely enjoyed the opportunity to test the Lighthouse and vestibule. My thanks to BGT and Black Diamond.

Michael Wheiler