Review of Black Diamond Skylight Tents
One of the featured tents in Black Diamond’s
“Superlight” series, the Skylight is a three-season, three-person tent whose
primary selling point is its extremely low weight.
At just a smidge over 4 pounds, the Skylight certainly lives up to
this claim, thanks to the use of Black Diamond’s own EPIC fabric and
silnylon for the flooring, thin but tough aluminum poles, and the hybrid
design that cuts down on the fabric needed to cover the whole tent.
The Skylight is engineered as a hybrid of a single-wall and
double-wall tent, with the front third made up of an EPIC outer wall and a
mesh inner wall for increased breathability, ventilation and a spectacular
view when pitched in the right direction.
The back two-thirds of the tent is covered with a single wall of EPIC
fabric, which, though light and thin, is surprisingly durable and can handle
light to moderate weather disturbances easily.
The Skylight’s vestibule is uniquely placed compared to other
Superlight tents, and is situated inside of the tent body instead of as a
separate area, as part of a canopy that can be rolled up or down depending
on the weather outside.
There is much to appreciate about the Skylight, aside
from its touted lightweight feature.
It is roomy and airy, being spacious enough inside that three campers
will be able to sleep comfortably, along with their gear.
The floor is deceptively strong, and will not easily rip or tear,
although scuffs and smudges are to be expected if the terrain is
particularly rough. The Skylight
has itself been tested in a variety of non-extreme climates, and proven to
hold up well even against rainfall and both sustained and intermittent
winds. The door zippers are also
treated with silicone and made to resist freezing and water wicking.
The EPIC fabric may not be waterproof, by way of compromise for its
added breathability, but it is water-resistant to a satisfactory level.
There are many consumers of the Skylight who are content with its
performance, and even prefer it as their tent of choice when going on group
trips.
This is not to say that the Skylight is without its
share of flaws. There are quite
a number of users who have complained of the problems that this tent has
with condensation. It has not
been identified exactly what causes this, as reports of its occurring differ
between users, but it has been a source of concern for more than a few
disgruntled customers. Waking up
with water dripping from the roof of your tent is certainly far from ideal,
and has hurt the Skylight’s reputation among some of its purchasers.
Another problem raised by people who have used the Skylight is that
it is relatively difficult to pitch, and some prior practice at home will be
necessary before one can easily set it up outdoors, especially in adverse
weather conditions. In normal
circumstances the Skylight should take no more than five minutes to pitch;
however, when it is raining, some effort must be made to keep the interior
dry while setting up the poles and slipping the hooks into the proper loops.
The Skylight is also susceptible to being blown away if it is not
tied down securely – a stray wind that flies into the tent can easily turn
it into a makeshift kite if its user doesn’t have it tied down.
You can buy it online here.
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