Companion forum thread to:

Big Sky International Evolution 2P Tent Review

Ray, nice to read about your findings with this tent. How is the supply going to be with Big Sky this year? Hopefully they will be able to keep up with demand. BTW - I wish my BA FC UL3 had double d-doors. That's the one thing I don't like. Seperate entry is a great feature. One I hope to have in my next shelter.

Does anybody have any RECENT experience with how long it takes for Big Sky to ship a tent after an order is placed ? I've seen many forum posts from about 2 years ago saying that backorder times were running around 1 year when the company was starting up, and that the company wasn't forthcoming about this issue with buyers. Have these issues been fixed ?

While I am biased against this company for the way they have treated their customers, it is fair to say from your 4th photo (in the 4 photo block below the specs, going clockwise) that they still have not found a tentmaker in Asia able to design and construct a fly that pulls taut. Many other Asian makers produce excellent products.

Good to read your review. I have an older Evolution 2P (I think about 5 years old) with carbon poles and found that in a strong wind ( about 20 and up) they were not strong enough to support the tent. The wall would collapse in and push into my face. Do you think this problem has been solved? I too am wondering if the company service has improved. After I ordered and paid for the tent, it was almost 10 months before i received it.

I'd like to get hold of some of their SuprSil fabric but I don't suppose there's much chance of that?

It sure seemed like BS committed what seemed like fraud to me, from the multiple posts by customers (i.e. order product, check cashed and in the bank, run-around for 8-12 months or more, get product at some point or try to cancel order with lots of run-around).

At what point does BPL not continue to review/advertise/promote these products and that company?

When there are customer-oriented companies like Tarptent and MLD around, maybe it's time to stop talking about the openly fraudulent ones like BS?

Kind of seems like a dumb reason to not give it the highly recommended rating especially when some of the numbers were better than expected

Full disclosure : Given the history of BS, and given the tent was a gift, I personally feel this is a paid endorsement. I don't trust this review to be on a product people can acquire in a reasonable fashion.

Given that the overwhelming majority of gear BPL reviews is received gratis, does that call into question other BPL reviews?

There are good/interesting questions here, most well apart from whether discussing a companies sketchy past is warranted in a review. And few having all that much to do with this tent.

Based on my experiences with BS I second the recommendation to take your money elsewhere...I, too, question Backpackinglight's decision to continue to review products from a company with such a poor track record of service. Shame on Backpackinglight for continuing to give this company press regardless of rating. Perhaps you should start evaluating service after the sale (or after the check clears). Perhaps I'm being unfair but BS earned my scorn.

At least I was able to provide BS with an interest free loan to help them continue their poor business practices for awhile. And, finally I have a nice Tarptent to show for my patience. Thanks Henry Shires...you're a class act. If there were any fairness in this, the review would be about one of your or one of the many reputable cottage manufacturers' products instead.

Nothing like a freebie to help folks look the other way, I suppose...

I'm wondering how many folks who got caught up in the BS delays( interesting Freudian Slip warning in the name abbreviation?) paid by credit card vs. checks? Did your CC company cancel the sales and refund you? Did you wait it out anyway because you wanted the tent?

Edited by Meander on 05/25/2011 18:25:03 MDT.

Good review. The Evolution 2P is an excellent two-person tent with a lot of good features at 3 pounds. When I purchased mine about three years ago, there had been a lot of criticism posted here at BPL (maybe elsewhere, too, but I don't know). The criticism seemed to be mostly about problems getting orders filled. Before placing my order, I sent an email to the guy who makes/sells the tent to ask some questions about its design and to verify there would be no delivery problems. He was very quick to respond to my first email (within a day or two as I recall), and also gave the same quick response to several follow-up questons that I emailed.

Since all of his reponses were timely, detailed, and very helpful, I decided to put aside the negative reports and just trust the guy. So I placed the order.

The tent arrived well within the time period that the guy promised. I contacted him within a few days of receiving the tent because I discovered that one of the strips of velcro sewn on the fly to attach the fly to a corresponding velcro strip on one of the pole sleeves did not align properly with the velcro strip on the sleeve.

Without any hesitation, he had me ship the fly and tent back to him totally at his expense (which anyone would expect, of course, but which might surprise those who had a different experience with their orders). He fixed the velcro problem and had the tent back in my hands promptly (less than 2 weeks, including shipping time).

Here's some photos of the tent pitched along the Teton Crest Trail ---

Richard, what's your take on the room for 2 people in this tent? I would like to get a lighter tent, but the hold-up for me has been the lack of space compared to what I already have. I have an REI Quarterdome T2 Plus, 94" x 54" in the tent itself. My boyfriend and I have comfortable room to lay out our sleeping areas, and put our packs at the foot of our pads. We'd like to find a lighter tent (preferably with 1 large door on the end, to utilize a narrower slot in a campsite), but the lighter tents like the Fly Creek mentioned above have just enough room to slot the pads in, without extra room.

I guess we don't utilize our vestibules much, save as a protected entry, but the one time I left my pack out in the vestibule is when it got mouse-chewed, so I'm a little picky.

So, where do you stash your stuff?

I'm not kidding, down to the door shape and the neat little pockets.

