Reviews > Shelters > Tents > TNF Canyonlands > Owner Review by Ken Bennett

Owner Review: The North Face Canyonlands Solo Tent

March 20, 2004

Tester Info:

Backpacking Background:

I have been backpacking for twelve years, all of it in the Southern Appalachians. I am fortunate to live within a two-hour drive of the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area, and I try to hike in that area at least once a month year-round. I have completed several hundred miles (about 350 km) of the Appalachian Trail in two-day to two-week sections, and along with my family have set a goal of completing the entire trail over the next decade or so. Like many backpackers, I started out carrying far too much gear, but over the years I have pared down my pack weight to a more reasonable level of 20-25 pounds (9-11.5 kg), depending on the season.

Product Information:

(Note about tent weights: Many manufacturers supply two tent weights. The 'minimum weight' is the inner tent body, pole(s) and flysheet. The 'total weight' adds the stuff sack, tent stakes, guy lines, and any repair kit or other items supplied by the manufacturer. When I weigh a tent, I put the inner tent, flysheet, poles, stakes, guy lines, and stuff sack on the scale to get my own 'total weight.')

Field Information:

Location(s) where test was conducted:

I have used this tent along the Appalachian Trail in southwestern Virginia and northwestern Tennessee on hikes in a variety of weather conditions, on trips ranging from one to four nights. The trail here is often rugged and steep, with the highest elevations in the 4000-6000 foot (1200-1800 meter) range. The tent was used in every weather condition except full winter, in temperatures ranging from 20 F (-6 C) to 90 F (32 C).

Product Review:

Description:

The North Face Canyonlands is a solo double-wall tent that provides a spacious interior and a large covered vestibule, sets up quickly even in bad weather, and weighs a little over four pounds (1.9 kg). The inner tent is pitched first, then the flysheet is attached, but the tent can be pitched all at once if desired. The Canyonlands features:

• A rectangular floor area 96x40 inches (244x102 cm), with a seam-taped waterproof bathtub floor. The North Face uses a heavy coated nylon for their tent floors, which has proved very durable in this tent.
• A single aluminum pole that stretches the length of the tent, arching over the user from head to toe in a continuous pole sleeve.
• Double wall construction, with an inner tent body made entirely of mesh and a separate coated-polyester fly. The fly reaches to the ground on all sides.
• Two small vents located at the top of the fly to allow warm air to escape and promote ventilation in warm weather.
• A large single door on one long side of the tent allows easy entry, even for larger hikers like me.
• The flysheet opens with two zippers to make a flat panel over the door. This can be held up with hiking poles or tied to trees to create a large covered front porch.
• The North Face sells a matching ground sheet with stakeout loops and pole grommets, making it possible to pitch just the flysheet and leave the inner tent at home. This saves about half the weight of the tent and gives a little more usable space inside, for trips where bug protection is less important.

The Canyonlands is not a freestanding tent, requiring a minimum of four stakes to pitch. Eight excellent aluminum V-stakes are included, along with a light, well-designed compression stuff sack.

In Use:

Setting Up the Canyonlands:

The tent is similar in design to other double-wall tents, but can be a little tricky to set up the first time. I have found the best way to erect the tent is to lay out the inner tent on the ground, stake out the four corners, then push the aluminum pole through the sleeve until it is seated in the cup at the far end of the sleeve. Then place the free end of the pole into the grommet at the near end of the sleeve. Next drape the flysheet over the tent body, making sure to line up the door in the fly with the door in the tent body. The flysheet has hook-and-loop tabs that lock it to the pole in several places, and five plastic quick-release buckles attach the fly to the inner tent. At this point I usually need to adjust the stakes and tighten the fly to get a taut pitch.

The stake loops are unusually long at about 18 inches (45 cm), and as a result the Canyonlands requires a much larger open area to pitch than other solo tents I have seen.

The tent has two extraordinary features that immediately caught my attention:

1. The Front Porch. The fly opens over the door to create an awning, which I hold up with my trekking poles. I have attached a short length of cord to each corner of the awning so I can stake it out. This awning protects against light to moderate rain, with enough room for a hiker to sort gear, cook dinner, or watch the sunset. I leave the awning open all the time unless it is raining hard. When I want to close the fly, I reach out, pull in the bottom of each trekking pole, and zip the fly closed. When I am ready to open it again, I unzip the fly and push up the poles.
2. The Quick Pitch. Once the tent has been pitched, it is possible to remove the pole while leaving the fly attached to the tent body, then roll up the tent/fly combination. Given the ease with which the pole can be reinserted into the continuous sleeve, the tent can be pitched in a driving rainstorm without getting any water inside. It can also be taken down easily in bad weather, rolled up carefully, and pitched that night without getting everything soaking wet. I cannot overemphasize how great it is to climb into a dry tent in the middle of a rainstorm.

