Registered: 09/20/02
Posts: 35
Loc: Clemson South Carolina
I have one and i like it. I use it as one man tent. I'm 6'5" 240 lbs and like the room it has. Condensation has not been real problem but with two people it would prob be worse. All tents have condensation problem. I also have an Akto i use in colder weather great little tent.
I almost bought one once - until I noticed that the pole length needed to set it up was longer than the poles I was using at the time. (As I recall, the only poles that would work with it were MSR brand poles. Of course, since that time, I've started using the MSR Overland Carbon poles, which I like better than any others I've used.)
Never ordered it, so I can't say with 100% certainty that other poles won't work - but they wouldn't according to the specs in the catalog.
You might want to check out their Fling tent. It can be pitched free-standing or you can save some weight (bringing it down to the weight of the Missing Link) by leaving the arch pole behind. The cost is about the same, the general concept is similar, and the weight and floor space are comparable.
Better yet - get one of each and write a comparative review! (I love spending other people's money.) <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
That is my tent of choice. Its good for one or two plus a little terrier. My poles are REI brand (Leki?) carbons and they work. Two biggest issues are condensation (but really not bad for a single wall: pitch it tight with a stick to prop the back wall a bit) and footprint (you can't always find a consistently flat spot in some sites). But its great in the rain, and with that huge door, you can pitch it towards a great view and wake up looking right at it in the am. Takes me less than 2 min to set it up. Love it! Buy one! Buy two! Never stop buyin gear, bro!
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If a robot could carry my stuff, I'd make him carry me with my Osprey on my back any way.
MSR may have redesigned this tent since I looked at it in 2004. At that time, the tent instructions called for extending your poles to 137cm. (I just went looking - MSR website no longer includes that information in the description, but there are still reviews on BackPackGearTest, dated back to 2004, that indicate the same thing.) The Leki poles I had at the time only extended to 130cm, and the only poles I could find that were any longer were the MSR poles.
I have one and have used it a lot. They may have changed the design but they don't come seam sealed so make sure you don't make the same mistake as I did and not realize that until you're in the middle of a rainstorm.
Condensation is pretty bad but I don't have another single wall tent with non-breathable walls to compare it against.
I actually love the tent. If you get it I would suggest getting some Sierra Design Grip Clips to lock everything down with extra guy lines when it gets really windy. The middle of the vestibule flaps quite a bit in nice wind so I use a grip clip right in the middle of it.
Since you already have 2 tarptents, why get a heavier tent (packed weight of 3lbs 7oz)?
-Barry
Because I'm not the most practical person in the world!
Seriously, different shelters work best in different situations. I have an original Squall that is great for just me, but makes my better half icky because it has no floor. So, that' s where squall number two comes in (newer, more-spacious version with sewn in floor). However, my brother gets seriously claustrophobic in either of my tarptents, so that's where the missing link will come in. He'll appreciate having the space by the door. Plus I like the looks of it... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
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