Sea To Summit Telos TR2 Stormy Review
Vložit
- čas přidán 24. 09. 2021
- My first time using my Telos TR2 didn't go so well. After a short 10 hour storm, there was water in the tent. Would you give it a pass or fail? Let me know in the comments below! Did it leak? Was it Condensation? Is it a QC issue or design issue?
- Sport
For a $500 tent, water like this is unacceptable imo. In this price range, there are a plethora of better, proven options.
If you buy a Sea to Summit product, I strongly advise getting it from REI or Amazon. Sea to summit's direct customer service is extremely hard to reach, never answering the phone, emails, or voice mails. Their return policy is horrendous and it took quite a fight and almost 2 months to be able to return this brand new product that leaked on first use.
I'd like to add, I have lots of amazing Sea to Summit products including a $500 Spark 4 and am generally a fan. Hopefully the 2nd generation of this tent addresses these issues, there's lots of potential.
A few days ago, I watched Steven Smith with his backpacking adventure with Dan Becker in Texas. He looked like he either had the Altos or Telos Sea to Summit tent which busted one of the tent poles in a 45 mph wind. It ended up punching a hole in his tent so after watching that and your video, I am so glad I did not buy this tent. I was concerned about rain coming in the vent but also the height could really cause trouble in high winds. Thanks again for sharing as you probably saved me from suffering a similar fate.
Might help if he would have actually slept in it to manage condensation. Also I’m pretty sure he said in the beginning of the video that he left it out for two days before the rain
If you sleep in your tent you can manage it better then just leaving it outside for multiple days
@@Djdrunkdad if you sleep in a tent you increase the amount of moisture and condensation inside it 10 fold. That would have only made it worse.
Went try to makes excuses and work around a design issue when there are other tents with the same or better features for the same price that don't have this issue haha.
i used this tent for 3 weeks on a trail and i had no issues at all. I loved it so light spacious and easy to put up. I had zero leaks and no condensation worth mentioning... I live in the UK and our weather is moist and changeable.
well i had it outside for 2 days in my back yard and it had issues. how many storms were you in?
@@maximusjoseppi5904 it rained during the night for about 7 days out of the three weeks. It was a coastal trail so very windy anyway. But there were 3 nights of pretty epic wind and rain. I remember some surfers hiding in avan coming out and helping me put the tent up as it was impossible alone with the high wind and sideways rain. Since then ive taken it again for two weeks over the yorkshire moors this time with my adult daughter so we had two people breathing in it.. again no condensation. I have the 3 season plus one with no mesh its all fabric inner. You would think it would make more condensation i dont know whats going on maybe a factory fault with yours?
@@littlenicky31 well I'm glad it's working out for you haha. It certainly didn't for me even in 1 night of rain without me in it. It had heavy condensation just sitting outside over night with no rain at all with the vent open.
Different climates, different winds, different pitch terrain can give people different experiences. Maybe that 3 season plus mesh effects it somehow? I live in an environment that is very conducive to moisture build up
But I proved without a doubt that the design allows water to pool so if you ever do get condensation, good luck haha
it think it is defenately the PLUS with the different mesh, which makes the difference. I guess thats why the plus is on the market. ;) Great Video! Thank you for exposing this one.@@maximusjoseppi5904
Does the overhead 2 vent port can be close to prevent outside rain drop go inside?
I'm a mountain guide and we have been recommending to clients that have the Telos to rent something else. They seem like a fine and more spacious alternative to something like a Zpacks, but they don't hold up in severe conditions. Lots of broken poles, torn fabric, wind drive rain and snow ingress. The Hubba Hubba, Dagger, and even the copper Spur to an extent are more resilient multi purpose tents at still reasonable weights.
