Borderline Outdoor

A two-person double-wall backpacking tent at 1.44 kg: aluminum poles, ripstop nylon, a mesh inner and a vestibule for packs. The tent for people who carry it, not drive it.

Key facts

• 1.44 kg tent, fly and poles; about 1.85 kg packed with stakes and bag
• Packs Ø13 × 40 cm, fits inside a 40 L pack
• Two regular pads side by side; 110 cm peak, sit up but not stand
• Ripstop nylon: 2,000 mm fly, 3,000 mm floor, taped seams
• 3-season

Why this one

• Half the weight and a third of the pack size of an entry-level tent.
• Aluminum poles, not fibreglass.
• Mesh inner and vents keep condensation down on cold nights.

Good to know

Pitch it taut so the fly never touches the inner, and leave a vent open. If the tent rides in a car, a heavier tent will serve you as well for less.

The Star X2 is an integrated cooking system: burner and heat-exchanger pot as one unit. It boils 0.5 L in 1 minute 42 seconds, which is the number that matters when you're making coffee at 6 a.m. in the cold.

Where the speed comes from

• The heat exchanger on the pot base captures heat that an ordinary pot lets escape around the sides — that's what cuts boil time and fuel use.
• Piezo ignition: no lighter to lose or fail in wind.

Packing

• 630 g, packing to Ø13.3 × 20.5 cm — burner, pot and a small canister nest together.

Care

• Never run a canister stove in an enclosed tent without ventilation.
• Let the unit cool fully before packing it away.

A four-season geodesic dome for exposed sites and winter base camps: crossing poles brace each other, so the tent stays rigid when tunnel and cabin tents flap.

Key facts

• 380 × 330 cm floor, 185 cm peak; four with gear, six in a row
• 70D 230T silicone-coated nylon fly, 2,000 mm
• Detachable 150D floor, 4,000 mm; 20D breathable inner
• Freestanding geodesic frame, rated four-season
• Add-ons sold separately: vestibule (covered entrance for boots, packs and a stove), ceiling liner

Why this one

• Freestanding: pitch it on rock or a platform, then move it before staking.
• Built for wind and snow load, not only rain.
• Modular: buy the vestibule when you start winter camping, not before.

Good to know

Two people and one practice pitch make the first setup easy. The floor detaches for drying and for hot-tent style use with a mat.