Read about here.
Most of the time, gear designers take no notice of end users as they know best. So it was a nice surprise to see that Kuiu’s new addition to the product range has incorporated a change which completely solves the problem of door material flapping and they have done away with opposing doors so that each person has protection from the wind rather than just one person.
The latest tent is a four season, 2 person tent called the Storm Star.
Here are 2 photographs showing the change made to pole attachment. The New tent is basically a 4 season version of the Mountain Star.
Well done Kuiu for not just listening but taking the issues on board.
The original Mountain Star tent which shows the tent pole attachment to the tent being quite high from the ground. This causes the door material to flap badly as it cannot be tensioned properly.
(Pity the photo is superimposed onto a snowy background though)
Nice one Alan. That is one sturdy looking tent. Was heading for the snow today but had to cancel at last moment.
ReplyDeleteCheers Dawn. It certainly looks a sturdy tent. I don't think I will be in a position to test one out as I haven't had enough use of my current tents.
ReplyDeleteWe had around 10cm of snow here but most has now melted. It would have been nice to get out in it but that's another story.
I've had the Storm Star 2P for 5 months now. Have taken 4 extended trips and have the following to offer - 1. Great for one person. Two people is a stretch - no room for gear in the tent. Suggest taking heavy duty plastic bags to keep packs and other gear dry. Vestibules are small. 2. Weight is excellent. 3. Setup is easy. D-ring clips are difficult in cold weather. 4. Optional footprint is recommended as tent floor is thin. 5. Recommend a medium sized REI compression sack for tent body. The included tent sack is okay if the tent is dry. Too small otherwise. Conclusion (so far) - good tent for one. Tight for two. Vestibules need snow flaps to help keep moisture out. Hope this helps.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anonymous your comments and findings always welcome. I don't think there is much difference in size between the Storm Star and Mountain Star. I guess it all depends on the size of the 2 people. I am 5-8 and Sheila is 5-4 so it's a perfect tent for us two. The porches are not huge but do take our rucksacks just about and still give enough room to get in and out.
DeleteThe D clips can be tough to open and close, especially in cold weather. We never open them at all but slide the poles through.
We use a polycro footprint and the bag is poor. I use a dry bag.
Overall we really like the Mountain Star even with its faults.