Portal 2

I recently returned from 2 months biking through Peru, Chile and Bolivia and used the Portal in conditions ranging from hot, humid jungle just above sea level to the side of a 6000m peak in blowing snow. I can say, without hesitation, I have not used, and honestly couldn't imagine a tent, that could handle this range of conditions as well as this tent does. The combination of storm worthiness and condensation management is unlike anything I've seen on any other tent, and it comes in such a small and relatively light package. I cannot stress enough how good the overall design and material choices are.

I'll start with some pros:

1: This is a very sturdy tent for its weight. For being technically sub 3lbs (1.3kg), it has strong materials and construction. The tensioning adjustments on the tent body and fly allow you to really synch it down, and the are a ton of guy line attachment points.

2: The nylon compound and coating of the fly sheds water very effectively and doesn't absorb much when compared to competing brands like BA or Nemo.

3: The pole arrangement and attachments are strong and easy to set up, which goes a long way after a tiring day.

4: The internal space is just right for 2 people roughly my size (5'10"/178cm). Enough space to lay all the way down and sit upright to change layers or whatnot.

5. This a seemingly minor detail, but is hugely important. On a flat surface, the fly does not quite touch down all the way down to the ground, even when synched all the way. This is massive because it allows a slight draft to come through which clears out almost all of the condensation. I never noticed it being drafty inside the tent, however, even in very strong winds.

6: I could keep going about the small details of how the door is latched open, or the large amount of pockets, but you get the idea.

This being said, obviously there are some minor nitpicks and limitations, no product is perfect and no review is honest without addressing some negatives. I emailed Tim at Slingfin with these critiques and he addressed each one with their decision making process, so even with these grievances, Slingfin is very thoughtful and aware of their products and are striving to make the best possible gear.

Just to be clear, although this tent stood up incredibly well to the windy and wet weather it has often faced while I've used it, it's not a proper winter tent and if you want something for climbing K2 you'll want a different tent. However, most people aren't practicing extreme alpinism and this tent definitely can stand up to a little winter weather.

1: Some of the pockets, particularly by the head, sag down when heavier objects (like a phone) are put in them and can get in the way, especially when lying down.

2: For taller folks (over 6ft), the internal guyline system can get in the way of your feet while sleeping (or your head if you have them at the head of the tent as well). They can be removed though, so small issue.

3: With the dark green version (which I have and love the stealth color), I found it hard to immediately identify the correct orientation of the fly, which was a bit of a pain in windy conditions with everything flapping around.

4: The groundsheet only comes in orange and you have to buy it separately. Tim explained to me this was to keep the overall cost of the tent down and the single color made ordering easier, which is totally understandable, but if you're like me and going to be putting the tent through the ringer, it'll necessitate the extra $80 purchase.

All that being said, I can't recommend this tent enough. I'm someone who is pretty neurotic with getting my gear right, and this is absolutely the tent I'd go for for anything short of a proper winter or high altitude expedition. It's confidence inspiring in almost all conditions and doesn't break the back for a free standing tent. If you want a bomber freestanding 3 season tent, this is undoubtedly the one.

My partner and I have spent the last two years travelling the world and nearly a 1/4 of this time has been spent in the Portal 2 tent. The tent has seen every condition imaginable, ranging from mild to extreme, spanning countries and continents.

This tent being our home, it was important that it could handle the harshest conditions that the likes of Patagonia and Peru, Scandinavia and Central Asian countries like Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan (to name a few!!) would throw at it.

Our tent setup up is very simple and takes no time at all to put up. We follow a few simple rules to ensure the tent has lasted as long as it has in varying conditions:

1) We always use the ground sheet (we purchased this separately) and clear the ground of sharp objects such as rocks and sticks etc
2) We always use the heavy-duty pole set (we again, purchased this separately)
3) We always use the super simple Velcro out-rigger attachments for hiking pole deployment (there is no doubt you tent will not budge in the windiest of conditions if you use this feature)
4) We always use the guy-lines
5) After use we always dry the tent immediately or as soon as the sun finds us that same day
6) We always shake the tent out and roll carefully, exactly as it came at the time of purchase
7) We regularly wipe and clean the tent between multi-day hikes to ensure it is stored dust and grime free in our pack
8) And, when we have the opportunity we always hang the tent instead of keeping it in its stuff bag for extended periods of time

By following these simple rules this tent has endured the harshest conditions with little to no wear.

