Outdoor Vitals Cirq Trekking Pole Tent

[AKmatt]

Has anyone (@B_Reynolds_AK , @ExoMtnGear ) had their hands on this tent? Just released today. How does it compare to other pole tents in terms of weight, ease of use, space, ventilation, and most importantly durability to the elements?

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

Has anyone (@B_Reynolds_AK , @ExoMtnGear ) had their hands on this tent? Just released today. How does it compare to other pole tents in terms of weight, ease of use, space, ventilation, and most importantly durability to the elements?

No I have not. All those things remain to be seen.

 

[campbluejeans3]

I don't have my hands on one, but I have been shopping for a 1P tent and compared its specs against the Argali Owyhee 1P and Durston X-Mid 1. The Cirq weighs 29 ounces, compared to Owyhee at 31.8 (fly + insert) and X-Mid at 25.3 (fly + insert). The floor dimensions of the Cirq seem tight at 91.3" x 28" (length x width). X-Mid has 93" x 33" and Owyhee at 106" x 35". Granted, the dimensions of the X-Mid and Owyhee are not rectangular, so anyone with floor specs by square feet would have a better comparison. With the Cirq's shorter length and the departure angle being steeper since the trekking poles would be in the center of the tent, in contrast to the X-Mid, with the trekking poles offset length-wise closer to the head and foot of the tent, I am concerned that my head and feet may touch the walls similar to the 1P tent I have been using for years, which is 90" in length and 48" tall.

However, the Outdoor Vitals site says that it fits most up to 6' 6" comfortably without brushing their head or feet against the tent wall fabric. That must be due to their peak height of 53"/44" since the front trekking pole is set up to be taller than the rear pole. Hopefully, the reviews will help clarify this.

I prefer to save weight by leaving the inner portion of the tent setup at home when conditions allow, which would bring the X-Mid's weight to 15.3oz and the Owyhee's to 14oz. Since the Cirq is a single-wall design, we wouldn't have the modularity that double-wall tents offer.

The larger full-width ridge vents are impressive, and I would be excited to read reviews of how this impacts condensation build-up. Also, this is the first time I've heard of NP Shield Fabric. I'm not an expert on fabrics, but we can compare the HH ratings: 2,000mm for the Cirq, 2,500mm for the Owyhee, and 3,500mm for the X-Mid. Outdoor Vitals doesn't specify that the nylon portion is only for the bathtub floor. I've read that comparing the denier of the fabric isn't as straightforward, since durability is highly influenced by the manufacturing process and fabric design, both of which can vary widely.