Which tent?

[luke moffat]

I think if you want to use a stove in the shelter the penalite is better than the SL-5. The SL-5 is 29 oz for just the fly sheet while the Penalite is 1.5 pounds more. Mainly due to the guyout designs as well as 30D silnylon than GoLite's 15D. Also the floor layout and the extra 10% of sq footage makes it nice to run the stove and still have room for our sleeping bags layed out in the MLD nest and have 4 people in the shelter around the two (only 2 sleeping bags though as the most I'd want to sleep in there with the stove would be 3.

Another big plus for the penalite is the door zipper! MUCH better to operate than the Golite which always catches if you aren't using both hands to keep the storm flap out of the zipper track. So we have both and wanted to keep the SL-5 as light as possible for trips where we aren't bringing a stove anyways or don't need the extra weight of a stove jack anyways and use the 1.5 pound heavier, more robust fabric and slightly roomier Pentalite for our stove tipi shelter. I hope that made sense, if not I can try to clarify.

 

[Colby Jack]

Made a lot of sense Luke. Just got the REI dividend and outlet coupon!!!

 

[luke moffat]

Made a lot of sense Luke. Just got the REI dividend and outlet coupon!!!

Well that makes it a no brainer!!! Safe the extra $$$ and get a small nest from either MLD or Bearpaw to use in it for when the bugs are bad or you want a bathtub floor and bug screen for your or you and someone else....13 oz isn't much more than a lot of the bivys out there and the nests are much less restrictive.

 

[Colby Jack]

I was thinking the same thing. I was thinking I would get a solid wall nest from bearpawwd. Might keep a bit more heat after the stove dies out. You got the Pentalite 4, correct?

 

[luke moffat]

Just to be 100% certain its this one here :

http://www.rei.com/product/857767/n...|google|main&gclid=CIvH4reps70CFQqCfgodqmkAZg

 

[colonel00]

Out of curiosity, how much weight do you save using trekking poles with the Pentalite?

 

[luke moffat]

Out of curiosity, how much weight do you save using trekking poles with the Pentalite?

A solid nest will weight likely in the 18-20 oz range. Would make it more like a double wall shelter in there too though so might be worth it for you. I didn't find me wishing for a solid wall nest though. Once the stove goes out its not gonna hold heat any longer than a standard nest or bivy though.

Brad,

My scale is on loan to a buddy, as he is using it to help with his kid's science fair project...I'll have to get back to you on that.

 

[colonel00]

No worries. I think it is fairly safe to assume the pole is close to the SL5 pole of 12oz or more, so fairly substantial savings.

 

[Olydog09]

That is a great price right now. About 40% off.

 

[Colby Jack]

Just to be 100% certain its this one here :

http://www.rei.com/product/857767/n...|google|main&gclid=CIvH4reps70CFQqCfgodqmkAZg

Haha. Yup. That's the one. Thanks again Luke.

 

[BigMac]

No worries. I think it is fairly safe to assume the pole is close to the SL5 pole of 12oz or more, so fairly substantial savings.

I think the earlier models pre 2012? The pole adjusted from both ends, and are little heavier. The later models only adjust on one end, and come in at 12 oz or so.

 

[HardcoreHunter]

Luke, how do you carry your pantalite, do you put it in a lighter case or the one it came with

 

[Rucker61]

Did you have a problem with water leaking through on your SL-5 or it tearing due to being only 15D?? Just wondering cause I've used an SL-5 since beginning of 2010 so this will the 5th season with one and still shows no signs of leakage (after seam sealed) or tearing.

I only had the SL5 out in one set of storms, so I will definitely yield to the Moffat/Alaska experience over my limited one. Haven't been through the same storms in the Luna 5. It was a combination of GIF, wanting the perimeter netting upgrade and desire to support a local business (John just lives about 2 miles away) for a very little cost impact.

 

[luke moffat]

Gotcha...makes sense to go with the dude right down the road. I have no doubt the Luna is a great tent, but I have only used the SL-5 of the two mentioned so can't comment my opinions too much about one over the other! I'm sure it'll be a great tent.

 

[couesbitten]

Just purchased a new Nemo Pentalite from REI Outlet for $186 shipped with a 20% off code that they were offering to REI members, couldn't pass up a deal like that. Looking forward to trying it out this summer, now I just need to get a nest for it and sew in a stovejack.

 

[jjentringer3921]

Hey Luke, do you think the pentalite seems bigger on the inside than the SL-5. I was looking at rei.com and it says the pentalite has 77 square foot of floor space and I was thinking the Sl-5 at 90-95 so I'm curious as to how it feels for floor space of if the pentalite 4 I'm looking at on REI is different than the one you run.

Jarred

 

[couesbitten]

In the Pentalite, only some of the tent footprint is counted as floor space. Roughly, everything from the center pole or tension strap to the back of the tent is floor space and everything in front of that is vestibule. Official specs are 77 sq.ft. of floor space and 20 sq.ft. of vestibule. Check the bottom picture on this link.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=...Jt9DbjGanYP59MIA315KY82w&ust=1396276718108888

 

[luke moffat]

Cousebitten is correct, if you aren't using the nest that you can order from Nemo (the wedge) then the total floor space of the Nemo is the 77 sq ft plus the 20 sq ft for the vestibule giving it a total of 97 sq ft. The SL-5 is roughly 90 sq ft.

Hope that helps.

 

[jjentringer3921]

Oh gotchya, I see it now. Thanks for the info, I really like the pentalite idea
At 170$

 

[Ruskin]

Pentalite sold out. I tried to order last night and all gone. Guess, i'm back to looking for another option.