Coleman Cobra Tent, ultra-light compact man tent

Product Information

Looking at the overall size, Cobra 2 measures 257cm in length and 125 cm in width. There is a usable space of 58 cm by 90 cm at the ends. It’s pretty spacious for one person, including full gear. Still, don’t forget that this tent is lightweight, so more space means using more material and a bulky canvas as a result. MATERIALS Outer 68D poly taffeta, hydrostatic head 3,000mm Groundsheet 68D poly taffeta, hydrostatic head 3,000mm Poles DAC Pressfit Aluminum Pegs 10 As you can see in the photographs below it is much narrower at the feet and much wider at the head end, because of this you wouldn’t be able to top and tail in this tent. As with all two man tents this style, you do end up very close together – because of this I’d recommend it for pairs that know each other well or adventurous activities when sharing some personal space aren’t an issue. As a one man then it is very spacious and you can easily fit yourself and all of your gear inside. In warmer conditions, the large, zipped ventilation panels at each end let you create a good airflow, keeping temperatures down and minimising condensation. The tent isn’t warm per se and is more suited to 3-season camping. It can be used in frosty and even snowy conditions, gathered the user has all appropriate cold-weather gear such as a down sleeping bag, insulated sleeping mat, foil ground layer, hat, gloves, and thermals. But the tent shouldn’t be relied upon in isolation to keep you warm during a night’s camping in sub-zero temperatures.

To further test its endurance, one month later, I took it to the Pembrokeshire Coast in Wales, UK. I was walking the 186-mile coast path over a period of 2 weeks. The weather was unusually sunny for September and I wondered how it would fare against heat and salt winds. Yet again, it surpassed my expectations. In terms of weight, something a touch lighter would have been great for a hike of this length, but when considering its price point and comfort rating over those 2 weeks, I can hardly complain. For lightweight campers more used to cramped conditions, the amount of space will be the thing that immediately jumps out – at 1.85m, there’s plenty of headroom inside for most people to stand upright without stooping and that makes a huge difference. As the Saunders Fellpine is retired and I need a tent, I was looking at a new cheap lightweight tent. Ventilation is pretty decent, with vents at both ends, which can be held open with a Velcro strap and a guyline.

Off Grid Power & Living

Equally important, the exterior stays separate from the interior except for the roof. It helps to keep the interior warm and dry in inclement weather. You will only encounter occasional condensation when it rains heavily.

The tent has a single main pole, which forms an arch towards the front, while two short, upright poles create the rigidity at the front and rear. Both the aluminium poles are strong but flexible. The flysheet and inner go up together, and after a practice run in the garden, I found pitching straightforward and really easy.The inner is designed for two, but in reality the Nevis 200 is best suited for one, providing plenty of space for the solo camper to move around. The ventilation panels inside are designed to cut down on condensation. The whole Cobra 2 tent has a flame retardant application. It is not entirely fireproof, meaning flame retardants will slow the spread in case of fire. Hence, Coleman advises against using an open flame inside the t, and it would help if you also lit a stove away from the tent. Pitching the Coleman Cobra 2 According to Coleman, you should pitch the Cobra 2 in an area measuring 2.2m 2 . This recommendation is to allow for the tent to stretch fully. This way, it can make the most out of its weatherproofing and waterproofing capabilities. Nevertheless, it can take less space in emergencies. The weight of the Cobra 2 together with camping gear means feeling every gram of the tent during long expeditions. But considering the protection, you’re getting value for your dime.

Inside the bag there is the standard peg bag, pole bag and the rolled up tent itself. Although this is pretty normal for modern tents, I really like how Coleman have improved on what you normally get with tents. Instead of a little piece of ribbon to keep the pegs and poles in their bags, they both have elasticated fastenings at the top which are fixed so you can’t misplace them. Also, there are gaps between the interior module and the canvas, which improves breathability. Still, we found that since the interior sides are loose, they tend to flop inwards. It’s a slight quibble because you can’t stretch the inner layer out further. Yet, the outer canvas is sturdy enough to stop the wind from causing too much flopping. The aluminium poles are colour-coded to make it easier to erect; although, because it’s an inner-first design, there is the problem of pitching in rain. This uber light 2-people tent is made for the avid adventurer. Whether you’re looking forward to a long hike or are up for a full-on wilderness tailgating, the Cobra 2 holds up pretty well.Tensioning is ok, if a little fiddly and once up, the tent has a good amount of room for me and my gear. It'd be ok for two when adventure racing or something, but as always, 2 berth means 1 in practice. There is a great amount of porch space, with a decent amount of room under each 'wing', but weirdly only one outer door. I imagine to keep down costs or something.