Slingfin 2Lite Tent Review

The Slingfin 2Lite is a lightweight double-walled two-person tent that has excellent interior room and is easy to set up. Weighing 2 pounds 10 ounces (minus tent stakes) it has two doors enabling easy entry and exit, with large side vestibules for gear storage. An exoskeleton-style pole system helps maximize the amount of ventilation between the inner and outer tents while providing near-vertical walls for maximum livability, while an interior tensioned cord on the curve of the main pole adds enormous structure stability.

Specs at a Glance

• People: 2
• Doors: 2
• Minimum Weight: 2 lbs, 12 oz (2 lbs 10 oz actual), minus stakes
• Minimum number of stakes to pitch: 8
• Inner Tent Dimensions (measured): 85″L x 48″W, with 17″H above feet and 38″H above head
• Materials:
  • 15D Nylon Ripstop Silicone PU Coated Fly
  • 15D Nylon No-See-Um Mesh
  • 20D Nylon Ripstop PU Coated Floor
  • 2 DAC NSL 8.5 mm poles
• Visit Slingfin.com for complete tent specs

Pitching the tent

Pitching the Slingfin is simple. Start by stake out the four corners of the inner tent. Expand the two tent poles and insert them into grommets along the sides of the tent. For added stability, you can also stake out the grommet points, but it’s not necessary in fair weather. Attach clips on the inner tent to the poles and shake out the fly. Position the fly over the inner tent so that the vestibule doors align on both sides of the tent. Now stake out the fly, using the same four corner stakes used to pitch the inner tent. The vestibule doors require four more stakes to be fully staked out or you can roll both back and secure them to enhance cross-ventilation. For added security in foul weather, there are toggles at the vestibule end of the tent to attach the inner tent to the fly.

Livability

The 2Lite really shines in terms of interior livability. There are the requisite 2 doors, which I consider a must-have when sharing a tent so that you don’t wake up your partner when you need to take a “midnight stroll.” The vestibules are positioned so that you can store a backpack in them without blocking the doorway. The D-shaped inner tent doors are also quite large, making it easy to enter and exit, with good overhead coverage so you don’t get drenched entering or exiting in the pouring rain.

The pole architecture creates interior walls that are very nearly vertical so that the tent feels spacious and there’s less risk of internal condensation transfer to your sleep insulation. Ventilation through the tent is very good when both doors are open at night. In the event of rain, you can zip the vestibule doors part-way or leave the doors unzipped and secured by velcro tabs at the base of the zippers. The vestibules are also cut so that you can pitch the rear of the tent facing into a storm to block rain or wind, but still keep the front half of the vestibule open for better airflow.

The inner tent is 85″ x 48″ wide making the 2Lite a palace for one with plenty of extra side space for 2 x 20″ sleeping pads, something you don’t find on many other lightweight 2 person tents. Side pockets at the head end of the inner tent provide convenient storage for personal items. Headroom is great with 38″ of top clearance, making it easy to get dressed and undressed or turn around inside.

The head height would be a full 40″, but there is a semi-permanent internal guyline inside the inner tent above your head (no need to remove it) that pulls the sides of the long pole together when you attach the inner tent to it. This creates the tension that holds the inner tent and fly up, without the need for more poles or external stakes, and makes for a very strong tent architecture. It’s really rather clever and unique.

Comparable Lightweight Tents

Highlights:

• Unique internally guyed pole structure creates a structurally strong and weather-resistant tent
• Excellent interior space and livability for two people
• Huge vestibules provide plenty of gear storage and easy side access
• Maximum pole segment length is 12″ (good for bikepacking)

The Slingfin 2Lite ($338) is a lightweight, high-performance tent that’s available at a reasonable price compared to more expensive 2 person tents. The thing that “makes” this tent (in my opinion) are the large tent vestibules because they’re ideal for more technical trips where you want gear storage, space to cook in bad weather, and easy entry and exit. Add in the enhanced weather worthiness provided by 2Lite’s unique tensioned architecture and you have a bomber lightweight tent for expedition use in non-winter conditions.

Note: Slingfin also sells trekking pole version of this tent called the 2Lite Trek that’s 2 ounces lighter weight.

Disclosure: Slingfin loaned the author a tent for this review.