Force Ten Spindrift

sof says : pos. Extremely strong tent. nice design large vestibules very strong and waterproof fly. cons no ceiling window too heavy support is a big question....

hepsibar says : This is a very strong tent! It will suit any persons wishing to venture out in colder or more hostile invironments. Wind resistance and stability are awesome. If you want to feel safe in the mountains, buy one. There is room for three/ possibly 4 at a squeeze but for most this would be very comfortable for two persons especially in winter or when you are tent bound due to poor weather etc. The tent pitches inner tent first and at first looks daunting wuith all the TSS/FSS poles but in reality pitching is easy. You can fit the TSS once the fly is attached if the weather is poor. The inner tent is free standing which is very handy when peg points are few and far between. You can pick the tent up and tip out grass/sand etc should the need arise. The fly and inner tent pole tension are fully adjustable. The construction is excellent. There are plenty of guy points as well as the added strength of the external fly support poles and internal tri support system. The quality manufacture, materials and stitching is second to none. The external fly doors allow easy access to the tent and there are plenty of ventilation options required for cold conditions by means of a clever zip system. The main porch has plenty of room for gear storage and cooking making life easy when the weather is not. There is a small window in the porch ceiling as well as the door for observing the weather etc. The rear porch is small but still big enough for storage of kit, boots etc. There is a window in the door. The fly has permenant snow valance which is great in high winds or snow. There are more pegging points than are required for most situations on the fly and valance but this makes pegging very flexible. The fly sheet is very waterproof and of ripstop material. It is very strong and feels robust so the tent should last years unlike some lighter weight tents. The fly should last in high UV areas. The inner tent is made of nylon and is water resistant. There are no mesh panels in the inner tent except those on the doors. This is great in wet climates where rain should run off rather than fall through on you or your kit when pitching the tent. The ground sheet is thin but the quality is excellent and it does not leak. Strength has been sacrificed here to save weight but considering it was probably designed for above snow line use in below freezing conditions it does the job fine. I will probably make a footprint for it to extend the life thoug this may be overkill. The inner tent has many pockets and a gear loft which is a very nice touch. The doors fall inside the inner tent when open and there is a pocket to stow them when not in use. Very neat! Both inner tent doors have nylon and mesh panels which can be opened to improve ventilation. The DAC poles seem to be very good but are not so easily field maintainable as some due to the tappered sections should one break. In sub zero conditions ventilation to reduce condensation can be acheived by opeing door vents and even proping up the valance. The inner door of the windward end of the tent can be opened low down and the lee ward door opened high up to help reduce condensation. The bright orange colour is very cheery, so much nicer than my green tent!

Anon says :