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Six Moon Designs Wild Oasis Tent REVIEW

Thanks for this insightful review of the SMD Wild Oasis. I have been trying to find more information about this light shelter but no one seems to have much experience. I realize it just came out this year but I thought others would post reviews about it.

Thank you!

Edited by scsjohn on 11/29/2007 10:49:24 MST.

No floorless shelter is bugproof as you will find if you take this to Arkansas in August. Bug resistant yes...

I've been using this "tent" since the summer began in Colorado and am pleased. I use one 48" pole, and though the walls do rattle in higher winds, if you shake the top of the pole the whole affair seems surprisingly stable. I'm a little shorter (5'9"+)than the reviewer, and I think I have a better fit. With my height, I can set up almost at the back without too much precip. from the low walls.

In Colorado, I found it works well in the bug season, which was my major reason for buying it over the cape.

One nice thing not mentioned is that in many conditions I've encountered here, esp. with the right setup, you can leave the front door open, which gives great views and stops most condensation.

Edited by ericl on 10/17/2007 10:22:37 MDT.

Hey Will, the review of the AGG tarptent was greatly enhanced by your short video clip. I am particularly interested in the WO and an interior video clip would be greatly appreciated here. This is not just a nice little extra but a major tool that would allow us to make more informed and intelligent purchasing decisions on mail-order gear that we have never seen before. Hopefully short video will be incorporated more frequently in future reviews.

I liked the idea of a detachable mesh border and had an idea strike me on how to do it. I have never made this, but I throw it out there as food for thought. You could sew some 1/8 inch cord inside a doubled over edge of the mesh. You would sew a 2 inch flap inside the tarp. You then fold the fabric around the mesh and cord, and clamp a slit piece of small plastic tubing around it. If the inside diameter of the tubing was just a little bigger than 1/8 inch, I think it would hold the mesh in place. The tubing would need to have some flexibility to it, like vinyl tubing. I'm thinking you would not have to make this connection continuously around the tarp (but that would the the most bug proof). You could have 2-3 inch flaps every 12 inches or so, and at the corners to hold the mesh in place and reduce it sagging away from the tarp. The attachment doesn't need to be very strong, but silnylon is pretty slippery stuff, so maybe the flap should be Urethane coated fabric. -Scott

Scott said I liked the idea of a detachable mesh border and had an idea strike me on how to do it.

Click Here for a similar idea

Edited by jcolten on 10/17/2007 19:58:09 MDT.

I used this tent for 24 days on the PCT this summer. I agree that the height of the mesh is the biggest issue. Wish I would have thought of the second pole design to raise it up. The side walls tend to sag with condensation and are just too low to keep from touching with your head or foot area. I do like it for the ease of use and light weight. Had no problem with bugs in calif. but the mesh does fold in nicely with my ground cover overlapping. Tom R.

I wonder how hard it would be to modify the Wild Oasis to have an inbuilt tub floor, and several guy lines to make it hold up better in the wind? I doubt it would keep out Leeches very well in Tasmania for me, and it would need better wind resistance if its flapping at 20mph. I like the weight though and the broad design, its just a pity it doesnt seem to work that great in theory.

Maybe I should just go for the Lunar Sole e?

Will, great write-up as I have been dying to see how this shelter preformed since its debut. I have the Gatewood Cape and am simply not sold yet on the Oasis due to its price and flexibility.

Will:

Excellent review -- and as always -- your photos really bring out the item in review!

I just have one criticism and I hope you will indulge me. I really think that folks who buy a tarp or a tarptent know to expect an increasing degree of airflow inhibition (which can be a good thing at times). To me, criticizing the netting for inhibiting airflow is like criticizing a hip belt for restricting airflow around the hip. Maybe it's valid, but it's also "obvious" and part of the nature of the item. In contrast, criticizing that the particular netting can get easily damaged (in an implied comparison with other nettings) is both valid and useful.

Folks who habitually sleep under the sky would view even a tarp as restricting airflow. Would that warrant a "not so good" black mark? And would that be a helpful criticism? Indeed, why pick on the netting? The silnylon inhibits airflow even more!

Anyway, my two cents.

Will,

Since you have seen both shelters, I'm curious if you could give me an idea of the Wild Oasis's usable length vs the new Big Sky Mirage tent that is projected to be available at the end of this year. I'm 6'2" / 180 lbs, and while the Wild Oasis is a smart design and looks like it would work for me (with the addition of a polycro or tyvek floor), I also feel the Mirage is going to be an outstanding tent. Not sure if I'd fit in it though.

The photo of you sitting up in the Mirage proves that headroom is generous, but my problem has always tended to be the laying down part. Do you recall what the Mirage dimensions were?

Readers: Yes, I am aware of Big Sky's reputation to-date, but I'm willing to proceed with all due caution if their Mirage tent is all that it appears it could be.

It looks like when the pole is raised beyond the specified height and you stake it out that the mesh no longer is closed. Is that correct?

Were you able to close the mesh skirt after you staked the shelter higher?

If not,seems like that would defeat the purpose of having a shelter like this.

> why not simply develop a detachable mesh skirt for the Gatewood Cape? Then one could have the Gatewood’s dual benefits of rainwear and shelter, plus bug protection when needed by adding the skirt. The challenge would be to devise a lightweight attachment system that is convenient and bug-proof. Velcro is not necessarily a good solution because it would add too much weight and it snags badly on the mesh. This concept is food for thought, and perhaps our readers can offer some design ideas.

An Idea I've had for this is to use the ziploc strip from the edges of bags. Better if it could be bought in a continuous roll (anyone?), but with a bit of time and patience, it could be glued to the mesh and tent and your mesh skirt could be ziplocked on when needed.

Roger,

I like the creative wheels turning! However, I feel most "attachment" solutions will have a much higher fiddle-factor, and very litle weight savings compared to the SMD Serenity.

A caveat for someone your height, though, is the Serenity would be too short :( But for shorter users I love the Serenity.

Todd

Todd, everything is too *&^& short for me, which is why I keep the creative wheels turning. :o)

I carried this tarp for the entire PCT this year, only set it up six or seven times in california, but just about every night in Oregon and washington. I had low expectations for this tarp when leaving, mostly due to my poor first attempt at setting it up in my back yard. It kept me dry, kept the mosquitos out (or in), and stood up to some wind. I did make good friends with the creepy crawlers. I usually set it up rather low, sometimes causing condensation, but usually there was a breeze and I was fine. Its a little cramped for the large footprint, and the trekking pole served as a self destruct button a few times when rolling around in my sleep. But to be honest all I wanted was a light weight shelter to protect me from the elements. It surely was light and I never got wet in it so I'm pretty satisfied.