PART 2 REVIEW: REI Co-op Flash Air 2 Tent | Tips & Tricks, Condensation Fixes, & more...

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4 жыл бұрын

A new for 2023 version of the Flash Air 2 is now available: snp.link/92ec5356 Changes include a small size and weight increase, the use of sustainable materials, and increasing the price to $399. Another similar tent was released called the Flash 2, which is the freestanding sibling to the Flash Air 2. See our full review here: www.adventurealan.com/product...
View Part 1 of this review • Review | REI Co-op Fla...
See our full written review here: www.adventurealan.com/rei-co-... for
Part 2, DEEP DIVE | Key things Buyers Need to Know
. Tips and Tricks for Pitching and Use
. Condensation Management 101 (how to reduce or eliminate it)
. Why the 2 Person Flash Air is Better than the 1p Flash Air 1
The REI Co-op Flash Air 2 Tent snp.link/521b9314
is a 1.9 lb, full sized, 2-person tent that costs under $300. Right off the bat, those specs set it in a class by itself (tents in this weight range usually cost $600 to even $800). As such, it’s a solid choice for any backpacker looking to save weight and cost, even if you’ve never used a tent like this before. But unlike many tents in this rarified weight range, it’s quite user friendly. The design, ease of setup, space, and moisture-management of the Flash Air 2 all work to create a great user experience, even for non-expert backpackers.
Compared to the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 Tent, the REI Co-op Flash Air 2 Tent is almost a pound less and costs $150 less. On top of that, this is one of the first tents manufactured and sold by a major retailer using a proven hybrid single-wall, double-walled ultralight tent design. Formerly, tents like this were solely the purview of cottage manufacturers like Tarptent or Six Moon Designs. Now you can get a similar tent off-the-shelf and backed by REI’s reputation and excellent return policy.
Disclaimer
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on the these links, a portion of the sale helps support this site at no additional cost to you. I do not receive compensation from the companies whose products are listed. REI provided a sample of this tent for review. I am never under an obligation to write a review about any product. Finally, this post expresses my own independent opinion.

Пікірлер: 62

@tomsitzman3952 6 ай бұрын

I have a later addition to this tent. Mine has a short pole at both the foot and head of the tent. It also has a 3 inch mesh vent running the length of the ends of the tent. The Stare gazing feature has been removed and the tent has an upright poles in the middle of each door with no cross beam connecting them. To me one of the best features is with a door on each side you do not need to crawl over your tent mate in the middle of the night to water the flowers.

@The5150owl 8 ай бұрын

Man !Allen, I just purchased the flash air 1 (first edition) a week ago. I just became interested in UL backpacking and wanted to purchase an affordable tent. I lucked out and found new old stock on the REI website. There was 1 flash air 2 available and if only I viewed your video my purchase would have been different. Still 110$ for the flash air1 is great for my first tent. Thanks

@arikashade Жыл бұрын

I've had this tent for two years and could never get the foot pole in. Finally did last weekend but I couldnt get it back out and I was worried about putting it back in the stuff sack with the pole still in it. Thanks for giving me the courage to put it away anyways! And now I'll always have that extra space at my feet. Thank you for all the tips! I'm new to backpacking and got this tent at REIs garage sale so it didnt come with the extra guy lines or stakes and the different door configurations with the extra guy lines never occurred to me. And I've spent quite a few wet nights in it, but I always tried to get the fly as close to the ground as possible. Now I know that gap is a good thing!! I learned so much thank you!!!!!

@tomsitzman3952 6 ай бұрын

I can't get the two short end poles out of their metal hole on the tent, so I fold and roll the tent, the length of the stuff bag is the same length of the two short poles.

@higler. Жыл бұрын

what a cool video, you really "hacked" this tent to it's full potential!

@steves3760 3 жыл бұрын

I have no intention on buying this tent. I just love camping. I must say, your 2 part review was pretty decent and informative.

@adventure_alan_co 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind words. Warmest -alan

@jeremycastleberry Жыл бұрын

This is a really good setup explanation. I am passing it on to my scouts. thank you.

@swell411 2 жыл бұрын

With your video I'm glad I made this choice. Hitting the CDT April 2022. Hope I see y'all there! Wandering Man.

@DeepStateYuri 3 жыл бұрын

AWSOME video thank you so much!

