User Review: Black Diamond Skylight

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

Reviewed March 6, 2007 by Gary Heckman

Rating:
Design: three-season freestanding dome
Sleeps: 3
Ease of Setup: a little too much effort
Weight: 4.5 pounds
Price Paid: $380

I just got back from the Grand Canyon Royal Arch Route. In general I'm pretty happy with the Skylight. The high points are that it packs as small as a football, with a compression sack, has huge amounts of room and is super light for the size. One night of windy blowing rain left me totally dry with no condensation. Another night at 31 degrees did show a little bit of frost on the inside though.

On the downside, it is fussy to set up. Crawling inside to set up poles, after long days of hiking, requires a little more effort than you want to exert.
Having said that, if you want a large, light tent that takes up minimal room in your pack, you could do a whole lot worse.