The REI Flash Air 2 Tent (considerably revised for 2023) is a two-person, single-wall trekking pole bikepacking/ backpacking tent that weighs 2 lbs 4.5 oz on our digital scale. It was two doorways and two vestibules and comes with 2 black collapsible poles to pitch the tent with if you happen to don’t use trekking poles. Priced at $399, the Flash Air 2 may be very straightforward to arrange with a spacious inside – even for tall individuals. Being a single-wall tent, the tub ground and the rainfly are linked, making it straightforward to arrange dry even when it’s raining. The tent’s air flow, outfitting with line loc tensioners, reflective guylines, and vestibule area make this a superb worth for an entry-level ultralight backpacking and bikepacking tent.
Unfortunately, REI fully botched the Flash Air 2 product description on its web site, apparently slicing and pasting the descriptions of a number of tents collectively, so I hope you’ll discover this overview clarifying. I truthfully assume the Flash Air 2 is a really good shelter and I actually like the truth that it’s competitively priced ($399) so that folks with out a belief fund can afford it. Ultralight backpacking was by no means meant to be costly and elitist and I’m appalled that it’s develop into simply that.
Specs at a look
- Size: 2 particular person
- Type: Single-wall
- Structural: Trekking Pole Tent
- Published Minimum Trail Weight: 2 lbs 6.5 oz
- Actual Minimum Trail Weight: 2 lb 4.7 oz contains 2 required “gold” poles
- 2 Optional Trekking Pole Replacement Poles included (4.5 oz/pair)
- Minimum variety of stakes to pitch: 6, really useful 8
- Doors: 2
- Actual Bathtub Floor Dimensions: 86″ x 50/42″ (L x W head/foot) inches
- Vestibule Volume: 28.72 sq ft
- Peak Height: 47 inches
- Seam-taped: Yes
- Fabric: 20D ripstop nylon
- Hydrostatic head: NA
The REI Flash Air 2 is a 2-person trekking pole tent with 2 doorways and two vestibules so occupants can have their very own entrance/exit and vestibule gear storage space. The tent comes with two units of two poles: a black set that’s inserted into poles sleeves on the prime of the vestibules and that can be utilized to erect the tent if you happen to don’t have trekking poles, and a two-pole gold set that’s used on the ends to extend the depth of the tub ground and create extra room underneath the rainfly above the pinnacle and toes.
Being a single-wall tent, the tub ground and the rain fly are sewn collectively and arrange concurrently. This may be very straightforward to do with the Flash Air 2 as a result of it has a rectangular-ish ground plan, wider on the head finish. You merely stake out the nook guylines on a 45-degree angle, insert the poles into the vestibules, and tighten the pitch throughout utilizing the road loc tensioners on the tent’s guylines. Since the tub ground and rainfly are a single unit, you possibly can arrange this tent within the rain and it’ll keep dry inside.
The tent has 2 massive aspect vestibules which have loads of room for gear storage that doesn’t intrude with entry and exit. Both vestibule doorways have two-way zippers and velcro patches alongside the size, so you possibly can create a prime transom for airflow even once they’re closed. They even have kickstand peak vents that may be opened to assist launch the nice and cozy air and moisture that may accumulate within the ceiling, significantly when the vestibule doorways are zippered shut, which may exacerbate inside condensation.
The tent comes with two non-obligatory black collapsible tent poles that can be utilized as an alternative of trekking poles to pitch the tent. These are helpful if you happen to’re a bikepacker otherwise you don’t use trekking poles. They’re additionally helpful if you happen to’re a base-camper that does use trekking poles as a result of it means you possibly can arrange the tent after which go mountain climbing together with your poles with out having to take down and arrange the tent every time you allow/return. For functions of packability, the longest section on the black shock-corded poles is 16″ which can slot in most bike body baggage or panniers, though they won’t match horizontally in smaller ultralight backpacks if that’s how you like to pack your tent poles.
If you utilize trekking poles to arrange the tent, the ideas needs to be oriented up and slot into bolstered sleeves within the peaks of the vestibules. The identical is true if you happen to use the black pole set. The deal with finish of the trekking poles is held in place near the aspect of the tub ground with a loop of wire. If you utilize the black poles, the bottom of the poles slots right into a aspect grommet so that they received’t slip out at night time.