Do you have any experience with the Nemo Dragonfly tents? Trying to decide between the Dragonfly and Dagger
Thank you so much for making this video. I was considering this tent, but seeing this, I will definitely scratch it off my list. Almost every google search for all the different tents come up as "amazing tent", but reality is something different. Also, a high number of people leaving reviews have used the tents once, in sunny conditions. A lot of tents are also coveted as "durable", when in fact they cant withstand wind without breaking the poles, or like this, leaking! Unacceptable. Also thank you for your comment on customer service, which is very important!
I took my alto tr1 to a week long trip with my friends bikepacking. One night it was very humid and I had a lot of condensation on my rain fly, which of course can wet your gear at least a little bit and drip inside the inner tent. But my friends had the MSR Hubba tent (which you could consider an industry standard very solid and reasonably lightweight, well-designed tent) and they had the exact same problem. This problem is relevant in all tents, not just this one. It is not a design flaw, sometimes the outdoor conditions just beat any tent at least a little bit.
Don't worry guys, this tent is a solid purchase and I thoroughly enjoyed it, so lightweight, packs small and very comfortable inside (and has all the broblems most other high-end tents have, as you can't fight nature in all situations). I'm a happy owner.
that's simply not true in any way and I explicitly showed that in this video. none of my other tents I have or have owned do this. none of my friend's tents do this. this is a specific issue with this exact design on the telos. the alto may be different but this is most certainly an issue with the telos.
I test and use all my tents the same and for this tent to have the inability to properly drain condensation but my $150 nature hike I bought as a spare for friends does it perfectly is absurd.
it's a design flaw, you don't have to stand up for a company because you gave them money.
I would have to agree that the stagnant pool of water on the ridge cap is the culprit in conjunction with the water permeability of the outer tent fabric itself, Silicone coated 15D is on the thin side and there’s no water column info for the fabric, inner mesh is non-relevant so my guess is that is the fail component. Only thing that’s separating you from the element is the rain fly but in this case it leaks - great vid 👍
Agree on condensation vs. leaking. If the vestibule doors are set over wet grass and the only thing separating that space from the inner is the mesh, particularly if set over soaking wet grass after seeing all that water in the lawn, that will make a large amount of condensation on any surface overnight - regardless of tent/manufacturer. I've seen even worse condensation on hammock tarps 4 feet up over sodden ground. Initially, I suspected there was going to be huge pools inside the tent due to site selection sitting on a flooded lawn, but was actually surprised not. My thoughts anyway. I am also very interested in this tent, but thinking twice - hmmm. I have to wonder how it might have faired on the woods on hills or rocky ground instead of grass. That is a lot of rain. Whew - not good for untreated down.
Thank you for the great review
Helpful review. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing, I was just thinking about buying this tent but now I'm glad I didn't!
Really you should season a tent before using it. I always set it up, spray with a hose, let it dry, I do this around 3 times or 10 if the kids are hiding inside. From what I understand this allows the thread to swell into the needle holes. When it's completely dry I spray the seams with a waterproofing spray to help protect the threads. I'm not totally convinced at 800 to 900 bucks Australian it is worth it.
Great review!
Thank you, I hope it helps people.
Had the similar Alto with a huge thunderstorm and two people in it by a lake. No issues with water or condensation at all. Only needed to close the vents at the worst of the storm. Best tent Ive used from condensation point of view.
the alto's roof is designed differently than this one. this is a unique issue with the talos
it's only rated at a 1200mm head which for me cannot be relied upon in stormy conditions. Heavy, persistent rain will get through as you've demonstrated here.
The vestibule doors have the ability to create low vents. Other reviewers have had both the top & lower vents open which allowd circulating air flow with out compromising protection. This is not my personal experiance though. I don't own this tent but I want to! :)
Thanks for a well done video of the rain.. looks like I'll pass on this one.. Was pretty excited but it rains alot where I am..
Due to these comments I contacted Sea to Summit, (my friend had this problem with her Telos and I have yet to try my Alto) this was ONLY, but crucial part of their response.
