Portal 2

After arriving in record time (US to NZ) I'm blown away with the quality and craftmanship that has gone into producing this tent. I'll refrain from commenting on it's performance as yet but my initial impressions are that of a high quality tent that will withstand the elements here in NZ - exactly what I was looking for after being disappointed by numerous other tents that are generally regarded highly.

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.
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!

Still 5 stars! Incredible tent, will be outdoor testing over the coming weeks.

After posting an earlier review Tim reached out and his post-sale support and service was amazing - especially considering I'm in Australia. Looking forward to putting a few more nights in my tent - highly recommend this product and company.

I just came off a few days in the Sierras with my Portal 2 and I'm still delighted by it.

The kickstands, together with staking out the head and foot of the rainfly, make for great ventilation. And I'm really liking the silnylon fly -- I had frost on it most mornings, and that dried much faster than the rain fly on a friend's tent. Thanks for including plenty of stakes and lines, and for great videos on how to get the most out of the tent. Now if I can just paint the stakes so they're harder to leave behind accidentally... :-)

I love this tent. I've used it on hiking the AT and on a 1,100 bike tour across 1/3 of the USA.

Pros
1> Very well put together and a very tight pitch
2> Easy entry on either side
3> spacious side vestibules
4> lots o' pockets for stuff
5> I'm only 5'10" but there is plenty of room at head and feet for me to not wake with my head in the walls. I've only used this solo, it is very wide
6> Fits in a backpack very well and in bike panniers
7> still under 3lbs, so weight is good

What I don't like and why I'm selling
1> I always thought the bright orange trim and off-white would make it tough for stealth camping while bicycle touring and I was right. It wasn't enough for me to hate the tent, still my all time favorite backpacking tent. So when I saw the new low impact color scheme was available, I sold it on eBay and then ordered the new one.

I have been using the Portal 2 for over 2 years now. And the tent has performed excellently. I have used the Portal 2 many times with my last trip being a 7 night backpack through the Enchantments (Core) in Washington a few weeks ago. My comments are below:

1 - I have been hailed on, hard rained on and the weather gods have tried to blow me off the mountain. I was worried about the rain fly keeping me dry. But I have not got wet. The tent can be a little noisy in stronger winds. But I have learned to guy it better and that takes care of the flapping noise in all but the strongest winds. Guying the tab on the top of the tent is important. It separates the rain fly from the tent and prevents that cold feeling from touching the dry side of a wet cloth.

2 - The tent is a tight fit for my wife and I. Mummy shaped sleeping pads are recommended.

3 - The tent storage compartments are fantastic. Lots of them. It is easy to keep my stuff organized. I have added a cord between the "circle loops" at the peak of the tent. This allows me hang clothing (mostly socks) to dry overnight.

4 - The tent can get warm inside. I have found the kickstand openers for the rain fly to be a little inadequate. I would suggest buying an additional set of 2 to get a bigger opening and more airflow.

5 - Having two doors makes my wife happy. I no longer crawl across her to get into the tent.

6 - Setup can be confusing at first. But with a little practice the tent can be setup very quickly.

7 - Service and support are excellent. I have asked questions, purchased repair parts. I broke a pole on the Enchantment trip. The temporary repair sleeve kept the trip happy.

As an aside, I was a little bit of a tent junkie. I have owned many tents of over the years. I find this tent to be my favorite for 2 people. I use a different tent for solo trips.