Tent Technical Details

A Warmlite® tent starts out light and stays light. You won’t be carrying several extra pounds of condensation or rain soaked inner tent, like the typical porous tent with fly.

The standard of performance in severe weather use, Warmlite® tents are the warmest, lightest, easiest to assemble, and most versatile in the world. Exceptional dependability, ease of use, and light weight along with options not found in other tents has made them the first choice of experienced backpackers, expedition members and canoe, bicycle, or airplane campers since 1964.

Warmlite® tents have proven these praises in the most extreme conditions throughout the world. The shapes have been copied by other companies but performance has never been equaled. We’ve made many important improvements since 1964, but even our earliest Warmlite® tents had many of the following unique advantages over others:

ELLIPTICAL ARC SHAPE for wind stability, strength, quietness, headroom and overall space. This shape gives stable air flow and the lowest wind loads while diminishing stress on materials, flapping, noise and failure common in other tents and designs. No need for many annoying staked out lines and their stress points. Conical ends form built-in “vestibules” for gear storage, and uniformly distribute loads from stakes, directed for best holding power. Well placed pockets aid gear storage and organization.

MOST ROOM for sitting and working with good headroom. 60″ width (89″ in Model 5). Two people can sit side by side in front half of Model 5 or throughout in 3, or 4 across in Model 5. Floor shape gives best fit for sleeping bags and gear.  Vestibules for gear and cooking are standard, (not an expensive extra weight option), and are floored to keep gear clean and dry for a stable, easily cleaned cooking space. 2R tents have vestibule at front, others at each end.

FAST, EASY, SET UP. Two permanently curved poles slip easily into full length sleeves. Setup is quick and simple even during fierce winds when other tents can’t be setup. Only three stakes are needed to hold a Model 2, four for 3 or 5. Easy set-up can make all the difference at the end of a long day or in extreme weather conditions.

HIGH WIND DURABILITY Designed for smooth airflow in high wind, Warmlite® tents resist 95 mph winds or, with optional inside wind stabilizers wind speeds of up to 150 mph. This very important for safety in severe storms. Many tents fail in winds under 60 mph, some deform or fail in winds under 40 mph.

EASY TENSION ADJUSTMENTS FROM INSIDE Our internal wind stabilizers can be adjusted from inside the tent, even from inside a sleeping bag. Tension tie outs are easy to place, adjust, are strong, and very durable.

STRONGEST POLES Our poles are much stronger than those in many other tents, not only do we use the highest strength aluminum alloy to build the poles, but they are also pre-curved to shape to allow the poles to hold the highest loads and not waste their strength on being bent into a curved shape when placed into the tent pole sleeve. This material and shape allow the pole and tent to hold its shape and stability in any wind. Our poles resist 20 times more force than thin flex-to-shape poles used in most other tents, these poles use 80% of their strength just flexing to shape. Warmlite® poles need no load sacrificing flexing and are stronger and stiffer to begin with.

ADJUSTABLE VENT SYSTEM for full control of warmth and humidity. High vents let out humid air while Low vents let in heavier dry air. This chimney effect assures excellent venting even in still air where other vent systems fail. Upper vents have inside covers for easy incremental control of venting. Lower vents can be closed against excessive wind or dust, but open when wind dies, always providing safe ventilation.  Optional windows on each side open from inside (once the outer cover is raised) for views and cooling. Open them any amount, in any location, or close as tight as if they weren’t there. They have no effect on storm resistance when closed.

DRY AND WARM Double walls, silicone coated fabric, and sealed seams provide full rain protection, best warmth, and least condensation. The inner wall is kept warmer by an insulating air gap between walls. The tent stays dry inside; warmth of inner wall eliminates the miserable condensation so common in other tents, and aids differential height chimney venting. Warm humid lighter air rises up and out the top vents, while fresh, dry air is drawn in through the lower vents.  Sealed one piece construction. No loose fly to get heavy with condensation, soak the inner tent, or let the inner wall soak up rain during setup or take down, the worst problem of old style tents. Tradition isn’t good when it leaves you wet.

