Bibler Vestibules - Do you use 'em?

[jared_j]

Well, do ya, punk?

 

If you do, what is your experience? Are they flimsy in the wind? Do you trip getting in/out since they don't unzip all the way to the ground?

 

Thanks in advance for not letting this turn into one of the tent thread's greatest hits ("single vs. double wall","buy a hilleberg no wait buy a bibler no wait get one of the epic fabric BDs", "who needs vestibules anyhoo since you shouldn't be out in the mtns in bad weather", etc).

[sweatinoutliquor]

Got one for my fitzroy. Never use it. The tent is kinda a jumbo 2 person rig, so most of the gear that needs to be inside fits inside. It pitches pretty nuclear proof though, almost hard to get the pole into it's little sleeve. The tent has 2 doors, so gear goes into one door (in vestibule), people go out the other. I really only bring it if it's gonna be raining/snowing a crapton and I have a ton of gear (usually not a very often combination for me). Probably the best use of it is for cooking when you want it to be out of the wind, but aren't intersted in the "awesomeness" of CO poisoning.

 

Anyway, think about what circumstances you would really need it for... then imagine adding another pound or so to your already overstuffed backpack. Then imagine how much beer you could buy with $100. Then go buy one anyway.

[Bigtree]

As pictured below, I've got one. I find it too small to be useful, flimsy, poorly designed and rarely remains fastened to the bottom of the poles throughout the night when windy (I keep thinking that I'm not fastening it correctly, but nothing really seems to improve the bad habit). All-in-all, a dissappointment considering what the tent cost me.

 

 

[zeroforhire]

after seriously considering one for my eldorado, I decided against it. Basically for the above reasons. Besides, do you really want to carry the extra weight?

[John Frieh]

I have an eldo and though generally it stays home I do bring it for gear overflow when I submarine 3 people into the eldo.

 

Vestibule is required IMO if you are planning on melting snow for water in shitty weather using a liquid fuel based stove (XGK, etc)

[jared_j]

3 people? Cozy

 

I'm hearing "usually not unless weather is gonna be sucky", which is what I was (more or less) thinking as well.

[snoboy]

Just a random thought from somebody with no experience at these tents:

 

It might be worthwhile to get a tent and vestibule if it allows you to choose a smaller tent for most purposes, and then bring the vestibule only when strictly neccesay (ie big gear, lotsa peeps...)

[ivan]

when I submarine 3 people into the eldo.

 

hey, i remember being in on that! the nice thing about that setup is you can also then just bring the 32 degree bag even in the dead of winter, 'cuz it'll be so toasty anyhow

[studklimer]

so, my buddy's got an eldorado, and we've used it in pretty bad weather, and never found that we needed the vestibule. It's not big enough to be really useful, and it weighs a bunch, more than it is worth.