If anyone has any issues with the tent it is certainly user error, or on the odd occasion, simply a rare manufacturing fault which from our dealings with SlingFin I’m sure they’ll respond to graciously.

Thank you SlingFin for providing us with a safe home over these recent years, we’re truly grateful.

I carried Portal 2 for 3 weeks section hiking CO trail/Front Range and 4 weeks in central Cascades wilderness over five years 2020-2024, and mine still looks almost like new.

Anyone can design a lighter tent. Anyone can build a tougher tent. The true skill comes when you push the envelope, and Portal 2 strikes an amazing balance at achieving both at once.

The strong thin silicone-impregnated rainfly is unlike any other I've seen. Slippery like teflon trying to cram it in a stuffsack. A few vigorous shakes and most drops of rain or condensation fly right off. While some water stays on when I pack up, I've never seen the material take on water.

I never sealed the three seams over poles (recommended if you don't pay extra $30). This summer an inch of rain fell on a day only a tenth was forecast. A small amount of water got in. It pooled in one spot at lowest corner and left no clues where it came in because it beaded on top and didn't soak in. The next morning there were dark spots under my pad/backpack where water came between the tent floor and the footprint. I touched them and the floor still felt dry inside.

I carried a BA Fly Creek 2 HV UL 5 weeks 2017-2019. I had nearly a quarter inch of water standing in several spots under pad inside BA tent after water soaked right up through the floor within half an hour of a sudden rainstorm/hailstorm. Fail! Tent floor of Portal 2 isn't that much thicker but it resists water in a way floor of BA clearly does not.

The superior coating/treatment also keeps dirt from getting ground in between the fibers. I’m amazed bright orange floor still looks almost new after 5 summers. Even footprint doesn't look all that badly dirty and stained from sap and wear yet. Bright yellow floor of BA looked dingy after a year or two.

Slingfin Tim wrote on website in 2019 he didn't build a sub-3 lb tent tent until he finally discovered a thin body fabric that met his demanding expectations. 2024 and I absolutely believe it. The lasting difference in floor/rainfly performance makes it fully worth the higher price tag.

If you don't take care of your gear, buy a disposable tent. Bathtub floor of Portal 2 is shallow enough at sides, it's not hard to brush dirt and needles out doors as soon as they get inside. Before they rub between pad/gear and floor like sandpaper.

POCKETS! Two long narrow corner pockets ideal for glasses and two more triangular corner pockets hold all my pocket stuff, headlamp, etc. at head. One huge pocket full width of foot, and another overhead.

Very happy with zippers: first weak point to fail on so much gear. If I set up tension on tent corners correct, I often use them one-handed and usually don't feel I'm straining anything. I back up immediately and don't yank if it gets caught.

Customer service was outstanding when I pre-ordered this tent. I knew full well shipment probably wouldn’t arrive and get to me before my ten-day loop around Mt Rainier in 2020. Still, I emailed Slingfin and mentioned my start date. They kept me up-to-date, I paid extra to ship tent expedited, and it arrived at the address of my friends in Seattle the same day I landed at the airport! I set it up on floor of hotel room and had to laugh: it sets up so taut with no stakes I could bounce coins off it. You aren't buying from a company traded on a stock exchange. This guy is passionate about the tents he creates and it shows in all the little details. A work of craftsmanship and a true thing of beauty.

3 minor complaints:

1) Head end is a bit wider than foot. Wider end of footprint, body, and fly are all marked with a matching orange triangle. I still wish both ends were exact same width at expense of a slightly narrower head or an extra half oz. I rotate and rearrange fly every time searching for that tab to tell me which is the wide end.

2) On chilly days it can be hard to attach black clips at corners of fly when the cold plastic has no give and my fingers are clumsy. This tight fit is highly secure in high winds. Older Sierra Designs tents had Jake's foot I could attach rainfly corners to one-handed - I'm sure it’s proprietary.

