Hybrid CE

First impression: Tent well packaged, folded neatly with poles, stakes, guy lines and repair swatches all present and accounted for.

Close inspection of the overall stitching revealed excellent uniformity throughout with only two errant threads dangling. The zippers have nylon runners as pull tabs and operate without a hitch.

I laid out the tent And assembled the main pole sections. One thing that I was curious about before purchasing this tent was the structural integrity of the hubs. I couldn't get a close enough image of them on the internet to judge their durability. Looking at them now, I can see that there will be no worries. The pole hubs are machined from a solid billet of alloy and would positively be the last things to fail under stress. The tent went up quickly and the fit was perfect. Tight as a drum.

The reason I went with the Hybrid over the Extreme model, is the more vertical end walls that make better use of interior space. I get claustrophobic in the middle of the night if my face is up against the tent fabric in any way, so having a more vertical wall is a must. The stressed interior corners that would be staked out are beefed up with double fabric and stitching - nice touch! I set up the tent indoors first and noticed the center pole that overlaps the main pole brought the sides of the tent up off the ground some, which is caused by the physical force of the strain put upon the fabric by the pole. Had the tent been staked out firsthand, this would not have been as noticeable if at all. Looking at the tent, I can honestly say that I'm glad I went with the 2-man model.

It is very roomy and my 6' frame alongside another will fit just fine.

I intend to use this tent on my solo bicycle tour across America beginning next week.

In summary for this initial review, the fit and finish on this tent is as good as any I've ever seen. Easy to pitch, top quality materials, and roomy. The structure seems very sound and should take a thrashing without a whimper. The rain fly's color is most agreeable with me. I'm the kind of guy who likes to blend in when I'm in the wilderness. Who wants their vista interrupted by a brightly colored tent in the distance? Certainly not me. The sage color is exactly the same color as the sage in the desert where I spend a significant amount of time.

Well done!

* * * UPDATE * * *

Gladstone, Michigan: Day 5 of my Great Lakes bicycle tour.
I had originally planned for a western tour, but the heat on the plains has been relentlessly in the 100-105 degree range for the better part of a month, so I'm riding the Lakes instead.

The Hybrid CE 2 has been a reliable performer for the 4 nights I have used it. Each night has been marked by high humidity and a little wind. Early this morning it rained steadily for 5 hours and the tent handled it with aplomb. It just started up again as I write this sentence. The air circulation is surprisingly good for a tent of this design. The interior walls and ceiling never showed condensation. The underside of the rainfly was damp, however, which is to be expected in high humidity. Entering and exiting is a little tricky in the rain. Unless you are careful, the rainfly will spill water into the tent when you unzip. I give the fly a couple of good raps with the back of my hand and then fold it outward and away as I open it fully. It goes without saying that you should use the leeward door when it's raining.

I found the tent to be incredibly stable in design, even after the 3 times I tripped over the almost invisible guy lines. These could be made more visible, maybe an orange that would contrast against the green ground cover. This tent is made to shed the wind! Looking at it from the front, one can see the very gradual slope of the spacious vestibules. Everything that was in my bicycle trailer fits underneath the vestibules and is within easy reach from inside. The interior storage pockets are at thee sides where they belong, not at the front or back like other tents I've owned. Bravo on the fly zipper design! It zips from either top or bottom, which enables you to secure the velcro tabs after the bottom has been zipped for 100% water tight integrity.

- Scott E

I used this tent (the 2-man) for the first time on a trip lasting 4 nights. This is exactly what I was looking for in a solo tent. I wanted a tent that had enough room for my sleeping bag and my gear, with little wasted space. Being somewhat skeptical ordering a tent that I had not seen in person, I did not know what to expect size, set up and material wise. As per usual,the two man tent is room enough for a sleeping bag and my gear. I like a tent as small and efficient as possible. Two people in this tent would take up all the floor space pretty tightly and would not leave much room for gear (I do not like to leave mine outside). The construction is solid. I have only owned three or four lightweight tents, all of them being old fashioned dome style, and this is by far the easiest tent to set up, take down and pack that I have ever had. It is definitely several steps up from what I am used to. Both doors have a vestibule, which is great for shoes, wet clothes, etc. There is plenty of ventilation,as there are two doors that unzip to mesh and two windows at the head and foot, as well as a mesh roof window. Even with the rain-fly on, which covers the tent entirely, it stays aired out inside. There are vents on the fly at each end that can be controlled from inside via a zipper at the top of the window. You can reach through and open or close the vent using a nicely designed Velcro wrapped stick (it kind of hard to explain, but it works well). Pretty much the only complaint I have design-wise is that the small windows on each end do not close with solid fabric. I knew this purchasing the tent though, knowing the rain-fly would cover them. This is just a privacy issue, I like my tent closed up at busy campgrounds. When set up and staked to the ground, the structure is extremely taut and stable. The floor is made of about the same material (but slightly more coated) as the walls are. I used a common 6' by 8' tarp from the hardware store as a footprint. It was just the right size to cover the floor of the tent. If you want to cover the ground under the vestibules, an 8' by 10' tarp would be needed. I have not encountered any rain but I can almost guarantee this tent would stay completely dry even in windy, heavy rain. The rain-fly encompasses the entirety of the tent and all water running down is channeled several inches away from any part of the tent itself. Also, the tent did not even budge in the 20 MPH wind of a cool front; again, it is very solid. If you put your hand on the top to shake it, it barely moves. I am very pleased with everything from the materials to the engineering of this tent. Overall an excellent buy.

- KIWH

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I took the tent camping for the first time at the coast in Oregon, and it was a great test, because it rained all night long, the tent inside did not get wet nor leak. During the rain storm i did feel the underside of the fly, and it was wet. Im not sure if this is a bad thing or not. But the main thing is i did not get wet.
The roominess was outstanding, i was easily able to fit 2 people plus air pads and extra gear in the tent as well as in the vestibules. Ventallation was great, with the ability to turn the doors into screens, plus the vents you can prop open on either side of the fly.
Set up
I was able to set it up by myself in about 5-8 min, with is quite impressive for a tent to be so easy and intuitive.
it was very light and portable to carry, just split the load between two people, and you are only carrying around 3 extra lbs ea.

All in all, a great tent that i highly recommend for your backpacking needs.

- swagg

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