LIGHTEST WEIGHT The lightest yet strongest tents in the world Only 1 to 1 and 1/2 pounds per person.
Weight may vary due to coating thickness (seldom over 2oz) or by seam sealing.

2X = 2.33 lb,   3X = 3.25 lb,  5X = 4.7 lb,  2R = 2.75 lb,  3R = 3.75 lb,  5R = 5.6 lb

SIMPLE, QUICK ENTRY Sloped door makes entry easy while keeping out bugs, rain and snow. The door is easily held to keep out rain or snow while opening the freeze proof zipper, then the door slope makes it easy to go through. The door can be used even in the highest winds without degrading strength or stability. There’s an inner backup coil zipper and a bottom zipper to seal against crawling bugs. On Models 3 and 5 a door on opposite ends provides an alternate entry.

LARGE DOOR: The door design we have kept since 1995 allows for optional extra zippers on left side to allow whole door panel to open for loading or stargazing. Ventilation is impaired if the door is left open.

Three Sizes 2, 3, or 5: For a wide variety of needs and uses. Size number conservatively indicates number of people who can comfortably sleep inside the tent with all of their gear. There is a Warmlite® tent for one person, or for two to six (5R will fit 6). Some customers have purchased 2 or 3 sizes to be ready for different needs. We recommend a Model 3R for most universal use, since it is the ideal size for winter camping for 2 or 3 people, has the capacity for up to 4 if needed, yet is still lighter than other two-person tents. We are often told that 3 people fit easily in a 2R, 4 in a 3R, and 7 in the 5R, with occasional stories of even more in emergencies. 5R tents also make good ‘apartments’ if staying in one place for a long time, such as a field school or Everest Base Camp.

Model 2 tents are roomy for 2 people and their gear, yet are also as small as a practical tent for one person can be. You need the same amount of length and height for one person as for two, so only width can be decreased without degrading use and venting, but less width hurts wind stability without saving much weight. A Warmlite® 2X is lighter than any other 1 person tent or bivy, and is THE choice for lightest 1 person tent. (Light pole saves another 2.6oz., double wall 2R is only 6oz. more.)

Model 5 Tent Measurements Diagram

Model 3 or 5 Tent Side View

Model 3 or 5 Tent Top View

Packed Sizes: Diameter X Length:

Poles determine length, are about 1/3 the volume.

Materials

Fabric is ultra high tenacity, 30d., rip-stop Nylon with a durable, silicone, waterproof finish. The fabric was made for parachutes and hot air balloons, thus the color choices available and the strength provided. Our tent fabrics are 3 times stronger than fabric usually used for the fly on other tents. Seam sealing (which can be done by user or by us for a fee) is done with silicone adhesive we supply, it can also be used for repairs if ever needed. The finish is slippery, but it keeps the fabric clean and allows it to last for longer. It is better than urethane coatings that are usually used on tents, and won’t turn sticky from damp storage like urethane coatings do. Parts are LASER or hot knife cut for accuracy and also fuses the edge so they can’t fray or pull apart. Others hide fraying stack cut edges for a while with flat felled seams or seam tape.

Nylon thread is used for maximum strength and wear resistance, it has proven its superiority since 1958 with no seam failures!

Poles are 7187-T6 aluminum, 5/8″ diameter (3/8″ on small end of Model 2, or for lightweight poles), formed to the curvature of the tent (hardly noticeable in the 15.5″ folded length). Sections are held together with Nylon covered elastic, ends held with plastic pole end caps. Optional Mid poles are 5/8″ or 3/8″: 5/8″ gives spare sections for end poles, is stronger and stiffer. 3/8″ flexes enough to pass extreme loads to ends and not break, and saves 2.6oz on 3R, 4oz on 5R.

All vents and windows are covered with the finest Noseeum netting available.

Zippers are the best from YKK, carefully selected for each function. Coil teeth have smoothest operation, most strength, and are self repairing. Outer door zip has molded Delrin teeth for freeze resistance, inner backup is #3 coil.

The features of the old ERV (extra reinforcing) second door on Models 3 and 5 inside access to stake out tension adjusters, sleeve for mid pole, many net pockets, fused edge cutting of parts — are standard on ALL Warmlite® tents.