Tester Information

Backpacking Bio

I learned camping and hiking in Boy Scouts, tramping Washington’s lowland forests, and eventually took up backpacking as a singular pursuit and found a home away from home in the Cascades and Olympics. Now living in northern California, most of my hiking is in the Sierra Nevada with trips ranging from overnight to weeklong excursions. I favor high, alpine settings. My total pack weight for three-day summer trips, including food and water, is roughly 25 pounds (12 kg); longer trips see pack weights ranging into the mid 30s (17 kg).

Product Information

Product Description

The Baku 2 is a relatively lightweight two-person, single-wall, three-season shelter with an external three-pole frame and two vestibule–protected entrances. The tent’s small footprint allows pitching in tight locations where larger tents don’t fit, and the relatively low and smooth profile sheds rain and wind.

 

Caption: Baku 2—home away from home.

Design & Materials

While Sierra Designs describes the Baku 2 as a single-wall tent, I think of it as a hybrid design because everything but the gray triangular end walls is effectively double-walled. Two permanently attached vestibules require staking out in the same fashion as a rainfly would and a mesh ceiling is suspended beneath a portion of the main canopy. The Baku 2’s main living space is essentially a self-supporting wedge tent with mesh and doors on either side. While it can be pitched with just two vestibule stakes, the tent’s much more stable with all six corners pegged. Conversely, by rolling up and clipping the vestibules completely out of the way, the Baku becomes a wedge shelter with large, netting sidewalls and doors. Two vents—one near the roof peak and the other halfway up the opposite end wall—provide ventilation when the vestibules are zipped shut.

The zippered vestibules and end walls are fashioned of 40D silicone and polyurethane-coated rip-stop nylon and the floor is 70D urethane taffeta nylon, treated for mildew-resistance. The floor is a single piece of fabric (no seams) with “bathtub” sides, and is robust enough that I’ve been using it without a protective “footprint” except on snow.

The doors and vestibule openings are cattycorner from one another so typically, one sleeper will have their door near the head and the other, near the foot. The round inner Stash Doors are paired with adjacent pockets as Sierra Designs answer to the question: what do you do with an open door so you don’t keep walking on it? In the Baku 2 they tuck completely away. The doors zip a full 360 degrees but don’t detach; however, they do stuff into their respective pockets. On the left-hand side is an additional small pocket.

As with many wedge tents, two identical crisscross main poles clip to the canopy from above. In a unique twist, the Baku 2’s small perpendicular third pole enhances peak support, keeps the shape smooth to shed precipitation and prevents the inner mesh from contacting the outer fabric. The poles are DAC brand NSL, thin-walled aluminum tubes with machined aluminum locking tips and reinforced ferrules. Except for the single-section third pole, they’re shock-corded using elastic that Sierra Designs claims stretches in extreme cold.

Pole tips fit into brass grommets at each corner, “locking” the notched tips into place. Tough, waterproof Hypalon is used to anchor the four corner grommets, with nylon webbing extensions for the stake loops. Webbing stake loops with tension adjusters anchor the two vestibules. The six shepherds hook skewer-type stakes are of thick aluminum and so far, tolerate pounding in with a rock. Stuffsacks are fashioned from the yellow canopy fabric.

Key Measurements at a Glance

* Canopy, poles, stakes, main stuffsack.

** Distance between vestibules, tip to tip. Additional space required on each side for staking.

 

Caption: Baku 2 doesn’t necessarily require solid ground.

The living area is nearly rectangular but the entire footprint, including vestibules is roughly hexagonal. Maximum width, measured from the vestibule ends, is 94 in. (239 cm); an additional few inches are needed on either side for the anchor webbing and stakes.

 

Caption: The Baku 2 becomes a kite if not anchored, which can be a challenge on rock slabs.

Packing and Carrying

I pack the canopy and stakes in the main stuffsack, and the main poles separately on either side of my backpack’s main compartment (with the third pole next to one of the mains). Keeping the poles out of the main sack makes the canopy much easier to pack because it’s smaller and can bend into a curved space. I’ve mostly used the Baku 2 solo and it takes up a fair amount of pack space compared to dedicated solo shelters, so bulk-reduction is in order.

Field Setup

Nothing encountered in the field has changed my initial opinion that Baku 2 setup is simple and straightforward. A rectangular area at least as large as the 83 x 51-45 in. (211x132-114x cm) tent floor is required. The vestibule areas needn’t be level but at a minimum, the floorspace should be as level and debris-free as possible. Setup becomes easier with practice and the only time I have a wrestling match on my hands is when it’s windy. Then, staking the corners before inserting the poles is pretty much mandatory but when staking isn’t possible, further creativity is called for. (More on this later.) The various clips do a fine job suspending the canopy from the poles; I like the clip system.

I’ve used the Baku 2 on snow, sand, dry ground, not-so-dry ground and rock slab. Sand and snow are a challenge for the skewer stakes, and require some creativity to get them to hold. Dense springtime snow will hold them once it’s stomped a bit. “Deadmen” can replace one or more anchors as necessary and if it’s not windy, only the vestibule anchors are truly required.

 

 

 

Caption: Anchor options for when stakes won’t work.

Sierra Designs warns about carelessly letting the poles snap together during assembly and I now know why. The thin-walled tubing of the female part of the ferules can bend with incautious handling, and then become difficult to connect. Careful re-bending with a small tool has gotten me out of this fix and I’m now much more deliberate about letting the (numerous) sections snap together.

Hint: Pack the two main poles separately so they don’t become entangled. They’re much easier to assemble this way.

 

 

Caption: Success!

