Catoma Outdoor twist tent

[hikes-with-him]

My son is looking for a CHEAP one-person tent and found the Catoma outdoor twist tent for $97 at Sierra Trading post. He is very new to hiking and, for now, only hikes in good weather...so rain, windy weather is probably not a problem. He is also, most likely, not looking to overnight more than one or, maybe, two nights.

Any experience with this tent? Any other suggestions for under $100...and under 4 lbs? Oh...a tarp/footprint only is probably not an option either (bugs, you know )

 

[nartreb]

prices vary, but I saw it online for $90 twenty seconds ago:

http://www.davidalbeck.com/hiking/reviews/zeus1exo.html

But I have to say, if you're not going outside when it might rain, there's no reason for a tent in the summer. Mosquito netting would be a lot lighter.
A baby step in that direction, where you don't have to worry about leaving little gaps the critters might sneak through, is to buy a lightweight two-layer tent (not the Exo, which is single-skin) and not pack the rain fly.

 

[Chip]

I've never heard of Catoma, which might not mean anything. In that price and weight range I have a Kelty Teton 2 I've been happy with. 2 person, free standing. If I had to buy a tent for my son today, I'd probably buy this one. Light, full fly when needed, bomb-proof design, good company, cheap, huge for 1 person, okay for 2.

 

[BobC]

Make sure he considers whether he really wants a 1-person tent. When I went shopping for tents I found that the 1-person tents were all very small, and ended up getting a used 2-person Sierra Designs tent from Craigslist. This tent would be pretty tight for 2 people, but for me it allows for some extra room to throw in some of my gear and still be able to sleep comfortably. Also, if he thinks he might be using tent platforms, a free-standing tent would be best.

The one Chip mentioned above looks like a good deal...

 

[woodsxc]

Check Kelty. They make pretty decent stuff and have very good prices.

 

[giggy]

ll bean microlight - had mine over 10 years now and its still great.

can get one or 2 man version. check em out. slightly over 100 smackaroos.

but - you know what you getting. never heard of the brand you mention - could be a pile of poopski.

 

[Chip]

This is the Kelty Teton 2.

 

[Jay H]

Ditto on the Kelty stuff, my first tent was a Kelty Windfoil 2, which was nice and quite roomy and inexpensive.

Jay

 

[Stash]

ll bean microlight - had mine over 10 years now and its still great.

can get one or 2 man version. check em out. slightly over 100 smackaroos.

but - you know what you getting. never heard of the brand you mention - could be a pile of poopski.

Mine's only a year old but I'd agree. Only issue I've had is it's not free standing so a little more work to put it on a tent platform.

 

[Little Rickie]

My son is looking for a CHEAP one-person tent and found the Catoma outdoor twist tent for $97 at Sierra Trading post. He is very new to hiking and, for now, only hikes in good weather...so rain, windy weather is probably not a problem. He is also, most likely, not looking to overnight more than one or, maybe, two nights.

Any experience with this tent? Any other suggestions for under $100...and under 4 lbs? Oh...a tarp/footprint only is probably not an option either (bugs, you know )

Is he backpacking or hiking from an easily accessable base camp site?

 

[DuctTape]

I have some experience and knowledge about Catoma and this tent.

First, Catoma is new to the backpacking equipment world. They have been around for a while making gear for wild-fire-fighters and the military. The quality is decent for their military spec gear.

My first expereince with their gear was with a "bug bivy", a piece of gear designed for field hospitals which could be deployed on the ground or on a cot and keep bugs off of patients. This piece of gear has a serpentine fiberglass pole for quick set-up. This bug bivy is the basis for two of Catoma's backpacking tents. As a bivy they are very small. Basically anough room to lie down in and that is all. I have used them in shelters and under tarps with great success.

I had contacted the company about integrating a tarp into the setup, while speaking with a production manager he mentioned they were already in the design phase. I eventually received both tents to test for the company.

After a few tests, there were some serious problems with both tents. One tent, "the worm" isn't even available on the Catoma website. They must have heeded the testers advice of the many problems and stopped production. Then there is "the twist"... The bad... the bug bivy is so small that when a tarp is integrated, getting in/out is cumbersome and in foul weather could expose the inside of the tent to the elements. On the plus side, set-up is easy and the usefulness of the inner bivy for shelter use is great. On the whole, I would suggest a different option for someone looking for a serious backpacking tent.

 

[erugs]

It's better, in my opinion, to get something that is a known brand rather than go by price alone.* Another thing to consider is, would you like to have it if he upgrades to something he wants more in a year. I've gotten some nice "rejects" from my son and my boyfriend. I have a Solitare from Eureka when I tent alone, but wish for a bit more space. (My son has also been pleased with some of the equipment I've sent his way.)

* An exception might be the fairly new NEMO tents.

 

[hikes-with-him]

Is he backpacking or hiking from an easily accessable base camp site?

Well...he would be backpacking with us...basically hike up Tumbledown...spend the night...hike around the jacksons the next day...pack up from Tumbledown ledges and hike out for home. Nothing too serious.

 

[Lawn Sale]

I have a pair of LL Bean Microlight 2 person tents in inventory and use one when I'm solo, and they are just right for one person plus a pack. They weigh in at 3.95 pounds without the footprint, which adds another 9.1 ounces. I have never had a problem pitching them despite their being non-free standing, and they handle all sorts of weather with ease...and even rabbits that barrel out of the brush at midnite and crash into it.