(Excessive tension on the corner tensioners of the Telos or Alto will deflect down the 'spine' pole, causing the ceiling of the inner tent to have a concave shape. As a result, condensation may not run off of the inner tent as designed, but can pool on the ceiling and eventually enter the inner tent. Condensation will form on any collecting surface if the air is saturated, whether or not the tent is occupied)
Additionally, due to their life time warantee you can send it to be evaluated. The know of this issue an remarked that if you follow their instructions; you should not have this problem. I'm testing this out with the Telos AND the Alto next time it rains. I'm not giving up on it yet.
PS, they sent me pictures as well; both of the overtightened tensioners and simply taut. The analogy I can think of is when you turn a screw that is supposed to be turned ONLY until it stops and not as hard as you can tighten it. When you pull on the tensioners, stop when they are NOT loose, and NOT until they are cinched tightly.
Great honest review man! I do have two suggestions. One in hard rain i would zip those vents completely and lay down the flaps. Two i always use a tent footprint with all my tents. It saves on the life of the tent by protecting the tent floor from pokie objects and it prevents ground condensation from getting through the floor. But condensation is going to happen with all tents. Some designs are better at preventing it then others. Its def an expensive tent but i would still spend the $60 on the telos 2 footprint if i was you. Hope this tent serves you well in the future! Stay safe! Hike on!
Could part of the problem be a seam sealing issue? While the water seems to have beaded well on most of the flysheet, when you give a close up of the zipped vent right around 5:45, the water that has gotten under the vent cover seems to have soaked in pretty well to the seam there. Looks like it could have come through the stitching there. Also some drops around the inside of that same place a little earlier at 4:58.
Great review! I used this tent on the Cape Wrath Trail in Scotland. The tent had a lot of pros (weight, space and style) and I was the same as you, I wanted to like it. However, the tent poles snapped in what I would describe as innocuous winds. Its a strange tent because it feels quality but it also feels a little flimsy. I'm not sure if what happened to me was a manufacturing fault or not, but next time I'll sacrifice some weight for stability and reliability.
I did end up getting a full refund, mostly due to the excellent customer service of Cotswold Outdoor (UK company), not Sea to Summit.
i mean, its made in china haha... so who knows what kind of quality youre going to get out of it. its prob made in the same factory as the $100 amazon tents. glad you got your money back!
@@maximusjoseppi5904 big Agnes are sewn in China probably the same factory
@@davidhale1568 except the big agnes is designed better and its lighter with no leaking or condensation issues.
@@maximusjoseppi5904 I haven't had any problems either with my two big Agnes tents apart from one of the pole section's was chipped when I received it, have to say a prefer my Henry Shire's tarp tents for serious travel in the main because simple poles are much easier to repair than complicated set ups
Love the concept but for that kind of money that amount of water is unacceptable . Seems like it needs some small pole to go bettween the center of the inverted crosspole and the fly , so it doesnt have that dipped almost bowl like area right at the top of the tent . Other than that great overall concept seems like it would be a simple upgrade for them to add some more ventilation and fix that dip at the top . i wouldnt call it a deal breaker but still if i had spent $700 on the 3p model i would be pretty pretty dissapointed if they hadnt fixed those issues . Just sayin
Interesting, I wonder if it's just your example or something to do with the conditions. On the REI site the reviews mention no problem with that, and one states "One day included 18 hours of continuous mild to heavy rain and wind; the tent and contents remained perfectly dry inside."
I've ordered one so I'll find out!
I ended up buying this tent because it matches my requirements. First use saw significant rain for several hours. I had some drips inside at the head end, and worked out that it's because I neglected to use guy ropes. (I was in a rush and hadn't left enough space behind it.) The condensation built up and because the outer was touching the inner, the drips transferred across. I'll be using it again this weekend and the forecast is wet, so I'll be sure to peg it out.
@@Fr4nt1ck are you happy with the purchase though?.. 500$ is alot to spend on a tent.
