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Reviews > Shelters > Tents > Sierra Designs Hercules Assault AST > Gail Staisil > Long Term ReportLong Term Report: Sierra Designs  Hercules Assault AST Tent By Gail Staisil Marquette, Michigan February 24, 2006 Tester Information Name: Gail Staisil Age: 53 Gender: Female Height: 5' 9" (1.75 m) Weight: 140 lb (64 kg) Email: woodswoman2001@yahoo.com Location: Marquette, Michigan USA Photo Album Website: http://community.webshots.com/user/isleroyalegirl For the last 16 years, backpacking has become a passion. I am a four-season backpacker and an off-trail navigator. Although I do take yearly trips to the American West or Southwest, the majority of my trips are in Michigan and Canada. My pack weight varies considerably but my base weight is below 20 lb (9.1 kg). I am primarily a tarp camper who averages over 50 nights a year backpacking in a huge variety of weather conditions, including relentless rain, wet snow and sub zero temps. Description of Sierra Designs Hercules Assault AST Four-Season Tent The Sierra Designs Hercules Assault AST is a four-season single-wall tent. It has great headroom and can accommodate two people without gear quite nicely or one person with all their gear. It has a number of features which make it structurally sound to withstand high winds and heavy precipitation. For more detail on the materials and construction used in the tent, please review my initial report on the product. During the field test period, I had used the Hercules for two overnights at base camps but in the long-term testing period I have used the Hercules for seven nights in the field. Product Specs Manufacturer: Sierra Designs Phone: 1.800.635.0461
Packed Size: 22 in x 7 in (56 cm x 18 cm) Packed Weight: 7 lbs 2
oz (3.23 kg)
Trail Weight: 6 lbs 10 oz
(3.01 kg)
Number of Doors: 1
Interior Area: 35 sq ft (3.25 sq m)
Vestibule Area: 7 sq ft (.65 sq m)
Peak Height: 30 in (76 cm)
Floor Type: SuperSeal
Floor Material: 70D Taffeta Nylon, 3000 mm
Body Material: 40D Rip Stop Nylon, DriZone,
2L
Fly Material: 40D HT Rip Stop Nylon,
1500 mm, PU/Silicon
Number of Poles: 3
Poles: DAC Press-Fit 7001
Long-Term Testing Data During the long-term testing period of two months, I have used the Hercules Assault AST on two extended trips in the field. The trips were to locations in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and to the province of Ontario in Canada. The Michigan location included trails and bushwhacks through deciduous forest to open areas along the lakeshore. The Canadian trip was a five day bushwhack through boreal forest and included frozen lake passages. Winter weather varied from overcast and calm to heavy snowfall and wind. Temperatures ranged from a low of 1 F (-17 C) to a high of 35 F (2 C) with humidity in the normal range of 60 to 95 percent for those areas. All of the trips were at low altitude ranging from 600 ft (183 m) to almost 2000 ft (610 m), with a moderate amount of elevation changes. Field Test No. 1 Snowshoeing Sledge Trip Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Alger County, Munising, Michigan January 13-16, 2006 Temperatures for this winter sledge trip were rather mild. The trip started off with daytime highs in the low 30 F (-1 C) range with night time lows about 10 degrees cooler at 20 F (-7 C). By the time I reached the intended camp site location it was well after dark and I traveled by the light of the moon and the reflection of the snow. The camp location was several hundred yards back from the southern coast line of Lake Superior. Wind Protection It was a very windy night (30-40 MPH) and the waves were monumental as the wind was blowing straight from  the north inland. I arrived at camp and scouted around
for a
place that wasn't quite so accessible to the strong winds. I settled
in an area partially buffered by some evergreens. I set up the Hercules with the door facing the least of the wind. It was a world of difference inside the Hercules compared to the outside environment. I decided to leave the door open for the evening hours and then proceeded to set up my cook stove outside the tent itself. The vestibule door was secured out of the way by the use of the two latch points on the edge of the door. As soon as I arrived at camp, I layered both a lightly insulated pants and jacket over my hiking clothing so that I wouldn't start to chill. I had another heavier insulated layer of pants and jacket in reserve. Normally I would wear them once I got into my shelter to stay warm while doing the usual winter camp evening activities that include melting snow, and meal prep. At no time during the evening did I feel the need to put on these extra layers. I was surprised as I thought the strong winds would permeate the single wall tent. I had the Air Flow Vents slightly open but I didn't feel a need to close them. When I retired for the night, I left the tent's interior door open and closed the vestibule door. I did place a bit of snow underneath the edges of the vestibule to keep most of the drafts out. During the night the winds howled around me but I was completely content. Stowing the Hercules The Hercules was easy to pack in the morning. I especially like the fact that the stuff sack that comes with the Hercules is very roomy so I don't have to overly compress the tent to get it inside the sack. I did leave the stakes and associated stake stuff sack at home because I thought