3) Tabs w grommets at corners of footprint are much looser than grommets at tent corners, so footprint falls off pole ends when setting tent up or moving it. REI staff tell me this is common with many other brands too.

I own 5 backpacking tents. Researched each against competitors, made workbooks to compare specs, and read user reviews for real-world issues. If this tent doesn't deserve 5 full stars, I've never found one that does.

If I went in mountains for 1-3 days and knew forecast I might carry a lighter tent. Ditto if I could guarantee campsites where I can drive in stakes/pole tips for a semi-freestanding tent. Carry 7-10 days of food deep in wilderness, no cell reception to predict conditions, no early outs, and unsure what rocky/unsuitable campsites I'll find? This is my ideal 5 star tent. Your needs may vary.

Update to review (a couple of reviews down) having now used the tent extensively across a range of climates and conditions in New Zealand, Asia and Europe (including Scandinavia).

My only initial concerns are:

1) Around how the fly attaches to the cross pole via the toogle/O-rings. The toogle on the underside of the fly seems slightly small and easily popped free of the O-ring while test pitching, albeit the tent was not under tension when the toogle popped free on various occasions.

UPDATE: [This is still a persistent issue although can be somewhat mitigated by a tight pitch. It DOES NOT affect the weather tightness or durability of the tent in windy conditions but it is something that’s always in the back of the ‘chief tent-pitchers’ mind.]

2) And; the central swivel at the junction of the two main poles impedes the pole sections snapping together completely (the swivel sits at a join). This might not be an issue, but if the poles are not completely snapped together I feel this could impact upon the structural integrity of the tent. I could be wrong!

UPDATE: [Having spent an uncountable number of nights in the tent across the world in variable conditions I can confidently say this minor remark can be disregarded, it is not an issue.]

New remarks:

I would not choose another tent to take on a hike. The Portal 2 has quickly become my only go-to tent primarily due to the remarkable balance achieved between WEIGHT and DURABILITY. The key feature driving this balance is the ability to quickly add a hiking pole to either end of the cross pole via simple velcro sleeves supporting it in windy conditions. This feature coupled with an extensive number of guy-out points and the ability to tighten things up using the internal guy-lines ensures hiking 3 1/2 seasons in ranging conditions is stress free.

This tent really does scream “BUY ME” if your main priority is to provide a safe, secure and liveable home while out adventuring.

My wife and I sectioned hiked the 800 mile Arizona Trail with this tent as well as other miscellaneous hikes within a year. We use a tyvek ground sheet. I’ve sprayed the Sawyer product parentharin a few times and it kills the bugs. The tent remains in almost new condition. Customer service has been amazing. Over New Years 2021 we began section section hiking the Grand Enchantment Trail. To my own neglect I did not secure the rain fly to the poles. I screwed up and did not do this over two extreme wind nights. One was rainy, one was freezing. I snuggled in and let the tent bend to our face and toes. It was a mess. We have been in more severe winds in AZ with the fly secured and the tent was like a house with minimal movement. Needless to say. The tent stood up but we bent some poles. The tent still remained strong as we used it the following weekend. Get this. Slingfin sent new tent pole sections. X3 despite my own neglect.
I typically carry the sub 3# tent and occasionally talk my wife into carrying’her part’ but this tent has held up to the Arizona desert and guarantees a shelter that’s stable in the high wind and rain conditions AZ throws at you. (FYI for those of your not from AZ the winds can be extreme and rains torrential. The northern part of the state also offers snow and freezing temperatures., well the sky islands of the southern portion do as well. ) Thank you SlingFiin. You build quality gear.

