Field Report: GoLite TRIG 2 SHELTER

Tester:  Rosaleen Sullivan

Age:  54 years

Gender:  Female

Height:  5’ 9” / 1.75 m

Weight:  190 lb. / 86 kg

E-mail:  rosaleen43 (at) aol (dot) com

Home:  Eastern Massachusetts, USA

Manufacturer:  GoLite, LLC

URL:  http://golite.com/

Ship date:  May 2004

MSRP:  $199 USD

Date:  August 9, 2004

Product Specifications

Size:  Height: 48 in / 122 cm, Area: 35 sq ft / 3.25 sq m

Weight: Stated in the literature: 2 lb 15 oz / 1332 g main + 6 oz / 170 g stakes

As received and weighed on home electronic scale:  Shelter plus bagged stakes in a carry bag, with the instructions, 1485 g / 3 lb. 4.5 oz

Product Description

The TRIG 2 SHELTER is designed to be a 3 season, 2 person backpacking shelter. Including the permanently attached vestibule and rear storm beak, it has an elongated pentagonal shaped footprint.  To keep the weight minimized, GoLite makes this single-walled shelter with a form of silnylon in the walls and a heavier coated fabric for the floor.  To save more weight, the shelter utilizes a tree or the user’s hiking poles for vertical support.  Readers may find a more detailed description in my Initial Report.

Test Locations

I have used the Trig 2 on trails in Eastern Massachusetts and while car camping in Yellowstone National Park.  The season in North America during this test period was late spring into early summer.  The Eastern Massachusetts trails are mostly across rolling hills in woodlands and around swampy (flatter) areas, close to sea level.  My husband and I actually used the shelter only once during our two week trip to the Yellowstone area in Wyoming.  The altitude there is about 8000 ft (~ 2400 m), and the climate is considered dry.

As pleased as I was with this shelter when I wrote my Initial Report, I am disappointed in my experiences with it during the last two months.  I am hoping that I will have some good experiences to report and raise my opinion of this shelter during the long term test.  This is a well constructed piece of gear made from quality materials.  Unfortunately, my husband and I were very uncomfortable in the shelter.

When I used the shelter by myself in a grassy area without trees, I had a few comfortable nights, rain or shine.  But, in dense woods with moist duff, and tying off to a tree for the front support, I had serious condensation problems and spent much of the night trying to stay away from the walls.  The support rope seemed to slip and the partial collapse/droop of the shelter exacerbated the problem.  Packing up in the morning, I picked off many snails and slugs.  I was hoping the condensation was mostly because of the wet conditions, as indicated by the many slugs.  The overnight temperatures were in the mid 50’s F (~ 10 C) and there was a brief rain shower overnight.

Prior to our trip to Wyoming, I set the shelter up in the backyard, and had my husband sleep out with me to see if we’d feel claustrophobic in the Trig 2.  I’m about 5’ 9” (1.75 m) and my husband is 6’ 3” (~ 2 m).  When one of us exited the shelter for a “nature call” about 4:30 AM, the other awoke, and we decided to finish the night in our bed.  My air mattress was over inflated, so I kept tossing and turning as my back spasms increased.  Because of our close proximity in the small shelter, I kept waking hubby when I moved.  We decided that the shelter was adequate for our sleeping needs for the Wyoming trip, as long as I got my bedding adjusted properly before sleeping time.  We noticed some condensation after 5 hours in the shelter, but it didn’t seem awful.  Anticipating a broad range of weather and site layout situations, my husband and I brought both the Trig 2 and a pair of hammocks to Wyoming.  This was a wise choice, as some sites were not meant for tents.  (One night I noticed a couple pull in at dusk, look around, and opt to sleep in their van.) We were fine with the options we brought, as were the people in campers.  When we used a site with a fairly level tent area, it had a squared gravel area, enclosed with pressure treated lumber.  There really was no other level place to fit the shelter, so we set up the Trig 2 on the gravel, feeling a bit of uneasiness.  We could feel the gravel through the floor, but no holes seemed to result from this use.  The gravel made proper staking difficult, so the shelter did not seem to have its optimal pitch, but my hiking pole did hold the front to the 4 ft (~ 122 cm) height.  Weather for this night was mostly clear, although we had experienced some brief rain showers during the day.  We felt quite warm in the sun, but as the sun went down, the temperature dropped quickly in the mountains.  Overnight temperatures were predicted to range in the low 40’s F (~ 5 C).  Since the ground and gravel seemed dry, and we set up our campsite in full sun during the middle of the afternoon, we anticipated a fairly dry and comfortable night.  Because of the transient showers we experienced in Yellowstone, we had the side vent flaps loose and pulled slightly out, but not rolled up and secured.  The back and front were vented to help control any possible condensation.  We left the site with the shelter still in full sun and went off to enjoy the park.  (The bedding was adjusted in the afternoon, so I wouldn’t drive poor hubby nuts by moving around during the night.)  When we returned after dark to retire for the night, we found some condensation already had formed on the walls.  This continued to worsen during the night with two resting bodies giving off water vapor.  In the morning, my husband let me know in no uncertain terms that he didn’t like being rained on as he slept and would sleep in the car or leave the park in search of a hotel before using the Trig 2 again.  I do have to admit to being conscious of wet walls throughout the night and trying to stay away from them.  That means neither of us slept well, on top of the annoyance of the wet shelter and gear.

