Kurt and I spent 4 1/2 months (summer/fall) working, cooking and sleeping out of our Little BigHorn tent while volunteering at a State Park on the shore of Lake Superior. The tent comes in two large duffels and a box of connectors for the poles. The whole thing weighs about 150 lbs (68 kg). Kurt and I set up the tent in less than 45 minutes, taking our time.

The tent is very sturdy with poles made out of stainless steel and skin made out of durable nylon blend, the floor liner and roof have an additional waterproof coating. At one time, half a dozen cotton pants were hanged to dry off the tent’s frame in addition to heavy coats, lamps and art and the structure did not budge. This past summer, there were a few strong storms with 50 mph wind gusts (80 km/h) yet the frame of the tent did not even move.

The straight walls makes the place feel more like a small cabin than a tent. Similar to a cabin, there are large windows on the sides and the front door as well as a couple roof vents so there is great air flow: on our coldest night (36°F/2°C) we felt confident using a small portable propane heater without fear of carbon monoxide poisoning. On one of the hottest days the temperature reached 92°F with a heat index of 100°F (respectively 32°C and 37°C). We used a small portable fan to help circulate the air and open both top vent windows to let the hot air escape. One of the advantages of the tent’s small square footage (98 sq ft/30 m2) is that it doesn't require much energy to heat up and cool off the space.

We have finally found a way to live comfortably for months on end while maintaining a small foot print. We would consider upgrading to an Outfitter tent which includes a porthole so we can use a wood burning stove and turn our 3-season camping tent into a 4-season one, that would be neat!

-Edwige

I am a long time user of the Rite in the Rain notebooks. When Kurt and I started to travel for our project, I needed something small and durable to write down notes in the field.

As much as Kurt appreciates good quality writing tools, I do appreciate good quality notebooks, it makes writing even more pleasurable! The notebook's small size allows me to carry it in my cargo pocket along with a pen (more about the pen in another post). I appreciate having spirals at the top so the pages lay flat when I write. Although the brand has a reputation for performing in bad weather, I never had to put the notebook through anything more than a light rain.

The notebook comes in different colors, sizes and for different activities. So far, the model I have been using works great for me but it's not to say I won't try other Rite in the Rain styles in the future!

-Edwige