Das Zelt hat uns drei Wochen auf einer Alpenwanderung begleitet, Regen, starken Wind und in exponierten Lagen habe ich mich mit dem Zelt immer wohlgefühlt. Gewicht passt, die Stabilität ist besonders hervorzuheben, ich hatte davor ein Zelt mit Hub, welches deutlich instabiler war, die Features zum Wanderstock zusätzlich einsetzten ist super. Aufgefallen ist mir auch noch, dass das Außenzelt bei Regen kaum einsackt. Zudem hatten wir mit Kondens kaum Probleme, das liegt zum einen an dem schlau platzierten Stoffeinsatz im Mesh, zum anderen ist das Zelt gut durchlüftet, trotzdem wir die Ventilationseinsätze nie verwendet haben. Zwei kleine Minuspunkte hat das Zelt jedoch für mich. 1. Das Material des Außenzeltes ist wirklich dünn, es ist zwar extrem robust, allerdings ist es leicht durchscheinend. Hier hätte ich lieber ein etwas dickeres Außenmaterial.und würde das Gewicht dafür in Kauf nehmen. 2. Verzieht das Klett für den Wanderstockeinsatz andauernd das Mesh des Innenzeltes. Das könnte sicherlich auch an der Art des einpackens liegen, mit mehr sorgsamkeit ließe sich dies sicherlich verhindern. Allerdings bin ich oft faul und stopfe das Zelt einfach in die Verpackung.

This is the best tent I've owned, hands down. I've been on a touring bicycle on and off for 33 years and have had all manner of tent in the pannier bags over the years. But this Portal Two is next level. The weight is fine for biking but my top criterion is that I never want to wake up in the dead of night wearing a tent when the wind really cranks up, so the internal bracing in the Portal Two is great, as is the way the tent and fly lock in together Plus heavy duty guy-rope attachments. Having cross over poles is a must (I've tried all the other types and the single pole slightly lighter weight just means you end up wearing a tent when you don't want to). Great quality fittings tick. loads of internal pockets tick tick. Cheers to Slingfin for doing what you do.

I mean I’ve had this out a few nights already after receiving it a month ago. Order was perfect and in terms of the design…the Portal 2 seems to have all the features I am interested in. An investment for sure but I am happy with it and don’t feel any buyer’s remorse. I got the green version and love it! It would have been harder for me to get the orange one from a security perspective. I also opted for the thicker poles, and again. It’s so nice (and rare) when it’s all right in the box day 1 because people do their jobs well! It’s such a significant piece for me. I truly appreciate all of you!
The performance of the Portal 2 is next level and I have no complaints for what I received and how it came shipped to me. It is exactly as advertised. Its design and production are sharp. The finish and livability are there too. But the durability is why they got my money. The Portal 2 isn’t the lightest tent out there. But it’s close. SlingFin are offering what I would consider the finest freestanding shelter available. It’s well rounded and very strong. I need that more than anything else and will take a slight weight penalty for something I can depend on. Really, it seems a bit underpriced when you compare it to the market overall. It’s not the box-store throwaway, it’s also not born from ultralight tunnel vision that sacrifices everything else. The Portal 2 focuses on the perfect blend of weight, performance, and durability and I think they nailed it.
I would only ask for two additional pieces that I think would enhance its potential. First, I would love to see a solid body option available for that 4th season. Even if it only attaches to the thicker poles. If you all ever make it, I want the first one. I’m not joking. Second, as I am a bike-packer, I have no trek poles so it would be sweet if you all offered anchor poles as a possible add-on set that also collapsed down to fit in the pole bag.
Thanks again! I love it!

After much deliberation, I bought this tent to use on the PCT. I'm absolutely thrilled with how easy it is to set up and its features. The tent dries incredibly quickly, and even on wet ground, I had no problems. Frequent pitching and striking didn't affect the tent at all. The mosquito netting needs to be handled with care, but that's true of any tent. With my height (over 2 meters), I had plenty of room to sit and sleep. The ventilation is also quick and easy to adjust; if it's a bit windy at the campsite, there are no unpleasant drafts, but the humidity can still escape. I've used the tent many times in northern Europe since the PCT and haven't had any problems with it so far. I did have a tear in the outer shell once, which SlingFin Instant repaired quickly and easily. Their communication is always open, friendly, and customer-oriented. I can wholeheartedly recommend this tent to everyone and would buy it again in a heartbeat. Thanks to Tim and the team!

