Coleman Rigel X2 Backpacking Tent
- Flysheet fabric: Polyester ripstop, siliconised outside, PU coated inside, 3 000 mm, taped seams
- Groundsheet: Nylon, 5 000 mm PU coated, taped seams
- Poles: Air-Hercules (Scandium Aluminium blend)
- Carry bag dimensions: 53 x 20 x 5 cm
- Headroom: 68 cm
- Weight: 980 g
Product Description
Coleman Rigel X2 Man Tent Ideal tent for raiders. The all-new Rigel X² offers the ultimate in lightweight backpacking, incredibly weighing just 960g. Featuring a striking new colour design with reflective trims along zipper cuffs, it is easy to spot at night and includes a new double layer ventilation system for improved performance. The Rigel⢠X² is a 2 person shelter that is implicitly simple to erect and even easier to pack away, packing into itself, th... More >>
Coleman Rigel X2 Backpacking Tent
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I bought this for a 5 day hike and wild camp along the ridgeway in 2008. The first night there was moderate rain and the combination of the tent leaking, and lacking any kind of breathability caused a lot of moisture to build up. Me and and my sleeping bag got pretty soggy.
Moderate winds kicked up too, and it soon became clear that this is not a tent that can cope with any kind of wind. It is small enough to start with, but when the weather starts pressing the walls in, it becomes very uncomfortable and claustrophobic.
I would suggest you either spend a bit more money on a better tent, or if you are really determined to get a super lightweight and waterproof night shelter, buy yourself a good bivi bag. Don’t waste your money on this.
Cons:
- Not waterproof
- Not breathable
- Definitely not big enough for two people
Pros:
- Lightweight
Rating: 1 / 5
Sit upright and you’ll get a face full of tent…
Being described as a fair weather camper would be an understatement, the days of nothing but a bit of 1mm thick sheet of polyester being between me and the elements are long gone, but I found myself on the lookout for one for the summer music festivals so here we are.
The spec on this states it’s a 2 man, hence the `X2′ tag but let’s be honest, Keira Knightley led next to herself would struggle to find elbow room! Nice thought though it may be, this really is a 1 man bin liner with poles holding it ajar – You can get in, shoulder to shoulder fine, it’s just both of you and your mates feet will have to be intertwined due to the design of this – bear that in mind if he/she has verrucas.
I toyed with the idea of one of those pop-up tents, but where they really fall short compared to this is the packed away size. Cool as it may be to throw a flat tent in the air and watch it `spring’ open before your eyes, it hardly packs down to a manageable size. Imagine carrying the lid to a kiddies sand pit around and you have an idea. It’s OK in the back of a car if you’re pitching your tent a foot away from where you park, but any amount of trekking and it’s a pain to lug around, just too cumbersome. That’s the great thing about this, it’s literally as heavy as a bag of sugar and not much bigger packed down, I managed to slide it snugly into my backpack with plenty of room for my pants, socks and portable camping stove…Packing down by the way consists of removing the two poles and rolling up and then into itself. Brilliant!
Once up, which takes a few minutes with practice, you’ve got something what is described as `Featuring a striking colour design with reflective trims along zipper cuffs’, I describe them as a bit of an eye sore, there will be no Bear Grylls-esqe hiding from grizzlies in the woods of Canada, you can see this thing a mile off. Depending on whether that’s a plus point or not for you, will float your boat or sink it. I suppose it is easy to find amongst a thousand others in a cramped festival campsite – only time will tell for me…
Other than that, you’ll need some new tent pegs for this, the lolly pop sticks they give you to secure this to the ground are worse than the potato ones you get from the eco-bods at Glastonbury, but think like a boyscout and you’ll be fine.
All in all, the good outweighs the bad, the bad being space inside or lack of it, the good being portability and convenience so with those things in mind it should help you decide whether this is right for you or not.
This is the cheapest here…
Rating: 5 / 5
The tent is really lightweight and compact. It is quite low – just over knee-height, so don’t expect to do anything else than sleeping inside. Also pegs that come in a package are small finger-size long and quite thin. I have replaced them more robust pegs from a normal tent, to be more secure in case you camp in an area with rocky soil.
If you’re two inside, you will inevitably be touching each other in shoulder area. Also, even though the tent has 3 ventilation windows (two small on each end and also half of the roof being a mosquito net), it gets really humid inside due to condensation, unless it is really windy.
I would say this tent would not be suitable for 2 people if you intend to hike for more than a week. However, it will be a perfect choice if you hike alone, as it is extremely lightweight and easy to install
Rating: 4 / 5
coming in at less than 1kg this tent is easily the lightest ive ever come across. the design is simple and efficient in erection and re-packing, the poles are super lightweight. Ive not tested it in any heavy conditions but it does look like its upto the job.
On a negative side this tent is VERY small, very little room for bags, and you would have to know the 2nd person quite well if you were going to share it. but all in all i got mine for £47.99 in a sale, so in terms of value for money its excellent, and im going to use it on long hikes and bike tours where you have to carry all your equipment – so for that its perfect but i wouldnt use it for camping at sites you can get to by car.
Rating: 5 / 5
I’ve had this tent for a few months now, and it’s been well used.
Plus points: Extremely lightweight, easy to errect, folds into itself when packing away, fits inside a 45l rucksack with rest of equipment with no trouble at all. I like the door running the full length of one side too, and the reflective trim around it so nobody accidently drives over me while I’m sleeping. It’s also harder than it looks to “knock over” – I’ve had two days of teenage footballers with no aim whacking it with no effect whatsoever this weekend! I’ve also stayed out in foul weather in it, and it does the job so long as you are able to keep everything away from the skin – there’s a knack in such a small tent though, so expect a few mishaps if you’re not used to this.
Minus points: Two man actually means two dwarf conjoined twins – one of whom is not breathing and adding to the condensation inside. I’m 5’6″ and it’s just right for me alone. I don’t bring a lot of kit when I camp either. On humid nights I just leave the top (huge) mesh panel uncovered, because otherwise it gets dribbly on the inside surface of the skin, which is a significant consideration in a single skin tent. The tent pegs are a bit too minimalist, but buying some sensible ones costs about four quid tops so it’s not a big deal.
Other notes: There is room in it for sleeping but sitting up is impossible even for a short person like me, so don’t buy it if you’re planning to spend a lot of time sitting around. It’s not intended as a living space, but as a shelter. The photo doesn’t do justice to the truly hideous shade of green….
Rating: 4 / 5