Thursday, December 12, 2024

SlingFin Portal 1 Tent Evaluate

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SlingFin Portal 1 Tent Review

The SlingFin Portal 1 is a freestanding double-wall tent that’s a one-person model of their bomber Portal 2-person tent, which we first used a number of years in the past and suggest extremely. The freestanding Portal 1 tent is beautifully made, and appropriate for 3+ season tenting with the power to counter elevated snow masses by combining tent poles and trekking poles for structural help. Along with its technical options that are fairly spectacular, the Portal 1 is a spacious and really snug tent that’s made with superior supplies for an extended lifetime of use.

Specs at a Look

  • Kind: Double-wall
  • Structural: Freestanding
  • Capability: 1 Particular person
  • Doorways: 1
  • Path Weight: 2lbs 8oz (1.13kg)
  • Ground Dimensions: 88″ x 35″ (head) x 28″ (foot) (224cm x 89cm/71cm)
  • Inside top: 41″
  • Max Pole Phase Size: 13.5″
  • Poles: 2
  • Inside Pockets: 7
  • Minimal quantity
  • Supplies: Fly – 10D Nylon 66 Ripstop Sil/Sil 1200mm; Ground – 20D Nylon Ripstop PE 1800mm; Mesh – 15D Nylon no-see-um mesh.
  • For full specs go to the SlingFin Portal 1 product web page

Inside Tent

The three pole architecture provides strength and interior space
The three-pole structure gives power and inside area

The Portal 1’s interior tent is all mesh which is sweet for three-season use as a result of it helps optimize airflow and condensation mitigation in hotter climate. The pole structure could be very easy, with lengthy crossing poles related to a central hub and an impartial cross pole that helps create near-vertical facet partitions for higher livability. The lengthy poles slot into grommets within the corners, which advantages sturdiness as a result of there’s no proprietary Jake’s foot connector to interrupt or change. The cross pole can also be coloured orange, as a substitute of the gray utilized by the lengthy poles, to make it stand out in opposition to the bottom so that you don’t overlook to pack it while you break camp.

The horizontal cross pole pulls the walls out so they're actually past vertical providing more interior room.
The horizontal cross pole pulls the partitions out in order that they’re really previous vertical offering extra inside room.

There’s one D-shaped door that comes with two bi-directional zippers, so in the event you break one, you might have a second pre-installed to be used. Zippers are a kind of issues that do fail on tents, so it is a good characteristic to make sure an extended lifetime of use with out having to switch it your self.

The interior tent has a deep bathtub ground for moisture safety with 7 inside pockets so you possibly can maintain fragile objects from getting crushed, like sun shades or your smartphone. The pockets are giant sufficient to carry clothes, like a humid shirt or climbing pants to maintain them away out of your dry clothes and bedding at evening. There are additionally quite a few plastic rings within the ceiling and corners which you could cling gear from, though they serve double obligation as an inside guyline system to present the tent extra stability in excessive winds when utilizing exterior guylines with the fly (click on for video demonstration). That is past my skill to check within the White Mountains (NH) the place above-treeline tenting is unlawful.

Trekking pole tips can be used to augment the tents poles adding strength for heavier snow loads
Trekking pole suggestions can be utilized to enhance the tents poles including power for heavier snow masses

The cross pole has a secondary perform which is to permit the usage of trekking poles to enhance the tent’s aluminum poles when there’s extra snow loading on the tent. The ends of the cross pole have plastic rings to carry pole suggestions or velcro straps to wrap round trekking pole shafts, relying in your desire. It’s a neat system that provides little or no weight to the tent however significantly expands its vary of utility in colder climate.

The vestibule provides excellent coverage for gear
The vestibule gives glorious protection for gear

Rain Fly

The Portal’s rainfly attaches to the identical nook stakes because the interior tent decreasing the variety of tent stakes you want to set it up in good climate. Whereas the interior tent is technically freestanding, you want to carry no less than 2 stakes if you wish to stake out the entrance vestibule and the rear of the rainfly for higher air flow (sorry there’s no again door.) I’d nonetheless suggest staking out the corners, however you don’t should in a pinch. 

The zipper is covered with a wide flap to prevent water from soaking you when opening the door in the rain
The zipper is roofed with a large flap to stop water from soaking you when opening the door within the rain

It’s additionally value noting that the Portal has a 2-sided silicone-impregnated flysheet as a substitute of a PU coating for higher sturdiness. That course of, which can also be utilized by Hilleberg, leads to a stronger and extra sturdy rainfly. The identical is true of the ground which is a 20D Nylon Ripstop coated with polyethylene (PE). Each are rather more sturdy than PU-coated shelters and received’t rot away in your storage after a number of years of use or storage. It’s simply one other indicator that SlingFin designed this tent for long-term use, which reveals within the supplies, redundancies, and options that they supply for it.

Both vestibule doors can be opened for optimal ventilation
Each vestibule doorways could be opened for optimum air flow

Suggestion

The SlingFin Portal 1 is a light-weight double-wall 1-person tent with a minimal path weight of two lbs 8 oz (40 oz). Whereas it isn’t the lightest weight, 1-person tent you should purchase, the Portal 1 is actually one of many strongest and most sturdy, making it a wonderful choice in the event you wish to push the envelope when it comes to terrain or seasons. The Portal’s inside guyline structure makes it rather more resilient within the face of excessive winds, whereas its trekking pole outrigger functionality considerably expands its vary of use within the colder months. If you happen to’re the kind of one that’s keen to hold somewhat additional weight in trade for gear you possibly can rely on by way of thick and skinny, then the SlingFin Portal Tent goes to drift your boat higher than the opposite one-person large model tents out there at this time.

Disclosure:  SlingFin donated a tent for evaluate.

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