BackpackGearTest.org - Sierra Designs Baku 2 Gail Staisil

After a full winter of sledge trips it was time to use a backpack again for stowing my gear. The weather was still on the cool side with daytime highs in the mid 40's F (7 C) and night time lows in the 20's F (- 7 C). Even though this was only a three day trip I had to use a larger backpack due to the amount of gear I needed to take. I used a panel loader for my pack (Granite Gear Stratus Latitude at 4800 cu in/79 L). In addition to the rest of my gear I stowed the components of the Baku 2 Tent plus lightly insulated clothing and a warm sleeping bag. I had separated the poles and stakes from the main body of the tent. The stuff sack for the main body could then be compressed to fit sideways near the bottom of my pack with the pole and stake sack assuming an upright position near one side.

Set-Up Baku set-up on pine needles

After a windy cool day on the lakeshore trail I set up camp on a high bluff overlooking Lake Superior. I chose a site back in the pine forest with a thick layer of pine needles on the forest floor. I brought along a ground sheet of Tyvek that I had cut to fit the footprint of the Baku 2. When I saw the nice pine needles cover I decided not to use the Tyvek as it was already a great surface.

Set-up went quickly. The Baku 2 is the easiest tent I've ever set up. After staking out the bottom of the tent at each of the four corners it is ready for the two long poles sections to be inserted into the grommets on the opposite corners. The locking pole tips make the probability of a pole slipping out of place practically non-existent. After attaching a dozen Swift-Clips, securing the center Clip-Loc bungee and inserting one stake for each of the vestibules the process is complete.

The huge mesh doors make putting all the gear inside the tent a quick process too. I arranged my sleeping pad and sleeping bag in the center lengthwise of the tent. I then propped the lower Air-Mesh Vent open but decided to use the upper vent's Velcro tab to hang my small battery- powered lantern.

Condensation

After sunset I entered the tent again to get ready for the night. I partially zipped up the vestibules so that they were open on the upper level. The mesh screen doors were fully zipped. It got quite cold during the night as my water bottles had icy slush in them in the morning. The only condensation that was visible or that I could touch was in the apex se Heavy Frost

ction of the tent which was moist and also had some fine frozen condensation.

In the morning as I took down the tent I again was pleased with how quick it was to stow. Once I released the stakes and then the poles from the grommets I don't even have to unclip any of the clips other than the center Clip-Loc which I had bungied shut. The poles just slide right out of the clips making unfastening them unnecessary.

The next night I set up camp not far upstream from the mouth of the Mosquito River that is part of Lake Superior's watershed. The site was situated on a fine knoll with huge hemlocks trees for cover. The ground was only partially covered with dead leaves from neighboring deciduous trees so I decided to use the Tyvek groundcloth this time.

The only difference in that night's conditions from the previous night was that it got very cold. In fact reports later indicated it was in the low 20's F (-7 C). I had heavy frost on the exterior of the tent as well as frost in the interior mostly on the end of the tent where my head was located. The Tyvek cloth was dry when I packed up the tent.

Backpacking Trip # 2 --
May 4-7 2006 Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Thru-Hike

Set-Up Without Provided Stakes Pole and deadfall stakes

I got dropped off at the eastern terminus of the linear Lakeshore Trail two hours before dark. The designated camp site on my permit was at the base of towering sand dunes that line several miles of the trail. Needless to say I set up in a sandbox. Since the Baku 2 is basically free standing I didn't bother to find any dead branches of trees to stake the four corners. The standard stakes that I packed with the tent would simply not be long enough. I found a few pieces of deadfall so in addition to my hiking poles I used those for support for the vestibules. Without staking the corners of the tent it was harder to get the vestibules to be taut but I wasn't worried as the area was protected from heavy winds and it was already dark after the four plus mile journey. The temperature dropped to approximately 30 F (-1 C) for the night and in the morning there was only a slight layer of condensation on the upper ceiling. I quickly packed up and shook the sand out of the tent and I was on my way. Soon after it began to snow and the winds were brutal.

Ventilation/Condensation

I had reached the next camp in the late afternoon. I chose a site far away from the bluff overlooking the lake. It was still very windy so I secured the tent and vestibules with the provided stakes. The low temperature for the night was approximately 26 F (-3 C). I kept the vestibule doors shut except for the top portions for added ventilation. There is actually quite a bit of ventilation in the tent already as when the vestibules are shut it creates quite an airspace below the lower edges of them. With the inner doors consisting of only mesh material there is really no way to block airflow when the conditions are cold and windy. The Baku 2 is not designed to be a four-season tent but in this part of Michigan the fourth season some times lasts six months! Its kind of weird because the woodland wildflowers are trying to bloom but at the same time it snowed in the morning and again in the afternoon during my days journey of over 16 mi (26 km). Luckily I brought both insulated jacket and pants plus a warm sleeping bag to abate these conditions. There was slight frost on the interior ceiling of the tent but everything else was frost-less as I had set up in an area of tall pine trees.

Light Rain

The next night's camp was set up on a bed of pine needles and other duff. The ground was more impacted here with roots and rocks so I had to find a piece of dead wood to hammer in the stakes. I lashed the vestibule doors open and a few hours later it started to rain. The rain was on the light side and the tent was set up under a heavy canopy of hemlock trees. I watched to see if any of the rain would infiltrate the tent as the vestibules don't have much of an overhang over the mesh doors. Raindrops streaked the mesh but since it wasn't raining heavily it wasn't a problem to keep the vestibules open. I decided to keep one of the vestibule doors totally open for the night. It worked out well and I probably will do that more often as the weather gets warmer.

