Field Report

Field Report
Titanium Goat Vertex 5 Tent
April 26, 2005

Manufacturer: Titanium Goat
URL: http://www.titaniumgoat.com
MSRP: $400.00 (US)
Year model: 2005
Listed weight: 2 lb, 2 oz (.96 kg)
Tested weight: 2 lb, 5.8 oz. (1 kg)
Tester: Colleen Porter
(Tester biography can be found at the end of the report)

Product Description: A single-wall, conical, floorless 2-person tent constructed of 1.1 ounce ripstop nylon with a DWR (Durable Water-Repellent) treatment. It has 14 stake loops, a single pole, a single vertical zippered entrance, a small zippered ventilation port at the rear base, and a removeable guyline system on both the left and right sides. For a much more detailed description, along with photographs and the weights of individual components, please see my Initial Report.

Field Conditions: Over the past two months, testing has taken place in Joshua Tree NP (southern Mojave Desert), San Mateo Canyon Wilderness (low coastal mountain range, oak & chaparral), and Lake Morena County Park (more oak & chaparral). Elevations have ranged from 3800 ft (1158 m) to 2400 ft (732 m). Conditions have ranged from heavy rain, to cool & humid, to warm & sunny. Overnight temperatures have ranged from just below freezing to the low 40's (4-6º C). The Vertex 5 has been pitched on sandy and grassy sites.

Performance: So far, the Vertex 5 has proven to be a reliable shelter. I haven't felt the need to bring the pitching instructions with me on any of my trips, as it's a simple process to master. I have needed to fiddle with it a bit (usually re-staking a few loops to get a tighter pitch), but it's really very simple to get up and can easily be done by one person. So far I have not had any trouble finding a suitable spot to pitch the Vertex, although I did have to do a bit of debris-clearing on one occasion (which I would have needed to do for any shelter).

My concern about the Vertex's suitability for romantically inclined backpacking couples was well-founded - the center pole is smack-dab between the lower torsos of any tent-mates. It's not a tent made for effortless foolin' around, which is also good to know if one wants to keep one's tent-mate at bay.

Now, about the breathable DWR nylon fabric Titanium Goat uses. I have used the Vertex 5 a total of three nights in the field so far, and on all three nights I experienced condensation inside the tent. The first night, at 3800' (1158 m) in Joshua Tree National Park, the Vertex stood up to periodic heavy downpours (the kind that are so loud they wake me up) very well. I never worried about the sturdiness of the tent and it never even seemed to shake as it was battered by the heavy rain. A small amount of water leaked through the single body seam, but that's my fault because I didn't bother to seal it. I do not believe that the rain saturated through the fabric at any time. However, with the tent battened down and neither of the vents open, combined with two adults and one toddler sleeping inside, and intermittent episodes of pouring rain outside, the interior of the tent built up an impressive amount of condensation. This only created a problem when we brushed against the tent walls, as for the most part the moisture tended to flow down along the tent walls whenever a burst of rain would cause the condensation to shake loose and flow. Our sleeping bags had a fair amount of moisture on them, but I never felt any mist raining onto us from the tent walls. An occasional drip would get us in the head, but it happened infrequently. We did guy out one side of the tent, and I was glad we did because the fabric developed a noticeable sag. The rain stopped by morning and we let the tent stay up as long as possible to let it dry out, but the humidity was still high and so we ended up packing it wet. As soon as we got home, I took it out of the stuff sack and draped it over a large non-prickly plant in front of my house. In the sunlight, it was dry within an hour.

The next trip, in the San Mateo Canyon Wilderness (Santa Ana Mountains, coastal southern California), we selected an oak-shaded site at around 2400' (732 m) that was regrettably close to a creek (the only spot for miles that wasn't choked in by thick, spiny chaparral). This time, there were only two adults sleeping inside the Vertex. When we went to bed, we left the top vent (the one that can be formed by unzipping the door partway) open, but did not open the bottom vent. We also opted to guy out both sides of the tent, as we like the extra space that guying it out provides. It had been a fairly warm day, sunny with wispy clouds, and the night was crystal clear. When I woke for a midnight bathroom break I noticed that the tent again had heavy condensation all over the interior, as well as the exterior. The fabric was also sagging, so I tightened the guylines on both sides. When I returned to my sleeping bag, I left the doorway half open (meaning that I unzipped the door completely and folded back the flap) so as to minimize any additional condensation from our breath & bodies. I woke again around 4:30 am to discover that the condensation had frozen. By 6:30 it was thawing out, and after it thawed we were left with a very wet tent. I had brought some small absorbent cloths and was able to sponge off most of the water, then let it stand for a while to dry, but the tent was still slightly damp when we packed it up. I repeated the same drying routine as before and the tent was completely dry in about 15 minutes.

The third night was at around 3000' (914 m), in Lake Morena County Park - 20 miles (32 km) from the southern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trail. The day had been mildly rainy and the night was mostly clear. I kept the top vent open but once again did not open the rear bottom vent, as I forgot to open it when I pitched the tent and once I was settled into my sleeping bag I found it difficult to maneuver around to open the vent from the inside. The slope of the tent gets pretty severe toward the back, and I couldn't get to the vent very easily. I again awoke for my midnight bathroom break to find condensation on the inside of the tent. I was alone on this occasion, and I suspect that is why this was the mildest condensation I have experienced in the Vertex so far. I had the luxury of not needing to pack up first thing in the morning, so I allowed the Vertex to air-dry before packing it up.

However, I actually don't mind the condensation so far. Remember that here in California we are having our second wettest year on record - over 38 inches (97 cm) of rain and still accumulating! Creeks are still flowing that should be dry by now, and the ground still has a lot of moisture in it. So I can't swear that any tent, single or double-walled, breathable or not, would be condensation-proof under these conditions. But the next four months should see the air and ground getting dryer and dryer (provided the jet stream retreats north, which it should have done already), so I'll have my chance to see if the Vertex can avoid condensation under more normal southwestern conditions. I also hope to visit northwestern Montana in August, so a return to more humid conditions is possible.

Tester Name: Colleen Porter
Gender: female
Age: 30
Height: 5'8"/1.73 m
Weight: 156 lb./68 kg (almost 7 months pregnant right now)
Email address: tarbubble at yahoo dot com
Location: Orange County, CA

Backpacking Experience: I have been hiking for fifteen years, backpacking for eight. I've only been serious about it in the last three and a half years. I mostly hike on established trails – bushwhacking is rarely planned. I like gear to be simple and light, and I do make some of my own equipment. On my own I pack pretty light (about thirteen lbs/6 kilograms base weight) and am always trying to get lighter, but I am often on family trips with my three-year-old son and the weight usually doubles. My 3-season backpacking haunts are the San Gabriels, the Sierra Nevada, and the Grand Canyon, and winters find me in the Mojave and Colorado deserts.

Read more reviews of Titanium Goat gear
Read more gear reviews by Colleen Porter

Reviews > Shelters > Tents > Titanium Goat Vertex 5 > Colleen Porter > Field Report

All material on this site is the exclusive property of BackpackGearTest.org.
BackpackGearTest software copyright David Anderson