Replacement for Integral Designs Mk 1?

My Integral Designs Mk 1 is now around 13 years old. It's been my automatic choice for all of that time, except when family camping, which obviously calls for something bigger. As a result, the tent has a lot of days on it, although generally in pretty moderate conditions - plenty of rain, moderate cold, but no really heavy mountain weather.

I hadn't had it out in really heavy rain for some time, although it stood up fine to occasional showers on outings earlier this year. However, on a just-ended climbing trip to Australia, I was subjected to a week of heavy rain in the Grampians. There were breaks of course, but it came down heavily and pretty continuously. I had re-seam-sealed the four corners with Seamgrip on principle just prior to the trip; but the tent has been so solid for so long that I really didn't worry too much, and may have been a bit casual about it.

Well, I got substantial leakage at all four corners, as well as minor leakage through one of the horizontal wall seams (there are two of these that run across the two end walls of the tent at about 3/4 height). Seamgrip wasn't available in the local shops, but I found some silicon "marine sealant" and after allowing the tent to dry during a break in the weather, I slathered a bunch of this on all the outside corner seams, as well as the one leaking wall seam. It's a bit unsightly, but it did the job, and I stayed pretty dry until we found better weather (and dry rock) at Mt. Arapiles in our second week.

So, my beloved tent is at least temporarily trustworthy with its renewed sealant; but I'm thinking that if all of the seams are going at once on all four corners, this suggests that I'm probably running up against the useable lifespan of the tent.

My first impulse is to just go out and buy another ID tent - probably the MK 1 XL. However, I'm interested in what other folks might recommend. I'm principally intersted in single-wall, because I've loved my current tent so much, but I'm not absolutely wedded to the idea.

Criteria: I want it light - probably 3.5 kg (7.8 lbs) max., and preferrably lighter, to assist in meeting airline baggage weight limits when traveling with heavy climbing gear. I also want it weather proof, but I'm not a real mountaineer - just someone who spends a bunch of days each year outside - so it doesn't necessarily have to be a full-on mountaineering tent. A small footprint is good, but I wouldn't mind a bit more space that the Mk 1, which at 208x117 cm (82x46 in) is really pretty tiny - even smaller than an I-tent. And I want it durable - I got 13 years out of my current ID tent, and I would hope to get the same out of its replacement.

Anybody got a thought?

The only two groups of tents I would consider for replacing the ID are the ID Mk 1 and the related ones from ID and the very similar Bibler/Black Diamond tents. I have an Eldorado, which is slightly larger than the Bibler I-tent or ID Mk 1, with about 10 years on it. It also has stood up very well. BD has an eVent version of the I-tent (same size and shape as the ID Mk 1, just a different vent design) which is even lighter(about 2/3 the weight), which they are selling under the Black Diamond label (curious question - the "Todtex" versions are sold by BD as "Bibler", per Todd Bibler who designed them, but the eVent Epic version (thanks CWF for the reminder) is sold with a Black Diamond label - exact same design). ID has talked about an eVent version, but GE's negative comments about using their eVent fabric for tents has kept several tentmakers from using it.

Thanks for sharing your story. I recently purchased a MK3 thinking to lighten my load a bit and took it out on a mutli day backpacking trip in the mountains of Tennessee. The whole time it rained and like you I had 9 major leaks thruout, and this in a brand new tent. Of course, I did not seam seal the taped seams and so when I got home I did and it is now leak free as I tested it with several hours of the water hose.

There's not much wiggle room with a single wall tent, and any leak is quickly apparent and soon to wet the gear. And I have a question for Tokyo bill: In all your years of use, did you always use it with the attached vestibule?? I found here in the southern appalachians that the tent without the vestibule is practically worthless. (No place to cook and every time I go in and out my stuff gets wet). I really want to give my MK3 another chance and hope to very soon.

Bill, actually BD does not make a tent out of eVENT but instead EPIC, which is not functionally waterproof and not as breathable as eVENT.

I would replace it with a Hilleberg - the best 4 season shelters available - and learn to love double walled shelters.

CWF said:

Bill, actually BD does not make a tent out of eVENT but instead EPIC, which is not functionally waterproof and not as breathable as eVENT.

I would replace it with a Hilleberg - the best 4 season shelters available - and learn to love double walled shelters.

I'm glad you brought it up, Hilleberg that is, and my Hilleberg dome is the most waterproof tent I ever had. The below fotog shows a recent trip when I was caught in a usual deluge with a one inch lake around the tent and in the vestibule. It wasn't the first time and it won't be the last, but I didn't get a single drop of water coming in thru the floor. Of course, not all Hillebergs are equal, there's the Kerlon 1200 types and the Kerlon 1800 types, and the 1800 comes with beefier floors with beefier coatings.

CWF is correct (I made the correction to my post). GE, a division of which makes eVent, strongly opposes tents made of eVent. The reason, as I understand it, is the fire codes in many states are such that eVent will not pass the required test. This is particularly true for California, the biggest tent-buying state in the US. Hilleberg do not sell their tents in California for just this reason (not made of eVent, but still won't pass the fire test used in certain states). Silcoat fabrics also will not pass those tests.

Of course, if you follow the normal advice of "no flames in or within 20 feet of any tent", the fire codes do not matter anyway. And you should not cook inside a tent anyway because of the oxygen depletion and CO problems.

Responding to Tipi Walter regarding vestibule use: I bought one when I bought my Mk 1, but basically never use it.

If I anticipate rain, I sometimes carry and rig an Integral Designs Siltarp 2 for outdoor space and cooking.

(link: http://www.integraldesigns.com/product_detail.cfm?id=727&CFID=493815&CFTOKEN=79078651&mainproducttypeid=1),

It's actually lighter and more spacious than the vestibule.

As noted, however, I'm more a pure rock climber than a mountaineer or backpacker. As such, if the forecast looks too much like rain, I wimp out and don't go. If the rock is wet, I won't be climbing anyway, which basically eliminates the point of being out there.

If I were backpacking, I'd probably be more interested in using the integrated vestibule. I also suspect that the vestibule for the Mk 3 is more spacious and usable that that for the Mk 1, which is really quite small.

As for your comment on seam sealing - I seam sealed my Mk 1 when I got it (which I think was recommended by the manufacturer back then - not sure if it still is), and had no problems up until this most recent trip. Based on my experience with the Mk 1, it seems like ID did seam tape, and the care and quality are high; but various items (e.g., tie-in points, etc.) were then sewn on, resulting in unsealed needle holes. All of these points, as well as high stress points like corners, definitely need to be periodically seam sealed. With this treatment, however, my Mk 1 has been bomb-proof for years, and I'll bet the same will be true of your Mk 3.

In response to Bill S and CWF: I've been looking at the BD EPIC fabric tents, and have heard some good things. I'm nervous, however, about the fact that EPIC isn't actually waterproof. In serious cold, that might not be an issue; but in serious wet, it sounds like a real problem. The weight and price on the EPIC models sure is appealing, however...

Anyone have actual experience with an EPIC model in serious wet?

Also, thanks to CWF and Tipi W. for the Hilleberg recomendation. I've heard the name, but don't know the gear. I'll take a look.