Backcountry Forum
Backpacking & Hiking Gear

Backcountry Forum
Our long-time Sponsor - the leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear
 
 
 

Amazon.com
Backpacking Forums
---- Our Gear Store ----
The Lightweight Gear Store
 
 WINTER CAMPING 

Shelters
Bivy Bags
Sleeping Bags
Sleeping Pads
Snow Sports
Winter Kitchen

 SNOWSPORTS 

Snowshoes
Avalanche Gear
Skins
Hats, Gloves, & Gaiters
Accessories

 ULTRA-LIGHT 

Ultralight Backpacks
Ultralight Bivy Sacks
Ultralight Shelters
Ultralight Tarps
Ultralight Tents
Ultralight Raingear
Ultralight Stoves & Cookware
Ultralight Down Sleeping Bags
Ultralight Synthetic Sleep Bags
Ultralight Apparel


the Titanium Page
WM Extremelite Sleeping Bags

 CAMPING & HIKING 

Backpacks
Tents
Sleeping Bags
Hydration
Kitchen
Accessories

 CLIMBING 

Ropes & Cordage
Protection & Hardware
Carabiners & Quickdraws
Climbing Packs & Bags
Big Wall
Rescue & Industrial

 MEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 WOMEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 FOOTWEAR 

Men's Footwear
Women's Footwear

 CLEARANCE 

Backpacks
Mens Apparel
Womens Apparel
Climbing
Footwear
Accessories

 BRANDS 

Black Diamond
Granite Gear
La Sportiva
Osprey
Smartwool

 WAYS TO SHOP 

Sale
Clearance
Top Brands
All Brands

 Backpacking Equipment 

Shelters
BackPacks
Sleeping Bags
Water Treatment
Kitchen
Hydration
Climbing


 Backcountry Gear Clearance

Topic Options
Rate This Topic
#183372 - 02/28/14 12:32 AM I want your opinion on this tent, please!
ZachBilous Offline
member

Registered: 04/08/13
Posts: 15
(To bypass my preface click the link below to see The North Face Flint 2 BX)

I initially started out on this site, last year, seeking information for bivy's and 1 person/ 2 person ultralight tents. My intention was to head out on solo journeys. Over the past year I met a special woman and now I am seeking a tent which can accommodate her, too. I want a tent that will, ideally, be comfortable as a 1 person tent (as I will still go on solo journeys), and somewhat livable in a "cramped-but-not-to-cramped" 2 person tent. We'll (I'll) be doing 3 season bicycle camping only.

I live in B.C. Canada, and to order tents from the U.S., with the Canadian dollar so low, is basically not in my budget. Canada only carries a fraction of the tents the U.S. carries, nonetheless, my selection is limited and obviously more expensive! My budget, including tax, is $200.

I was at a local camping store today and they have a 40% off sale on tents. Other than the tent I'm going to post below, the others are in the $300-$700 price range, and like I said, I can't afford that.


This tent was originally $200, but is on sale for $120.

http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/sc-gear/flint-2-bx.html


Edited by ZachBilous (02/28/14 12:37 AM)

Top
#183376 - 02/28/14 08:15 AM Re: I want your opinion on this tent, please! [Re: ZachBilous]
phat Offline
Moderator

Registered: 06/24/07
Posts: 4107
Loc: Alberta, Canada

It's heavy - about twice the weight of an lightweight 2 person tent which you can usually get for just over 2 pounds for something like a tarptent, sierra designs fly creek, etc. etc. but those are going to run you at lease $250 or more.

fundamentally, there's nothing wrong with the design of that tent, it's a basic dome and should serve you well, it's just not what I would consider all that light. Decide if you want to blow about twice the money for something half the weight, if so look at some other options - if not, get out in the field and use it till you decide you want to afford something better smile
_________________________
Any fool can be uncomfortable...
My 3 season gear list
Winter list.
Browse my pictures


Top
#183387 - 02/28/14 06:39 PM Re: I want your opinion on this tent, please! [Re: phat]
ZachBilous Offline
member

Registered: 04/08/13
Posts: 15
Thanks for your opinion, Phat.

Top
#183393 - 02/28/14 07:51 PM Re: I want your opinion on this tent, please! [Re: ZachBilous]
aimless Online   content
Moderator

Registered: 02/05/03
Posts: 3292
Loc: Portland, OR
The North Face Flint 2 BX you linked to ought to work out OK. You will find that having a forward-facing entry will be a bit inconvenient and awkward for two people in that size of a tent, but that only applies during those moments you are getting in and out.

Top
#183434 - 03/02/14 05:35 AM Re: I want your opinion on this tent, please! [Re: aimless]
ZachBilous Offline
member

Registered: 04/08/13
Posts: 15
Thanks for your opinion, Aimless.

