Why Mountain Hardwear's Optic 2.5 is the New Room with a View
for Travelers to the Coastal Islands
Got permit? Heading to the beach? Don't have (too) far to walk in? Here's a spacious tent with spectacular views that will keep the bugs out and stand up to monsoon rains and winter winds.
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| Location, location, location Mountain Hardwear's Optic 2.5 |
Six years later, I found this tent on deep discount. I'll test it out soon on South Carolina's Edisto Island.
The camping season is pretty short on our coastal islands, between the bugs, the heat, and the storms. Lightweight mesh tents made for the tropics or summer backpacking aren't always burly enough for what a MidAtlantic winter can throw at you.
Walk in, Limp Out
Ever noticed that beach camping permits at pristine locations are getting harder to come by? The best sites are usually the ones you have to walk the farthest to get to. Sometimes you can make a dozen trips back and froth from your car. Sometimes not so much.
Plus, base camp on the beach (or in the desert in winter) is where you want to bring your toys, relax, take it all in, and wallow in your luxuries.
The Optic 2.5 is the answer for solo trips with reasonable walk-ins, or +1 trips where you don't want to spend half a day setting up your master suite. That's cuz you'll also have to spend half a day taking it down.
If you've ever schlepped your mobile oasis from the dock to Sea Camp on Cumberland Island, a distance that seemed super short on the map before you dismbarked the ferry, you probably remember how it felt twice as heavy schelpping the same gear back to the ferry.
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| The view from Sea Camp on Cumberland Island |
At around six pounds, this roomy two person, three season tents isn't light. But it cuts the weight of your family camping tent setup by at least twenty pounds, probably more. Dude: that's the weight of a great cooler!
Why it's Cool
You're already read about my favorite tent for two, so far. Mountain Hardwear has upped the ante with the Optic 2.5.
- First, it's got all mesh walls, so it's cooler by definition. The ventilation is highly adjustable on two sides. If you pitch it abeam to the prevailing winds, you should always have a cross breeze. Plus it's blue. Blue is cooler.
- Second, there's more room inside. The rectangular footprint offering 37 square feet of living space is bigger than some in its class, not as great as others, but this is a tall tent with steep walls that deliver great livability. Kindergartners will love being able to change clothes standing up. But for the rest of us who are tall enough to ride a roller coaster, we still won't feel claustrophobic moving around in the Optic 2.5, whether sorting gear, changing clothes, sitting out a storm, sheltering from the skeeters, or cooking in the rain. The storage is great. Six pockets (baseboards, wall and ceiling) are well-placed to keep the gear of two people well organized and out of your living space.
- Third, it's bomber. More than half the weight of this tent is in the fly. When battened down, you feel like you're in a mountain tent. The two-way zippers are fully covered, and the zipper flaps stick closed. Every stress point is double-tacked. The bathtub floor is tough and seam-taped. My ultralight Nemo tent sags a bit in strong gusts and doesn't offer the protection of a rainfly with full coverage. I'll save that for summer camping on the beach. In a big storm, I'll be grateful for the Optic's extra dry storage, compared to my Big Agnes Copperlight Spur.
- Finally, it's got two doors. Critical! Solo campers will appreciate having a front and back door. No more stepping over your pack at night to answer the call of nature. Buddies and mates will like being able to get in and out without disturbing their partner. And two doors means two vestibules. Vestibules = closets that keep your stuff dry and kep wet stuff out of your bedroom.
Why it's Amazing
It's the doors that set this tent apart from all others. Instead of being on opposite sides, the doors are adjacent.
Next Doors
That's right, this tent has next doors. And that makes for better next door neighbors. Tying back both flies lets you wake up to a 180* panoramic view without getting your gear wet. And you don't have to close the curtains all the way to have 270* privacy plus a view.
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| Sand lover. Best in the desert and on the beach. |
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| Go to sleep in the flicker of the campfire... but still in your own private Idaho |
Why it's Not for Every Day
The Travel + Leisure-worthy design comes with a price for some cold & wet weather campers. As with all tents that have mesh ceilings, condensation on the tent fly is likely to drip down on sleepers. The Optic's trouble is cross ventilation. It can only be achieved at the foot end of the tent. On nights with wide temperature swings below 50* or high humidity, you'd need to sleep with your head by the doors to avoid problems that tents with fabric ceilings are designed to minimize.This isn't a tent for the Pacific Northwest, or winters in the Midwest or New England.
The Optic 2.5 will now be my go-to, backcountry home on two kinds of weekend or week-long trips. It shines in dry climates under high winds, like on trips to the American Southwest or Death Valley in winter and spring. And I'll use it on winter trips to the coastal islands, where it doesn't get too cold at night, and where the wind is usually steady and predictable.
In any case, I'll try to remember to bring a clean pack towel for wiping down the condensation.
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| What are you waiting for? Get out there! |
