Sierra Designs Lightning XT 4 Tent
First of all, I live in Maine, which has short summers – but they are usually beautiful for outdoor activities – not too hot, plenty of places to explore, and all within a reasonable distance from where I live. I’m an hour from the White Mountains, an hour from the Atlantic Ocean, and less than that from some great trails. Perfect? Well, this year has been so rainy and wet, that getting out has been difficult.
I received the Sierra Designs Lightning XT 4 tent though, and that was a great motivator! I have three kids, and we usually end up taking two tents. Doing that means two sets of everything – poles, rain fly, etc. The XT is light – just about 7 lbs (for everything according to my home scale), which is lighter than my 2 two – person tents together. Dividing the parts of the XT between two packs, makes it an easy carry.
Ball Cap Connector and SQ Ring
The set up was pretty simple – we looked at the picture, and my 16 year old had it set up in no time. There are 4 hubbed poles that use the unique Ball Cap Connector™ with SQ Ring™ . This system works very well. The Ball Cap holds the poles in place, without the need for grommets on the ends of the poles. The ball cap pivots without releasing, which is a big help during set-up and take down. I was a bit surprised that it easily released with just a little pressure from my thumb. I went from thinking it would be impossible to get apart, to it popping off when the right technique was used. The SQ Ring attaches to the inside of the tent fly and connects the ridge pole to the fly. I wasn’t sure if I should refer to it as a dome tent, or a tunnel tent. It is a bit hard to describe. After looking at the web site, I realize why – its a combination of the two. It is freestanding and has large door openings like many dome tents, and steep walls and covered door openings like a tunnel style tent.
Tent and Tent with Rain Fly
The amount of floor space is amazing. It really is possible to fit 4 people in the tent comfortably. The rain fly provides a nice vestibule area to keep gear dry and out of the way. One of the nicest features are the inner pockets provide a spot to keep some things close at hand.
Picture taken from inside tent
The first night out was dry and a bit windy. The tent felt secure, and didn’t feel like it would blow away. For a lightweight tent, that is a great feature. We all slept well – without bumping into each other too much. The second night saw rain – and lots of it. When it first started, we considered giving up and heading home, but decided we’d see how the tent did in the rain, and when it started leaking we’d make a run for the car. As it turns out, staying was a good choice. It rained hard for 4 hours straight – with some wind. Amazingly, the inside of the tent stayed dry. Completely. Totally. When we got up in the morning and looked outside, there was standing water around the tent. The bathtub design of the floor kept the water out very well. The ventilation was pretty good, considering there were 4 people in a tent that was closed up against the rain. I am looking forward to taking it out again, soon. We were fortunate that we had a piece of level, fairly soft ground to set up on. I am wondering how it will work on the more typical, hard, rocky ground in northern New England. Another thing I’d like to see is how the ventilation really is. I am not a fan of really hot weather, so sleeping when it is really warm is tough for me. I wonder how much air circulation the tent allows during ‘normal’ summer weather?
Part 2 – August/September
We’ve put the Lightning to good use the second half of the summer. Usually there are three of us in the tent, which works out well. It is spacious enough for the three of us, and our gear. We could have fit another person in easily, but with three, it was very roomy. We’ve gone camping, hiking and kayaking in Maine and New Hampshire a few times this summer, and each time, we took the Lightning. So easy to pack and set up, it would be silly not to take it. Its light enough, that one of us takes the tent, and one of us takes the cooking gear, and it pretty much evens out the pack weights. Its nice to not have to take the time to set up more than one tent. The Lightning is so simple, it sets up quickly, which is especially nice at dusk, when it isn’t so easy to see.
Tent in the sunlight
One of the best features I’ve found is the ventilation. Three people breathing in humid weather can make for some very damp sleeping. The tent ‘breathes’ very well, allowing the warm air to escape. One cold evenings, the rain fly helps keep the inner tent warm, without totally closing off the ventilation. The rain fly really works well to keep out rain – which, since that is what it was designed to do, is a good thing. Even though its not a super lightweight tent, it is so nice to have the extra room, it is definitely worth it. Realistically, 7 lbs divided by 4, is actually less weight per person than most lightweight tents.
We went kayaking last weekend, and being able to change clothes inside the tent was really nice. The roominess is good for more than just sleeping! We’ve got a few fall trips planned, and will continue to use the Lightning. We really like this tent for a lot of reasons, and plan on using it as much as possible. It definitely has made sleeping in camp much more comfortable.
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