STATION13 WHISPER Tent
Additional Information
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The Whisper is our new lightweight, one person, 2/3 season tent aimed primarily at solo backpackers who need to keep the weight of their packs down to a minimum, whilst also requiring a very light weight, functional shelter... that doesn't break the bank!
Key Features:
The weights break down as follows:
Competitively priced and weighing in at just over 1.3kg, the WHISPER is a very good value, true lightweight backpacking tent.
Key Features:
- Just 1.3kg in weight
- Very fast to erect
- Erects as one (with inner pre-attached)
- Decent size vestibule
- Deceptively spacious interior
- 210T PU3000 Polyester Flysheet (UV protected)
- 190T PU3000 Polyester Oxford Weave Floor
- 7001-T6 aluminium alloy, 7.9mm shock-corded tent poles
- Pack size: 40cm x 13cm
The weights break down as follows:
- Flysheet: 492 grams
- Inner tent: 460 grams
- 7001-T6 aluminium alloy tent poles (x 2): 250 grams
- Superlite 5g titanium hook tent pegs (x 11): 55 grams
- Guylines (x 4): 24 grams
- Tent bag, peg bag, pole bag: 40 grams
Competitively priced and weighing in at just over 1.3kg, the WHISPER is a very good value, true lightweight backpacking tent.
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Note: To provide you with more options, the Whisper tent is also available with the less costltly 10g V-section aluminium alloy tent pegs (same as Hilleberg) or even Ultralite 2g titanium tent pegs.
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At STATION13 we wanted another lightweight solo tent to complement our other one and two person tents, but of course it needed to bring something slightly different to the party, so we had this tent tailor-made to our requirements. As always, we wanted to have a good little one person tent that met specific needs, but a tent which was also extremely light weight… and affordable! And believe us, this is not an easy combination to achieve. As with any very lightweight tent, there has to be compromises, so striking the right balance between weight, size, comfort and price, is quite challenging.
Though our new Skylar tent is considerably lighter than the Whisper, the Whisper is the lightest tent that we supply that includes its own aluminium alloy poles (the Skylar requires one walking pole to erect).
In order to keep weight down to a minimum (and like the Skylar and Pyramid tent, and indeed many modern ultralight tents), the Whisper utilises a full B3 nylon no-see-um bug mesh inner tent mated with a PU-coated polyester, waterproof bathtub floor. However, and like our Backpacker tents, the Whisper employs two dedicated aluminium alloy tent poles, one at the head end and one at the foot end.
Manufactured from aviation grade 7001-T6 aluminium alloy, two 7.9mm hooped, shock-corded poles keep the design clean and simple, but extremely functional. The Whisper is intentionally a minimalist 'no-frills' tent, and nothing about the Whisper is over-designed, over-complicated or particularly fiddly, meaning that erecting the tent is very fast and very straight forward.
Floor space inside the Whisper is extremely good for such a small, lightweight one person tent. Internally the length is 210cm, with the width at both the foot end and the head end is 80cm. Partway down the length from the head end it widens out to a respectable 100cm, so it is actually a fairly decent space for one person. With an internal height of 90cm at its highest point, the Whisper is comparable or better than other similar tents in this category. This tent also features a decent size vestibule for your pack and/or wet clothing and dirty boots.
Though our new Skylar tent is considerably lighter than the Whisper, the Whisper is the lightest tent that we supply that includes its own aluminium alloy poles (the Skylar requires one walking pole to erect).
In order to keep weight down to a minimum (and like the Skylar and Pyramid tent, and indeed many modern ultralight tents), the Whisper utilises a full B3 nylon no-see-um bug mesh inner tent mated with a PU-coated polyester, waterproof bathtub floor. However, and like our Backpacker tents, the Whisper employs two dedicated aluminium alloy tent poles, one at the head end and one at the foot end.
Manufactured from aviation grade 7001-T6 aluminium alloy, two 7.9mm hooped, shock-corded poles keep the design clean and simple, but extremely functional. The Whisper is intentionally a minimalist 'no-frills' tent, and nothing about the Whisper is over-designed, over-complicated or particularly fiddly, meaning that erecting the tent is very fast and very straight forward.
Floor space inside the Whisper is extremely good for such a small, lightweight one person tent. Internally the length is 210cm, with the width at both the foot end and the head end is 80cm. Partway down the length from the head end it widens out to a respectable 100cm, so it is actually a fairly decent space for one person. With an internal height of 90cm at its highest point, the Whisper is comparable or better than other similar tents in this category. This tent also features a decent size vestibule for your pack and/or wet clothing and dirty boots.
Another thing that sets the Whisper apart from our other solo tents is the fact that it can be erected as one. That is, once the inner tent is pre-attached with the toggle clips to the corresponding loops on the inside of the outer flysheet, the tent will erect all in one. None of our other tents have this feature - they all require the inner tent to be erected first. The only downside to this feature is that it is not possible to use just the bug mesh inner tent by itself (not that this is likely to be an issue in the UK), but on a positive note, with the inner left pre-attached, the tent can be erected in just a few short minutes, and without the inside of the tent getting soaking wet if it’s raining.
