Great tent - too small - Black Diamond HiLight Tent - 1-2 Person, 3 Season

I’m a long-time owner of a Bibler Ahwahnee, which is my all-time favorite tent. But it’s a bit heavy by modern standards and so when the zipper started to fail and the screen mesh tore, I decided I would purchase a HiLight, owing to the design similarities and reduced weight. I really only needed a one person tent, so this seemed like the perfect option.

I expected a smaller, lighter, well-designed tent, which is exactly what I got. However, at just shy of 6’ 1” the tent was too snug lengthwise by a couple of inches. It was only when I lay at a perfect diagonal that the tent wasn't touching my head or feet. For minimalist mountaineering this may be fine. But I do mainly moderate backpacking and like to be able to lie lengthwise without obstruction. If this tent were a mere 3-4” longer, that would make all the difference in the world.

Lastly, the lack of a separate mesh door, which I’m sure shaves off a couple more ounces, means that this tent is a poor choice for hotter, buggy conditions. Again, I realize this isn’t it’s primary purpose, but adding a mesh for a couple ounces would make a huge difference here. Glad I set this up in my garage to explore a bit before I took it out!

Very nice tent, Black Diamond, but a little too focused on weight saving at the expense of other qualities for my purposes. I’m going to opt for an Ahwahnee repair instead.

This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.