Reviewer:Â Dan Jones
Instagram:Â wildcamping.lifeuk
Product info:Â Journey Solo
Snugpak Journey Solo tent review
My review of this tent was well and truly thrown in the deep end!
Snugpak equipment is well known for its durability and being able to withstand the elements. In essence, the Journey Solo is a 3 season tent. Its waterproof fly is a lot thinner than previous Snugpak tents, but the manufacture states a waterproof rating of 4000mm, only 1000mm less than the robust 4 season Scorpion range.
The Solo is Aimed for spring/summer/autumn, not the freezing conditions it was tested in. Is it a capable 4 season bivvy tent?
The testing ground was located in the British Peak District national park. The weather was set to hit in the lows of -6 with heavy snow and high winds.
Pitching the tent was fairly straight forward. Once the footprint was pegged out it was a matter of minutes before the two poles were in and the inner mesh tent was erected.
As this is an inner pitching tent it can prove a little awkward in heavy rain but once the inner is up and pegged out the waterproof fly can then be put over the top, clipped to the poles then pegged out. The first time I put the tent up it took 10 minutes, with practice I have managed to erect it in extreme conditions in as little as 5 minutes, which is pretty impressive.
The tent has one entrance, in and out at the front. The front door zips all the way up and can be rolled back in calmer weather. The room inside is pretty limited. At a push, I stored my 70L rucksack at the top of the tent but soon opted to store my pack outside (make sure all your kit is fully waterproof before choosing this option) which left ample room for my sleeping system.
During the night I was subjected to 40mph winds and heavy snowfall. The tent felt very solid indeed, at no point did I feel it was going to give in to the wind. With the vents open, I experienced very little condensation which is usually a problem in bivvy tents of this style.
With the right Sleeping system, this is a very capable 4 season bivvy tent.
Its waterproof fly can be easily removed to allow the full mosquito net inner to be used on its own on dry nights for a cooler night’s sleep and a view of the stars, which is what Wild Camping is all about.
