Name: John (Jack) Corrigan
Age: 41 years old
Gender: Male
Height: 5 feet 10 inches (1.8 meters)
Weight: 175 pounds (79 kilograms)
Torso: 20 inches (51 centimeters)
Email: jack@jackquest.com
Region: Fredericksburg, Virginia (Spotsylvania County)
UTM Coordinates (NAD27): 18S 283312mE 4227231mN
Report Date: 28SEP2004
Background:
I have always been one to do the outdoor thing as compared to the organized sport thing. It started as a youngster in the Boy Scouts and continues today as an adult. The majority of my experience has been in Pennsylvania but I have hiked, camped or paddled in New York, California and even Alaska. I am also currently a volunteer search and rescue canine handler. Although search and rescue doesn't always result in an overnight or multi-day trip, I am required to be prepared, equipped and trained for it. Training a search dog results in many hours of trekking through the outdoors.

My "style" is best described as recreational camping, mid-weight backpacking (2-3 day treks), day hiking, flat water paddling, hunting and canine search and rescue activities. My last extended (more than 1 week) outing was the summer of 2001, as a volunteer for the Armed Forces Eco-Challenge in interior Alaska. I also include two of my four dogs in most of my outdoor activities.

Product Information:

Manufactured By: GoLite
Manufactured Date: 2004
Manufacturer URL: http://www.golite.com
Listed Weight (body + 11 stakes): 2 pounds 15 ounces + 6 ounces (1330 grams + 165 grams)
Delivered Weight (body + 11 stakes): 2 pounds 13.5 ounces + 5.8 ounces (1290 grams + 164 grams)
Note: Weighed on a digital 0-25 pound postal scale.

Additional Product Information:

MSRP: 199.00 US Dollars
Color: Stone/Lignite
Listed Height: 4 feet (122 centimeters)
Listed Area: 33 feet² + 13 feet² (3 meters² + 1.2 meters²)

Field Information:

Location:
Field testing was conducted in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Minnesota. Locations included Base Camp VA (backyard), Base Camp PA (Wyoming State Forest) and in Minnesota on the Superior Hiking Trail/Split Rock River Loop.

Description of Location:
The terrain of the field testing locations included designated, hard packed/well established tent sites, soft granular dirt areas and the very nice soft loamy forest floor. Elevations ranged from 150 to 1500 feet (46 to 460 meters). Trail systems range from established footpaths to undeveloped logging roads and even the occasional bushwhack.

Weather Conditions:
This field test was conducted from June into August.

Conditions included both fair (clear and comfortable) and foul (cloudy with rain) weather. High humidity resulting in the ever so comfortable muggy, sticky, steamy rainforest feeling was also experienced. The "warmest" temperature was around 80°F (27°C) while the "coolest" was 60°F (16°C).

Product Experience:
The GoLite Trig 2 is in great condition. There are no tears, loose/frayed stitching or worn loops. All hardware (zippers, snaps, and slides) is still intact and operating smoothly.

The Trig 2 is a single-wall pole-less shelter. This shelter also has an integrated vestibule. The canopy is made from 30 denier 1.76 ounce/yard² (60 gram/meter²) SilLite™ (silicone-impregnated ripstop nylon). The door and side panels are made from 20 denier 1.6 ounce no-see-um nylon mesh. The bathtub floor is constructed of 70 denier 2.2 ounce/yard² (75 gram/meter²) 3000 millimeter waterproof polyurethane coated nylon. The stake loops and guy lines are reflective. The stake loops are easily seen with just a hint of light. However, I can't really notice the reflective ability in the guy lines as easily but they do reflect.

As previously mentioned, this three season/two-person tent shelter is pole-less. Originally, I assumed that this meant that the tent did not come with poles. This is in fact true, poles are a user defined item but pole-less also means that the Trig 2 does not require poles for setup either (tying guy lines directly to nearby tree). I have tried both methods, and the conventional tent person that I am prefers using some sort of pole in the shelter setup. I lose my warm fuzzy feeling without some degree of tautness and crisp corners! Pre-cut dowel rods, a Tracks Sherlock hiking staff and plain old sticks have been used as poles.

Setup is pretty straightforward and quick. Initially, I was concerned that the low canopy angle at the foot of the tent would collect water. Unfortunately the first two outings were beautiful dry and restful nights and this concern could not be validated. My first rain encounter in the Golite Trig 2 was uneventful. A light misty drizzle throughout the night did not result in significant wetting down of the interior. In addition to the "normal" condensation (which I will discuss in more detail shortly) level there did seem to be an increased amount of moisture at the canopy/side mesh panel seam. A impromptu backyard test allowed the Trig 2 to experience a washout. I think several factors contributed to excessive puddling of water during the deluge. There was enough ground saturation in a sand based soil to cause the poles and stakes to give. This slack was enough to relax the bathtub floor walls down to ground level. Standing water on the foot of the shelter as well as a saturated surface lead to a wet night. I must say that I bailed (no pun intended) and retreated inside. The tent site is normally a well drained level spot but this time it met its match. I also had the canopy flaps zippered shut and and single staked during this rain event.

In addition to rain protection, center staking the side panel flaps pulls the wall out and increases the interior space in the center of the shelter. I am also able to sit up comfortably in the Trig 2. There is enough room for me and one dog, although I found out that the dog does not understand the concept of not touching the moisture covered canopy! The mesh pockets are okay for very light items, otherwise stowing anything with weight causes a sag.

Condensation in the Trig 2 has become a normal thing. Initial trip night temperatures were around 70°F (21°C) with low humidity. The first night was a zero ventilation setup. All flaps closed and zippered. Light condensation formed on almost the entire canopy but did not reach a dripping inside rain point. Night two setup had the foot and side flap rolled open and secured with each elastic loop and toggle. Light condensation was still present but mostly from the peak area down another 6-8 inches (15-20 centimeters). Again it was not a dripping level of moisture.

The Trig 2 is a very packable tent. It goes right back into its sack or a backpack compartment without a lot of effort. I really like the one piece, all-in-one design. Less parts to roll up and stow and setup is quick. This is my first single wall tent since a canvas pup tent of days gone by. This is not your grandfather's pup for sure! Due to the moisture factor I added one of those tent/canoe sponges to my pack to dry out the interior as much as possible for those early morning pack up and go trips. Otherwise the inside dries out within a few hours with flaps up.

My long term test plan is to continue to tweak tent setup for maximum space to hopefully conquer the rain monster. I want to pay closer attention to how I stake out the Trig 2 to make sure it is not operator error contributing to my rain issues. I really think it was just too much darn rain in a relatively short period of time.

TEAM JackQuest

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