Cirque

The CIRQUE will accomodate up to four persons. It is a stable, roomy tent with an exceptionally strong structure. Despite this, its minimum weight comes in at close to 4 kg. The use of 40 denier, high-tenacity nylon fabric siliconised on both faces (so no PU coating) for the outer tent and 30d fabric for the inner tent, combined with our unique suspended floor design has made this possible. 

The Cirque meets all the expectations of a tent for basecamp use. Shared by just two persons it provides space within the tent to spread out and organise equipment. With the addition of the optional vestibule (shown) stowage area for packs and cooking is quickly created.

Size

The Cirque inner tent has snug shoulder width for four people and adequate length provided not everyone is over 180cm tall. This tent is an excellent solution for a family of four needing an full-on but lightweight tent for backpacking. When the tent is full to capacity the optional vestibule will greatly increase convenience in poor weather.The optional vestibule adds useful space for gear stowage and cooking when it's sleeping capacity is fully used. The drawings show the main dimensions of the tent, including the (optional) vestibule space.

Architecture

The four pole, cross-and-vee frame configuration is widely used on expedition dome shaped tents. It gives this tent excellent un-guyed stability. The hemi-spherical shape sheds wind from any direction and allows very little snow to accumulate, even in still conditions. A shorter, fifth pole over one door (right side of drawing below) adds protection to the entrance at that end. Here also the inner tent floor is scalloped back in a tensioned arc, providing a small stowage area between the inner and outer layers, adequate for removing boots. The optional, lightweight, twin-door, single-pole vestibule attaches over the main door pole arch. The tensioned overlap of fabric layers creates an effective seal between the main outer tent and the vestibule.

Outer Tent Features

Access into the tent (depicted by the arrows in the sketch) is provided at both ends and these doors can be fully unzipped for excellent flow-through ventilation and views.There are four vents high up on the outer skin. They are carefully positioned to provide optimum convective ventilation and exhaust of cooking vapours without jeopardising weatherproofness. In common with other tents in the range they are held open by short props and closed by strips of touchtape on carefully designed fabric carriers that prevent water being blown up, in and onto the inner tent in strong winds. All four vents can be reached from inside the inner tent. This is done by unzipping the top part of the inner doors and reaching around to the vents.

The outer tent is provided with a full, reinforced guying system using our unique shockcorded guys. This sytem is essential to extend the resistance of the relatively rigid framework structure to the drag forces and distortion created by storm force winds. The tent guy system integrates to that of the optional vestibule when it is fitted. The outer can be erected on its own using ground tension tapes provided to link the vee pole tips, and using the fabric loops under the outer to positively locate the poles.

Inner Tent Features

The floor on the Cirque is uniquely designed to provide the waterproofness of a full tub floor without the added weight and sealing difficulties that come with the tub floor side wall seams at the tensioned pole end sockets. The Cirque's pole end carriers are cleverly designed to suspend the tensioned floor plane well above ground level. Siliconised nylon splash walls and carefully designed seams to the floor panel resist ground splash. The floor itself simply sags down to the ground where it is loaded. The PU floor coating is light grey in colour. It is easier to find lost items in the tent, light levels improve on dull days and, against the black fabric background, accidental coating damage is easily identified for repair by liquid sealant application

Both ends of the inner are fully zipped and insect screened. The fabric covers on the screen panels can be unzipped for unobstructed views from the inner tent. There are full-perimeter pockets on the side walls and a loft stowage hammock.

The pole framework is carried by mesh sleeves fitted to the inner tent. These are reinforced against wear when poles are being inserted or withdrawn.

Other Notes

While the Cirque does not require pegs it is a good idea to place at least four of them, one at each corner (beside the doors). This will prevent a tent with little or no gear in it from being blown away, thrashing around or distorting in light or moderate winds. They also help to keep the floor and door panels evenly tensioned and assist the smooth operation of the door arc zips. The optional vestibule requires two pegs to erect it on the tent.

The siliconised fabric has good water repellency and we have had good experience using unsealed tents in wet conditions. However, applying a smear of liquid silicone sealant to seams on the upper, flatter area of the outside of the outer tent is a good insurance against water penetration during extended periods of rain. The outer tent is designed so this operation is simple and quick.