Trekking tents
A lighter carry against two published water columns — which way does that trade go?
These two are the light end of the shelf, and they are documented in opposite directions. The WANDERFALKE Trail 2 publishes a water column for the outer and another for the floor, a denier for each of them, and labels its 2.0 kg (4.4 lb) as a total. The Naturehike Cloud Up Pro 2 publishes 1.8 kg (4 lb), a 20D silicone-coated fly and a described frame, and puts a millimeter figure on nothing at all.
| Compared on | Trail 2 ripstop tent | Cloud Up Pro 2 dome tent |
|---|---|---|
| Stated weight | 2.0 kg (4.4 lb) | 1.8 kg (4 lb) |
| What the weight figure covers | Stated as the Gesamtgewicht, the total weight | Not published — the 1.8 kg (4 lb) carries no trail or packed label |
| Hydrostatic head — flysheet | 4000 mm (157.5 in) for the outer tent, with welded seams and corners | Not published — a 20D silicone-coated fly with a waterproof coating, and no figure |
| Hydrostatic head — groundsheet | 5000 mm (196.9 in) for the tent floor | Not published |
| Fabric denier | 20D ripstop nylon outer and 40D nylon floor, both stated | 20D nylon for the flysheet, with a silicone treatment |
| Pole material | Aluminum, given as a break-resistant pole set; the alloy grade is not named | Not published — a double Y-shaped structure is described, the poles are not named |
| Pitch type | Not published — a Smart-Clip system is named and pitching is given as five minutes | Dome, with a centrally anchored guyline for stability |
| Floor area | Not published | Not published |
| Season rating | Not published | Not published |
| Listed on amazon.com | Yes | Yes |
Each tick belongs to its own line and nothing more. The row of ticks is not a score: the two verdicts underneath settle the page, because these two answer different questions on the trail.
The Trail 2 is the one to take when the forecast is the deciding factor. It is the only tent of the pair to put a figure on both panels — 4000 mm (157.5 in) on the outer, 5000 mm (196.9 in) on the floor — to give a denier for each, and to say in as many words that its 2.0 kg (4.4 lb) is the total. You are buying published numbers, and paying for them in grams.
The Cloud Up Pro 2 is the lighter carry at 1.8 kg (4 lb), in a 20D silicone-coated nylon that explains where the weight went, with a double Y frame and a mid-panel guyline described in detail. Its short wins column reflects what the listing leaves out, not how the tent is built: neither panel has a water column, so the weather side of the decision has to come from somewhere else.
On a thin fabric the coating carries almost all of the weatherproofing, because the weave itself does little to slow water down. Both tents here use a 20D outer; only one of them publishes the millimeter figure that goes with it.
No. A total weight counts everything in the bag — canopy, poles, pegs, guylines and often the stuff sacks. A trail weight counts what you actually pitch with, and is always the smaller number. Neither tent here publishes a trail weight; the Trail 2 at least says which of the two its 2.0 kg (4.4 lb) is.
One to two person · 2.0 kg (4.4 lb) total weight stated · 4000 mm (157.5 in) fly and 5000 mm (196.9 in) floor · 20D fly, 40D floor · aluminum poles
The one tent in this group that publishes both water columns and both deniers, and labels its weight as a total rather than leaving it bare.
Best for: One or two people who want the weatherproofing published in full and will accept a 2.0 kg (4.4 lb) total to get it.
Two person · 1.8 kg (4 lb) unlabelled · 20D silicone nylon fly · double Y frame · no water column published
A 1.8 kg (4 lb) two-person dome in 20D silicone-coated nylon that names its fabric and its frame geometry, and never puts a millimeter figure on either panel.
Best for: Two people prioritizing a low carried weight in a silicone-coated 20D fly, on a route where the forecast is watched.
Prices in these summaries were read on the dates each review gives. The live figure sits beside every product.
