Name: Marie-Noelle Augendre
Age: 46
Gender: Female
Height: about 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
Weight: 161 lbs (73 kg)
Email address: augendre_bgt@yahoo.fr
City, Country: Paris, France
Date: October 16, 2004

Backpacking Background: I started backpacking seven years ago, day hiking in Ile-de-France all year round, and doing several one or two week trips in more mountainous regions (Corsica, Pyrenees, Cevennes, Luberon, etc.) each year. As I usually go solo, and am a bit of a gear-addict, my backpack tends to be on the heavy side (tent, white gas stove, ceramic water filter, etc.); I’m actually trying to go lighter, but I don’t think I’ll ever be an ultralight backpacker.

Product information

Manufacturer: Helsport
Date of purchase: February 1998
URL: http://www.helsport.com
Listed weight: approx.3.3 lb (1.5 kg) + about 6 oz (170 g) for pegs and guy lines
Actual weight: 3.3 lb (1.5 kg), including the guy lines and 11 fibreglass pegs
Outer tent dimensions (length x width x height): 9.4 x 4.9 x 3.3 ft (285 x 150 x 100 cm)
Inner tent dimensions (length x width x height): 7.2 x 3.0 x 3.0 ft (220 x 90 x 90 cm)
Packed size (length x diameter): 13.8 x 5.5 in (35 x 14 cm)
MSRP: not provided

Features

Bear in mind the following information is related to a six year old tent, and some features might have evolved or been improved by the manufacturer since then.
The Stetind 1 is a tunnel-like double-wall tent for one person, with side entrance. Both inner and outer tent are in light ripstop nylon, colours are olive green for the outer, and dark yellow for the inner. The bathtub style floor is in coated nylon.
The inner tent includes large mosquito net panels on both the door and the feet sides, a double pocket facing the entrance, and a loop hanging from the top. There is a vent on the upper head side of the outer tent.
Gussets inside the outer tent accommodate the two aluminium poles - a large one at the head / shoulders position, and a smaller one on the feet side - the inner tent is fastened to the outer tent by plastic buckles along both pole gussets and at floor level.
The tent comes with four orange guy lines and enough light aluminium stakes (I don't remember those clearly as I got rid of them quite a long time ago), two stuff bags (a small one for poles and stakes, and a bigger one for the whole equipment) in the same fabric as the outer tent, and a single page of pitching instructions.

Conditions of use

During the six and half years I've owned it, I might have slept about a hundred nights in this tent, encountering various conditions:
- from heavy showers followed by freezing nights (I actually found ice patches on the outer tent in the morning),
- very strong winds (about 63-69 MPH - 100-110 km/h) over the course of many hours,
- continuous rain during 24 hours and more,
- to weather so warm I had to leave the outer tent fully opened to get some breathing air (inner tent had to remain closed because of mosquitoes).
In short, I must have encountered almost every potential condition when three-season hiking in France, between sea-level and 2500 m (8200 ft).
Except for the original stakes, which I have replaced after a few weeks of use, I have always used this tent as it came, without additional seam-sealing, putting any footprint underneath, nor any other extra protection.
Of course, I have always been careful regarding possible fire hazards: when I used to cook with a canister stove, I have sometimes done it in the vestibule ; but with my white gas stove, I wouldn't ever consider doing so.

What I think about it

I really like this tent, for plenty of reasons:

Though it is very compact, it provides ample room for my gear and me: I can sit in it to dress, or eat inside when the weather is foul. When I lie down, there is enough room at the head and feet for my clothes and everything else I want to keep inside. Due to the non-symmetrical inner tent, the vestibule is large enough to accommodate a 70 L (4270 cu in) backpack, hiking boots, cooking set and food, and wet clothes (I spread them above the pack to let them dry).

It can be set up very quickly without wetting the inner tent: in fact, I always leave the inner tent attached to outer tent. This way, I only need to 1) insert the two poles in their gussets 2) pitch in three pegs - two on the head side, one the feet side. Guy lines and the other pegs can usually wait till the end of the shower.

Its unfailing waterproofness is really amazing: even during heavy showers, the only water that leaked inside was drops from the closing toggle attachment of the outer tent. I fixed it with a kind of wax stick, special for waterproofing tents, and never encountered that problem again.

I have been impressed by its resistance against strong winds: although the tent was somewhat shaken and swelled in all directions, it stayed firmly put, even when I didn't pitch it in the most "aerodynamic" way, that is feet facing to the wind. With 11 pegs (7 pegs around the tent and 4 guy lines), I have always felt safe and slept comfortably, no matter how unpleasant the outside conditions could have been.

It is light and quick-drying: even when I have to leave camp with a very wet tent, I only have to spread it out a half an hour or so, during lunch break, to get it completely dry (weather permitting, of course).

Condensation has not really been an issue, as it tends to slip alongside the outer tent so nothing in the inner tent actually gets damp. As I have not used it in winter, I've never seen any interior frost formation.

Because of the lightness and colour of the fabrics, it is very nice to live in: I have stayed inside all day long, a couple of times, because of nasty weather and had no problem reading without needing a lamp.

The outer tent colour is also very appropriate, as it makes the tent really inconspicuous when stealth camping in woods or countryside: I sometimes had difficulties to find it again, after having wandered a bit too far from the campsite (since I now own a GPS - see my other Owner Reviews - this shouldn't happen again...)

Lastly, after six years of intensive use without any special care, it doesn't show any wear signs yet.

The only things that might need improvement

The aluminium "V" stakes that came with it tend to bend when pitching in hard soils ... and break when I tried to bend them back. Because of this, I soon replaced them with fibreglass pegs, which are light, unbreakable (as for now ...) and relatively cheap.

In damp weather, the big panel on the head side of the outer tent tends to slacken a bit and contacts with the inner tent wall. Unfortunately, I didn't find any satisfactory solution to fix this problem.

Conclusion

This is a very good and reliable product which, all things being equal, doesn't seem to have found its match (my opinion).
Moreover, according to the information available on the manufacturer's website, it appears that a couple of features have been improved since I purchased mine: details are a bit scarce, but I notice there is a second vent (on the foot side of the tent) and a repair kit is now provided.

Read more reviews of Helsport gear
Read more gear reviews by Marie-Noelle Augendre

Owner Review by Marie-Noelle Augendre

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