Again, in order to minimise weight, the Whisper only employs one zippered entrance on the side of the tent, but with such a little one man tent we don’t see this as being any kind of major issue. The internal bug mesh inner features a two-way zipper, so it can be opened from the top or the bottom.
We appreciate that people will have very different views - and certainly different preferences - when it comes to entrances and exits, but on a tent of this size we always prefer a side entrance to an end entrance, as it does tend to make getting in and out of the tent a little easier.
Again, in order to minimise weight, the Whisper only employs one zippered entrance on the side of the tent, but with such a little one man tent we don’t see this as being any kind of major issue. The internal bug mesh inner features a two-way zipper, so it can be opened from the top or the bottom.
We appreciate that people will have very different views - and certainly different preferences - when it comes to entrances and exits, but on a tent of this size we always prefer a side entrance to an end entrance, as it does tend to make getting in and out of the tent a little easier.
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Ventilation is provided by a large open and closable, round vent at the foot end, and a triangular vent, high at the head end. And of course the outer flysheet entrance can be fully opened and clipped up to increase ventilation on those balmy, very warm, rain-free nights.
As far as the hydrostatic head (HH) goes, both the flysheet and the floor are 190T PU-coated, polyester with a 3000mm HH, with the flysheet having additional UV protection.
The Whisper is available with an optional 5000HH PU-coated polyester footprint which weighs just 160g, should you require it.
In line with our other tents, the Whisper Tent's seams are double-stitched and tape sealed. Higher hydrostatic head and slightly lighter materials were available to us, but these considerably pushed up the manufacturing costs to what we felt would exceed our target market, so this was another considered compromise of sorts. However, it is worth noting that, although marginally heavier than silicone-coated nylon, PU-coated polyester does not sag as much as nylon when wet because it does not absorb as much moisture, so polyester tents tend to stay tauter and hold their shape much better in inclement weather. This was important for this design of tent as we did not want the long unsupported roof of the flysheet sagging onto the inner mesh tent when wet.
As with our Backpacker tent, the Whisper is not free-standing - that is, it requires pegging out to remain upright, so would not be suitable for pitching on rocky terrain... but you just can't have everything. With its relatively low profile, and with guylines pegged out, the Whisper stands up to windier weather much better than higher sided tents. Though it won't be to everyone's liking, the light grey flysheet provides a nice bright interior, while also acting to reflect sunlight, making for a cooler tent than would otherwise be offered by a dark coloured flysheet on hot sunny days. Given the fact that the Whisper employs an all mesh inner tent, we would argue that this tent is better suited to two season or spring/summer camping, though this obviously comes down to the hardiness of the individual. That said, the flysheet on the Whisper does tend to hug the ground, so even though the inner is all mesh, it will not be as draughty inside as tents with raised flysheets.
NOTE: The Whisper comes as standard with 11 x V-section aluminium alloy tent pegs (lovely anodised tent pegs similar to those used by Hilleberg) that weigh 10g each, and four hi-vis guylines with Line-lok tensioners. However, in order to further reduce the weight, we've provided the option of either our 5g Superlite classic shepherd's crook titanium tent pegs or even our Ultralite 2g titanium tent pegs. The various tent peg options are available when ordering.
Now, we’re not saying this tent is perfect, in fact like pretty much any small tent, we openly acknowledge that this tent will not suit everyone, or indeed meet everyone’s particular requirements. Yes, we’ve had to make compromises, so there will always be some features that not everyone will be happy with, but we’re also not claiming the greatness or indeed the specifications you might expect to find on a £600 Hilleberg or Terra Nova tent. What we are aiming to achieve with the Whisper, is to provide a very good, adequately functional, fit-for-purpose, very lightweight little tent that offers exceptional value for money. Something that will be ideal for long distance walks and backpacking trips in the warmer months.
With the aforementioned compromises considered, the fact that this little one person tent can be erected as one and set up in minutes, has a relatively large internal space, a decent size usable vestibule… and only weighs 1.3kg, then we think we may have got this tent just about right.
PLEASE NOTE: As mentioned above, the Whisper tent is available with an optional footprint to provide added protection to the sewn-in bathtub groundsheet, if and when required. The footprint is a PU-coated polyester with a hydrostatic head of 5000mm and weighs in at 160 grams. However, the sewn-in bathtub groundsheet of the Whisper tent is itself 190T PU-coated polyester and more substantial than many ultra-lightweight very thin tent floors, so you may not feel you need the additional footprint.
For anyone thinking of moving up from the confines of a bivvy bag, this tent would seem truly palatial, offering a multitude of benefits for a relatively small hike in weight.
