Hyperlite Mountain Gear UltaMid 4

In the category of floorless tents, the Ultamid 4 is the best product I've owned (I've owned four other pyramid- styled tents) and used several others. Because of the Cuben-fiber the Ultamid is also the lightest and the strongest of the lot (mine weighs 22.5 ounces with the staking cords but not the stakes). This tent will sleep four people (tight), but is light enough to use as a palatial solo tent.

I've owned four pyramid-styled tents since the early 1980s including the original Chouinard Pyramid, BD Megamid, BD MegaLight, and Dana Design Nuk Tuk. In the category of floorless tents, the Ultamid 4 is the best floorless tent I've used — it's also the lightest (the one I've been testing weighs 22.5 ounces with the staking cords but not the stakes).

This tent will sleep four people (tight), but is light enough to use as a palatial solo tent.

Other benefits:

1. The tent has no weave to collect water or condensation — shake it vigorously after a wet night and it stuffs away without packing around water weight.
2. All staking points and corners are reinforced and stronger than the base fabric.
3. There are seven additional tie-down loops around the middle latitudes to stabilize the tent in strong winds.
4. The white color is boring for pictures but keeps the inside cheery in dreary weather.
5. The many little touches (waterproof zipper, hooded vents for cross ventilation, center pole reinforcement, taped seams, tie-back loops for the front door) are all really well thought-out. You pay for it, but everything about the Ultamid is a Mercedes.

Note: I manage an outdoor website covering the adventure outdoor sports of Central Washington and we have reviewed a test sample of the Ultamid 4 for a story about floorless tents.

To learn more about the benefits of floorless tents like the Ultamid 4 (Hyperlite) and Mega Light (Black Diamond) see our different reviews at WenatcheeOutdoors.org: 1) http://justgetout.net/Wenatchee/post/Rise-of-the--Mids- and 2) http://www.justgetout.net/Wenatchee/post/A-Tale-of-Two--Mids-