Bibler vs BD tents

[Jim]

Since I've been climbing for a while most of my stuff is really getting old (like me!). I gotta get a tent. I've been looking at the BD Lighthouse and the Bibler Eldorado.

 

Eldorado is a bit roomier but the BD is so light (2.8 lbs w/o fly) but how sturdy is this thing? Though most of my mountain trips are 3-4 days and I camp above treeline but not up on the glaciers, I do go for the bigger peaks sometimes and have South America and European peak trips in the works.

 

So - go for Bibler with more weight and sturdiness or go cheaper and very lightweight with BD? Any experience with the new BDs?

[cracked]

PM Stephen Ramsey, he's got a Firstlight. And says it leaks.

[olyclimber]

Are you AKA 007? On 8000m peaks, you're going to want the Bibler. BDs are water resistant, not water proof, so if you're camping in the rain you're going to wish you had a Bibler (I'm sure you know that BD now owns the Bibler name). You can see right through the BDs...seems like it would be a good alternative to a bivy sack tho.

[Jim]

Well I don't think I'm getting to 8,000 m, maybe 6,500. But I do want to stay warm and dry. I did not know the BD was only water resistent - thank you.

[cj001f]

and European peak trips in the works.

Neither tent will get much use in Yurp.

[ananda]

My experience with the Lighthouse has been that it keeps me warm in dry during heavy rain events.

 

It weighs about 3.5 lbs though, not less as BD advertising may claim.

 

I would prefer the Bibler for high wind resistance, just because I think the material on the biber is stronger than the thin Epic.

[cj001f]

My experience with the Lighthouse has been that it keeps me warm in dry during heavy rain events.

As in Thunderstorms? Or days long PNW drizzle?

[ananda]

The heaviest rains were in the Olympics at about 2000-ft in early March. It was dumping rain very hard and consistently for at least 12 hours (I would think it rained several inches that night). The tent was under trees so big drops and snow bombs were falling on it too. My Sil mega mid, which is not seam sealed, was leaking. The seam sealed Lighthouse was not.

[JoshK]

Well yeah, that's why they tell you to seam seal it. That certainly wouldn't be a fabric thing. if sealed silnylon is completely waterproof. obviously it isn't breathable... but...

 

Jim, if you settle on the bibler, check out integral designs. cheaper, exact same design, but better pole and clip system by far. they also have way more options you can have them do. Just make sure to get it with the light floor cause it's still very sturdy and heavy. I cannot imagine what the heavy floor would be like.

 

Also, keep in mind for colder conditions that the fabric the bibbler and integral tents are made out of tends to be very warm. it traps a lot of heat. Two people in it in winter and I've always been very very comfy. I can't imagine epic having the same tendency but who knows.

[Pro Mountain Sports]

Stephen, I would be interested to talk with you some time about your experiences with the BD Epic tents. Maybe Ananda has the right idea with sealing the seams?

 

I must admit I am a skeptic, but much less so after today. We have a First Light (seams not sealed) set up outside in the rain if anyone wants to crawl inside and check it out.

[Jim]

Too many choices out there. I did see a Mountain Hardware tent that looked interesting - Airjet - that was a single wall design, under 5 lbs, and only $285. Anyone familiar?

[Jim]

Intregal Desings MK3 is a little bigger than the Eldorado, but with the light floor options is about 5lbs, which is less than the Eldorado. Price is comparable. Hmmmm.

[rollo]

I've got the BD lighthouse, seam sealed, and it seems to be pretty waterproof. I used it for 12 hours during a solid olympics drizzle/rainfest and the only moisture in the tent was from condensation. No worse than I've experienced in other single wall tents. The weight savings (not to mention its cheaper than bibler stuff) made it well worth it for me.

[ananda]

Condensation seems to be more of an issue with BD's new tents that water coming in from the outside. On the ID/Bibler tents the "paper towel" like inner surface soaks up the condensate and so you don't think it's there (but it is). Both BD epic and Bibler ice up on the inside when it's cold enough inside the tent based on my experience, and the Bibler icing can be worse because the frozen water is so well bonded to the fuzzy thick tent shell material. The difference is the shell material. The epic is super thin and light and Todd tex is relatively heavy and thick. I would have to guess the Todd tex is stronger since it's thicker and laminated, but I really don't know for sure.

[ananda]

Forget to add, the space (volume) savings is huge between the BD epic and Todd Tex tents. The space savings might be more than the weight savings.

[Stephen_Ramsey]

Hi Gearhead,

 

I responded by PM.

 

Cheers,

Steve Ramsey