29 Days - Gear selection: How to Choose a Tent

29 Days till Australia
17 Days till Ontario.

  With only three weeks left in Calgary the final crunch is on. I am still collecting the remaining pieces of my kit - several more pieces have arrived over the last few weeks. Most excitingly, my tent has arrived!

  After weeks of deliberation, "humming and hawing", I have decided, last minute, upon taking The North Face Meso 22   rather than the Marmot Eos 1P which I had originally planned to take.

  So why the last minute change?

  Well, lets break down my actual needs and requirements in a tent; I need it to be super light weight, as I am backpacking for a year with it. Highly compressible, as storage space between my two packs is limited. Good ventilation will be key on the hot nights, as well as during mid day when it will be too hot to trek. Also, this will be my home for the next year, I need a comfortable living space for me and my gear.

  Lets look at each of these needs individually and see how the two tents differ, and why I made the decision I did.

  Light Weight: There is no doubt these are two very light weight tents. Full no-see-um-net mesh canopy cuts tones of weight from both these tents.
           The North Face Meso 22: Trail Weight - 3lbs 12 oz
           Marmot Eos 1P: Trail Weight -  3lbs 3oz


  Highly Compressible/Compactable: By storing the tent poles/pegs on the outside of my pack, and placing the tent in a compression sack, the total packed size can shrink to as little as half the original packed size or less - Taking up way less space - about the size of a football.

  Ventilation: The full No-see-um-net mesh canopy offers constant air circulation through the tent, where as many of the solo backpacker tents I had looked at originally offered very low ventilation, and some none at all. Ventilation is key for the Outback for those warmer nights and the hot hot days where shade and shelter are a must during peak hours - where travel is done early and late in the day.

  Comfortable Living Space: While the Eos 1P is definitely the lighter of the two tents, its free standing design is not intended for extended use where real living space inside the tent in necessary day-to-day. However, the design of the Meso 22 is quite the opposite. The three pole design actually increases comfort and capacity of the living space inside the tent. This is the main reason for my last minute switch to this tent.

           The North Face Meso 22:  Floor area - 29 square ft.
                                                     Vestibule area - 13 square ft.

           Marmot Eos 1P: Floor area - 22.8 square ft
                                     Vestibule area - 6.5 square ft.


 Conclusion
 Though the Meso 22 weighs in a whole 9oz heavier than the Eos 1P, I believe it will be the better choice for the trip. Double the vestibule size offers lots more room to store gear outside, leaving me with ample room inside - in both floor space and height to sit up, stretch out, and relax.
 I can deal with the extra 9oz to carry knowing that my new home-away-from-home will be just that... My new Home.