@adventure_alan_co 3 жыл бұрын

You are so welcome! Warmest, -alan

@alexsakon 2 жыл бұрын

Rey good detailed review

@WillN2Go1 4 жыл бұрын

Good video. I've got my new tent right here as I watch. That little foot pole. Just add a 6-8" loop to one or both of the loops above and below the connection points. It's much easier to pull on the loop and pop in that little pole. I like your gear line and holder. Another tip. I made the 'perfect' one of these for my hammock. I've gotten pretty good at figuring things like this out, designing them and then making them ugly with my sewing machine. My experience? Don't bother. Just buy one. What you do want in any tent is a specific place for smart phone, eye glasses, your flashlight, water bottle (and maybe a way to keep it from tipping over. And maybe bear spray. It seems to be a fussy jumble when it comes out of the bag. On many tents I've had I'll spray paint different colors for different corners. What I figured out one night above 8000 feet in the snow at KIngs Canyon NP, is that tents are not really enclosed spaces. They have a fly to protect against rain, and mesh to protect against bugs, everything else in a good tent is basically ventilation. On Kings Canyon, in a BigAgnes Fly Creek 2, three season tent, but in the 4th season I clipped down the sides to block some of the air flow. On GoFundMe there always seems to be a 'revolutionary new' bivy sack hammock that is basically just a still for condensing moisture. My REI minimalist Bivy would have the same problem except below the mesh by my face it's just a sack, no air volume. As such it works great. I bought this tent to replace my still great Big Agnes Fly Creek 2 for the two sided views. I don't go camping to look at the inside of a tent. The Fly Creek is a tunnel with a door. thanks again for the video.

@adventure_alan_co 4 жыл бұрын

You are welcome Will. Glad you like the tent. Warmest, -alan

@elmalai1883 Жыл бұрын

very informative indeed. I am a novice. Could you show/demonstrate how to attach the tie-our cord to the poles at the doors? thank you!

@micahlemasters1 3 жыл бұрын

Thorough. Very thorough

@adventure_alan_co 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind words

@EricFleming231 9 ай бұрын

jump to 1:44 for the beginning of the review

@phranc68 3 жыл бұрын

I bought this tent last year. Good so far. It is very versatile and secure. Under windy conditions it is imperative to stake/tie out securely if you want a quiet sleep.

@adventure_alan_co 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback Frank. Agree 100%. Warmest, -alan

@Sheltonism 3 жыл бұрын

With that huge gap between the ground and the bottom of the vestibule/door, how well does it keep your gear dry when in the vestibule?

@swashfrogsailor 4 жыл бұрын

I’ve been awaiting a decent review of this tent. Thanks. Perhaps it’s confirmation bias at work, but my experience in the PacNW has been much like yours, perhaps counter-intuitive to many: ventilate to reduce condensation. Employ drip edges and gutters to strategically shed rain while maintaining as much airflow as possible. That said, I’ve also used chamois and synthetic variant camp towels to periodically wipe beads before they turn into rivulets. I’ve been contemplating a hybrid trekking pole tent, but this one gets the nod on price, features, and of course REI’s stellar customer service and return policy.

@adventure_alan_co 4 жыл бұрын

Yes Swashfrog, I think that many bad user experiences with condensation sd/dw shelters are due to the fact that they afraid or unwilling to keep enough of door(s) and ventilation options open. [many routinely close up the shelter completely at night with clear skies!] Fact is it's got to be torrential sideways rain before you need to completely button down the the shelter. And I second your take that strategic wall wipes with a packtowel is the way to go, especially when you get up in the morning. Best, -alan

@cobbler88 4 жыл бұрын

Great vid! After seeing Part 1 last week and checking out what other limited info was out there, I decided to pull the trigger on this tent. Of course, it's got to be ordered bc there are none available at my REI. I was looking for something with better ventilation than my 2P free-standing (4.5#) tent, but larger than my pole-supported 1P tent for my trip into the 14ers in a couple of months. I'm a little nervous about getting the hang of setting it up (maybe more of finding a site that will ALLOW me to get the best configuration) but I'll get as any reps in as are necessary for me to feel comfortable putting it up.

