Posted on April 13th, 2017
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The Sierra Designs Summit CD is an extremely rare elite 2 person mountaineering/expedition class tent. The designers of this tent single handedly transformed the basic single wall mountaineering tent from a minimalist, no frills climber’s bivy, and developed it into an entirely new concept of a robust, versatile, and highly livable expedition class tent that could be used on extended trips into a wide variety of wilderness environments throughout the year. At the time this tent was first offered on the market, it introduced cutting edge design elements that were years ahead of its time and influenced mountaineering tent design for over a decade. Elements of this tent can be seen in most of the top single wall expeditionary dome tents currently available on the market. Yet despite years of mountaineering tent development, this tent still holds it own, and stands alone in the performance envelop it serves. The Summit CD was designed to serve as a durable, relatively light weight shelter able to provide stout protection in the most extreme environmental conditions, and yet, be livable enough to serve as a primary shelter on lengthy trips to venues as diverse as the southwestern desert, the northern woodlands, and the Himalaya. Whether you are taking a mid winter trip into high alpine wilderness areas, a month long research project in the field in Northern Canada, or going on a six month trek through Nepal, this is the only shelter you will need. Think of it as a packable alpine wilderness tiny home. I have owned the Eldorado, the EV2, the Convert 2 (which was based on this tent), and the Tenshi; all top rated single wall tents (see Outdoor Gear Lab’s 4 season tent review), and none of them match the versatility and functionality of the Summit CD. What distinguishes this tent from other elite single wall mountaineering tents is the combination of interior space, excellent ventilation options, and other intelligent design elements that were cutting edge at the time and contribute to the strength and livability of the shelter. The tent is a spacious 52″W x 88″L x 42H. With the vestibule attached, it encloses over 41 sq ft of area tent: 31.7sq ft, vestibule: 9.8 sq. It has significantly more interior space than the Eldorado, Tenshi and even the EV2, which has an integrated vestibule but has just 33 sq ft of total enclosed space. Its five inches wider and four inches longer than the Tenshi. Yet, the tent and poles together weigh just 5lbs, 6oz. This is less than either the Fitzroy (6.4 lbs/41.1 sq ft) or the EV3-Conduit (6.13 lbs/46sq ft). In contrast to the other two person mountaineering tents I have owned, I have never felt claustrophobic in this tent. On the contrary, its comfortable, easy on the eyes, and a pleasant environment to hang out in. Best in Class Ventilation. What you notice right off compared to other tents in this class is the huge gaping longitudinally oriented vents at the top of the Summit CD which are supported by burly brow poles. No other tent in this class has vents able to channel such large volumes of air through the top of the tent when everything else is closed up. Moreover, the windward vent can be closed down an completely secured by flipping the brow pole down so that it does not catch any wind when there is a big blow happening. In addition, even with the rear facing ceiling vent battened down, great ventilation can be accomplished by opening the two lower vents located in corners at the foot of the tent to facilitate “low to high” air flow through the open front facing ceiling vent. The second feature that distinguishes this tent and makes a huge difference is the second door at the foot of the tent. After a night in the tent or when hanging out inside during the day, the ability to allow air to freely flow through the entire tent is a huge benefit that makes it possible to consider using this tent for weeks on end. Burly Guy out System. The third feature you take in about this tent is the incredible number of guy out points (inside and out), and the panel reinforcements that make it possible to battened down the tent and secure it like a bomb shelter against extreme weather conditions. Like the Bibler tents, the 3 layer ePTFE ripstop fabric used on this tent makes it feel like the tent is covered with a leather hide. The tent is designed to be guyed out so that the side panels become taught and nearly vertical This can be done with a single Y guy line attached to the side panel guy points. A full guy line rig that secures the entire tent connects no less than 11 external points and a total of 12 possible internal points in a geometry that evenly distributes loading forces across the tent structure and down to the ground, while the brow poles and pole sleeves reinforce the canopy poles against deformation in high winds. It is the very definition of a bomber mountaineering tent. The next exceptional feature about this tent is the fact that it has internal pole sleeves, a major innovation at the time. Although I always use the poles sleeves (easy peasy), the tent can be set up without them in the same way that the poles are installed in the Eldorado. The poles can then be secured with the burly 1 wide velcro tabs located at the ceiling and the main guy points. I prefer to use the pole sleeves because the poles always get properly seated at the far corners and they can be installed in inclement weather without substantially exposing the interior of the tent to the elements. Durable Design Elements that Promote Livability. There are a lot of little design elements implemented on this tent that enhance its durability and functionality that are entirely absent from other tents in this class. Hypalon Reinforcements: Super tough hypalon is used to reinforce the corners at the pole ends (smart), and the brow pole enclosures (design overkill, but durable as hell). Generous Storage Options: Removable sidewall pockets and gear attic provide copious amounts of storage space to keep your stuff. If you look at any of the other single wall 4 season tents in this class, none of them have any significant storage options, except maybe the ability to install a removable attic. In this tent, it is possible to have two full storage panels installed on each wall in addition to the large gear attic all of which make it much easier to keep things organized and easily within reach when hunkered down in weather or when base camping. Beefy Double Pull Zippers: Both doors use sturdy reliable double pull zippers, and while the weather flap design used on this tent is now old school, it is easy to keep the zippers from getting snagged just by pulling up on the flap as you advance the zipper… And those flaps really do a great job of protecting the zipper tracks and keeping the weather out. Mesh Panel on Main Door: The main door has both the outer panel and inner mesh panel. When unzipped, both panels can be secured by rolling