Well summertimes here and i thought i would get the trusty tents out and give them a pre- season airing.
While i was dong so i thought id snap a few pics with my Blackberry and come tell you all about this amazing little gem that i spent literally weeks and weeks researching for.
Welcome to the Coleman Avior X2 Exponent Tent.
Mmmmm Nice :) Fig:1
The Avior X2 weighs in at a meagre 2.45Kg. It is unbelievably small, with only two sprung loaded, thin Aluminium (say that again with me you Americans....thats Alu-min-ium) 7001 T6 poles that collapse to about 8 inches in length. It takes literally minutes to erect.
The cool thing about this the tent is simply toggle-hooked to the flysheet. So theres no erecting the tent in the pouring rain then covering it with a flysheet afterward. Similarly, vice-versa, theres also no need to erect a flysheet then a tent beneath it. The whole thing is one unit because the actual tent section is mesh....yet another plus in the never ending war upon condensation.....not with this baby, its ventilation city under there.
The reason i spent sooooooooo long researching for a good backpacking tent is that most are bulky and heavy. I wanted a tent that would fit horizontally along the bottom of my Karrimor Sabre bergen (thats the biggest one of the bergens sitting on the kitchen sink there atthe top of this page), and it had to be a solid, good quality light tent. The Avior X2 met all the criteria. If you want a backpacking tent to fit flat in the base of your rucksack then i believe you cant go past this beauty. Oh did i mention, its 2 person also!. (well it is if you like intimacy with your camping compadre, but we'll get to that just now).
First off, the pack size (See Fig:2)
I stuck my hand on the bag to provide a size comparison.....I ask you, how small is that?
(The tent that is - not my hand....sheeeesh!! some folks, i swear,, you just can't help them!!).
Its just uber small (did you like the way i said that? im gonna say it again cos it makes me feel down with the kids.......its just uuuuber small), and comes in a compression sack though technically speaking, you cant compress it as the handle is stitched in the way. It shouldnt really be described as a compression sack i think. Still, who cares, its that small you dont even need to compress it. The destructions (i mean instructions) are sewn into the bag and it even comes with a diddy little bag containing a neat repair kit (Bless you Coleman, you think of everything....except the beers).
Fig:2
POLES:
Theres only two to concern your pretty little head with and they're elasticatedlifiededly sprung for your convenience :) They are about 1cm in diameter or less and light as a feather, as are the tent pegs. The largest forms an arch type shape at the front and smallest it a foot arch at the rear. The only drawback to this tent for some people, is that it is NOT freestanding.
After inserting the poles, you need to pull and peg the front and rear guylines and peg them out. This will hold up the poles while you then go round and stretch out the tent, pegging along the way. You can then retension the guys and thats it basically, the whole thing is ready. So easy that anyone who knows the difference between a tent bag and a human hand can do it. :)
Fig: 3
MATERIALS:
The Avior X2 tent is no-seeum-mesh with a sewn in waterproof groundsheet. the groundsheet is very thin in order to keep the weight and packsize to a minimum.
I recommend if your using this tent anywhere rocky/stoney, to carry a thicker plastic sheet to lay down beneath the groundsheet before erecting it just as a precautionary measure only.
The outer shell is a fire retardant, UV protected, WeatherTec system with a 4000mm hydrostatic head. (watch the monsoons just roll effortlessly off this bad boy).
So, let the kiddies fork out for half grand flashy brand named tents that appear to get trashed at the first gale force wind. Coleman have been manufacturing outdoor equipment ever since i was an itch in my daddies pants.......I trust time honoured reputations over anything David Beckham attempts to sell me, any bloody day of the week.
Fig: 4View from foot of the tent
Fig: 5
The beading on the dark door panel is reflective in the dark
Fig: 6
Small, light, compact, reliable
PRICE:
This little beauty was a mere £95 when i bought it. probably pick it up for less now.
What your going to save in weight and space its worth it three times over in my humble.
It really is a backpackers gift. Check one out and all the stats that i missed on here because i was too bone idle to type em.
THE COLEMAN AVIOR X2
WHEN THEY STOP MAKING THEM - DONT COME CRYING TO ME!!
Copyright 2012
Kittchensink Productions
All rights reserved
This tent possibly saved my life in a gale at Angle Tarn last year. I was awake all night, not daring to shift in case the wind got under the tent. It rocked and rolled, but it stayed bone dry and intact. I staggered down to Patterdale next morning in a blow that was so strong that I was hurled off my feet several times. One big advantage of the X2 is that it has both side and front doorways. I keep the front one closed and use it for storage and cooking, while my boots go in the side access, which is my way in and out. My 60 litre rucksack, believe it or not, fits inside the tent, at the end (I'm 5ft 8ins, in case you wondered). The Avior ISN'T actually that lightweight - for the same money you can now get a Wild Country Zephyros 1 for instance, which is a kilo lighter and has a high pedigree. (Laser Competition cheap copy) and I sometimes have trouble pitching it so that it doesn't look as though it's about to collapse in the middle.
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