@adventure_alan_co 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks A.J. Wishing you a great trip in the 14ers. Warmest, -alan

@cobbler88 4 жыл бұрын

@@adventure_alan_co Thank you! Warmest is what I'm shooting for! It's supposed to be about 30 overnight in July on Pike's Peak, so trying to dial in my gear accordingly. I'm a warm sleeper. I have pads in the R-3s and R-5s (REI garage sale "rescues"). I've toyed with the idea of moving from my 2.7# 20-degree Marmot bag to a quilt because I'm really broad across the shoulders, but every other hour I'm either just about to pull the trigger or I'm fully convinced not to. Was pondering the Hammock Gear Economy Burrow, regular/wide/10 or 20 degree.

@gregoryverrilli3681 4 жыл бұрын

@@cobbler88 yes, great review. Thank you Alan! A.J. I also just pulled the trigger on this tent. However, I also own the HG econ burrow wide, 20 degree, and it's my favorite piece of gear right now. It does seem warmer than the 20 degree rating and has been good on all my trips so far throughout the high Sierra's.

@cobbler88 4 жыл бұрын

@@gregoryverrilli3681 I've just never tried a quilt, and the first trip would have been up in the Rockies, spending the week in the 8k-10k elevation range not really knowing which pad to pair with it for what apparentlyl average out to be 30-degree nights (I could probably get by with the R-3.7, but would likely puss out and bring the R-5.2). I say "would" because they have about a 6-week wait period right now and that would land right about when I leave, so I'm probably going to back-burner it and keep doing research until there's a deal or next spring. Is it much more packable lthan a bag? I told myself that it wouldn't be worth getting a 20-degree bag to replace a 20-degree quilt unless it was lighter AND a space saver. Otherwise it doesn't really make as much sense (actually, a quilt has to satisfy two categories among packability, weight and warmth).

@gregoryverrilli3681 4 жыл бұрын

@@cobbler88 yes I can understand that concern. My quilt weighs in at 25 ounces and it does pack down considerable, but I came from a synthetic sleeping bag. Have an awesome trip though!!

@tylerr8976 Жыл бұрын

I just got this tent my concern is how high the vestibules are when laying down I can see straight out makes me feel like any wind at all would just be blowing straight into my face and body Do you have any tips? Can you pitch the tent lower with trekking poles to get the vestibule lower?

@elmalai1883 Жыл бұрын

where can I buy the hanging storage bag inside the tent?

@kelseypottetti6067 4 жыл бұрын

great videos! I am very close to pulling the trigger on this purchase but curious what you think about getting the footprint? Do you think it's totally necessary? I will be desert camping in AZ and heading to Montana so totally different climates, I expect rain and snow during monsoon season!

@adventure_alan_co 4 жыл бұрын

Hi Kelsey, this is impossible to answer. I used a 20d tent in AK for 10 days without a footprint. But I was careful where I pitched the tent. Of course there were areas where I would have needed one, but I had the luxury of time (24 hour daylight) to find a better campsite. Many times we do not have that option on the lower 48 (and I've had some tough campsites in the SW). An inexpensive Polycro ground cloth fixes that dilemma. Best, -alan

@kelseypottetti6067 4 жыл бұрын

@@adventure_alan_co awesome! i like that idea much more. I appreciate your expert knowledge! happy trails my friend :)

@NancyandMako 3 жыл бұрын

I have watched your video so many times Alan!! I really like this tent for the price and the weight. Do you think it is big enough for myself5’4 118lbs and my 70 lb dog and gear? Thanks for your help!!!

@adventure_alan_co 3 жыл бұрын

Honestly Nancy, I have no idea. I just don't know how much space you'd need for a 70 lb dog and I don't know how much room your gear takes up. I will say that the new, thinner tent floors are not the best option for dog toenails - and just about every tent these days as a floor 20d or less. Best, -alan

@NancyandMako 3 жыл бұрын

Again thanks Alan so much

@sammcdonald3443 3 жыл бұрын

Alan, I have this tent now for 6 months and several trips. I do like it very much. It’s my first trekking pole tent. I take my 40# golden doodle on almost every trip and it has really held up under that heavy abuse. My one major criticism is the same as yours, interior storage is very poor. Those corner pockets can’t even effectively hold my cell phone. I think your solution of a gear loft on the roof solves that problem 100%. What gear loft did you use? I can’t find one with just two connection points to hang it. They all seem designed for some tents requiring 3 or 4 connections.

@adventure_alan_co 3 жыл бұрын

Sam, the “gear loft” is actually a ridge line organizer from Hammock Gear www.hammock gear.com. I will provide a link once I am not typing on my phone. But all you do is string a line end to end at the top of the tent and then hang the organizer from that. Best, -a

@sammcdonald3443 3 жыл бұрын

@@adventure_alan_co thanks so much! I really have enjoyed all your videos and your website reviews. Incredibly helpful.

