Best 2-man bivy tent for alpine climbing?

I am in the market for a new bivy tent. I have the BD first light but it’s falling apart. And I’ve seen the stitching fail on a couple of them because of wind so I think I want something else. The MSR advance pro looks good. The new samaya tents look great as well but I’m open to anything so would love to hear other opinions 

The best is a Locus Gear Djedi.

Form factor of a Bibler Eldorado, but weighs less than 2 pounds (tent and poles and stuff sack.)   Bombproof.  Super high build quality.  

It's very expensive, but you asked about the "best."  

https://gearjunkie.com/camping/tents/locus-djedi-dyeema-e-vent-mountaineering-tent

Kai Larson wrote:

The best is a Locus Gear Djedi.

Form factor of a Bibler Eldorado, but weighs less than 2 pounds (tent and poles and stuff sack.)   Bombproof.  Super high build quality.  

It's very expensive, but you asked about the "best."  

https://gearjunkie.com/camping/tents/locus-djedi-dyeema-e-vent-mountaineering-tent

That Locus Gear tent has been discontinued because the fabric is no longer being manufactured. 

Kai Larson wrote:

The best is a Locus Gear Djedi.

Form factor of a Bibler Eldorado, but weighs less than 2 pounds (tent and poles and stuff sack.)   Bombproof.  Super high build quality.  

It's very expensive, but you asked about the "best."  

https://gearjunkie.com/camping/tents/locus-djedi-dyeema-e-vent-mountaineering-tent

Thanks for posting this, Kai!

Sounds like it’s amazing in the alpine, not so much in heavy downpours.

excerpt from https://backpackinglight.com/gear-swaps/locus-gear-djedi-dome-tent-and-vestibules-for-sale/

I am selling the tent after recently taking it out on a ten-day traverse of the Uinta Highline Trail in August, 2021, and finding that it did not perform well for me in heavy, sustained rain. You can (and should) read a detailed description of the challenges I encountered with the tent in my forum post on the topic.

Others may have better luck than I did in managing condensation and general interior moisture in those conditions. Conversely, the tent is fantastic in the snow, in the wind, and in buggy conditions. Because it is completely freestanding but with excellent guy-outs, it can be pitched just about anywhere as Ryan calls out in his video.

The tent is truly a work of art from a design and fit-and-finish perspective. I will be reverting to a lightweight double-wall shelter for now, however. (I am a fan of both the Nemo Hornet/Hornet Elite 2P, and the Slingfin Portal 2P–all “two person” tents that work great as solo shelters.)

NateC wrote:

That Locus Gear tent has been discontinued because the fabric is no longer being manufactured. 

Josh at Tufa (may Tufa RIP) had some of that fabric, and I saw him pretty easily scrape off whatever the inner laminate layer was with either his fingernail or the corner of a wooden bench. Absolutely not suitable for anything we do

Just car to car it Scott

I have owned and used the following mountain tents:

Integral Designs Mark III

BD Firstlite

Rab Summit Extreme

Mountain Hardwear Direkt 2

Brooks Range Rocket Tent

Locus Djedi

Stephenson Warmlite 3P

The Locus Djedi is my newest mountain tent.  

I have only ever used it in winter conditions.  It handled heavy, wet snowfall very well.  

The Djedi is pretty roomy and comfortable for a mountain tent.  It's significantly bigger than the BD Firstlite.

I treat it very carefully,  The fabric is thin, and I'm sure it won't stand up to heavy abrasion or poking with sharp objects.  

Under the winter conditions I used it, there was almost zero condensation.  Both my partner and I have been amazed at how little condensation there is.  The only other mountain tent that I've used that has similar condensation management is the Integral Designs Mark III, which has a fuzzy scrim backing on the inside, which disperses the condensed moisture.  

I've never used the Djedi in heavy rain, so I can't comment on the extended, wet weather performance.

It's my current go-to tent for alpine bivis. I've owned and used a lot of mountain tents, and so far, I haven't seen anything better.

Sadly, it appears that all of this is moot, as they won't be making them any more.  

If the fabric is discontinued, then the Samaya tents are also likely unobtainable.  

