ttengineer
Adventurer
So I bit the bullet and did the KickStarter. I received the tent 2 weeks ago and mounted it last week.
First trip with it was to Overland Expo East. All in, it cost me $3000, that includes the annex, awning, and canopy. I opted for the medium ladder at 94" in length.
Here are my Positive thoughts and comments:
1. This thing is HUGE! I mean its absolutely cavernous. I'm a larger guy at 6'2" and 250lbs, and I fully believe you could fit 4 of me in here and sleep relatively comfortably (Its 80" wide!). For sure 2 adults, 2 kids, and probably a dog or 2 would all fit at the same time. Absolutely ingenious.
2. Opening the tent is very straight forward and initial set up takes about 60 sec. This is a huge plus to me.
3. Mounting is also very easy and straight forward. At only 160lbs its relatively light, but the size requires 2 people, 3 if your roof or rack is over 6' off the ground, to lift and mount.
4. The poly canvas is on par with other tents and I have yet to find any flaws in the sewing or seam sealing.
Now on to the bad parts.
1. The shell is extremely thin. Far thinner than the other fiberglass tent shells on the market. How thin you ask? Well I can see fibers in the gel coat, I can deform the shell with just a light hand touch, and at night as the temp drops the shell pops as its contracting. There are also very visible waves, bumps, and deformations in the shell when the light hits it just right. This is probably my largest concern with the tent and why the damn Chinese shouldn't make anything unless meticulously micro managed.
- side note: What is this obsession with Fiberglass? Its brittle, cant take a hit, sucks to work with, and overall is a sub par material when compared to roto-mold plastic or ABS plastic. Personally, if I were designing a hardshell tent it would have a roto-mold shell. Have you ever heard of a new roto-mold kayak breaking, its VERY rare because the plastic is tough as nails. But what do I know, I just have a degree in engineering. (snarky side note over)
2. The mattress is absolute dog poop. Who on this planet can sleep on a 1" thick mattress?! I had to add a 2" topper, which for my wife was fine but left me wanting about an inch more of foam. Perhaps if you're a back or stomach sleeper the mat would be sufficient, but for me its sorely lacking. If folding it is the problem, why not offer an inflatable mattress? (side note: Why has no one done this yet!)
2b. When closing the tent with the additional 2" mattress topper, there is zero room left for bedding. The topper must also be folded twice and slid all the way in the back nearest the hinges to ensure a proper closure.
3. The windows, screens, and covers all zip and roll up. Why would you design it this way? They should all zip down so I can let as little or as much light in as I want as well as adjust the venting. The black out shade zip is also only reachable from the outside. It needs to have a 2 way zipper so I can open/close it from inside the tent.
4. The side windows do not have spring stays, so its either all the way open or all the way closed.
5. There needs to be a vent fan like a James Baroud. There is no way to vent the tent of air or condensation when the rain fly is installed. To me this is a huge problem.
6. The awning and annex require that the fly be installed since both use the fly as its only method of attachment to the tent. Huge design flaw in my opinion. What if its a hot summer day and I want shade AND venting of the tent? Because of this I cant have both.
7. The design of the awning lends itself to a difficult pitch. I think its due to the fly connection and the shape. Its doable, but it takes a few stakes and time to get going. With practice i think 5min setup time is reasonable.
8. The annex does not have a floor.
9. The plastic securing latches are cheap and seem brittle. They also rub the edge of the shell and will cause premature wear.
10. Last one. The name is so incredibly stupid and over played, as are the name badges (bubble letters... REALLY!) The iPod came out, what, 16 years ago this month, and people are STILL trying to ride those coat tails with "i" branded products? It's insulting, un-inventive, and down right intellectual theft if you ask me.
Now, I know there are a lot more negative points here, but with a few very minor, easily changed construction details, and one major (the shell), this tent could very well become the best on the market. Its certainly the largest, which right now is its only redeeming feature in my opinion. It needs a gen 2 release STAT.
Coincidentally, I plan on selling mine, its not that I don't like the tent, because I do. I am just moving in a different direction. If you are still convinced you want one, PM me and we can discuss.