@@shanetravel Yes I am. I've just returned from a two-night camp. Had a thunderstorm on the first night with about 50mm (2") of rainfall. Less rain the second night, but it was totally dry inside throughout.
I really like this tent because it's bigger than most but still lightweight. I'm 1.94m (6'4") so the extra length is appreciated. I got the TR3 which has plenty of space for two plus gear. I found it with 20% off and paid $800 AUD.
@@Fr4nt1ck did you have it sealed up like this video? Or did you have some ventilation?
@@marcusaurelius200516 Sealed up, no vents open at all because it was windy with heavy rain. I did another trip with lighter rains and winds and it didn't get wet at all inside.
I really like this tent, especially the extra space inside. I got the gear left too, which is a good idea.
I think you're right about the flat top and condensation. I picked up the Telos tr3± which has a full fabric canapy. Hope that protects it better but I guess we'll see.
Ya, did you notice how the water fell once I pushed it down just a couple inches? Water being allowed to pool on the top where the seam is like that makes it more susceptible to leaking over time as well.
Hope you bought it from REI haha. Sea to Summit's direct return policy is horrendous. Took quite a fight to get them to let me return it even though it was brand new.
@@maximusjoseppi5904 huh, I've returned many things to REI over the years, even 2 tents recently, and haven't had any issues. Sorry to hear that. I purchased from enwild since it was on sale, I'll keep it for now and hope for the best with the full fabric canopy.
I think s2s is onto something with this design, might need a revision to work out the kinks.
@@ericbell217 no, sea to summit's return policy. REI is amazing
@@maximusjoseppi5904 oh okay makes more sense!
I’m wondering if it being up for a number of days contributed? It was wet even before the rain storm.
why should that have any effect? do you not go camping for multiple days?
@@maximusjoseppi5904 it’s a hiking tent not a base camp tent. Made to be put up each night then taken down then back up again the next night. Today different from a tent made to stay I one place for multiple days.
@@fayleya3865 dude are you kidding? People go hiking and stay out for multiple days haha. I do, all my friends do, every camping channel on CZcams does. You're trying too hard to justify why a 500 tent performed badly
@@maximusjoseppi5904 you take the tent down every morning , it’s not sitting out collecting more water
@@fayleya3865 tents collect water over night, not during the day... And no, often people stay in one location for multiple days and never break down the tent on hiking trips. Literally, everyone does this haha. Even through hikers will stay in one location multiple nights........ ESPECIALLY if there's bad weather.
Think your hypothesis is right on that flat surface. You can’t have it all I suppose-it was a cool design (attempt) for sure.
a little bit of water drops in that heavy storm wether could be acceptable for me, actually...haha ~
Good analysis. Condensation up from the grass under the vestibule pooling at the top ridge. Still looks like a pretty good tent.
Problem is, there are tents as good but with no condensation or leaking issues.. BA tiger wall and copper spur, msr hubba hubba, rei half dome. Tough to justify a $500 investment that you can't use in bad weather when I have a $140 tent that has kept me dry in heavy rain, naturehike mongar 2.
i think this is a pass for me, thanks
I have been leaning toward buying this tent, but after seeing this, i am very concerned! I'm not giving 500 bucks for a tent that either leaks or has such terrible condensation issues and that is without a person staying in it and breathing for hours making condensation even worse. Very disappointed!!
ya, its too bad. i got the tiger wall platinum, its amazing.
@@maximusjoseppi5904 why that one?
I’d buy the tent and try for yourself everyone has opinions yours might not have the same problems
great review. You just saved me money.
Hey Max, I liked your video, but I just have to let you know about this other persons video talking about this tent. He brings up the condensation issue. Just copy and paste: SEA TO SUMMIT TELOS TR2 TENT Review | 1st Look | Tons of innovative features in an ultralight tent
I had the same condensation problem with no rain... 4 nights treking, my brother and I on the tente and always condensation on the morning... Outside temperature during the night about 10°C... I'm very disappointed about this expensive tent
ya.. costs too much to have these kinds of issues.
