Aarn Pacer 2 Tent

Aarn Design Ltd Comment:

Will,  It is a pleasure to receive such an intelligent and well considered report. I would love to have your comments on the tent in a much wider range of conditions. I have added some comments (italics) within the text.

Best Regards, Aarn,  Aarn Design Ltd.

 

Website: www.aarnpacks.com

 

The Test:

Over the years I have wasted a lot of money buying tents that haven’t lived up to expectations or claims, which make me really cautious, so thanks very much for letting me try out this tent. At the moment I have a Great Outdoors Cycle 2. This is a fill-in tent, while waiting for a good designed tent to become available.  Below my test results for the tent after a night sleeping in it and inspecting it closely:

One cold and still night in a sheltered area.  Two people in the tent.  We did not do any cooking.  We stayed dry.  Just enough comfortable room with two sleeping side by side.   Nice to be able to sit up without touching the inner roof in the centre of the tent.

No condensation on the inner, but plenty on the outer. No wind or breeze through the night though.  The vents were open (I like this vent design).  Clearance between inner and outer all the way around very good. There is a tendency to suggest increasing the size of the inner a bit but perhaps not as if the tent was on uneven ground there could be a little sag here and there so having a good clearance all around is the best.  Maybe the inner tie on the ridge opposite the door could be attached in the same position as the door side tie.  Aarn Design Ltd Comment:We have purposely kept a larger than usual separation between the inner and outer.

Vestibule flap good and also the small flap at top – tucks away with Velcro patch neatly too. This “fly’ flap – good idea – ideal for cooking-entry if wet conditions. Good to have the floor area tub back a bit from the entrance door so any straight down rain does not fall into the tub floor.  Adjuster on cords a good idea – light and simple.  Seam sealer supplied with tent – very good. Perhaps note this on any brochure?  Aarn Design Ltd Comment: Yes, should do.

The tent is easy to set up.  Suggest instructions to assemble tent, poles/rods: start from door side.  Saves trying to find the entry holes – Once you know, okay though.  The inner is easy to install once outer is erected. I like the D rings/toggle system. Better & more positive than Velcro.

I found access to the storage areas difficult. I would suggest making top end of inner wall a mesh door with zip, to allow easy access, especially when wet. I would also lose one inner pocket: but there would still be two left. A small redesign with a mesh or nylon door for access to the storage area with a double zip would be best for the door. Open the zip from the top, one zip each way across & then down. Each storage end will only take one pack comfortably. One extra zip (on the access to the storage area) would add some weight but it would be less one inner pocket and the mesh weight might be less than nylon?  Aarn Design Ltd Comment: This is a good suggestion which we should incorporate next production.

Also maybe the main door on the inner to be insect mesh. In summer, I think it could be very hot inside if “sheltering” from sandflies. An option, with the nylon door undone, is to take and clip a piece of mesh above the door opening, letting it hang down over the opening. In the winter, with less sandflies about, the mesh could be left at home, thus saving a little weight.  Aarn Design Ltd Comment: This is also a possibility and will need to evaluate in terms of warmth in winter in windy conditions.

The mesh pocket at an angle on the inner on the door side: I think it would be better to have it go from the corner of the tent to the door rather than at an angle as it is now (at say 120mm to 130mm high). I can’t see the point of the angle bit. Only light things would go in these pockets and one longer but narrower would be of more use.   Aarn Design Ltd Comment: I will look at this.

I liked the lightweight most about the Pacer tent.  The tent weight of 1.75kg is very good. (My scales said 1.767kg.)  There seem to be a number of lighter weight tents coming available, one at 1 kg (Vaude Power Lizard)  but they have reduced the inner sleeping area which would make it very tight/cramped inside – especially in wet weather.  I don’t take any tent stuff sack and try to leave behind any tent peg bag and spare pegs (2) too, and this saves that little bit of weight which would bring down the weight a little from the 1.767kg. to 1.714kg on my scales. If the seam sealer was applied to the tent, perhaps this would add something to the total.  Aarn Design Ltd Comment: Some lighter 20 Denier fabrics are coming on the market. Also we have had requests for a heavier floor. We will need to balance these factors for the next production.

Name on tent right size (discreet):  I would not buy a tent with the manufacturers name plastered all over it.  Made in Vietnam and to a good standard. Only noticed one small “defect” detail with sewing.  All neat and tidy.

Overall a well designed tent, but for me, some improvement would be needed.

Note: An improved version of Pacer 2 will be coming out towards the end of the year (2014).