I've had this tent for 6 years now, I've used it I don't know how many times and it has been amazing. From high winds above the tree line to relaxed nights with my husky curled up by me in the mountains. It is durable, easy to set up, versatile, and tough as hell. This is the first Slingfin product I've purchased, but it bought my loyalty.

I just got the portal 2 and really like the design. However, the sizing is off. I measured several times and several ways, loosened everything, but every way I measure it, it only comes to 41x51x80. This may be a one off mis-cut, but the tent goes back...

I'm writing in after having owned and used a Portal 2 for about a year and a half now. After 230 miles in Scotland, 120 in Greenland, and a slew of smaller trips in between, here's what I like about it:
1) It keeps the water out. The material of the fly is especially impressive. I remember plenty of days in Scotland where my rain gear was utterly soaked, but this tent was a dry safe haven all through the night.
2) It's roomy. My sister and I shared this tent in Greenland. Both of us had big, inflatable pads and large packs. There's always plenty of room inside the tent and in the vestibules to either side.
3) It's not fragile. There have been nights where the wind blew hard enough, I worried the poles (I don't have the heavy-duty ones) would be damaged. And then there's all the times I've accidentally set up camp on top of a bristly heather bush or walked full throttle into the guy-lines. Despite these efforts, the tent remains fully intact and functional.
4) It's easy to set up and take down. Which, as we all know, is brilliant when you need to move camp every day.
Conclusion? This tent was worth every penny I spent on it. Thanks SlingFin!

I’ve had the tent for three years and it’s seen some abuse - from winter camping in the snow above Tahoe to camps with our Boy Scout troop. I recently left it up in a very big windstorm here in the UK (over 60mph gusts) without using all the guy lines or walking pole supports. Unfortunately, while away from the camping location, the wind built up further and blew the tent over (my fault entirely. There was some mesh damage that Slingfin very quickly repaired, and I was able to replace all the bent and broken poles at a very reasonable cost. This is a very unusual level of customer support and I’m very grateful that the tent could be repaired. Kudos and thanks to Tim

I am very happy that I got this tent. I took it on a 6 night trip in the Sierras, and it felt very sturdy and easy to pitch. I did not experience high winds, but I had to set and break camp in the rain, and it was very easy. In fact, I liked pitching it fly first (assuming you use the floor), since it was easier for me to insert the cross pole this way, from inside.

I appreciated all the little pockets, especially as I was looking for space to hang wet clothes. For one person, it is a palace, but this is exactly what I wanted (even if at the expense of some extra weight), and the space allowed to pack my backpack while I was inside, and it was raining outside.

One very small, tiny remark - the little hoops and strings for keeping the doors rolled up - would criss-cross if I was not careful enough. For example, if I tried to undo the loop with one hand, I would almost always end up twisting the whole system, and I was then required to get up and use both hands to untwist it. Not sure if these attachments should be thicker, or maybe the system could be different. But as I said, it is a super minor detail.

Overall, I am very happy and I have confidence that the tent will protect me in different conditions.

I've used this tent for about ten nights, with a mix of car camping and sleeping up high and off trail. The design seems every bit as good as claimed -- especially with the trekking pole reinforcement mode, this tent is really strong and wind resistant, and it's quite spacious given the tiny weight and footprint. Without the fly, you're in a lovely transparent dome of bug netting, and I'm excited to have the fly-only mode, although haven't yet tried it.

But these aspects are kind of spoiled by what seem to me to be too-fragile materials. I put a small hole in the stuff sack when carefully sliding in the collapsed poles in their own bag, and the first night that we slept on dirt with a few exposed not-sharp rocks, several holes appeared in the tent floor. Both of these areas seem to be a silnylon that's verging on tissue paper. I've had a super lightweight bivy sack from MLD for 10 years that uses a silnylon that feels only slightly heavier, but which hasn't had a hole despite many nights on rocks. The mosquito mesh in the Portal 2 also seems overly fragile -- it already has many small runs in it, despite not snagging on anything, and packing and rolling the tent very carefully each time into its sack.

It is really amazing that they've made such a lightweight tent that's resistant to high winds, and the holes are easy enough to repair, but I'm disappointed that it doesn't seem robust enough for extended use except on the most weight-sensitive types of trips.