Portal 2

Vorab ich bewerte zwei Versionen des Slingfin Portal 2
Version 1 gekauft 2020 - ein absolut verlässliches Zelt, welches mich in allen Lagen sicher geschützt hat. Leicht aufzubauen, Nachteil: die Kick-Stands sind a) funktionieren nach einiger Zeit nicht mehr gut b) sie sind unnötig da, das Zelt zu kurz geschnitten ist und - trotz gegenteiliger Aussagen - nicht bis zum Boden gespannt werden kann d.h. es zieht. ich bin vergangenes Jahr in extrem schweres Wetter gekommen in welchem zwei Stangen und Aufspannungsvorrichtungen gebrochen sind, aber das Zelt hat mich trotz der Beschädigungen sicher durch einen sehr schweren Schneesturm begleitet. Die 2020 gekaufte Version würde ich mit der vollen Punktzahl bewerten - tolles Zelt. Da ich mit dem Zelt so zufrieden war und kein "gestückeltes" Zelt mit Reparaturen haben wollte, habe ich mich dieses Jahr entschieden das Zelt neu zu kaufen. Gekauft April 2024. Schon beim Auspacken sind mir die absolut minderwertigen Materialien aufgefallen, wenn ich das Zelt nicht vorher schon gehabt hätte, wäre das Zelt aufgrund der minderwertigen Materialien direkt zurückgeschickt worden. ich bin aber davon ausgegangen, dass Slingfin weiß was es tut und evtl. der manuelle Test nicht aussagekräftig ist. Ich habe bei der neuen Version die Nähte versiegelt - bei der alten verlässlichen Version wäre ich noch nicht einmal auf die Idee gekommen. Ich bin also mit einem Zelt welches mir nicht vertrauenswürdig vorkam losgezogen. Am 4. Tag sind beim Aufbau - ohne Zug, die Befestigungsringe abgefallen. Da ich dem Zelt nicht getraut habe, habe ich es von Anfang an mit der Verstärkung durch Trekkingstöcke aufgestellt. Ebenfalls am 4. Tag ist bei leichtem Wind das Gestänge an 2 Stellen gebrochen, die Zelthaut durchstoßen worden. Am 5. Tag habe ich festgestellt, dass der Zeltboden durch Grashalme durchstochen wurde. Und nein, ich verwende keinen zusätzlichen Footprint. Dies ist eine Unsitte welche sich die letzten Jahre entwickelt hat. Die Zelthersteller verwenden ungeeignete Materialien für den Zeltboden um Gewicht zu sparen. Diese Gewichtsersparnis bezahle ich kräftig um dann zusätzliches Gewicht und Geld für den benötigten Footprint auszugeben. UND bei der alten Version des Slingfin ist trotz jahrelanger Belastung der Zeltboden nicht beschädigt. Am 6. Tag ist das Gestänge an weiteren Stellen gebrochen (nur leichter Wind) - damit war das Zelt unbenutzbar. Da ein solches Zelt nicht für das Aufstellen im Vorgarten sondern für die Wildnis gedacht ist, ist die neue Version schlicht gefährlich. Slingfin- Team Ihr hattet ein tolles, verlässliches Zelt, Ihr habt eine gefährliche Katastrophe daraus gemacht. Jedes 5 Euro Zelt hätte mir besser gedient. für die neue Version (gekauft 2024) vergebe ich höchstens 1 Punkt.

My partner and I have spent the last two years travelling the world and nearly a 1/4 of this time has been spent in the Portal 2 tent. The tent has seen every condition imaginable, ranging from mild to extreme, spanning countries and continents.

This tent being our home, it was important that it could handle the harshest conditions that the likes of Patagonia and Peru, Scandinavia and Central Asian countries like Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan (to name a few!!) would throw at it.

Our tent setup up is very simple and takes no time at all to put up. We follow a few simple rules to ensure the tent has lasted as long as it has in varying conditions:

1) We always use the ground sheet (we purchased this separately) and clear the ground of sharp objects such as rocks and sticks etc
2) We always use the heavy-duty pole set (we again, purchased this separately)
3) We always use the super simple Velcro out-rigger attachments for hiking pole deployment (there is no doubt you tent will not budge in the windiest of conditions if you use this feature)
4) We always use the guy-lines
5) After use we always dry the tent immediately or as soon as the sun finds us that same day
6) We always shake the tent out and roll carefully, exactly as it came at the time of purchase
7) We regularly wipe and clean the tent between multi-day hikes to ensure it is stored dust and grime free in our pack
8) And, when we have the opportunity we always hang the tent instead of keeping it in its stuff bag for extended periods of time

By following these simple rules this tent has endured the harshest conditions with little to no wear.

If anyone has any issues with the tent it is certainly user error, or on the odd occasion, simply a rare manufacturing fault which from our dealings with SlingFin I’m sure they’ll respond to graciously.

Thank you SlingFin for providing us with a safe home over these recent years, we’re truly grateful.

