Slingfin or Kuiu

[Rghunter2]

After going on my first elk trip in colorado this year, i am going to be purchasing another tent. I have a Hilleberg Nallo 2 GT that i stayed in this year. Awesome tent but i wont use it for a september/october archery hunt. It performed awesome but it took up more space and was heavier than i want. I am looking at a Slingfin Portal and a Kuiu mountainstar or possibly a 1 man summit refuge. I dont want to get wet, from condensation or rain. I would also like the ability to pack up my tent in the morning and move on if needed. My concern with the Kuiu style is you really would need to keep the tent together in the morning and just roll it up as one unit (floor, mesh, cover). The tent would be wet from condensation and i would think would smell moldy. With the Slingfin, you can easily take the cover off and roll it up and store it away from the rest of the tent. Over lunch, you could lay it out and dry it if needed. Maybe i am splitting hairs here but it seems like an easier design. Weight and packed size of the slingfin is also better than the kuiu mountain star. The 1 man summit refuge should be lighter but not much and i think you are giving up quite a bit for saving a pound. Sorry for the long post. Thoughts?

 

[Kevin_t]

Self promotion here .. but why dont you get a Seek Outside Silex and Inner. You can leave the inner and outer attached and pitch it all at once in about a minute. The inner has DWR on top , and for 2022 , mostly DWR on the sides, but with some breathable mesh parts. Combined weight is about 2.5 lbs in Nylon. Handles wind very well as long as you pitch it well .. has large vestibules good for bow / rifle etc if solo.

 

[Rghunter2]

I did look at the silex and will look at it again. I won’t carry camp every day on my back. The area I hunt almost requires trekking poles. I liked the idea of being able to walk away from a standing tent if I wanted to.

 

[Htm84]

If it was me I’d get the slingfin. A few friends have both those kuiu tents. The mountain star seems ok but the 1 man tent looks like a pain. My friend always has trouble setting it up and it didn’t fair well in the wind. Plus I like the extra space of a 2 man.

 

[snowcamoman]

I've got a Slingfin Portal and my sheep hunting buddy has the Mountain Star 2 tgat I've setup and been around in brutal weather. I also have a Silex. Each has their own benefits. What's your main criteria, minimum weight, wind handling abilities, ease of setup?

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[Rghunter2]

Weight first, then ease of set up, followed by durability. That order could change with more hunts. I should add as well that it needs to pack down small. My hilleberg had to be attached to the outside of my bag

 

[snowcamoman]

The Kuiu goes up fast with the external poles. The Slingfin is a bit lighter, but takes longer to guy out and anchor down. Dealing with a wet fly is a pain either way. If it's nice out, they get shaken and dry out fast on the Slingfin. If it's non stop rain, getting either one put away cleanly and dry is impossible. My Slingfin flattened in my face on a late season hunt last year while the Kuiu stayed locked down solidly. I'm not sure how that happened, but nothing broke on the Slingfin and amazingly, none of my guys pulled. The wind just shifted and hit the largest exposed area of the tent wall, forcing it down onto my face. Looking back now, I wish I would've taken my lighter Warmlite 2C tent. The 2C isn't freestanding, but handles wind like a champ and is lighter than the Slingfin too.

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[sargent]

I've been really happy with my Tarptent Aeon Li. I had it out in some nasty conditions and it did it's job. It sets up and packs up in 3-5 minutes and weighs just over a pound with stakes and everything. It pitches with a single trekking pole so you could leave one with the tent and carry one, or cut a stick to replace the pole while you're away from camp. It's on the small side, so if you're wanting more room, maybe look into some of tarptent's other offerings, but for me the Aeon is hard to beat. IMO, buying a Slingfin portal or Kuiu Mountainstar would be doubling up on four season (three season +?) tents, while the Tarptent would give you a truly lightweight option to complement your Hilleberg. Good luck with your search.