Hey, i have tested this tent for 3 days here in Germany (Telos TR2) and i have to say mine does not have these bowing and flat area on Top. Actually it has a huge tension because of this system . The roof is very „pointed“ and i have no water Problem in the mesh.
So i give it a chance, and i share this clip with sea to summit support. The german support does not have any cases with this issue. Messages from other countries awaits.
any luck with reply ?
would love a comparison between this and the nemo dragonfly
nemo is eternally better.
I don't know man, I just watched someone hose this tent down with 40mm of water in an hour and it didn't leak at all. Maybe there's a design flaw that makes this possible, but if setup properly it should handle a lot of water.
watch the video before you comment. i didnt say it leaked and it was set up properly. its a design flaw in the angle created by the tent frame.
Wow thanks
You have over tensioned the fly, relax it a little and the concave on top will disappear - result the water runs off as designed……
thats not true
@@maximusjoseppi5904 fair enough but have you tried it?
@@pauls8456 of course I tried adjusting it. Moreover, if "over tensioning" this tent is an issue, that's also a design flaw in the tent.. other tents that do everything this one does but better and lighter don't have that issue regardless of tension.
You shouldn't have to make excuses for a top tier product
Good video, thanks for sharing. Any recommendations for a 2 person lightweight tent?
i have a tigerwall platinum 2... its amazing. the regular tigerwall is also great, just a little heavier
How is it condensing without a person inside? What?
lack of airflow
Should have gotten the nemo dagger 2 osmo
went with a tigerwall platinum, great tent
Thanks dude, was about to swing for one but you confirmed my doubts.
seems the flat top design cant stand snow...
This review is flawed! The grass is clearly damp, therefore precipitation (how clouds are created) will cause the moist air to rise inside the tent, and because there is no through ventilation from the side flaps, the moisture will rise and condense on the fly sheet. The assumption that the water came through the top of the tent without a shred of evidence, is an assumption based on a flawed opinion. Try hosing water onto the tent and confirm that it leaks! An opinion without facts is just BS.
I own a Telos 2 and the only time it's been damp on the fly sheet is when I camped on a field that had been flooded 2 weeks prior, or I didn't open the side zips by about 6 inches.
do you think when you go into the woods the grass wont be damp? haha. its not that there was condensation, that will happen, its the flawed design in the tent that doesnt allow the condensation that does develop to flow the way it should... down and outside your tent inner.
Set up on grass or wet grass will always give you condensation.
irrelevant to the problem.
@@maximusjoseppi5904 that top arching ridge pole is no good with all that moisture.
this is a total fail - imagine two people sleeping in it adding to tge condensation with every breath - down sleeping bags getting wet because that condensation drips in the middle 😑
i think its n issue with that new lightweight fabric every tent brand started to use in recent years, it's too well waterresistant - good for drybags but not so much for breathable uses 🤷
Shame as it’s nice and light, comparable to the hubba hubba
go with the big agnes tiger wall platinum... amazing tent, lighter, better made, no ventilation issues.
I knew that vent was going to be a problem
I almost bought this tent but didn't like the vent as I was afraid the rain would come in too easily. I got the NEMO Dagger OSMO 3P instead and am very happy. Sorry you didn't fare well with this tent.
i'm DONE with Seat to Summit, they are overpriced HOT garbage. Mine leaked as well in moderate rain. The lowly $145 "budget" Paria Bryce 1P has never leaked in full rain.
ya true
Get some scotch guard.problem solved
how does that solve any problem proposed in testing?
Hahaha Stick to weapon videos - because you set up the tent incorrectly !
except i didnt set it up incorrectly. sea to summit themselves agreed. so stick to not speaking in public.
Seems like a big fat fail to me. Hey, maybe instead of recalling it, Sea to Summit can just re-label it as a water purification system cause it sure aint. tent.
Those zippers looked soaked.
Total fail...