The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Crosspeak 2 is an ultralight freestanding tent that weighs 34 ounces (964g). It’s a single-wall tent made with Dyneema DCF and has three aluminum tent poles. Designed to carry two individuals, it options two doorways and two vestibules, but is light-weight and compact sufficient for one individual to hold. The one gotcha in regards to the Crosspeak 2 is its worth, a gut-busting $950.
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- Sort: Freestanding
- Structural: Single-wall
- Weight: 34 oz / 964g
- Capability: 1-2 individuals
- Materials: Dyneema DCF
- Doorways/Vestibules: 2
- Pockets: 2
- Poles: 3, aluminum
- Dimensions: Tapered ground 48″ to 45″, with 42″ of peak
- Tent Stakes: Not included.
The Crosspeak 2 is a single-wall, freestanding tent made with Dyneema DCF, weighing 34 oz. It has two doorways, two vestibules with mesh doorways, and mesh sidewalls for air flow. The Crosspeak comes with three aluminum poles – two lengthy and one brief, that are inserted into pole sleeves on the tent’s exterior. The 2 lengthy poles type an “X” over the tent, whereas a 3rd shorter forehead pole helps enhance the vestibule quantity. The result’s a structurally robust and weather-resistant pitch that may be strengthened by tying extra man strains (not included) to orange-colored gear loops located alongside the pole sleeves.
The ground within the Crosspeak is connected to the tent partitions with insect netting (mesh), which provides it some “slack” to regulate to unprepared campsites that aren’t flat. I wish to seek advice from this kind of ground as a floating ground, and it’s a standard design sample within the single-wall tents made by a number of producers. It additionally implies that inner condensation, if it accumulates, will roll down the partitions and drain out the mesh with out making you or your gear moist.
The ground within the Crosspeak is tapered from 48″ to 45″, which is a bit too small to make use of two extensive 25″ inflatable rectangular pads, though these dimensions flip the Crosspeak right into a palace if you happen to use it as a solo tent. It’s actually light-weight sufficient for that function and really tempting since one individual can simply erect the tent. One of many nice benefits of freestanding tents just like the Crosspeak 2 is that you simply obtain an ideal pitch each time with out having to fuss round.
One factor that’s instantly noticeable within the inside is how steep the inside partitions are, in addition to the 42″ ceiling. There’s quite a lot of wiggle room on this tent for altering your garments and even packing your backpack below cowl if it’s raining exterior, breaking the tent down, and packing it final in an exterior pack pocket.
The vestibules, nevertheless, are simply giant sufficient to retailer a backpack below cowl with out interfering with door entry. DCF doesn’t have quite a lot of stretch and tends to curve inward when used to create a vestibule form. You see the identical factor on the Zpacks freestanding FreeZip 2P dome-style tent that we reviewed final autumn (see evaluation). The Crosspeak 2’s forehead pole (the third shortest pole) helps create extra quantity on the high of the vestibule to compensate and make the vestibule usable.
Inside Condensation
Single-wall tents are likely to accumulate inner condensation, which may be transferred to occupants and their gear if you happen to rub up in opposition to the partitions. It happens when there’s a temperature distinction between the surface of the tent and the inside (heated by physique warmth). It’s not the tip of the world if you happen to do get a little bit moist, however there are tried-and-true methods to stop inner condensation from occurring or to reduce it.
A method to enhance air flow is so as to add vents to a tent’s ceiling or door, permitting sizzling air (which rises) to flee and inspiring airflow. The Crosspeak 2 has such vents on the high of its vestibule doorways. Sadly, they don’t have props (known as kickstands) to maintain them open, and so they are likely to collapse in on themselves. A much better approach is to sleep with the vestibule doorways rolled again, permitting air to flow into and vent heat. That’s the way you carry the temperature contained in the tent’s pores and skin into equilibrium with the surface temperature.
However sleeping with the vestibule doorways extensive open solely works in dry circumstances or gentle rain. What if the rain is blowing at you horizontally? Because the Crosspeak’s vestibule doorways have zippers down the center, you possibly can open one of many doorways and preserve the opposite half dealing with the wind closed. The guy-out line on the vestibule doorways is interchangeable to facilitate directional pitching.
Comparable Freestanding Tents
Suggestion
The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Crosspeak 2 (34 oz) is a single-wall freestanding tent that’s cozy for 2 individuals however nonetheless gentle sufficient for one individual to make use of as a solo shelter. Using exterior pole sleeves makes it a robust 3+ season shelter, making certain an ideal pitch each time. The tent’s inside options near-vertical partitions and a excessive ceiling, offering loads of area to alter your clothes and transfer round inside, whereas its “floating” bathtub ground retains you dry, even when you might want to set it up on a less-than-flat tent website. I feel the Crosspeak 2 is a wonderful tent and value critical consideration if you happen to’re on the lookout for an ultralight freestanding tent.
Disclosure: HMG donated a tent for evaluation.
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