Kuiu storm star 2p 4 season tent first look- Hilleberg Allak rival?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 มี.ค. 2021
- There is no doubt that the Allak 2 is a strong tent, but the KUIU has more pole X-over points that are over a bigger area, is cheaper and lighter than the hilleberg Allak. Though you could agrgue with the Allak that the pole distribution is more even.So can it compete in this competitive 4 season, twin door geodesic sector? A friend loaned me his for a first look. I really like it and would love one.
Join me in the woods for a first pitch.
I am probably pronouncing KUIU completely wrong btw.
Please comment below if you have an Allak or if you just like the tent!
Outstanding review, thank you
Thank you so much!
Hi Dave, great video and really enjoyed thank you. Really like that reinforcement z pac material. Always like tents with a high bath tub floor. Great show around inside tent and lovely dog too. ATB Tom
Thanks Tom. I really want to try it in some good wind now I have one. I was always inspired by your trango 2 in the blizzard trip. I bought a trango 3 after watching that. So I hope to emulate that trip one day (and survive). Funny you called it z pac, its x pak but I kept calling it c pac (which was the US recent repuclican conference!).
I'll be honest, I've never heard of these before. But I really like it. 👍 thanks for sharing. ATB Paul
I looked at this tent a few years ago. But bought a hilleberg. But lookes a great tent. 👍
Hi Dave, I stumbled upon this tent the other day. I thought exactly that, an Allak for less money and a little lighter.
Just ordered one in orange.
Thanks for giving me a little push. Cheers
Yeah for me too. Head says brown, heart says orange.
@@Fellmandave1 I thought orange would be good for the soul. Brown might be a bit dreary if stuck inside for long periods.
Great review. Thanks much!
You're welcome.
Looks an awsome tent mate 👌
Just watched this after your comment yesterday Dave. Look's a brilliant, storm worthy tent. I've been looking at the MSR Access 2 and the Lightwave S22 Sigma, the shape of this look's pretty similar with the two vestibules however alleviates the problem of inner pitch first (MSR) and single skin (Lightwave). I like the idea of a more roomy tent for winter conditions, you know what it's like being cooped up for potentially 12Hrs+! I'm definitely going to have a further look into this. Superb review mate, cheers. Mark
Have a look at the ice storm one too. You are welcome to have a look at my place. PM message me.
@@Fellmandave1 Thanks Dave, I’ll let you know mate👍🏻
I have been thinking along the lines of a Hilleberg Soulo. but this is a interesting contendor and I like the stealthy brown they use. Thanks for the video - much appreciated.
Cheers Nigel. Near same weight more space!
@@Fellmandave1 Cheers :.) and I am personally holding you responsible for the fact that I have spent a bit of the time since I typed that comment watching more videos about the Kuiu. I shan't be making the purchase tomorrow, because like a lot of tents it seems to be in the world of hurt known as Supply Chain Problems, but it is a gift to myself that I am paying a fair bit of attention to and the only thing I can hold against the Kuiu at present is those missing bug nets over the vents...... that will be a mod challenge that I will think over before deciding who gets my hard earned money.
Funny, I must be an 'influencer'!
Now I've a hilleberg soulo and numerous vangos etc. But I love that hilleberg has got some "lower" priced rivals. I suppose everything's relative... all I care about is long as we all can get robust durable shelters at affordable prices I'll be a bit more chipper to boot.👍
Looks to be a really lovely tent. Shame about the lack of mesh in the roof vent (seems like it was forgotten rather than intentionally omitted?). The internal length of 2m seems quite short, as their website suggests 2.2m - any ideas if they may be describing the external length?
Thank you again for showing this.
Not pronounced "KEW EEE" but "KU E OO". jus' sayin'... BTW, doga belong in vestibules, not inside.
KUIU makes excellent hunting/camping clothing and gear. I have their YUKON camouflage WPB rain/wind parka for hunting in Nevada,USA and for very harsh days alpine skiing. Great design in all their gear as you see in the Storm Star tent.
BTW, KUIU's tents, like Tarptent designs, have the inner tent pre-attached to the fly for a setup in the rain or wet snow that keeps the inner tent DRY - unlike so many other free standing tents on the market!
i would prefer this KUIU Storm Star to the Hilliberg ALLAK 2 every time. Just better design and equal quality.
Thanks Eric, after a few years I might get it right . I also pronounce Soulo as SULU too. But dim to be honest. We love the outer and inner pitch together in the UK too.
Hi Dave well I've now had the kuiu storm star out twice now I'm well happy with it.like you say there's always something we would change so no tent is perfect the inner door toggle could have been a few mil bigger making it easier to use. also it might be just me but the inner is very close to the outter.so very minor things.but the ease of putting it up and the space inside is amazing.so overall I'm very happy with it👍
Yes. The door toggles annoying. The space betwixt does not worry me as it will not touch. I mean what is the ideal distance /flow ratio Craig. Does anybody in tentland know? Only solution is to wrap yourself in clingfilm and pass a snorkel out of the door.