I am hoping that I find that pitching the shelter better (not on gravel pads or damp duff) and better venting will raise my current feelings about using the Trig 2 while I have more testing opportunities.  A concern I had about taking my sibling’s children camping and backpacking was that I might not hear them get up during the night if using other shelter options.  I think that sleeping with my head near the sturdy zipper; I will notice any night time rambling attempts.  So far, this is untested, as their sports schedule has not had its season break.

During the Field Test, I looked for (and will look for in Long Term Testing):

Q:  Signs of wear/durability:  How do the materials and seams stand up to repeated use?

A:  So far, so good!

 Q:  Portabililty, packability, set up:  Do I still find this shelter easy to set up, stow, and carry?  How well does it fit into my pack/luggage/vehicle?  Does it develop any problems while suspended with hiking poles?  How easily available are alternate support structures in established campgrounds?  Is it inconvenient to leave behind in a base camp while hiking?

A:  Portability and packability are great.  Set up is less convenient than a more traditional hooped pole tent, yet somewhat flexible in the ability to use hiking poles or trees for supports.  Keeping the rear of the tent raised to an optimal level can be tricky, as hiking poles are too long to slip into a back loop or pole pocket.  The tie off rope needs to be tied to some point on the pole and then staked.  This leaves room for problems.  Finding attachment points so that hiking poles are not needed is totally random.  Don’t count on this if using established campgrounds with prepared tent pads.  We observed no problems leaving camp with the shelter set up in for 6 or more hours.

Q:  Weight:  Does it become a “burden” to carry?  How much heavier does it seem after a rainy night?

A:  I found the shelter acceptable for carrying as part of shared gear, especially in not so rugged terrain.  Because my aging body is demanding lighter loads, I would use other lighter options when traveling alone in such places as the Appalachian Trail.  Most of the rain and condensation shook off or dried in the sun before I needed to pack up, so far.

Q:  Privacy/insect screening/containment:  Is the privacy this shelter allows sufficient for a “couple” and for changing clothes, etc?  Does the shelter protect the occupants from insects and other small “crawlies?”  Does the shelter keep larger “crawlies” (in the form of children) corralled enough to wake me if they have issues or try to leave?

A:  Privacy seemed to be at least adequate.  One person alone can change clothes, having another person in the shelter would make changing tortuous for both, I think.  Insects (or other crawlies) INSIDE the shelter were not a problem.  I hope to test the “kid crawlies” soon.

Q:  Space:  Can my husband and I sit up inside the shelter at the same time?  How well do the two of us fit?  We are both on the tall side (and are not thin).  Can we fit any gear inside the shelter with us or in the vestibule?

A:  One can fully sit up at a time, the other needs to lie down, hunch over, or leave.  Some gear can fit in the vestibule, but it can make exiting the shelter difficult.  The two of us, sleeping gear, mini lights, and a water bottle were all we could crowd in with any practicality.

Q:  Protection from elements:  Last, but certainly not least, how well does the shelter protect us from precipitation, wind, etc.?  Of course, that is the expected function, but how does it actually perform?  Does it have enough ventilation for warm weather or to be closed against rain yet breathe?  Does it help us stay warm if the temperature drops?  How about any condensation issues?

A:  The shelter did a great job of protecting us (or just me) from wind and rain.  On successive nights, we found that two of us in the shelter were warmer than either of us alone in hammocks.  We were unhappy with the amount of condensation.

Likes

• Packs small

• Subdued colors

• Appears to be well made and reinforced.

Dislikes

• In making the shelter appropriately strong for use by the general public, some materials are heavier than those I might have chosen. This makes the tent several ounces heavier that one I might have made.

• The slope of the tent top does severely limit the area in which an adult can sit upright. Of course, any change to the slope would mean more material and therefore, more weight and bulk.

• The zipper requires two hands to manipulate.  (Small issue, but a bit inconvenient)

• Condensation was a large problem with two persons, or with one person and the shelter not fully vented.

Tester Background

I’m an aspiring Ultralighter.  Most of my backpacking happens during weekends in New England.  Additionally, I have been lucky enough to experience hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and a 110 mile (177 km) stretch of the Appalachian Trail from Pennsylvania to northern Virginia.  My preferred gear at this time includes a hammock, alcohol or tablet stove, mini or no-cook home-dehydrated foods, and the least clothing and gear that I can feel comfortable carrying.

I appreciate the opportunity to test this product.

Rosaleen Sullivan