Vestibule Storage

I haven't been storing much in the vestibules other than my water bottles. I would love to keep my shoes in one of them but I am afraid of a porcupine taking off with the shoes. They are addicted to the salt.

Backpacking Trip # 3 --
June 3-5 Fox River Pathway

No condensation

Unseasonably high temps over 80 F (27 C) were the norm for this trip on a rustic pathway stretching its way north to Lake Superior. The pathway is seldom traveled so there are no designated backcountry camp sites through the state forest land. This is jack pine, red pine and white pine country so the forest floor was a mixture of pine needles, small sticks and seasonal vegetation. I set the tent up well past dusk on a piece of Tyvek. As normal it went up easily and I had no condensation problems whatsoever. With an anticipated low in the mid 40's F (7 C) during the night I left only the top parts of the vestibule doors open for ventilation in addition to the Air-Mesh Vents on either end of the tent. The next evening similar conditions prevailed temperature wise but I was set up now very close to Lake Superior with more apparent humidity. I checked for moisture in the morning on the tent walls and didn't find any that was noticeable.

In my haste to set up the tent I didn't realize until I crawled into it long after dark that I had set up the narrower end of the tent where my head would be located ( slight grade to the earth). I have been religiously setting it up the other way but decided that I didn't want to crawl back out into mosquito land and restake the tent the other way. There is only 6 in (15.24 cm) of difference between the ends and truthfully I didn't notice any difference in the space around my head. I suppose this might be noticeable with two persons in the tent but I was solo.

Zippers

So far I have been enthused with most aspects of the Baku 2. However there is one area of concern that I haven't managed to conquer yet. It is the placement of the zipper stops on the mesh doors. The zipper stops are located half way up the right side of each door (facing door). In order to enter or exit the zipper must be pulled up and around or vise versa until it meets the stop. For some reason this seems very awkward to me. I don't know if I'm just a creature of habit but every time I plan to open the door I pull the zipper the wrong way. I instinctively grab hold of the top zipper pull and want to pull it down rather than up and around. If the zipper stops were located closer to the bottom of the tent I doubt this would happen. However I'm sure the placement of the zipper stops has something to do with the access to both stash door pockets. Although I have used tents with the zipper stops at the bottom of the tent or the top of the tent I have never used one that stops in the middle of a tent's vertical height and I don't seem to be speeding up the learning curve on its correct operation. However this may not be an area of concern for those who don't have a similar tent history like me.

Weight Issues

The Baku 2 is truly a light tent for all practical purposes. I have enjoyed testing the tent so far because of all its many fine attributes. However because most of my backpacking experiences in the last several years have been with tarps or hammocks they not only weigh less than half but take up less space in my backpack. During this last solo trip when my daily distances were averaging 15-18 miles (24-29 km) in rustic terrain I really noticed the extra bulk and weight of the tent comparatively. On the other hand after days of long miles not having to hassle with setting up a tarp was a distinct pleasure. I do realize that it is a two-person tent and if I had been sharing it on the above journeys it definitely would of been more weight efficient.

Backpacking Trip # 4 --
June 9-11 Grand Island National Recreation Area

This was my first use of the Baku 2 as a two-person tent. I have mostly been traveling solo but I managed to talk my traveling partner for this trip into trying the tent. I wondered how comfortable the tent would be with two people in it as I was used to stowing my gear in the tent with me. I also was curious about ventilation and condensation issues with two people.

The weather for this trip was relatively mild for this time of year. The daytime highs were in the high 50's F (15 C) and the lows were in the mid to high 30's F (2 C to 4 C). It was quite windy when I set up the tent so I had the end of the tent pointed into the wind. Mild cross breezes infiltrated the sleeping quarters. I kept my vestibule partially open while my partner kept the other vestibule completely open. Because the vestibule doors open on opposite sides they are perfect for managing cross breezes.

Ventilation/Condensation

What became apparent that I didn't notice when I used the tent as a solo tent was that if both persons have their head at the same end of the tent one of the persons gets less ventilation as one of the vestibule door covers the area to the side of where their head is placed. They not only get less breeze but they can't see outside. This is easily solved by sleeping in opposite directions or unstaking the vestibule door on that side and pushing the excess material over one of the poles. Overall because of the mild temperatures keeping cool wasn't a problem for this trip. Little condensation was evident both mornings of the trip. There was mostly a slightly wet feel above the upper Air-Flow ventilation port and apex area.

Comfort Placement of Full Length and Three Quarter Sleeping Pads

Placement of Full Length and Three Quarter Sleeping Pads

The Baku 2 was quite spacious and comfortable with two people in it. There was plenty of room both length and width-wise so that each person could sit or lie down without interfering with the others activities. With each person having their own large door we didn't need to crawl over each other to enter and exit the tent. My tent partner used a full-length sleeping pad and I utilized a three-quarter sleeping pad. Our sleeping bags didn't touch the side walls or the end walls. The picture at right shows how much extra room there was beyond the ends of the pads. We both brought our mostly empty packs into the tent and other assorted gear. I use my pack as a prop for a pillow and my partner used their pack to support their legs. Remaining gear went into the two stash pockets and the one divided pocket. Food and other smellables plus cooking equipment were hung for safety. There is a significant black bear population on the island.

Mesh Pockets

There is a stash pocket on each side of the tent to store the mesh doors if needed. They are also handy for storing a book or other items that are convenient in the tent. There is an additional divided-mesh pocket near the side of the vestibule on one side of the tent. It would be ideal if another one was added on the opposite side for the second person in the tent as they have less storage opportunities.

Reviews > Shelters > Tents > Sierra Designs Baku 2 > Gail Staisil > Field Report

Reviews > Shelters > Tents > Sierra Designs Baku 2 > Gail Staisil > Field Report