Black Diamond Firstlight Tent – Field Test
Last weekend, I finally got to field test on my new Black Diamond Firstlight tent. This post complements the preview of the Firstlight that I posted in early February. That post has all of this tents vital stats, so I'll not repeat them below.
I bought the FirstLight for early spring and late autumn use because I wanted a lightweight single walled tent that was more comfortable for cold weather camping than my Lunar Solo or my Squall 2. Both of those tents are very well ventilated to prevent internal condensation but I find them too drafty and chilling when night time temperatures dip below 40 degrees.
The walls of the FirstLight are made using EPIC, a breathable fabric, that I hoped would let me close the front door and the back window on the FirstLight, while still venting enough condensation to prevent an internal rainstorm in my tent. I'm pleased to say that that turned out as desired. The tent is very breathable even with all of the openings closed. On the night of my backpacking trip I did wake up around half way through the night for a pee and checked the sides of the tent to see if they were wet. They were a bit damp so I opened the front door a tiny bit to vent the tent and the walls were dry in the morning when I woke up.
The previous evening I arrived at my campsite well after sunset and had to pitch the tent in darkness, cut only by my LED lantern. Nevertheless, the tent was easy to put up. I used a polycro sheet of plastic from Gossamer Gear as a foot print and then set up the tent using its featherlite poles first before staking it out. The tent is a little delicate so you need to be sure that the poles are properly seated in the reinforced corners before you bend them into place. Once they're in, it helps to crawl into the tent and make sure they're properly positioned and locked into place using the velcro tabs running along the tent's vertical seams.
The FirstLight is rated as a two person tent by Black Diamond but this is anatomically impossible. I had just enough space for my sleeping bag and my backpack and loose gear. Lengthwise, the FirstLight feels a bit short. My sleeping pad which is 70 inches long just barely fit into the tent. I'm 70.5 inches tall and my head was pretty close to the back panel of the tent. Taller people could definitely have a problem getting into this tent.
The silnylon floor is very slippery and I need to go back and run some seam sealer on the floor to improve traction and prevent my pad from slipping around at night. To prep this tent you need to seal the seams, so remember to do the floor as well.
When the sun comes up in the morning, this tent positively glows inside. Somehow the light penetrates the walls of the tent and I woke up in a great mood. I suspect that the yellow walls of the tent help reflect the light once it gets inside. It's pretty neat.
Finally, the head room in this tent is great. It is easy to sit up and there is ample room for a gear loft.
I'm looking forward to my next trip out with this tent in two weeks on another section of the Appalachian Trail. Hopefully it will rain at night, so I can test out the effectiveness of my seam sealing.
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