@EricFleming231 9 ай бұрын

when he mentions tie-outs, that is the same as guy lines?

@CraigReade-mq1fh Жыл бұрын

Anyone experience the "bending poles" I've seen in a few reviews for this tent? Nervous about using my trekking poles if they are going to get trashed...

@SurvivalistMedia 2 жыл бұрын

We just spent the night in the rain with this tent. Condensation was a huge problem. I don't know if its a keeper because in a worst case scenario like we were in, the amount of water collected in the tent in one night with one person was unbearable. If you camp in humid areas or on the coast I highly recommend a freestanding double wall constructed tent. When you deliberately camp in the rain with a single wall tent, know that you will be maintaining the water in your tent all night long.

@SurvivalistMedia 2 жыл бұрын

That being said for mid-season backpacking in buggy areas or windy areas this tent does fine. I'd imagine if the humidity were below 60% and the weather was mild this is a perfect option... The weight savings when you don't need extreme shelter is well worth the trade. If you think this will be your only tent you will work hard to make it work out.

@tomsitzman3952 6 ай бұрын

no matter the type of tent, if it is raining the humidity is high you will be wet in any tent.

@mdg.9533 4 жыл бұрын

Do you think it would be necessary to scotchgard the fabric or is it good to go right out of the box? Also.... I just got my Flash Air 2 and the foot pole fit easily.

@adventure_alan_co 4 жыл бұрын

MD the fabric is already plenty waterproof enough. There is no further need to treat the fabric. Best, -alan

@tombryant52jumpscoach 2 жыл бұрын

@@adventure_alan_co, I just bought this tent and put it up in my back yard. I start my first backpacking trip in two days in Shenandoah Nat'l Park and that answered my one big question. Thanks!

@Freightlinerbob 3 жыл бұрын

Does it require a footprint or is one even available?

@adventure_alan_co 3 жыл бұрын

Robert see the Tips Section full written review here www.adventurealan.com/rei-co-op-flash-air-2-tent-review/ "Protect the tent floor. Unless you are on good ground and careful, like many ultralight tents including Big Agnes, the 15D floor fabric on the Flash Air 2 will likely need a footprint to protect it. You can get the REI Co-op Flash Air 2 Footprint which will last a good long time, or get a lighter a $9 Gossamer Gear Polycro Footprint which will still last a number of trips." Links for both footprints are in the there. Best, -a

@adventure_alan_co 3 жыл бұрын

@TennesseeSlim 4 жыл бұрын

I almost bought this when it was less than 300 but I'm glad I cancelled my order after my friend showed me his setup.

@adventure_alan_co 4 жыл бұрын

OK. Good to know. Our experience with condensation has been otherwise. Best, -alan

@angelaharding9796 3 жыл бұрын

Can you elaborate please? I’m considering buying this tent tonight but your comment has me worried!

@DavidSmith-fz8ju 3 ай бұрын

Spoung ?

@ex-wife83 4 жыл бұрын

Goddamn I just missed the sale.

@adventure_alan_co 4 жыл бұрын

Sorry about that. Will likely happen again at the next big REI Sale. BTW they sold out at the Anniversary sale and folks were backordering it. Warmest, -alan

@chriswildingo 4 жыл бұрын

@Bridget Graham, time to pull the trigger on the 4th of July sale: $208...I snagged one

@TennesseeSlim 4 жыл бұрын

This is a bad version of a notch tarptent. Except it doesn't have a way for the condensation to escape without ending up in your floor

@adventure_alan_co 4 жыл бұрын

Hi Tennessee, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I am curious about your personal field experience with both tents. Would love to hear more detail on this. Best, -alan

@TennesseeSlim 4 жыл бұрын

@@adventure_alan_co in 100% humidity no amount of ventilation is going to stop the condensation from rolling down the rainfly and running down the mesh. My buddy and I went for an weekend out and this was his problem. Initially I thought it was genius but I quickly canceled my order in the morning.

@bcbslc6942 2 жыл бұрын

I agree, there needs to be some mesh or something in the bathtub floor for the drips to get out of the tent. Otherwise the condensation will just pool inside. My LL bean microlite ul 2 is 1 lb heavier, free standing, bigger floor area, double walled and on sale was cheaper than the air.