The RAB mountain tents, MSR, or the Mountain Hardwear Direkt are likely the best ones currently available.   If I had to purchase a mountain tent today, it would probably be one of these.

I wish that someone would resurrect the old Brooks Range Rocket Tent.  Before I picked up the Locus Djedi, the Rocket Tent was my go-to for fast and light alpine.  A bit more cramped than the Djedi, but it has an integral vestibule, which is nice in bad weather.  

For light weight tents, I have also had good luck with Stephenson Warmlite.  However, they are not free standing, and the sil nylon stretches a lot when it gets wet, requiring you to constantly re-tension the tent body during rainy conditions.  

Here are some links to my old blog posts about mountain tents that discuss some of these tents in more detail if you're interested in reading more of my tent ramblings:

http://www.larsonweb.com/shelter/id9.html

http://www.larsonweb.com/shelter/index.html

http://www.larsonweb.com/shelter/id6.html

I have the Rab Latok Mountain 2. Its heavy, doesnt breathe worth a damn, and the cord in the poles sucks. It does great in high wind and heavy snowfall though. 

Any thoughts on the Bibler/Black Diamond I-Tent or Eldorado?

I know it's an older design and heavier than many of the newer options, but I understand that it's also considerably more weather proof.

Thanks!

Bug Boy wrote:

Just car to car it Scott

haha sleeping on routes is light duty. 40 gu packets and a liter of water is all you need. but the main purpose of this tent for me is for places where your BC isn't exactly a car at a trailhead 

Terry E wrote:

Thanks for posting this, Kai!

Sounds like it’s amazing in the alpine, not so much in heavy downpours.

Most single wall tents suck in heavy down pours. They are not really made them regardless of what material is used unless it is fully waterproof fabric.

The Advanced Pro 2 is great. I’ve been using it for a year now. Highest winds it has faced so far were weak sauce 30 mph gusts, but it seems solid. You can fit two dudes but it’s very, very tight. It’s a Cadillac for one person. The “2” version has dual ceiling vents instead of one in the original. I’ve still gotten some condensation on very cold nights but there are the usual tricks for dealing with it. Actually the tent design seemed to deal with condensation from a single sleeper pretty well.  If you are over 6’ it is a bit small. I’m 6’ and I need to sleep a bit curled up. But in general I love the thing. The pole system is really easy too. 

Dallin Carey wrote:

I have the Rab Latok Mountain 2. Its heavy, doesnt breathe worth a damn, and the cord in the poles sucks. It does great in high wind and heavy snowfall though. 

I’m surprised to hear that given that they are event, unless you have the old tegraltex model. How old is it? And is it the fire resistant model? Those didn’t breath as well. They are only 4 lbs, unless you have the older model. Now it looks like they have a new fabric, and picked up a few ounces with the third pole at the peak.

I picked up mine in fall of 2018.

johndrico wrote:

Any thoughts on the Bibler/Black Diamond I-Tent or Eldorado?

I know it's an older design and heavier than many of the newer options, but I understand that it's also considerably more weather proof.

Thanks!

Out of the tents still in production I would go with the Bibler/Black Diamond Eldorado (no more I Tent) or the Ahwahnee.  Eldo is lighter, has a smaller foot print, and withstands extreme mountain weather and heavy snow loads better.  If you will also be using the tent in a larger variety of conditions and condensation is going to be a main concern then the Ahwahnee is likely your best bet.  With its two door configuration (they are on the longer  sides of the tent, rather than at the ends) and an additional small pole to prop up small awnings over the peak of each door (so you can vent during a rainstorm without getting wet).  The Bibler tents use ToddTex, very similar to the IntegralTex used by Integral Designs, which has a fuzzy backing and generally preforms the best when it comes to condensation.  A small pack towel is a good idea to have for wiping up condensation if it collects in the corners or any snow that gets inside then melts.  

Did rab buy integral designs? 

It looks like the north face makes a similar tent, the assault 2

https://www.thenorthface.com/shop/assault-2-tent-nf0a3s9c-en-ca

Or thenorthface.com/shop/summi…

climber pat wrote:

Dude rab buy integral designs? 

Yes they did several years ago