I would be mostly dealing with frozen ground and they wouldn't be needed. In the winter I often use dead sticks or branches as my anchors instead. The snow cover was not as deep as usual for this time of year and the ground barely frozen so in hindsight I could of used the provided stakes instead of the branches. I did have to shovel extra snow around the dead sticks to anchor the tent more securely as the snow depth wasn't enough to provide an easy hold. The vestibule stakes need to be very taut to provide structure to the vestibule. I certainly didn't want it to flap in the wind all night long. The remaining nights of this trip had similar conditions. As an experiment I decided to zip the interior door shut as well as the vestibule door. I was quite comfortable and had no problems with condensation on the tent walls. The only areas that had visible frozen condensation were the hanging pockets on the tent's interior back wall. The lows were around 20 F (-7 C) and the last night was also very windy. Field Test No. 2 Snowshoeing Sledge Trip Batchawana River Valley Algoma District, Ontario, Canada February 19-23, 2006 I was anxious to start this trip as it would give the Hercules a good workout with an expected nine consecutive days in the field in very wintry conditions. Mother Nature interrupted and the trip was shortened on both ends to five consecutive days instead. I could not get to the original starting location as the roads were totally closed for almost two days due to white-out conditions along the eastern shore of Lake Superior. After a lengthy delay, a new plan involving new topos was made. The original end date was also modified due to exhaustion/illness of one of the trips participants. For this trip, I had packed my sledge with the Hercules along with approximately 80 lb (36 kg) of gear for an expected nine day journey. I had to be ready for temperatures as extreme as - 40 F (- 40 C). Luckily the low was only 1 F (-17 C). The trip finally began in the late afternoon and the first camp was located on a knoll surrounded by much boreal forest. As I headed into camp, my snowshoes sunk approximately 2 ft (61 cm) in deep powdery snow with each step. I packed an area extra well with my snowshoes so that the Hercules would have a good base. The front of the vestibule was surrounded by a berm of approximately 3 ft ( 91 cm) of snow. This would give the vestibule area some relief from the blowing snow. I set up the tent with the door opposite of the prevailing winds but the wind often swirled around making it unpredictable at best. Snow continued to fall and another 3 to 4 in (8 to 10 cm) of snow fell during the evening hours. Snow Load/Condensation The Hercules has adapted to snow conditions quite well with its nearly vertical walls. Powdery snow builds up on it during the night hours but it soon slides off the tent when it accumulates. In the morning I usually press one of my hands on both the tent ceiling and upper walls to get rid of any extra accumulation before I exit the tent. Otherwise I would be greeted with a snow shower as I left the tent. This is a bit of a design annoyance as the vestibule roof does not extend far enough out from the interior door.  The first evening I kept the Air Flow Vents shut and noticed that only frozen condensation occurred on the hanging pockets in the back of the tent. I haven't found any real use for these pockets as they hang right over my head and are in the way. I probably would be more inclined to sleep with my head near the interior door instead if it were summer. Then maybe I would use the pockets to stow small items. The only other condensation was on the vestibule window that tends to get frosty but is easily cleared with a swipe of my hand. I kept all of my gear other than my empty sledge in the Hercules for the night. It's so nice to have all of the gear protected from the elements. I lined up the gear on each side of me and slept in the middle of the tent. This arrangement has worked very well for me. Clip-Loc Set-Up Procedure The second night of camp, the Hercules was set up in the side of a bowl in the forest. I leveled out a platform that allowed one side of the Hercules to be nearly level with the top of the snow. During the field-test period, I was having some trouble attaching some of the Clip-Locks on the vestibule to the vestibule pole. I finally solved this problem by inserting the vestibule pole first into the grommets and respective Clip-Locs and then attaching the rest of the Clip-Locs on the main two supporting poles of the tent. I propped the Air Flow Vents open and in the morning they were heavily frost-covered mesh. I was surprised as I have seen little frozen condensation on the tent interior so far.  