Purchased the tent in Spring 2024. First night in The Pyrenees we had a thunderstorm with high winds, but nothing extraordinary. Tent was properly mounted, walking sticks and all guylines in place. The next morning we found out that the poles were seriously deformed and unfit for futere use. We had planned a hike of 2 weeks, we had to change our plans. A Hubba NX adjacent to our tent was in exactly the same conditions and had no damage at all (Hubba NX carries alu poles of 7000 quality). A very disappointing experience. After sales service were very arrogant and accused us of improper setup and some blabla story about the Hubba NX tent. I wouldn't recommend anyone to purchase this tent for use in mountaineous regions, the regular poles are unfit for it.

I carried Portal 2 for 3 weeks section hiking CO trail/Front Range and 4 weeks in central Cascades wilderness over five years 2020-2024, and mine still looks almost like new.

Anyone can design a lighter tent. Anyone can build a tougher tent. The true skill comes when you push the envelope, and Portal 2 strikes an amazing balance at achieving both at once.

The strong thin silicone-impregnated rainfly is unlike any other I've seen. Slippery like teflon trying to cram it in a stuffsack. A few vigorous shakes and most drops of rain or condensation fly right off. While some water stays on when I pack up, I've never seen the material take on water.

I never sealed the three seams over poles (recommended if you don't pay extra $30). This summer an inch of rain fell on a day only a tenth was forecast. A small amount of water got in. It pooled in one spot at lowest corner and left no clues where it came in because it beaded on top and didn't soak in. The next morning there were dark spots under my pad/backpack where water came between the tent floor and the footprint. I touched them and the floor still felt dry inside.

I carried a BA Fly Creek 2 HV UL 5 weeks 2017-2019. I had nearly a quarter inch of water standing in several spots under pad inside BA tent after water soaked right up through the floor within half an hour of a sudden rainstorm/hailstorm. Fail! Tent floor of Portal 2 isn't that much thicker but it resists water in a way floor of BA clearly does not.

The superior coating/treatment also keeps dirt from getting ground in between the fibers. I’m amazed bright orange floor still looks almost new after 5 summers. Even footprint doesn't look all that badly dirty and stained from sap and wear yet. Bright yellow floor of BA looked dingy after a year or two.

Slingfin Tim wrote on website in 2019 he didn't build a sub-3 lb tent tent until he finally discovered a thin body fabric that met his demanding expectations. 2024 and I absolutely believe it. The lasting difference in floor/rainfly performance makes it fully worth the higher price tag.

If you don't take care of your gear, buy a disposable tent. Bathtub floor of Portal 2 is shallow enough at sides, it's not hard to brush dirt and needles out doors as soon as they get inside. Before they rub between pad/gear and floor like sandpaper.

POCKETS! Two long narrow corner pockets ideal for glasses and two more triangular corner pockets hold all my pocket stuff, headlamp, etc. at head. One huge pocket full width of foot, and another overhead.

Very happy with zippers: first weak point to fail on so much gear. If I set up tension on tent corners correct, I often use them one-handed and usually don't feel I'm straining anything. I back up immediately and don't yank if it gets caught.

Customer service was outstanding when I pre-ordered this tent. I knew full well shipment probably wouldn’t arrive and get to me before my ten-day loop around Mt Rainier in 2020. Still, I emailed Slingfin and mentioned my start date. They kept me up-to-date, I paid extra to ship tent expedited, and it arrived at the address of my friends in Seattle the same day I landed at the airport! I set it up on floor of hotel room and had to laugh: it sets up so taut with no stakes I could bounce coins off it. You aren't buying from a company traded on a stock exchange. This guy is passionate about the tents he creates and it shows in all the little details. A work of craftsmanship and a true thing of beauty.

3 minor complaints:

1) Head end is a bit wider than foot. Wider end of footprint, body, and fly are all marked with a matching orange triangle. I still wish both ends were exact same width at expense of a slightly narrower head or an extra half oz. I rotate and rearrange fly every time searching for that tab to tell me which is the wide end.

2) On chilly days it can be hard to attach black clips at corners of fly when the cold plastic has no give and my fingers are clumsy. This tight fit is highly secure in high winds. Older Sierra Designs tents had Jake's foot I could attach rainfly corners to one-handed - I'm sure it’s proprietary.

3) Tabs w grommets at corners of footprint are much looser than grommets at tent corners, so footprint falls off pole ends when setting tent up or moving it. REI staff tell me this is common with many other brands too.

I own 5 backpacking tents. Researched each against competitors, made workbooks to compare specs, and read user reviews for real-world issues. If this tent doesn't deserve 5 full stars, I've never found one that does.

If I went in mountains for 1-3 days and knew forecast I might carry a lighter tent. Ditto if I could guarantee campsites where I can drive in stakes/pole tips for a semi-freestanding tent. Carry 7-10 days of food deep in wilderness, no cell reception to predict conditions, no early outs, and unsure what rocky/unsuitable campsites I'll find? This is my ideal 5 star tent. Your needs may vary.

This tent / company fulfills a niche in the tent industry. I see them as true tentmakers at heart. Leaving another company to build their dream tents instead of being held back by large corporation stubborn cheapness. It is the innovative practical touches on this tent that make it stand out. It is not ultralight, but it is the lightest tent of those that I would take when I need a tent that will sustain heavy weather. My Hilleberg almost never gets to come out anymore.