First trip with it was to Overland Expo East. All in, it cost me $3000, that includes the annex, awning, and canopy. I opted for the medium ladder at 94" in length.
Here are my Positive thoughts and comments:
1. This thing is HUGE! I mean its absolutely cavernous. I'm a larger guy at 6'2" and 250lbs, and I fully believe you could fit 4 of me in here and sleep relatively comfortably (Its 80" wide!). For sure 2 adults, 2 kids, and probably a dog or 2 would all fit at the same time. Absolutely ingenious.
2. Opening the tent is very straight forward and initial set up takes about 60 sec. This is a huge plus to me.
3. Mounting is also very easy and straight forward. At only 160lbs its relatively light, but the size requires 2 people, 3 if your roof or rack is over 6' off the ground, to lift and mount.
4. The poly canvas is on par with other tents and I have yet to find any flaws in the sewing or seam sealing.
Now on to the bad parts.
1. The shell is extremely thin. Far thinner than the other fiberglass tent shells on the market. How thin you ask? Well I can see fibers in the gel coat, I can deform the shell with just a light hand touch, and at night as the temp drops the shell pops as its contracting. There are also very visible waves, bumps, and deformations in the shell when the light hits it just right. This is probably my largest concern with the tent and why the damn Chinese shouldn't make anything unless meticulously micro managed.
- side note: What is this obsession with Fiberglass? Its brittle, cant take a hit, sucks to work with, and overall is a sub par material when compared to roto-mold plastic or ABS plastic. Personally, if I were designing a hardshell tent it would have a roto-mold shell. Have you ever heard of a new roto-mold kayak breaking, its VERY rare because the plastic is tough as nails. But what do I know, I just have a degree in engineering. (snarky side note over)
2. The mattress is absolute dog poop. Who on this planet can sleep on a 1" thick mattress?! I had to add a 2" topper, which for my wife was fine but left me wanting about an inch more of foam. Perhaps if you're a back or stomach sleeper the mat would be sufficient, but for me its sorely lacking. If folding it is the problem, why not offer an inflatable mattress? (side note: Why has no one done this yet!)
2b. When closing the tent with the additional 2" mattress topper, there is zero room left for bedding. The topper must also be folded twice and slid all the way in the back nearest the hinges to ensure a proper closure.
3. The windows, screens, and covers all zip and roll up. Why would you design it this way? They should all zip down so I can let as little or as much light in as I want as well as adjust the venting. The black out shade zip is also only reachable from the outside. It needs to have a 2 way zipper so I can open/close it from inside the tent.
4. The side windows do not have spring stays, so its either all the way open or all the way closed.
5. There needs to be a vent fan like a James Baroud. There is no way to vent the tent of air or condensation when the rain fly is installed. To me this is a huge problem.
6. The awning and annex require that the fly be installed since both use the fly as its only method of attachment to the tent. Huge design flaw in my opinion. What if its a hot summer day and I want shade AND venting of the tent? Because of this I cant have both.
7. The design of the awning lends itself to a difficult pitch. I think its due to the fly connection and the shape. Its doable, but it takes a few stakes and time to get going. With practice i think 5min setup time is reasonable.
8. The annex does not have a floor.
9. The plastic securing latches are cheap and seem brittle. They also rub the edge of the shell and will cause premature wear.
10. Last one. The name is so incredibly stupid and over played, as are the name badges (bubble letters... REALLY!) The iPod came out, what, 16 years ago this month, and people are STILL trying to ride those coat tails with "i" branded products? It's insulting, un-inventive, and down right intellectual theft if you ask me.
Now, I know there are a lot more negative points here, but with a few very minor, easily changed construction details, and one major (the shell), this tent could very well become the best on the market. Its certainly the largest, which right now is its only redeeming feature in my opinion. It needs a gen 2 release STAT.
Coincidentally, I plan on selling mine, its not that I don't like the tent, because I do. I am just moving in a different direction. If you are still convinced you want one, PM me and we can discuss.
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it's what I do for a living).