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Big Agnes Seedhouse SL1 2009

£210.00

LFTO rating rating is 4
Owners' rating rating is 4

The Big Agnes Seedhouse SL1 tent is freestanding, with a single hub-jointed pole system. This is simple to set up and throw the flysheet over to keep the rain off if you’re in a hurry. The first time I pitched it was in the dark with no instructions, and it looked fine in the morning. Inside there’s plenty of room for you and your gear, so it’s no hardship to sit out a shower before breaking camp. I can sit up at the door and cook in the porch, and there’s a pocket just above the door that is great for a tent light. The inner and outer doors are angled so you can open them, lie on your back and gaze straight up at the stars. It takes rough weather very well and has reflective guys and detailing for night-time safety. But the porch is not big enough for all my gear, so some goes inside (it’s only a big issue if the gear’s wet as there’s plenty of room). The fabrics are light and don’t have the best waterproofness, so long-term durability might be an issue. The all-mesh inner is cool in summer but cold in winter, and as it’s inner-pitched-first some may prefer others.

Design tapered ridge  
Poles shock-corded alloy
Inner 20D nylon mesh
Flysheet silicon-treated nylon with PU coating, 1200mm hydrostatic head
Groundsheet silicon-treated PU-coated nylon ripstop, 1200mm hydrostatic head
Internal dimensions length 230cm; width 110cm; height 90cm
Packed size 39x14cm
Packed weight 1340g
Made in Far East
Stores in UK 12
Big Agnes – tel. (0131) 668 4171; www.bigagnes.co.uk

 

Verdict: The Big Agnes Seedhouse SL1 is a great lightweight tent with a strong design that’s easy to pitch while being comfortable. But it may not be ideal for the cold and wet British winter.

 

Review by Peter Macfarlane
First published in Trail magazine March 2009

Users' Overall Rating rating is 4(1 review)

  • Light and spacious but will it last?

    Maz

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    User's Overall Rating rating is 4

    Show Details

    Performancerating is 4
    Build qualityrating is 4
    Value for moneyrating is 4

    I have been using the Seedhouse SL1 for about a year and a half now - it's been a busy year on the Work Front so I cannot say that I've used it as much as I would've liked but here are my views on this rather intriguing tent. It has seen 800m+ several times in the Brecons and Snowdonia, low-level (wet) camping in Norway and Sweden (cold as well) and the length of Hadrian's Wall two weeks ago. Firstly, for the space you get inside, given the weight, it really is rather good. It's well laid out for my tastes with the door at one end rather than in the middle. As it tapers towards the feet, I find that all my essential kit can be placed either side of my head at the front of the tent which maximises easy access. I tend to put my platypus, OMM Villain and boots in the porch and it swallows them well. I also use the footprint to protect the base - and this really is the crux of things. In order to be so light, the Seedhouse is made of very thin material and the inner, as Pete says, is mostly mesh. I would not want to pitch this without a footprint but I'm a little skittish about ripping the damned thing. Not having seen a Laser or similar tents, perhaps they are just as thin but it's something that I would want to keep an eye on. That said, the footprint is equally light and adds to the waterproofing of the base. In a very wet valley in Hadrian's Wall country, the rain pouring, I was dry as the proverbial bone. The mesh inner is not as cold as I would have expected. There is a small amount of wind-chill if the wind if really serious, but not if you pitch feet into the wind (as the design of the tent would tend to suggest - this is where the flysheet maximises wind-protection). Other than that, for an inner-mesh tent, it's pretty warm. It's been used down to 3 degrees so make your own judgments. I pack it in an Exped drybag with the pole(s) on the outside of my pack. I also have Vargo titanium tent pegs to reduce weight and they are great. All in all, a very good tent for balancing size, good shape and weight.

    (Written by: Maz)

    21 September 2009 08:43

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