@@Fellmandave1 think you're right maybe coming from the zephyros 2 there was a really big space between the 2 which I did think wasted a lot of space in the inner.im probably over thinking it.
@@craig3401 easy to do with tents mate
@@Fellmandave1 that's true
Great review, the way you structured it was excellent. May I ask how it goes with condensation if both internal doors are closed?
Hi, thanks for your comment. On the two camps so far, 1 in full winter conditions and 1 in warm sumer conditions, condensation with doors shut and vents open has been minimal and on the inside of the outer tent only.
@@Fellmandave1 good to know. Thanks for your response.
Brilliant review - thank you. For UK use this tent is almost perfect for me. Design and quality of materials and construction easily matches the ridiculously expensive Hilleberg tents.
The one fatal flaw for me is that the inner is not long enough. I am 183 cm tall and using a winter rated sleeping bag, both the head and foot will be in direct contact with the inner guaranteeing problems with condensation.
How many sales are Kuiu missing out in not upscaling this tent I wonder.....
I am 185 cm Rory and it is fine for me. Thanks for commenting. Have a look at my freezing camp in it. Bulky sleeping bag, no problems with contact.
@@Fellmandave1 thank you for the prompt reply . I did view both your excellent videos 😁 You measured the inner at 2m long which suggests that a winter grade bag will touch at both head and foot....?
@@rorybellows2099 hi Rory, as I say definitely not my experience. I will try and show that in next use.
@@Fellmandave1 excellent many thanks!
I like the double doors; shouldn't be too bad with condensation when used in spring/autumn...
so far so good
hi dave had mine for a few months now only used it twice up on bamford edge . but it was in a storm. and it handled it very well
i payed £600 with footprint mines grey aswell .its a very good hille allak replacement but at half the price .im well impressed with mine .cant wait to put it through a proper test atb kev
Mines on the way!
Did you go with the Major Brown or Orange colour Dave?
@@andyhallowell27 Brown mate. Really wanted the orange but thought the brown sensible.
@@Fellmandave1 it looks better in brown the orange makes it look cheap .my only grumble with this tent is the big hooks on the fly. thats a bad idea they will freeze in winter . and the bright yellow guylines lol im swapping mine for a darker colour .and swapping the big hooks with a different part making it better in winter .and having swivel hubs where the poles cross over on the poles so as they stay up .making it easier when pitching in the winds . just little things to make life easier lol atb kev
@@kinderkev thanks Kev thats encouraging that I made the right choice. By big hooks do you mean the carabiner type ones at the cross over points. I have a trango 3 and they are similar, but on the kuiu I found them really stiff. Call me girl fingers but when pitching my friends the last one I gave up on. I will be interested to see your modifications, are you going to upload it when done?
Wow I do like that!! 😲
Cheers Lewis, looking forward to more use.
Good video. Really enjoyed watching and subbed you. Thanks Steve
Thanks Steve! Would you buy the tent?
I have to many tent my friend. Lol. Three Hillebergs. Stratospire1 and two vangos. She would kill me. It looks a good one though. 👍
@@stevesdaysoff2759 hahaha. Which is your go to tent for summer and which for winter?
Hi. It depends on who I'm with. If my wife and dog come I take the Nallo 2GT. If I'm solo I take the Soulo or Nammatj 2. The dog comes in the Nammatj as well. Summer time. I have bought a Tarptent Statospire 1 for long trail hikes. We use the Nallo 2GT when we are all together in summer as well. 👍
It looks like some of the sides require guidelines to prevent the outer and the inner from touching. Is that the case?
How well does it do without any guylines?
Unfortunately the hook and loop system on the flap is a no-go for me.
Both hilleberg and Nordisk have better solutions. Magnetic or autoclose from the material stiffness.
Not an issue without the guylines, but my tested had been limited so far as have been in the Scarp 1 and sydvang recently. Fair point on the flap, but there is something we would change about any tent.
Great review Dave! I have been eyeing one of these for a while now but there aren’t a lot of vids about on the Storm Star. How big is the overall footprint of the tent? Suitable for UK summit camps would you say? Thanks for posting and ATB, Andy.
Hi Andy, thanks for the comment. On the Kuiu site its 218 by 264. I would put that in the mid compact
Thanks Dave. I had looked at a Hilleberg Soulo but it is a wee bit cramped for my ageing bones!😀The Storm Star looks a more comfortable alternative at a similar weight without being so big that it would be difficult to find a pitch spot on the hill. Thanks again for your input.
