influenced the outcome. There's a lot to love about the Skyscraper 2P and a few places that it falls short. We'll let you know both. But the gist of the review is this... if you're a guy who hunts the sheep mountains solo and has always carried a Hilleberg and values durability more than anything, this is probably not the tent for you.
But if you need a lot of space in a free-standing tent that can take a beating, and are one of those guys that cuts the handle off your toothbrush to save weight... take a look a close look at the Skyscraper 2P.
In short, here's what's most glaringly wrong with the Skyscraper: the floor is made of only 20D Ripstop Nylon. This means that if there's even a chance you'll set up on a rocky crag one night, you should carry the footprint to protect the floor from puncture. The KUIU Stormstar floor has a 40D ripstop, the Hilleberg Rogan floor has a 50D ripstop, and the Soulo floor has a 70D ripstop. Even the floor of the MSR Hubba Hubba uses 30D ripstop nylon. I've talked with a handful of sheep hunters in Alaska, all of whom have experience with the Skyscraper, and this is their number 1 concern. The 20D fly and 15D inner body aren't an issue unless something falls on the tent. It probably doesn't matter how heavy the ripstop nylon is, it will puncture. The floor, however, is iffy.
SPECS- Capacity: 2 People
- Number of Poles: 3
- Number of Doors: 2 (1 on each side)
- Number of Tent Stakes: 12
- Number of Guylines: 12
- Length: 92.25 in
- Floor Area: 32 sq ft
- Interior Height: 41.5 in
- Packed Size: 14" x 6"
- Vestibule Volume: 50 cu ft
- Total Volume: 108.6 cu ft
- Minimum Trail Weight: 4lb 4oz.
- Packaged Weight: 4lb 12.8oz.
- Body Fabric Details: 15D Nylon Ripstop
- Door Mesh Fabric Details: 15D Nylon No-See-Um Mesh
- Floor Fabric Details: 20D Nylon Ripstop Silicone PU Coated
- Rainfly Fabric Details: 20D Nylon Ripstop Silicone PU Coated
- 4 season all weather design
- Free standing, suspended, double wall tent design
- Minimum Weight: 5lbs 5oz
- Number of Poles: (3) 9.3mm
- Number of Tent Stakes: 12
- 30D Sil/PU coated double ripstop nylon rainfly with 3000mm WP rating
- 40D Sil/PU coated ripstop nylon tub and floor with 5000mm WP rating
- 30D ripstop nylon DWR coated tent body to keep warmth in and snow out
- 30D ripstop nylon DWR coated tent body to keep warmth in and snow out
- Capacity: 2 People
- Seasons: 3
- Number of Poles: (3) 9mm
- Number of Doors: 2 (1 on each side)
- Number of Tent Stakes: 12
- Length: 90 in
- Floor Area: 30.1 sq ft
- Interior Height: 38 in
- Minimum Trail Weight: 4 lb
- Packaged Weight: 4lb 10 oz.
- Body Fabric Details: 20D Ripstop Nylon DWR
- Floor Fabric Details: 50D Nylon Double PU Coated
- Rainfly Fabric Details: 20D High Tenacity Ripstop Nylon 66
Adding the footprint will add $70 and 7 ounces to the total price and field weight. An alternative would be to carry with you and become proficient at using repair tape. Modern repair tape works well, and this is a perfectly viable way to save weight and money.
OUR FAVORITE REPAIR TAPES:
But in the Skyscraper, you get a massive 2-person, truly 4-season tent weighing less than 5lbs. And this isn't a "3 1/2" season tent like others are branded. The genius of the patented Web Truss combines the strength of a sleeved tent with the set-up ease of a tent that uses clips. It's brilliant, and in our use and testing... it works. And if you expect higher than normal winds and/or heavier than normal snowfall, strap your trekking poles into the cross pole to add even more strength.
Ultimately, it's small details we love about the Skyscraper 2P. We can picture some of you watching our review video rolling your eyes as we mention how we love having two color-coordinated zippers on each door. Is it that big a deal? Probably not, but having only one zipper on the doors of my KUIU almost always frustrated me when I had to reach the edge of the door and then the other edge because I initially went to the wrong side. It's a small thing. But it's a small thing that makes a big difference in actual use.
It's also small things that could use the most improvement. A vent on the inner tent to allow more airflow on wet days, a bigger, easier to get in and out of the door (a common problem on many of the tents, Hilleberg excluded), and larger diameter guy lines to allow heavy anchoring would be great.
We love the ability to set the tent without the fly, something that's particularly important to us in the desert southwest, where rain is uncommon at times of the year, and all we need is protection from the bugs. The KUIU tents can't be used without the fly, another thing I always disliked about the design of the Mountainstar 2P.
We carry a lot of electronics with us into the field. We need the space of a good two-person free-standing tent but can't afford to waste ounces on gear that could easily have been made lighter. So, for us, the Skyscraper is the perfect compromise between strength, space, and weight savings. We love the Web Truss, the space, and getting away with doing fewer squats in the gym because the Skyscraper saves us considerable weight versus some of its competitors. And we don't worry about that floor too much. Modern repair tape is outstandingly effective these days.