During the third night, I set the Hercules up in a more open spot in the forest. It was a very clear night with stars so the temperature dipped to 1 F (-17 C). In the wee hours of the morning, snow began to fall so I packed up my belongings during the snow showers. Taking down the Hercules continued to go well using grippy-dot gloves to grasp the poles. Snow slides right off the exterior DriZone walls and makes putting the Hercules back into the stuff sack a breeze of a process. The DriZone fabric has stayed very soft and is easy to pack. The fourth night of camp was in a mostly open hardwood forest. It was a warm night in the mid 20 F (-7 C) range. Several inches of snow fell during the night and again all was well inside of the Hercules. I love the fact that the design of the tent doesn't encourage snow accumulation because I can go to sleep and not worry about weighed-down tent walls touching me and of course not having to get up and get rid of it! The Hercules has performed well after many consecutive days in the field. Those days and nights were filled with precipitation in the form of both wet and dry powdery snow. The materials adapted well and no noticeable negative effects were evident concerning the protective qualities and tautness of the materials used in the structure of the tent. Overall Findings and Conclusions Comfort/Capacity/Accessibility Although the Hercules can easily hold two persons, my preference for usage is definitely solo. Two persons can easily sleep side by side if extra equipment is not brought into the tent. The tent itself is roomy enough and has great headroom plus the slightly slanted sidewalls are very convenient for providing extra space. In my opinion, where the Hercules falls short is the lack of available space in the vestibule. The vestibule offers little storage space for a backpack or other items that need to be stowed. Those items must be left outside if entrance and exit to the tent is a consideration. However the area where the Hercules shines is the large inner door entrance. This door is adequately large enough so that I don't get hung up on the door when I exit or enter. I've had so many tents in the past where I felt like I was uprooting the whole tent trying to get out of the door. I also loved the stash door concept that almost completely removed the door making more open space apparent. Durability/Materials The Hercules has held up well. The exterior of the body of the tent is a DriZone Nylon laminate that is a very soft material. I haven't noticed any deterioration in this fabric or in the other fabrics used in the tent. The DAC Press-Fit 7001 Poles are in great condition and the Clip-Locs are wholly intact. Because I have repeatedly set the Hercules up in deep snow conditions, I have had to wear snowshoes with crampons during the set up and take down procedures. I have been careful not to step on the tent fabric or poles with the sharp points. Ventilation The Air Flow Vent System seemed to provide adequate ventilation when needed. These are very small adjustable openings that could be propped open with fabric covered Delrin Rods. The larger back vent was probably more instrumental in making a difference in the ventilation as the two small ones located near the front bottom of the tent were very small. However during the winter season I often chose to keep the interior door stashed and just close the vestibule door which really added to the overall ventilation in the tent. This of course wouldn't be an option during the bug season. Workmanship/Design I have really found no structural flaws in the workmanship of the tent. As referred to above, I find the design to have many good features with the only exception being the size of the vestibule. The vestibule is not very user-friendly. There is little room to store anything and it doesn't have a good overhang that would help prevent snow from blowing in the open interior door at all opportunities. Set Up/Take Down The Hercules is easily pitched in about five minutes. I still struggle with the tightness of the clips that hold the vestibule taut but it is probably necessary for the top area to retain its rigidity as that is really not adjustable otherwise. As indicated above, I have found a more convenient order for attaching the Clip-Locs which has streamlined the process. I have pitched the tent in a variety of weather conditions and I feel it is necessary to keep the vestibule door zipper closed during the set up so no extra precipitation can enter the tent body. The take down process has generally gone smoothly except for the poles sometimes being hard to separate due to frozen water or snow "gluing" them together. This is sometimes hard to avoid when I set it up during inclement weather (blowing snow). Tent Weight One of my biggest initial concerns with the Hercules was the bulk and weight of the tent. I was used to carrying a tarp for most of my winter camping. The tarp provided little bulk and little weight compared to the Hercules. It turned out to not be as big of a concern as I thought. I could leave my bivy and ground cloth behind as neither were needed for obvious reasons. It thereby reduced the difference in the weight and bulk between the two systems. I also carry my gear in a sledge during the winter months making overall space less of an issue. Additional Thoughts During the long-term testing-period, I have come to the conclusion that the Hercules makes a great winter shelter and is worth the extra weight. In the past I have utilized a tarp or snow shelter for winter trips but the Hercules has me somewhat spoiled by its attributes. I think the Hercules is an ideal winter shelter for me and I look forward to using it on occasional base camps during other seasons of the year. When I am not carrying it on a sledge, it will most likely see usage as a two person shelter so that I can split the weight load with another person. Likes
Dislikes
I would like to thank Sierra Designs and BGT for the opportunity to test this excellent four-season tent. (Header
Photo courtesy of Sierra Designs)
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