I have been summit camping with this tent in Scotland for a couple of years now and highly recommend it. Have a Hilly and a fjallraven tent and this is my preferred tent for storm conditions..
Hi Keith. Many thanks for this! Hearing positive feedback from an owner who has used this on summits is just what i wanted to hear. I just need to choose a colour now! The brown is probably the way i will go but that orange looks good too! Thanks again and ATB, Andy.
@@keithdriverphotography brilliant, thanks Keith. Good to hear from someone with proper experience.
Hi Dave
Any thoughts on whether this could accommodate someone 190cm tall solo camping laying diagonally? Getting too old for damp feet from pushing the inner tent against the outer. Really like the look of this tent and price point reasonable.
Not sure Rodger, but without getting out and measuring. i would say yes. have you seen the new Nortent vern 2 , heavy but really big and super bomber.
Great thanks Dave I’ll check it out.
Nice love setting up in one. How much and where to buy?
Hi. From Kuiu direct. You should get 15% as a new customer. www.kuiu.com/global?gclid=Cj0KCQjw24qHBhCnARIsAPbdtlJmi2Xou_0jbMXF8pYV5Kj1XFiAwjT55yLt3MAJHth7rLzG-DFyM1QaAsfUEALw_wcB
Good work. So would you take this tent over the Allak if you were buying one?
Hi Kurt, I have not used an Allak but the storm star is certainly lighter and the poles cross down lower, so potentially more stable. Would love to compare on back to back.
I had ordered this tent on Monday. Returned on Tuesday. I was frustrated with the carabiner clamp. It was difficult to open and attach. I did a zoom pic on your presentation and noticed you left the carabiner open. At that point, I had difficulty closing too. Did you? However, first rate materials.
Those top clips are a nightmare! I agree you need fingers like a giant lobsters claws to close them. I tend to leave them clipped and just slide the poles through. Not ideal, but all tents have their issues.
@@Fellmandave1 Thanks. I thought it was just me.
Can i ask you about the doors please Dave. They look quite low, but Im guessing that is due to the cameras wide angle. Do you think they are tall enough to sit in tent/vestibule with the doors open for views in poor weather?Thanks again, Andy.
Hi andy, going to use it soon, so will look at that and make it clear.
Thanks very much Dave, really appreciate it.👌
Hi Andy, video up now. Sitting in the door was perfectly fine and could do tasks kneeling, I am 6'1". I made sure I showed this- you're welcome!😇
You are an absolute gent Dave! I have just watched your new vid. That was a cracking camp to test the Storm Star and it looks really impressive. Great to know about having room in the doors for cooking and taking in the views. Really grateful for your efforts and input. Happy camping and ATB, Andy⛺️👌
Evening mate, thanks for sharing, but to review a tent you have too use it... I don't mean to sound negative but... Its just the way I reviewed all my tents. Take em too the hills in Pembrokeshire Wales. Be positive mi friend. Tc Andy 👍😁
Hi Andy, I agree, you get to know a tent after proper and prolonged use, but this was my friends tent and thought it would be of interest as it is rarely seen. In fact I liked it so much I bought one and used it in harsh conditions, have a look a look at the storm star summit video. Plus this was made during lockdown when use was not allowed, unfortunately I started the channel just before you know what happened so it probably comes across as bit ,"back garden" camper, which, after 40 years of regular camping is not me, having said that I love tents so much I am happy to sleep in the garden in one! Absolute respect to that those who review them after prolonged use, if only I had the chance! I do think though that though you can pick up a lot in that first pitch. I am pretty happy with my tent line up now though so there won't be any more first looks unless it's a loaner. Thanks for taking the time to comment and to add to the debate.
Dave I notice from your other videos you also own(Ed) a scarp. How do you compare the to the Kuiu? I also own a scarp (2) I’d like a more bomber 4 season tent though. You think it’s worth getting?
It's a much tougher and better made tent, but harder to pitch. It's those pole attachments on all counts. I think the kuiu is overkill for most British conditions, but if you are doing the high mountains in winter, why not? I have not had much experience of the Scarp in winter however, but the Scarp 2 does look a little more vulnerable..
@@Fellmandave1 what makes it harder to pitch please Dave? They look similar to an Allak or soulo. Are the clips difficult to get on or poles difficult to get in the sleeves? I can find the scarp a PITA. I find getting the centre pole in the sleeve when wet can be tricky and if pitching in the wind there’s a lot which seems to get tangled. Maybe it’s user error.
@@richardwaudby7338 Its the stiffness of the clips Richard, might be just my lady wrists. They are all ok except the last top ones. So Itend to thread through the clips. Not a deal breaker overall. if you are north east I can show you
@@Fellmandave1 I’ve pulled the trigger on one. Thanks for answering all the questions.
@@richardwaudby7338 ACE! Hope you love it. let me know how you get on.
