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UOG TOP PICK—Sea to Summit are wizards at contorting their flagship tents into compact, packable, rugged bags, ready for your next bike packing adventure. Packed with innovative features, this lightweight tent has a lot of space and is very user-friendly. A top pick tent for two-wheeled adventures
Sea to Summit says:
Our semi-freestanding Alto tents are our lightest and most compact models—perfect for weight-conscious backpackers.
The Alto Bikepacking two-person is a semi-freestanding tent perfect for weight-conscious bikepackers and who still want a high degree of liveability in their shelter.
Sea to Summit’s engineers took the ultralight Alto TR2, equipped it with a poleset with shorter pole segments, and designed function-specific storage sacks to mount on your bike.
The revolutionary Tension Ridge architecture of the Alto allows for taller oversized doors and vertical walls that create an unrivalled amount of space. Apex Vents positioned at the highest point of the tent effectively expel moist air and minimize condensation, and the variable rainfly can be rolled back on both sides for stargazing, then deployed quickly from inside the tent.
Our Verdict
The Alto is designed with a balance of low weight and plenty of usable space, and it does this really well. The full range of tents uses the innovative Tension Ridge pole design, which increases head height, creates more space and improves ventilation. The placement and design of the vents is also a well-thought-out aspect that allows you to keep condensation to a minimum. There is a really good amount of internal space and vestibule space for sitting up in, cooking and storing all your kit.
The set-up is designed to maximise versatility with a number of options including fly-only, inner only and other more interesting ones depending on the weather. This Bkiepacking version comes with a full mesh inner. This keeps the weight down compared to the Plus version and provides much greater breathability and ventilation for camping in mild conditions.
This bike-packing tent reduces the length of the pole sections, making it ideal for handlebar storage, or stashing in panniers. The tent comes in 2 rugged, waterproof eVent bags, which securely attach to your bike and are brilliant if you wish to split the tent with a partner. However, the eVent bags are incredibly small, which makes packing the tent away a real pain. In bad weather, it could become incredibly frustrating. The eVent bags also add considerable weight; between them, they add around 500g to the tent's overall weight. I would change the storage bags to something much lighter, especially if I am carrying the tent, which is a real shame as they are well made but sadly not big enough to be practical, and they add considerable weight. That is my only real caveat with this tent.
- Reviewed by Ultralight Outdoor Gear
Features
- Fairshare storage system allows you to split the load between your fellow campers.
- Tension Ridge architecture delivers a better space-to-weight ratio than any tent in its class
- An advanced venting system improves airflow and reduces condensation.
- Multiple configuration options means our tents adapt to the weather or your activity.
- Our Bike Pack Storage Drybags allow you to split the load for better distribution on the bike and between fellow campers.
- Wateproof and abrasion resistant, made with 420D Heavy Duty Big River fabric with an eVENT® fabric base, they can be safely lashed to multiple locations on the bike with the included Sea to Summit StretchLoc straps.
- The pole bag also doubles as a light bar.
- Shorter pole sections to better suit bikepacking needs. Also includes 7075 Alloy Ground Control light pegs (x11) and 4 guy cords.
Specifications
- Flysheet weighs: 434g
- Inner weighs: 403g
- Poles weigh: 350g
- Total weight: 1187g (excludes pegs & bags)
- Pegs x11 weighs: 88g
Sea to Summit Specs
- Minimum trail weight: 1211g
- Packed weight: 1649g
- Floor Dimensions: (134-97) x 215cm
- Packed Dimensions (WxHxL): 18 x 13 x 30cm
- Door Height: 108cm
- Ridge Height: 100cm
- Peak Height: 105cm
- Floor Area: 2.56m2
- Vestibule Area: 1.7m2
- Mat compatibility: 1 Large + 1 Regular Tapered
Material & Construction
- Silicone and Polyether Poly-Urethane (Sil-PeU) coated 15D fly fabric provides excellent hydrolytic stability for durable waterproof performance.
- 1200mm waterhead fly with fully-taped and waterproof seams.
- Ultra-lightweight 15D polyester high-airflow mesh for maximum ventilation and no-see-um insect protection.
- DAC Featherlite NSL 8.5mm, 9mm / pf 8.7mm
- Strong 7075-T6 aluminium alloy Ground Control Light Tent Pegs provide secure anchoring thanks to the custom TriPoint, multi-notch design.
- Easily adjustable Ground Control Guy Cords with quick-connect V-Toggles can be attached or removed from multiple guy loops to suit wind conditions
