I don’t normally write about gear in my blog that I haven’t tested in the field, but I wanted to give you a preview of the tent I plan on using in early spring on the Massachusetts section of the Appalachian Trail: the Black Diamond FirstLight. The pictures and descriptions you see in online catalogs for this tent just don’t do it justice.

The FirstLight is a single walled tent that weighs 2lbs. 11 oz. Although intended as a 3 season tent, it is often used by mountaineers and trekkers as a winter tent since its steep walls shed snow well. It’s rated as a 2 person tent but it’s really sized for 1 person and their gear: a vestibule is available for an additional $129 but not necessary. The tent is free standing, using 2 featherlite DAC poles that fit inside the tent with velco hook and loop wraps and it is very easy to set up. For cross-ventilation it has a mesh front door and rear window (shown below, interior view.) Both the front and back windows have mini awnings that can be repositioned using an thin sewn-in wire to prevent rain from dripping into the tent.

I was attracted to this tent by its lightness and breathability. The FirstLight’s walls are made from EPIC fabric, which is constructed using silicon-impregnated fibers and is reported to be more breathable than Gore-Tex, Pertex, or Cordura SL. This is important for venting condensation because the the FirstLight has considerably less ventilation than other single walled tents from Tarptent or Six Moon Designs, but which are less comfortable in colder weather. The tent floor is made of siliconized nylon called Silnylon and is attached directly to the EPIC walls.

Inside the tent, there are fabric loops in each corner that can be used to hang gear, lights, or a gear loft. Black Diamond does not sell a gear loft for this tent, but you should be able to rig something up easily using a loft from another manufacturer. There are also two small mesh pockets in the tent positioned at floor level for stashing your little stuff.

Weatherwise, the FirstLight is highly rated for windy, high altitude conditions. However, it has mixed reviews for heavy rain. Black Diamond, for reasons unknown, does not tape the seams on this tent at the factory. Therefore before you can use it, you need to seal the seams yourself. This can be done in about two hours in a well ventilated place when the temperature is above freezing. After you’ve completed the seam sealing process, you should wait at least 2 days for the sealant to dry before using the tent.

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2. Tarp Tents: Six Moons Lunar Solo and Tarp Tent Squall 2
3. Tarptent: Squall 2 Single-Walled Tent
4. New Ultralight Tent from Gossamer Gear
5. Seam Sealing a Tent or Tarp