Hi Dave, now that ticks just about all boxes for me, you getting one? ( You know you wanna) ...
Ahhh tell you want I want, what I really really want, So tell me what you want what you want, what you really really want! I wanna I wanna I wanna Kuiu kuiu kuiu storm star.
@@Fellmandave1 still prefer Geri Halliwell's version, visions of you in a union jack top and platform boots will give me nightmares ;-)
@@AndrewParkOutdoors Its one of my lifes disappointments that I never could pull off a spandex mini dress. Les Dawsonesque
@Fellmandave1 I can see its ordered directly from USA. Would you mind expanding how you ordered the tent and how much duty you paid?
I have one concern.
The vents in the roof are pointless to use for ventilation if there are no mesh to keep the biting mosquitoes out. If both doors are zipped open just allowing the mesh being closed, is that enough ventilation for air to circulate so it doesn't become a sauna inside the tent in warm weather?
Yes, total concern of mine too, but the kuiu is not one I tend to use in summer.
@@Fellmandave1 so then it's not a good versatile tent for year round usage.
Thanks for your review.
I was pretty set on this tent for it being a four season tent, but this ventilation problem along with the price of the tent causes me concern.
For the price these things should have been worked out before taking it to market by KUIU.
The mountain star looks excellent however!
@@Fellmandave1
The mountain star is built a little different from this tent - pro star.
This tent is stronger structurally because of the poles being completely on the outside with clips attaching to them. Thus the intersecting points of the poles have a clip to allow both intersecting poles points to attach together as one, making a much stronger overall framework.
The mountain star tent has sleeves on the exterior of the tent for the poles to slide into. Thus not allowing the cross section intersecting points of the poles to be clipped together.
It may seem like a small difference, but it really is a difference in strength between the two tents.
Does the mountain star have mesh in the roof vents?
If so, why would KUIU not have mesh in the roof vents?
To me that is a major oversight and lack of detail, unless biting blood sucking mosquitoes is a desired thing when ventilation is wanted.. sarcasm.
@@The-GreenHornet I have both the storm star and mountain star tho they look pretty similar there very different tents.the inner of the mountain star is all mesh and meant for totally different seasons.
Nice video 👍👍 🖐️ 🇮🇩
>>>>>👍
No midge net on the vent is a bit of a deal breaker!
For some sis.
@@Fellmandave1But, with all that mesh on both doors it probably wouldn’t matter!
Hi, did you have to pay any customs/import duty? This tent looks to be just the ticket, cheers! 👍
No duties when you buy from their site and click uk. I would check that's still the situation. I would keep a look out for the new Nortent vern 1 and vern 2 though.
@Fellmandave1 thanks for the reply! Aye, I've seen the Nortent, they look great but are very heavy. I basically need a very strong tent mainly for summit camps in the Cairngorms/Highlands year round. I have a Hilleberg Jannu that I use for 'proper' 4 season, but want something lighter that can still absorb very high winds, and it has to fit my large dog (i don't camp without him), hence looking at the Kuiu - if money wernt an issue i'd like the Allak, but it's also 600 grams heavier than the Kuiu!. I will stick to my Jannu for the deep winter. Thanks!
Had any ropey weather with it yet?
Just cold and ice and moderate winds on the freedom end of lockdown video. No decent wind yet. Keep you eye on this channel and it will come
@@Fellmandave1 had a couple of windy nights in the Ogwen valley and then up Shining Tor in the peak District this week. Managed to pitch the way kuiu recommend with the head into the wind and the tent was outstanding. Just sat solid. It was great to see it doing it's thing 😊
How many tents do you have lol
Actually two less than I had 2 weeks ago!
I'd buy one if it didn't have the glow in the dark animal logo on the roof of the inner tent. Hunters might love that, but for backpackers not so much.
Well, I get your drift, but you can look at it from an rebuilding ecological perspective too, which may be also the hunters idea. Works for me and it looks quite cool when you are lying there.
looks awful warm for using in the summer
Absolutely. But here in the northern UK hills 7 to 9 centigrade is typical in summer.
Rhymes with yoohoo..
Cooweee! I know, I keep getting it wrong, you know when you keep calling your new girlfriend by your ex-girlfriends name! The more you dread it the more it happens.
At almost $700... It should set itself up and cook me breakfast.
Hahaha Its my birthday tomorrow, there's a remote possibility that someone might make it, but supporting someone that might make you breakfast is a lot more than$700!
Seems this is your standard reply on every tent review I've seen you post on.
@@sneakybow1 probably. After Friday finally putting my $80 Kelty to rest after 10+ years.. I'm completely dumbfounded that we have accepted $500+ being the price for a friggin 2 man tent.
But you're right. I should just shut up and pay whatever...like a good little consumer.