In a way we have been a little selfish with this tent because we have had it made to particularly suit our style of backpacking and our preferred style of backpacking tent - that is, a lightweight backpacking tent for long distance walking in the summer months, that features a decent size vestibule. So I should just add that the Whisper tent is a very similar shape and size to my much loved Coleman Avior X2 but, rather incredibly, it weighs in at around 1.15 kg lighter!
As far as the hydrostatic head (HH) goes, both the flysheet and the floor are 190T PU-coated, polyester with a 3000mm HH, with the flysheet having additional UV protection.
The Whisper is available with an optional 5000HH PU-coated polyester footprint which weighs just 160g, should you require it.
In line with our other tents, the Whisper Tent's seams are double-stitched and tape sealed. Higher hydrostatic head and slightly lighter materials were available to us, but these considerably pushed up the manufacturing costs to what we felt would exceed our target market, so this was another considered compromise of sorts. However, it is worth noting that, although marginally heavier than silicone-coated nylon, PU-coated polyester does not sag as much as nylon when wet because it does not absorb as much moisture, so polyester tents tend to stay tauter and hold their shape much better in inclement weather. This was important for this design of tent as we did not want the long unsupported roof of the flysheet sagging onto the inner mesh tent when wet.
As with our Backpacker tent, the Whisper is not free-standing - that is, it requires pegging out to remain upright, so would not be suitable for pitching on rocky terrain... but you just can't have everything. With its relatively low profile, and with guylines pegged out, the Whisper stands up to windier weather much better than higher sided tents. Though it won't be to everyone's liking, the light grey flysheet provides a nice bright interior, while also acting to reflect sunlight, making for a cooler tent than would otherwise be offered by a dark coloured flysheet on hot sunny days. Given the fact that the Whisper employs an all mesh inner tent, we would argue that this tent is better suited to two season or spring/summer camping, though this obviously comes down to the hardiness of the individual. That said, the flysheet on the Whisper does tend to hug the ground, so even though the inner is all mesh, it will not be as draughty inside as tents with raised flysheets.
NOTE: The Whisper comes as standard with 11 x V-section aluminium alloy tent pegs (lovely anodised tent pegs similar to those used by Hilleberg) that weigh 10g each, and four hi-vis guylines with Line-lok tensioners. However, in order to further reduce the weight, we've provided the option of either our 5g Superlite classic shepherd's crook titanium tent pegs or even our Ultralite 2g titanium tent pegs. The various tent peg options are available when ordering.
Now, we’re not saying this tent is perfect, in fact like pretty much any small tent, we openly acknowledge that this tent will not suit everyone, or indeed meet everyone’s particular requirements. Yes, we’ve had to make compromises, so there will always be some features that not everyone will be happy with, but we’re also not claiming the greatness or indeed the specifications you might expect to find on a £600 Hilleberg or Terra Nova tent. What we are aiming to achieve with the Whisper, is to provide a very good, adequately functional, fit-for-purpose, very lightweight little tent that offers exceptional value for money. Something that will be ideal for long distance walks and backpacking trips in the warmer months.
With the aforementioned compromises considered, the fact that this little one person tent can be erected as one and set up in minutes, has a relatively large internal space, a decent size usable vestibule… and only weighs 1.3kg, then we think we may have got this tent just about right.
PLEASE NOTE: As mentioned above, the Whisper tent is available with an optional footprint to provide added protection to the sewn-in bathtub groundsheet, if and when required. The footprint is a PU-coated polyester with a hydrostatic head of 5000mm and weighs in at 160 grams. However, the sewn-in bathtub groundsheet of the Whisper tent is itself 190T PU-coated polyester and more substantial than many ultra-lightweight very thin tent floors, so you may not feel you need the additional footprint.
For anyone thinking of moving up from the confines of a bivvy bag, this tent would seem truly palatial, offering a multitude of benefits for a relatively small hike in weight.
In a way we have been a little selfish with this tent because we have had it made to particularly suit our style of backpacking and our preferred style of backpacking tent - that is, a lightweight backpacking tent for long distance walking in the summer months, that features a decent size vestibule. So I should just add that the Whisper tent is a very similar shape and size to my much loved Coleman Avior X2 but, rather incredibly, it weighs in at around 1.15 kg lighter!
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Above: Optional footprint for our Whisper and Shield Tents
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With its small pack size and light weight, we feel that the Whisper will make a great solo tent for anyone undertaking long distance walks, or indeed backpackers in general. The same can be also said for anyone undertaking the DofE award outdoor challenges when you can be lugging around a backpack for hours on end!
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Our new 1.3kg STATION13 Whisper tent vs my old 2.45kg Coleman Avior X2 tent
I only ever used the Coleman Avior X2 for solo backpacking, but the Coleman was actually promoted and sold as a two person tent. However, and rather interestingly, the Coleman is only 25cm wider at the shoulder/head end (125cm) than our solo Whisper tent at 100cm, and in fact our Whisper has a wider foot end of 80cm compared to the 55cm provided by the Coleman. Yet the design of our Whisper gives an impressive weight saving of over a kilo!
