User Review: Texsport Knollwood Bivy Shelter

Texsport Knollwood Bivy Shelter
Above: The current Knollwood Bivy Shelter, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed April 25, 2005 by travis

Rating: rated 4 of 5 stars
Design: three-season bivy
Sleeps: 2
Ease of Setup: easy
Weight: 3#
Price Paid: $25

The Bad:

Their customer serves doesn't read their e-mail BUT if you call them with a broken pole (only problem I've had), their response is, "Which one? ...Name? ...Address? Phone number just in case?... Okay we'll send you a new pole right away." Given that I have nothing that indicates when I bought it, and I have abused it, that's not half bad.

The stakes are very easy to lose in the dark (note to Texsport: Black is not the ideal color for tent stakes) and marginal for holding the rear guy line. Nothing that can't be fixed for a couple bucks at WalMart or a couple more at your favorite outdoor store.

The Good:

It WILL sleep two six foot tall people -- though two ridge rests overlap at the foot -- with enough space left over for boots (all other gear has to go outside so bring a trash bag for you pack if you're expecting rain).

Great ventilation, excellent for bug free star gazing with the fly rolled back.

No more than a drop or two of rain has leaked in (through the zipper) since I seam sealed it. No problems with wind, hail or light snow, though it is VERY drafty in the cold (the down side of all that ventilation).

The bottom line:

It's half the quality of a good Ultralight backpacking tent for an eighth the price. If you want to blow $200+, the folks at tarptent.com (among others) will sell you something much better, but you're willing to settle for adequate, can't beat the value of the Knollwood.

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