Living in the Tent:

The immediate impression is that this tent is huge. And it is, for a solo tent. The Canyonlands was obviously designed for comfortable camping.

• At eight feet long (96 inches, or 244 cm) and 3.5 feet wide (40 inches or 102 cm), the interior is large enough for one large hiker and plenty of gear. A standard sleeping pad is twenty inches wide (51 cm), making it possible for two very good friends to share this tent, at least for short periods of time.
• Even with the awning open, there are two small covered vestibules under the fly to the left and right of the door. I usually store my boots and pack in them.
• To promote airflow and ventilation, the entire tent is mesh, and the rear wall (opposite the door) has a stake out loop allowing it to be pulled well away from the tent body. There are two small vents at the top of the fly to allow warm air to escape. I used this tent on the Hands Across the Trail (HATT) hike over Labor Day weekend in 2000, in temperatures that hit 90 F (32 C) during the day, and 70 F (21 C) at night, and found the ventilation adequate for the conditions (and I was very happy to have the insect protection of a tent.) Because of threatening weather, I had the fly on the tent both nights, with the awing open even in light rain.
• The main door is a large semi-circle that takes up almost the entire long side of the tent, allowing easy access.
• I have weathered several severe rainstorms in this tent, including one on top of a ridge (not a smart idea), and stayed dry and comfortable (and scared out of my mind as the lightning and thunder crashed around me).

There are several limitations inherent in the design of the tent, of course:

• Allowing maximum airflow and ventilation is not necessarily a good thing in cold weather. While the tent is strong enough to stand up to severe weather, and possibly even a moderate snow load, wind blows in under the fly and the mesh body allows snow to enter the tent.
• The tent is tall enough that I can sit up inside, but the steeply pitched walls are too narrow for comfort. My shoulders push hard against each wall. Opening the door provides more room.
• The design of the tent has two very tall flat walls, which are vulnerable to high winds. The tent comes with two attached guy lines that should be staked out in windy weather. While the usual advice is to pitch the low end of a tent into the wind, the Canyonlands is symmetrical: there is no low end. I have always pitched the tent with the rear wall into the wind, in order that I may open the door on the lee side. I stake out the guy lines and so far that has worked.

Overall, for three-season use, this is a very livable design.

Conclusions:

When deciding whether to carry this tent, one major concern is, of course, weight. My Canyonlands weighs 4 pounds 4 ounces (1.9 kg), which is heavy for a solo shelter. My 8x10 silnylon tarp with stakes and guy lines weighs just over a pound (500 g) and provides a much larger floor area. So why consider carrying this tent over a lighter shelter? Under certain circumstances, the Canyonlands may be a better choice:

• The Canyonlands offers excellent bug protection with good ventilation, and plenty of room inside the protected area.
• The tent is easier and faster to set up than a tarp. Lay it out, put in four stakes, and slide in the pole. It can be pitched in well under two minutes with some practice.
• It offers better storm protection, and has an excellent waterproof bathtub floor to protect the sleeping bag and other gear.

I do like the Canyonlands, and it saw a lot of use for the first couple of years that I owned it. As I pare away relentlessly at the weight of every item in my pack, though, I find it often doesn't make the cut lately. But when I need the advantages of a tent over a tarp, this tent is a great choice. In particular, when I take trips with students, I like having the privacy of a solo tent.

Things I Like:

1. The awning over the door is a great feature.
2. All the space inside the tent. I can organize my gear around the interior, leaving only my pack and boots under the vestibule.
3. Ease of setup, especially the ability to have the fly already attached to the tent, giving me a dry shelter in the rain.
4. Ventilation. With the awning up and the back wall pulled out, the tent lets a lot of air flow through.

Things I Don't Like:

1. The overall weight of the tent. For most of my three-season trips, this would be the single heaviest item in my pack.
2. The narrow profile makes it difficult to sit up inside the tent unless the awning is up and the door is open.
3. Like many tents, the door is angled in such a way that if it is raining very hard, it is difficult to get inside the tent without getting water inside. In a more moderate rain, the awning helps, but not in heavy or blowing rain.

Reviews > Shelters > Tents > TNF Canyonlands > Owner Review by Ken Bennett