BACKPACK GEAR TEST OWNER REPORT

 

Gear:        Clip Flashlight CD

                   Sold as a two man, three season, non-freestanding backpacking tent. Advertised weight: 58 ox

Company:   Sierra Designs

Website:     www.sierra-designs.com

 

****** 

Cory Lampert

cory_crosscountry@yahoo.com

age: 26

gender: Female

 

Date of Purchase:  January 1999

Description of Use:   Used over 6+ months nearly daily on an Appalachian Trail thru-hike from Maine to Georgia. Conditions varies from hot and dry, to cool and rainy, snow, and high wind.  Exposed areas, forested areas and in campsites ranging from very hard and rocky ground to landscaped lawns in town parks.  Extreme physical stress was put on the tent, and its ease of set-up, durability, and comfort will be covered in this report.

 

 

   In anticipation of my impending thru-hike I devoured every available source of information and came to overwhelming conclusion that this tent was the unofficial AT Thru-Hiker tent.  Being a somewhat traditional backpacker, and having only limited experience with multi-day trips I trusted the “experts” and purchased this tent at REI for $144.00.  I also purchased the corresponding “Clip Flashlight CD Footprint” as a ground sheet and so I could use the fly and groundsheet as an alternative set-up.  I used seam sealer on the tent and also purchased titanium stakes and alpine cord for the trip.  The entire stuffed and packed weight was about  64 oz.

 

 REASONS TO BUY THIS TENT:

• It is a breeze to set up.  I love the ease of the “clips” and how intuitive the design is. 
• It stood up to high winds (45 mph) and heavy (three days) rain and remained comfortable to sleep in and secure structurally.
• The workmanship in the fabric is top notch and after 150 nights+, it is in great shape and shows no signs of strain or stress
• It is relatively lightweight and perfect for an entry-level backpacker, this tent made me believe I could hike solo.
• The tent offers flexibility and spontaneity when traveling along a crowded trail.  Too many hippies at the shelter singing around a campfire?  Just truck down a .10-mile and throw up the tent.  Instant privacy.

 

After setting this tent up once in a Manhattan apartment, I was able to take it straight out on the trail and set it up and enjoy it.  It was simple and easy to set up alone.  Over the course of my hike (late March to late October) the tent saw temperature between 95 degrees and 20 degrees and all combinations of precipitation.  I never got extremely cold and never got wet in this tent.  I did not require any service on the tent, encountered no defects, malfunctions, or weaknesses in design or materials over 6 months and counting—I still use the tent occasionally these days. I owe it to the lightness of this tent that I was able to convince myself I could backpack alone.  (Previously, I had a  four man car camping tent by Eureka that weighed a ton.)

 

REASONS TO CONSIDER THE MYRIAD OF OTHER OPTIONS:

• This is not a true two-man tent unless you are REALLY friendly.  And after sharing it with a friend for 6 weeks, we parted ways and did not speak for 5 months.  (I would say it is comfortable for one (wo)man and her stuff).  Otherwise things are stuffed in the vestibule and you must leave the other person’s gear outside.
• This is a good tent, but the AT hikers could use some original thinking.  Imagine the confusion of stumbling back from the stream and not knowing which Clip Flashlight was yours. Not to mention the prevalence of shelters make this type of tent overkill. Totally functional, but unnecessarily ubiquitous.
• There are lighter shelters out there and in this type of forested terrain there could be much better options for covering more ground.
• It is not the most spacious tent for the weight, though I cannot complain about its performance.

 

OVERALL:

I recommend this as a general-purpose backpacking tent for the solo backpacker. 

The company, Sierra Designs has inspired products and the ease of use is extraordinary.   It is reputed their customer service is excellent as well.

This is a great tent, but no one out there should buy it JUST to hike the AT.  I was lured by the hype, and by the end of my trip I was converted to lightweight backpacking and vowed to trim the ounces for my next long trip.  I will NOT being using this tent on another long hike as a well-pitched tarp is sufficient. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for my Clip Flashlight as it was my “training wheels” of backpacking tents. 

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

Cory Lampert

cory_crosscountry@yahoo.com 

9/22/01