North Face Tent Uses Wind to Stand up to Wind

Popular Science has an interesting article in the September issue and the online Popular Science magazine about a new North Face tent, the Spectrum 23.  The Spectrum 23 has a wind scoop which faces into the wind and scoops air into the tent.  As the wind increases, the volume of air scooped into the tent also increases, so the tent is inflated by the wind and does not get flattened by the wind. In wind tunnel tests the tent never flattened but failed in winds of 130 mph when the anchors holding the tent down failed. In the online article there is a movie of the tent in wind tunnel testing.  You would not want to be in the tent when it is carried off by the wind.  Not only is the tent stable in high wind, it only weighs 4 lbs 3 oz.

Comments

[chris]

questions:

a) this tent is scooping air inside the tent, so sleeping inside will be a little bit off since you will feel the gust inside??

b) how has it performed in rainy / showery weather since this one is a single wall tent??

c) have you bought this tent already?? im planning or considering to buy the Spectrum 23 tent??

thanks.