The tent can be moved after assembly by unstaking and plopping it down in the new location, since the tent holds its shape when carried (except the vestibules). It can also be shaken clean.

Baku in the Field

The Baku 2 is a nice place to sleep and hang out. Solo, it’s luxuriously large and I can scatter my junk, er, equipment all over with have plenty of sleeping room left. With two, it’s better to sleep head-to-toe because of the cattycorner door arrangement, despite the narrower “foot” end. With both occupants at the head end, the person on the right has a bit less ventilation (with the vestibules open) and a bit more challenge entering and exiting. The difference isn’t dramatic and either configuration works, it’s more of a preference. Floorspace is a relatively snug 83 inches (211 cm) long, tapering inward from a maximum width of 51 inches (130 cm) at the head end to 45 inches (114 cm) at the foot end. Total area calculates to 27.6 sq ft (2.6 sq m). Two sleepers, two pads, two sleeping bags and a scattering of clothing is about all the Baku 2 will accommodate. Avoiding the walls is important to keep condensation from the sleeping bag. The two stash pockets accept some gear in addition to the netting doors themselves, and the left-side occupant gets the small third pocket.

 

 

Caption: Very subtropical beach

Entry is easiest with the vestibule unzipped, rolled and secured and the netting door completely opened and stashed. I can stand in the vestibule area, remove my shoes and step inside without bringing any debris with me. The two-way, vertical vestibule zippers can be operated one-handed and occasionally hang up in the storm flaps. The circular mesh inner doors also have two-way zips that can be operated one-handed. The various reflective bits make the tent easy to find at night with a flashlight, and I appreciate the shiny zipper pulls.

The 40.5-inch (103 cm) peak height allows me to sit upright in the tent center and as far out as the 28 x 16 inch (71 x 41 cm) rectangular ceiling segment defined by four hang loops is 37 inches (94 cm) high. Two can sit upright at once. Sidewalls are steep, helping maximize interior space. A small flashlight hung from one of the loops makes a nice, out-of-the-way tent light. The vestibules shelter shoes, dirty clothes and a few gear bits.

After setup, retensioning is sometimes needed to keep the tent taut. Usually this means tightening the vestibule anchor loops, but sometimes the corners need restaking or the Clip-Loc needs shifting or tightening. Any of these tasks is quick and easy.

Field Conditions & Weather

I’ve taken the Baku 2 into California’s Sierra Nevada on several trips, with destinations at 5-6,000 feet elevation in late April/early May and 7-8,500 feet in June/July. It’s been a late spring and summer this year, so there’s been a lot of snow and moist ground on all these excursions. The Baku 2’s relatively small footprint and few stakes ease finding a tent site when a lot of territory is unsuitable. Nighttime temperatures have been as warm as about 60 F (16 C) and as cool as about 40 F (5 C).

I’ve had fair weather, with only one bout of rain to report. This was an afternoon-evening thunderstorm that challenged the Baku 2’s rain-shedding capabilities. It handled this fairly heavy but windless rain with no problem. Even in the rain, the vestibules can be kept a bit open to increase venting and provide a view. Wind spills over the Baku 2 without disturbing it or creating loud and annoying flapping, so long as it’s properly anchored and the Clip-Loc is well secured. Without a breeze it can be stuffy inside when the vestibules are zipped closed. The lowest temperature I’ve experienced was around 40 F (5 C) and it was still quite warm in the Baku 2, especially with the vestibules closed. When lounging in warm weather while thirsty mosquitoes and carnivorous blackflies (arrrgh) bang away at the netting, it’s important to keep the vestibules wide open. Otherwise the compact Baku 2 quickly becomes sauna-like. Of course, opening the vestibules pays off in the views.

Condensation

With my pleasant testing weather I’ve had the vestibules open most nights and with that great cross-ventilation, condensation is limited to minor misting around the ceiling and vestibule apexes. However, poorer conditions mean condensations forms: more when it’s cold and moist and the air is still and more with two occupants or with wet clothes inside. Moisture initially forms at the apex and it descends farther down the sides the colder and wetter it is. I can’t say how much the two vents help in controlling moisture, but it’s certainly the case that they’re not always enough. Since I’ve not been down to freezing (even camped on snow), I’ve not yet experienced the worst possible environment for condensation. When condensation does form, it places a premium on entering and exiting cautiously lest little rainstorms descend from the soggy walls.

What I’ve not yet experienced is camping in a truly dry environment, which I should encounter later this summer.

 

Caption: With open vestibules, nice views can be yours.

Field Test Conclusions

The Sierra Designs Baku 2 strays from tent convention several ways to provide a simple, dependable and lightweight three-season shelter for two. It mostly succeeds in the task. It’s easy to site and set up; it’s able to handle a variety of weather; it’s a pleasant home away from home. I believe it would benefit from more aggressive ventilation to better tame condensation when the vestibules are buttoned down, and of course I’d prefer that it met the weight specification. There’s no noticeable wear so far to the Baku 2’s many parts, including the floor.

Further Test Plans

Test Area Description: California Sierra Nevada, mountainous, 7k-11k feet/2.5k-3.3k meters elevation, heavy forest to treeless alpine. Tent sites range from woodland duff to alpine gravel and decomposed granite to springtime snow.

I’ve not been below freezing yet in the Baku 2, and hope to do so before the test is complete. I’ve not been in a windy rainstorm yet and while I’m not hoping for one, I’m curious as to how it will handle such challenging conditions. A *little* snow would be interesting too!

My sincere thanks to Sierra Designs and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to participate in this test!

—Rick Dreher