I bought this tent for a May trip to Scotland, taking in the Highlands, Skye and the Outer Hebrides (all of the islands).
The tent stood up to some really foul weather. One night, wild camping on Eriskay the wind got up to storm force 8, gusting to 10! Not only that but the wind changed direction because it was forced around the dune that I was sheltered behind. The sololite didn't seem to mind at all and the poles were totally undamaged afterwards. On another night there was extremely heavy rain, so heavy that in the morning my tent was sat in 2 inch deep water (despite pitching on a slight slope). The groundsheet didn't let in a drop and the flysheet shed everything.
There are lots of ventilation options and if it is still, it is best to open the vent on the inner door and partly unzip the entrance to prevent condensation. However, this tent (like most others) likes it best when there is a slight breeze.
Putting this tent up is a doddle due to the poles being on the outside of the flysheet. It goes up really quickly and there is no risk of the inner getting wet. It also pitches perfectly every time... even when it's blowing hard. The slight downside to this is that there is slightly less room for the weight but in my mind, the trade off is worth it.
The space inside is good considering the stability and strength of the tent. It is really wide around the shoulders and I can sit up in the entrance (I'm 5'8"). Dressing inside is relatively easy. Having looked inside the laser comp, I don't think this tent is any smaller. The porch is large enough for boots and a pack. I normally take out some of my pack contents and put that inside the inner to I can reduce the pack size and therefore take up less of the porch. The pack I use is a 72l Golite Pinnacle. The tent inner can either be fully extended into the porch or can be folded back.. depending on where you want the extra space.
I was considering a Laser Comp when I bought this tent. I stayed on a site on Skye where a laser comp was pitched and so was able to make a direct comparison. IMHO this tent is more stable and will stand up to much more severe conditions. Even though a laser is a very strong tent, it will flap like crazy and may prevent you from sleeping. This tent by comparison hardly flaps at all.
Undoing the main entrance (flysheet) can be tricky until you get used to it as the porch tapers so much. I have attached a loop of dyneema cord to the zip so I don't have to reach so far.
The standard pegs are pretty good but due to the design of the tent, it is quite easy to stand on them when the door is open so I bent some of them. I mainly use clamcleat pegs for this reason.
Despite worrying about the 1.8kg min weight before purchase, I didn't find the weight of the sololite to be a problem. Once packed it seems quite easy to carry. Of course there are lighter tents but personally I would much prefer to be in this tent in stormy weather when stability and quick pitching really matter. I have shaved weight off everything but value a good nights sleep.
This tent is a bargain!
(Written by: CaptainSensible)