The tent additionally comes with two quick (16 and 1/4″) gold-colored aluminum poles. These slot into bolstered sleeves and grommets on the head finish and foot finish of the tent. They assist create extra space above the pinnacle and the toes contained in the tent and assist to maintain the partitions of the tub vertical. They serve the identical operate because the pitchlocs utilized by the tent producer Tarptent. Once inserted, these gold poles are VERY tough to take away and I counsel you allow them within the tent completely slightly than battle with them (I nonetheless can’t get certainly one of them out). They don’t have an effect on packability that a lot. They solely weigh 0.6 oz every and aren’t actually price changing with something lighter.
The inside of the tent may be very spacious inside and is large sufficient to make use of 2 x 25″ large pads, so long as they’ve a tapered mummy form. The tent can be 86″ lengthy (we at all times measure the within of the tent), offering loads of additional area for taller campers or to retailer clothes and further gear inside.
In phrases of air flow, the sidewalls of the tent are strong mesh and there’s a strip of mesh situated between the ceiling and the aspect partitions on the head and foot ends of the tent. While the latter does present some air flow profit, the actual objective of this mesh is to create some slack between the rainfly and the sidewalls, like a floating ground, that adapts to the terrain if you happen to arrange on an unlevel spot. This floating ground function is a signature function of the category of single-wall tents referred to as tarptents (to not be confused with the producer named Tarptent), of which the REI Flash Air 2 is a member.
Best Practices
The key to avoiding inside condensation in a single-wall tent is to sleep with the vestibule doorways large open, so there’s solely insect mesh between you and the wilderness. To do this, I counsel taking two of the additional guylines included with the tent and tying them to the bolstered loops on the prime of the vestibules. This will allow you to stake out the tent, however roll again each halves of the vestibule, enabling most airflow. This is my favourite method to sleep in a tent like this in good climate.
When the vestibules are totally rolled again, there shall be some added slack within the huge panels above the pinnacle and foot ends of the tents. You can get rid of that by including guy-out strains to the exterior loop above every of the gold finish poles, as proven above.
Comfort
Ease of Setup
Weather Resistance
Durabilty
Weight
Packed Size
It may additionally be price including a guy-out level to the large ceiling panels because the Flash Air 2 solely has guy-out factors situated alongside the seams, however that’s a a lot greater job than meets the attention and would most likely require some stitching and seam-sealing to implement.
Recommendation
The REI Flash Air 2 is an ultralight trekking pole tent with a minimal tent weight of 36.7 oz (on our digital scale) and is made with extra standard supplies (20d ripstop nylon) to maintain its worth cheap ($399). The inside of the tent is kind of massive, with loads of area above the pinnacle and toes. The tent units up quick as a result of the rainfly and bathtub ground are all one piece so you are able to do it within the rain with out getting the inside drenched.
The purpose we just like the REI Flash Air 2 is that it ticks plenty of packing containers for a extra conventional pair of backpackers trying to shave some severe weight from their shelter with out sacrificing consolation and ease of use, and its large availability at REI shops will hopefully assist to show a a lot wider viewers to ultralight backpacking. We significantly admire that non-obligatory tent poles are included (as an alternative of getting to purchase them individually) to make use of on journeys if you won’t deliver trekking poles. For of us who’ve by no means used non-freestanding or trekking pole-supported shelters earlier than and are curious to strive them out, the Flash Air 2 is an effective entry level, as the essential setup is easy.
Competition
There actually aren’t that many aggressive tents to the Flash Air 2, if you happen to solely take into account single-wall tents, made with extra standard supplies, and no more costly Dyneema DCF:
- The Gossamer Gear “The Two” (23.5 oz) is a spacious single-wall tent with a two-pole design. Made with Sil/PU coated cloth and manufacturing facility seam-taped, it has much less room above the pinnacle and foot ends in comparison with the Flash Air 2 and doesn’t include any accent poles (bought individually). It’s additionally made with 10d cloth which is way more fragile than the 20d ripstop nylon used on the Flash Air 2. $375.
- The Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo Explorer(45 oz) is made with siliconized nylon (silnylon) and is a spacious two-pole, two-vestibule single-wall tent with good air flow. Unfortunately, it’s a lot heavier and have to be seal-sealed earlier than use. $395.
Disclosure: The creator owns this product.
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