Outdoor Dad: North Face Bastion 4 Tent Review
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An Intro to The North Face Brand
The North Face, Inc. is probably one of the favorite brands of extreme athletes and outdoor sportsmen out there. This is simply because it has been in the business of selling outdoor equipment since the late 1960’s. Being in the business for so long, this company has definitely acquired the expertise and know-how of manufacturing reliable and cutting-edge outdoor equipment, therefore, making them one of the leaders in the industry.
TNF is known for manufacturing among the most innovative, reliable and durable equipment that perform well even in extreme terrains and weather conditions. They excel in the manufacture of equipment such as backpacks, sleeping bags, and tents.
Features and Specifications of the Bastion 4 Tent
One of the best sellers for this company is the Bastion 4 tent. This four-person capacity, all-weather tent
(af) is a part of TNF’s Summit Series tents that are designed for extreme conditions. The tent weighs about 13 lbs. and a total of 15 pounds to include other accessories. When packed, its total size is 9 x 24 inches. When assembled, the Bastion 4 has a floor dimension of 96 x 96 inches giving it a total of 61.5 square feet of area.
Vestibule area is at an area of 14.8 square feet with an additional 7.2 square feet. Specifically optimized for mountaineering, this tent is made up of light but sturdy ripstop polyester and has 6 aluminum poles.
This tent is the best seller in the Summit Series due to plenty of reasons. It has two doors on both ends with a poled vestibule that adds extra space.
The nylon bucket floor is fully taped and it prevents water seepage. The tent is also designed with proper ventilation in mind. Air comes in from the top going down. Within the tent, there is an abundance of pockets for easy gear organization.
Guy lines and zippers are highly reflective to light ensuring easy visibility and set-up at night. And for windy conditions, the tent has ground level stakeout points or pegs for extra anchorage from high winds.
Pros of the Bastion 4 Tent
The Bastion 4 is definitely a tent that is carefully designed for harsh conditions. Every feature included in this tent is designed to combat harsh environment and improve living conditions as well. For example, the vestibuled rear exit can also serve as extra storage space for other equipment.
Set-up was also well thought of since the canopy and the rainfly webbing is color coded and matched for guidance. The pole sleeves have easy set-up clip construction that does not sacrifice sturdiness.
Personally, I find the tent’s rainfly vestibule very useful because it can be and easily set-up even during bad weather. The $799 price tag for this gear is fair for the quality and the tent’s capacity and features.
Cons of the Bastion 4 Tent
The price can be quite expensive for a person who is not too serious about mountaineering or expeditions.
Also, for a piece of gear that is primarily designed for mountaineering, this tent is definitely not optimized to reduce weight. Having a packaged weight of 15 lbs. with all accessories, the tent does not allow the climber a lot of mobility.
Even experienced climbers will need to distribute the tent’s weight among each other since it should not be carried by one person alone for safety purposes. This will definitely distribute the hefty gear’s weight evenly so it can be easily carried anywhere.
The North Face Bastion 4 Tent
Pros
- Sturdy mountaineering tent.
- Lots of extra features.
- Holds up in bad weather.
- Fairly easy to setup and teardown.
Cons
- It's a bit heavy, but manageable.
- Priced at a premium.
