Anybody try BA Scout Tent?

Has anyone tried the Big Agnes Scout Tent? If so, what were the issues (likes/dislikes) associated with it?

Looked at it in the store; we set it up (as far as we could, since it's not freestanding), and I'm not overly impressed. There's no real overhang/vestibule at the door, and the door is solid (no mesh window backed by a solid panel.) I actually felt claustrophobic despite the size, since I couldn't see out. (Unless the weather is truly foul, I usually leave the vestibule at least half open on my Hubba or Copper Spur tents, and I only use the rainfly when there's a good chance of rain or heavy dew.)

There is a thin mesh strip that runs around the tent, and a small mesh panel in the rear wall (all protected by an overhang), but I'm not convinced they will really provide adequate ventilation in a hot, muggy, Ohio summer. I suspect that, on a sunny afternoon and evening, this thing will heat up quickly since you have to close the solid door to keep the bugs out.

Setup appears easy enough: stake out the corners, and put in your hiking poles to raise the roof. Then you try it. Did I mention both poles go inside the tent, not outside? The front pole goes in fine (and right in the middle of the doorway, so you have to navigate around it.) To put the back pole in, you have to climb into the tent and dive into the pile of nylon, grope around to find the "reinforced" spot the pole goes into, and then raise it up, placing the pole handle on the floor. Not only is the pole positioned in a perfect spot to be kicked over (collapsing the roof - which made me give up my similarly-designed SilShelter), but both poles go into the tent with the points facing up; I have to admit that I'm wondering how many tents will get returned to BA to have holes in the roof fixed.

Finally, there's a lot of big, flat panels on all 4 sides that would seem to be better at catching the wind than at deflecting it. With only the two unconnected poles for a frame, I'm wondering how sturdy it will be in wind or with a snow load. (I don't know if it was designed for mild winter use or not, so it may not be fair to criticize it for snow use.)

It's an OK first try at luring some TarpTent customers away, but it's not nearly as well-designed or well-executed as Henry's line.

It's worth a look, but my initial excitement waned very, very quickly. My local outfitter even asked if I'd want to try one out (he can get field-test loaners from BA); I told him I'd pass. For a die-hard gear junkie, that's real disappointment.

The front pole can be used outside the front door in addition to inside. I personally never judge a tent for its view, as I tend to spend as little time in them as possible.

That being said, down side is no vestibul, poorly positioned rear pole, and is a bit of a wind catch.

The local outfitters can't seem to keep them in stock. The order half dozen and they are gone the day they come in. I know a guy who got one and he loves it. He told me wind wasn't an issue. Since I'm in the Owens Valley wind is a constant in the spring. The rear of the tent angles in at about a 60 deg angle which sheds wind pretty well I'm told. If the wind swirls and switchs direction, like it tends to do in the Sierras, the stability could be affected.

I think it's a pretty neat design and hope future models correct a few errors in design.

We couldn't find an outside fitting for the front pole on the one my local dealer had. Maybe a production error? Got lost in the mass of nylon? And never rule out operator error?

The view from the tent wasn't an issue for me, either; I'm only in it when it's dark. However, I like to be able to see out (things that go bump in the night); I always liked tarp camping because of the openness, and didn't really move to tents until the nearly-all-mesh Hubba came out. Personal quirk.

Regional conditions may be important, too. I've never camped in the Sierras, but I'm assuming the humidity is a lot lower than in the Ohio River valley, where nights of 80 degrees with 80% humidity are common (and the rainfly never leaves its stuff sack.) In those conditions, solid impermeable walls are not what you want around you.

I forgot to say that I considered it as a possibility for a winter tent, until I realized that I could get substantially the same thing using the fly-and-footprint pitching option for my Copper Spur, with no outlay of cash.

I agree, I think the Scout design has potential, and I hope BA works on it some more. Put a net door on front, with a vestibule (or at least a generous beak) to protect it, and move the back pole, and they may have something great. Of course, it goes without saying (but I will) that a solo version would be even lighter. But for now, if I were going to move to a single-wall tent, I'd be looking at TarpTent or Six Moon Designs.

I haven't asked the local outfitter how Scout sales are here, but I can see people snapping them up. The test will be how many of those people are still using it a year from now.

https://www.bigagnes.com/resources/products/Scout%20SL%202%20tent%20door%20closed%201-zm.jpg

This picture shows the front pole on the outside.