User Review: Black Diamond Firstlight

Black Diamond Firstlight
Above: The current Firstlight, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed March 19, 2006 by Peter Gosling

Rating:
Design: three season
Sleeps: 2
Ease of Setup: easy
Weight: 1.3 kg
Price Paid: $400 AUD

Just returned from a trip to Mount Aspiring New Zealand March 06. On one particular night, the wind picked up a fair bit. The tent was held down by rocks attached to the guidelines. I had to tie internal guidlines to the poles to keep the tent upright. This ranged from using shoelaces to climbing slings. I did end up with one of the poles bent.

The tent held up ok considering the conditions, but the main problem was the leaking. I had seam-sealed the tent previously but water seems to come straight through the fabric. I had ice and water build up on the floor. It got to the point where I had to leave the tent and run to the hut for shelter. In an emergency situation, the tent would probably save your life but for comfort in bad conditions, forget it.

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