Bibler Pinon tent - http://books.google.com/books?id=6t4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA80&lpg=PA80&dq=bibler+pinon+review&source=bl&ots=6atYlrN_7j&sig=RNDwxGNm3j1UAglJFz0jTmfi8Os&hl=en&ei=Qe7eTYCEC6no0QGGv8yeCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=11&ved=0CGwQ6AEwCg#v=onepage&q&f=false

OTOH, the Bibler was a single wall tent made in the States. Heavier, but cool - I picked one up a few months ago, Franco provided some advice on how to use it. Neat.

All ideas are recycled (well, not all...)

John Thompson,

We apologize the order you placed with Big Sky on 2006-02-25 did not go as Big Sky or you planned. Back then Big Sky used PayPal to process its orders, and PayPal's policy is to charge a customer as soon as an order is placed... we have complained to PayPal, but they will not change their policy. In May of 2006, Big Sky stopped using PayPal and changed to a merchant account. We did issue you a full refund on 2006-08-24 after you told us you did not want to wait any longer.

Big Sky's policy is not to charge a customer until an order is ready to ship... this policy has been in place since May of 2006.

We sincerely apologize,
Bob Molen

Big Sky International
www.BigSkyInternational.com
online store: www.BigSkyProducts.com
email: bob.molen@BigSkyInternational.com

Stephen Rose,

We show your Evolution 2P with Fibraplex CF poles was ordered on 2005-10-18 and shipped to you on 2006-01-05.

Back then Big Sky used PayPal to process its orders, and PayPal automatically charges a customer as soon as the order is placed. We have complained to PayPal, but they refuse to change their policy.

You will be happy to learn Big Sky stopped using PayPal in May of 2006 because of this.

Big Sky policy since May of 2006 is not to charge a customer until their order is ready to ship.

You are correct that the Fibraplex CF poles are very flexible. We recommend using guy lines in windy conditions. Please email me and we will be happy to email you Big Sky's recommended guy line procedures for your Evolution 2P.

Best regards,
Bob Molen

Big Sky International
www.BigSkyInternational.com
online store: www.BigSkyProducts.com
email: bob.molen@BigSkyInternational.com

Richard Scruggs,

Big Sky is very happy to hear you are pleased with your Evolution 2P.

We apologize there was an initial problem with your Evolution 2P. Big Sky works very hard to ship high quality world class products. We are happy to hear the problem was resolved to your satisfaction.

Thanks for sharing your pictures!

Best regards,
Bob Molen

Big Sky International
www.BigSkyInternational.com
online store: www.BigSkyProducts.com
email: bob.molen@BigSkyInternational.com

Diane, my wife and I usually lay our packs on the ground under our respective vestibules -- plenty of coverage there to protect them from the weather, plus I fasten our pack covers over each of them, tucking the cover underneath them.

Using the vestibules for storing the packs at night (along with footwear) obviously leaves a lot more "people" room inside the Evolution.

But then there's the mice to consider -- well, the good news is that, compared to bears, mice seem like they could be great neighbors!!! Even if they chew a bit.

Fortunately, we've never had a problem with mice. Don't know why. Maybe it helps that we try to not keep anything at all in the packs (or the tent, for that matter) during the night that might tempt a critter to chew on them, or worse yet, on us.

Everything that might smell (except me, of course) goes into a hang bag outside, far away from us. That includes food, first aid kit, insect repellent, kitchen, etc.

Our Evolution's length is 10" less than the 94" length you describe for your REI Quarterdome, so there's that much less room at the foot or head of the Evolution.

If the ground is muddy, we try to find a few flat rocks to lay our packs on under the vestibule. If we can't find rocks for keeping the packs off muddy ground, we just bring the packs inside the tent and put them under our legs, which is also what we do in the first place when using torso-length pads that don't extend under our legs. The "under-the-legs" option works fine with packs that are frameless after most of our "stuff" has been removed for the night (sleeping bag & pad, edibles & smellables hanging in a tree, "extra" clothes stuffed as pillows, etc.).

The Evolution is THE shelter that my wife ALWAYS wants us to use when backpacking, for several reasons -- comfortable for two (with above caveats about storing packs); two-doors with individual vestibules are convenient and provide "storage" freeing up the interior; excellent weather and bug protection; nice "extra" features for such a light tent (pockets, window at one end, flexible pitching options); easy to pitch; and well constructed (notwithstanding the velcro issue that was corrected by the seller soon after I received the tent).

The only drawback -- wish it were even lighter than it already is.

As for storing packs inside the tent to avoid mice chewing on them in the vestibule, and without resorting to the "under-the-legs" option described above, the Evolution 2P is definitely not as spacious as the 10" longer Quarterdome.

Given the Evolution's 84" length and our "average" height (about 5' 8 and 5' 11") there's some space (realistically, a foot at most) at either its head or its foot.

However, note that the foot area of the Evolution is more limited than the head of the tent because the floor width tapers from 56" at the head to 46" at the foot.

Hope this info helps.

Edited by JRScruggs on 05/26/2011 22:07:02 MDT.

Thanks for another well done review Ray.

How does the Evo do at protecting the inner tent when getting in and out in the rain? I can see that it doesn't have the cross-pole popularized by the Hubba Hubba, and now seen on tents like the Big Agnes Copper Spur, so I would expect some problems here?