them up and clipping them into place with plastic pinch clips. Its a little design touch that makes a difference compared to having to fiddle with a loop and cordlock system. The mesh panel means that you can accomodate enhanced airflow and monitor you stove in the vestibule while keeping the interior of the tent free from insects. Strong Vertical Walls: The side walls of the tent are designed to become near vertical when the tent is guyed out. This adds to the elbow room within the tent and makes contributes to the overall livability of the interior environment. Unlike the Eldorado and the Convert 2, the walls of this tent are made of three separate panels which are sewn together in a design that adds to the overall structural integrity of the tent without the need to implement two additional poles. It is a conceptual precursor to the Mountain Hardwear “tension arch” design and is implemented on the Tenshi. Smart Vestibule Design: The side door panel design of the vestibule makes it easy to get in and out of the tent through the vestibule and makes the vestibule an excellent sheltered space for cooking with minimum risk of catastrophe. The double zippered door on the vestibule means you can enhance ventilation through the vestibule by leaving the upper part of the door partially unzipper. Also, the vestibule door can be stowed out of the way using the same small pinch clips implemented on the interior doors. It is durable, livable and well conceived for the performance envelop it was designed to serve. That performance envelope hits a sweet spot that meets the needs of mountaineers, trekkers and committed outdoor enthusiasts who spend significant periods of time in the wilderness and high alpine environments. The two guys who were behind the development of this tent drew up a design that was way ahead of its time. At the time, it was the most expensive two person tent SD produced, costing more than double the price of their best double layer recreational tent and significantly more than the Eldorado. In fact, none of the major retailers placed any orders for the tent. This tent is in incredibly good condition for a well used mountaineering tent. It has some minor war scars all of which have been expertly repaired. Actually, each of the scars are the result of human error except for one minor point of abrasion near the end of one of the brow poles. As for human error, the floor fabric at one corner wore through due to the misplacement of the pole (didnt use the pole sleeve) which was easily repaired with tenacious tape and urethane tent seal. There is also an 11 inch tear in the floor near the side seam that was due to a gross mis-positioning of one of the poles during set up (again, from not using the pole sleeve). That tear was repaired by cross stitching the fabric back together, sealing the seam and then applying a fabric patch on both the interior and exterior sides of the repair and sealing the edges of the exterior patch with urethane tent seal. It is stronger than before. Also, the location of the tear is such that when the tent is pitched, the catenary cut of the floor lifts the repair off of the ground. I had considered replacing the tent floor (easy to do on this tent) and have the fabric for it. But, there really isnt any reason to do it at this point. The floor is otherwise in great condition and well, until the floor actually fails or deteriorates beyond repair, I have chosen to keep the tent in its original condition, war scars and all. Photos of all repairs have been included. If you ever want to replace the floor, I recommend you send it to Rainy Pass. They do a fantastic job at repairing tents. In addition, I had individual hypalon tabs with D rings fabricated and sewn into the floor seams at the midline of the tent. This additional appointment allows the middle of the tent to be staked down and secured to the ground and a tensioning strap to be placed across the bottom of the tent to divert the load from stressing the tent floor. The fabrics used in this tent do not have the benefit of modern factory DWR treatment. The 3 layer ePTFE material works fantastically, but the exterior ripstop nylon will absorb moisture (wet out) from precip if it is not regularly treated (once or twice a year), with an after market DWR protectant suitable for use with goretex type fabrics such as Nikwax Direct (spray on or wash in) or Rivivex. Although that tent required some restoration, when the work was completed, the tent performed brilliantly. I was pleased that it would be put to good use. A total prize for mountaineering in the Rockies in all conditions and for back country skiing trips. Surprisingly, it came with a spare pole for the canopy and one for the vestibule. In addition, I had a spare vestibule from a Convert 2 tent which had the same basic design as the vestibule for this tent. I adapted that vestibule (had a matching zipper track sewn into it) to fit this tent since it provides a slightly larger vestibule area and has snow skirts which is a benefit when winter camping in the back country. Heck, it works great. These tents didn’t just go to anybody. Only a few were ever produced and this is probably the last one that is still around in serviceable condition. Though this tent has seen its fair share of use and has some repairs, it is in amazingly good over all condition. As it stands, its a 20 year old classic mountaineering tent as functional today as it was the day it was first unfurled in the wilderness. This is one serious and impressive mountaineering tent! A total credit to the guys who designed it. Here is what is included in the full price sale. 2 side wall gear storage panels. 1 modified Convert 2 vestibule. 3 canopy poles (one is a spare). 2 vestibule poles (one is a spare). 1 complete set of custom detachable guy line riggings. 1 OR 30 Litre Dry Bag (for use as a tent sack). 2 dry bag sacks for the vestibules. 1 sack for the guylines. 1 sack for the stakes. Optional: Set of 6 salewa snow stakes and stake sack. Also, if you are interested in considering replacing the tent floor, let me know and I will also include the material for that. So, if you are interested in owning this tent, make me an offer and let me know what you want included from the list (or what you don’t care about). I will consider it. The item “Sierra Designs Summit CD 2P Elite Mountaineering Tent (Very Rare)” is in sale since Tuesday, April 11, 2017. This item is in the category “Sporting Goods\Outdoor Sports\Camping & Hiking\Tents & Canopies\Tents”. The seller is “lanabid” and is located in Port Angeles, Washington. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, China, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Russian federation, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi arabia, Ukraine, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia.
- Capacity: 2 Person
- Model: Summit CD
- Season: 4 Season
- Brand: Sierra Designs
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