User Review: Sierra Designs Vapor Light 2

Title: vacuumed packed

Subject: My experience of using a Vapor Light tent on Isla Navarino in Terra del feugo (Jan., 2011).  This trail only gets about 100 hikers a year.  Super remote and raw.

So the flight out to Isla Naravino was fantastic and soon as we landed we took a taxi to the trail head and started hiking the Deintes Circuit. After climbing about 500m (1600 ft) we were above treeline and it started snowing/sleeting with a 30mph wind.  Most of the was transverse talus and crushed rock trail (12in wide) with a consistent wind/snow sleet.  We dropped down into camp one and it cleared up and was sunny. 

Day two: literally head straight up the slope and over the Deintes pass (stunning), from there I could see cape horn in the distance and after 15km we set camp right by a lake.  When dinner time hit we were having some soup and I said its so damn windy that there are waves being created in my soup bowl¨,  right after I said that a gust of wind hit and up and over my head flew my tent (with all 40 lbs of gear and staked down) I grabbed it in time before it continued rolling along.  It was really windy the rest of the night (60+mph) so I didn't get much sleep. 

Day three we headed out for the longest part of this trek  22 km (10 mile) with 3 passes. The weather was perfect for this most southern trek in the world.  We hit the last pass and on the other side it basically dropped off at a 75 degree angle.  I thought Christ what in the the hell am I doing (I have a video that hopefully shows the slope) we made it to camp and set up with the sun shining brightly.  I went to bed fairly early since I was sleepy and then the real adventure started. 

Wind, not Boulder wind, not Wyoming wind, not even Patagonia wind, but Terra Del Feugo wind.  It came in spurts about every 5 min (my best guess was around 60-mph)  So I was sitting up in my sleeping bag helping support my text so it wouldn't collapse. This went on for about 45 minutes.  I thought at this time I need to get ready to escape if it keeps up. Right after that you could hear the next gust come and it hit so ferocious that it pushed me over and i couldn't push back to support the tent wall. 

OK I had enough and we both thought time to leave and right at that moment the next gust hit (best guess 100+mph) and completely flattened my tent around me; it felt like i was being vacuumed packed in my tent it lasted for about 3min.  then let up for about 45 sec then came harder and faster flattened the tent then yanked off the rain fly and then flattened my guides tent too.  Time to get the f*** out of there. 

We threw our stuff in the packs and started to move down hill.  As I put my pack on another gust hit and knocked me down flat. like i was knocked out. So it's howling so we crawl down hill and get under some lenga scrub bushes and take cover there for the rest of the night. 

The next day we head out to camp by the ocean where I finally get a good night's rest. Love it love it love it. This trek really made me see how small I am in the world and how defenseless a 200 lbs human is when against Mother Nature.

The bottom line: The Sierra Designs Vapor Light 2 tent withstood this event in stellar fashion, one ripped loop on the rain fly, a small rip in the netting, and a slightly bent pole.  Better than my guide's tent (North Face). thank you.

Highly recommend this tent.