Top
#183437 - 03/02/14 07:32 AM Re: I want your opinion on this tent, please! [Re: ZachBilous]
Glenn Roberts Online   content
Moderator

Registered: 12/23/08
Posts: 2208
Loc: Southwest Ohio
For many years, TNF was THE brand to own; top of the line stuff we all lusted for. Then they became a clothing company, primarily serving the "I'm in college and want the label so it looks like I go outside a lot" crowd - and no one wore it in the woods any more because the quality nosedived. They quit making gear entirely.

A few years ago, they got back into gear making; their original stuff was not well-designed at all. However, they are improving, and are now probably a good bet.

The tent you pointed out looks well designed: the fly is full coverage, the floor space is adequate (I looked at the MSR Hubba Hubba NX for comparison, and the TNF tent is a few inches longer.) I like the arrangement of the floor: trapezoidal rather than rectangular. This puts all the extra room at one end of the tent, maximizing storage. (Very similar to the design of the Big Agnes Fly Creek and Seedhouse series.)

Don't expect it to be roomy. If possible, you and your friend should set this tent up in the store and crawl inside before you buy. If it's too crowded, see if it comes in a 3-person version. However, this tent does have the same amount of floor space as similar, more expensive tents from Big Agnes and MSR. Tents made for the backcountry are made to be set up in small spaces, and aren't overly roomy.

The picture shows sleeping bags arranged head-to-to. I'm not sure that's how I'd use it. I might angle the sleeping bags to be parallel to the side walls, and put both heads up at the door end. (In the picture, they're trying to arrange the bags perpendicular to the door and parallel to each other. For the shape of the floor, I've found angling to work better.) That's something you and your companion can try out in the house, before the trip.

I like the apparent free-standing aspect of the tent. I can only recall a handful of times I needed that feature (twice on an open rock ledge, with a spectacular view, and once in a public campground with packed gravel tent pads.) But, when you need that feature, you need it badly. I've found the freestanding aspect most useful after the trip, when I can set up the tent in the basement, backyard, or garage for a few hours to dry out.

As far as the weight, yes, it's heavy. But that's not a deal breaker. For one thing, the weight will be split between the two of you - that's a little over two pounds apiece, which is in the range of what most of us carry as a solo tent. (You don't have to actually divide the tent wieight between you; you get to the same place if one of you carries the kitchen and water filter, and the other carries the tent.)

What the "extra" weight really means is that you'll need to be a bit more discriminating in the other stuff you take. If you want to minimize overall pack weight, you just can't bring as many luxuries, or be a bit more spartan with your kitchen equipment. (Instead of a set of pots, plus a bowl and plate, you may need to plan meals for a single pot, and eat from the pot or the freeze-dried bags.) You get the idea - with this tent, you just have to plan the rest of your load differently than you would with a 2.5 pound, $500 tent. It's doable.

And all this assumes that you're trying to minimize the weight of your pack, with a 20 or 25 pound goal in mind. I know lots of folks who happily carry 30 or 35 pounds - and they're most certainly NOT doing it wrong, nor are they suffering on the trail.

But I digress - by a whole bunch! The tent looks fine. If you like it , get it; it should work very well for you.

Top
#183507 - 03/04/14 01:23 PM Re: I want your opinion on this tent, please! [Re: Glenn Roberts]
ZachBilous Offline
member

Registered: 04/08/13
Posts: 15
Great and informative, enlightening reply, Glenn Roberts.
Thank you!

Top
#184050 - 03/24/14 06:33 PM Re: I want your opinion on this tent, please! [Re: ZachBilous]
OHBlaze Offline
newbie

Registered: 03/24/14
Posts: 1
Loc: Cleveland, Ohio
Just as word of caution, or a heads up rather, but on those tents where the "tub" is that low to the ground if you pitch it where there is a lot of sand or loose powdery dirt and you get a decent wind it can blow the sand/dirt right into your tent through the mesh.

Top
#184081 - 03/25/14 08:19 PM Re: I want your opinion on this tent, please! [Re: OHBlaze]
Glenn Roberts Online   content
Moderator

Registered: 12/23/08
Posts: 2208
Loc: Southwest Ohio
Good point - I missed that (I rarely camp in those conditions; I'm usually in fairly thick woods.

Top

Shout Box

Highest Quality Lightweight Down Sleeping Bags
 
Western Mountaineering Sleeping Bags
 
Lite Gear Talk - Featured Topics
Backcountry Discussion - Featured Topics
Make Your Own Gear - Featured Topics
Featured Photos
Spiderco Chaparral Pocketknife
David & Goliath
Also Testing
Trip Report with Photos
Seven Devils, Idaho
Oat Hill Mine Trail 2012
Dark Canyon - Utah
Who's Online
0 registered (), 170 Guests and 0 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
Noodles, McCrary, DanyBacky, Rashy Willia, WanderBison
13240 Registered Users
Forum Links
Disclaimer
Policies
Site Links
Backpacking.net
Lightweight Gear Store
Backpacking Book Store
Lightweight Zone
Hiking Essentials

Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:

Backcountry Forum
 

Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!
 
 

Since 1996 - the Original Backcountry Forum
Copyright © The Lightweight Backpacker & BackcountryForum