Who has experience with the Moss Hooped Outland or MSR Sentinel?

[JanV]

Considering my previous thread, I would like to know a bit more about the Moss Hooped Outland/MSR Sentinel. I looked at the pics at backcountry-equipment.com and I am curious about how fast it can be pitched, and its allround use, specifically how easy it is to enter the tent, since the entrance looks pretty small. Furthermore I would like to know about the vestibule space, can I store a big rucksack there without blocking the entrance completely?

Looking forward to lots of new replies!

[wayne-o]

half - answer.... ummm i had a friend who owned a older hooped outland, the thing i remember was that it was a strong low profile tent, he had enough room to angle a full pad one way, but a rucksack would of obstructed it some, but not enough to aggravate you. hoped that helped some

Wayne

[Dusty Dan]

I ordered one from REI-Outlet a couple of years ago for a solo winter tent. It is a very nice, well-made and sturdy tent. Looks like it would stand up to a lot. I did not keep it for a couple of reasons:

- I found it to be a little small. My long sleeping bag didn't really fit well inside it. The foot was up against the tent material and my face was kind of wedged in the head end. I expect a regular would be fine. It was also a little too short to sit up comfortably in. BTW, I am an average sized guy but prefer the long size bags for the greater girth and foot area storage.

- Ventilation would be OK but not great if it was warmer than expected.

- The pole sleeves seemed a little tricky. Although my first freestanding tent had sleeves (the original REI Half Dome from over 20 years ago), I find that I don't prefer them. Personal preference I guess.

The entrance was a little small, and requires you to get pretty low to into the thing. The vestibule is probably just adequate for one person, but not a lot of extra room or head room. You could probably get past a pack into the tent, but it would be tight with a really big pack. It seemed that with a little experience you could pitch it fast. Only three poles plus the vestibule.

Although I am not a mountain climber in the sense of ropes, ice axe and crampons, I would think that for solo mountaineering use where you might want to sacrifice room and comfort for sturdiness and light weight, it may fit the bill. As I said, it was very well made.

Hope this helped you.

Dan

[Rich M]

I have the Hooped Outland and think it is a pretty good tent. It is heavy but I understand that the MSR is about one pound lighter. The Outland is easy to set up and I think there is ample room for a medium size backpack in the vesti. That said, I mostly use my Hilleberg Akto because it is so much lighter and is very sturdy in a storm. That is my take on the issue and just my opinion...