First Arrow UL
Lightweight 2-3 Person Travel Tent

Tapered Tunnel, 5-season, 2/3-Person tent.

Integral pitch – poles in outer, inner attaches under, outer can be used alone

Min Wt 3.00 kg

Packed Wt 3.39 kg

Floor Dimensions: 2.15m long x 1.5m widest

Outer Tent Fabric: 30d ripstop polyester, silicone elastomer face, tape-sealed, 1500mm PE back coating.

Outer Tent Colour: Gold or Eucalyptus Green.

Inner Tent: Light Grey 40d air-permeable ripstop nylon, Black 20d nylon mesh door screens.

Floor: Deep, unstressed tub, 100d nylon with 8,000mm HH PE coating

Poles: 3 x Scandium Air Hercules FC (floating connectors), fully field-maintainable.

Pegs: 9 x 4-Flute HT Aluminium, with pull cords

The tapered tunnel shape with its low entry point and sharp ‘cut-off’ at the large vestibule end give the tent excellent natural stability in the high wind coming from or oblique to the small end direction. You will see this low resistance profile in nature where the wind is a constant environmental agent, in sand dunes, snowdrifts, and water waves. Besides great aerodynamics, it has other nice consequences when applied to tent design. The large arch provides a sit-up and working room exactly where it’s needed. The tapering shape minimises volume and outer skin surface area so heat loss and weight are also minimised.

Compared to other designs the continuously rising shape of the tent to the high point in the cut-away eave provides the best possible still air convective ventilation and a direct exhaust path for cooking vapors rising from the vestibule. Even at low wind speeds, the low pressure created over the main vestibule positively sucks air through the tent. With other designs, the top part of the tent must flood with warm moist air before it reaches down to the vent level. The First Arrow vent opening, formed by unzipping the vestibule panel down from the top of the main arch, is carefully matched to the eave shape so that ventilation can continue even during steady rain or snowfall.

The tent is structurally designed for and should always be pegged out with maximum lengthwise tension. The precisely canted main and small pole arches transmit skin stress equally from the canopy to the front and rear vestibules. The outer tent zips exceed the strength of the fabric panels they join by many times. Operating the bottom sliders on the main zip leads immediately to the inner tent doors for convenient and independent double-sided access. The center arch provides essential support and stability to the canopy in high winds and snowfall.

Access into the tent (depicted by the red arrows in the sketch) is provided both sides of the large arch, and at the small end. Gear can be stowed out of the way in the main vestibule and is immediately on hand from the inner tent. No need to fall overpacks, boots and cooking gear to get in and out. Snow for melting can be stockpiled immediately beside the outer at either entrance. Once you’ve experienced these features other designs don’t retain much appeal.

Both ends of the outer and inner layers can be unzipped for full ventilation and views. If you wish you can lie in the tent looking out at the stars, the vestibule canopies simply unzip all the way down from the top to lie as a cover over your gear. The zips around the main and small arches are protected by tensioned eaves.

Just three pegs are needed to pitch the tent. Six more willfully guy the tent and once in place give the tent a unique combination of stability and energy absorbing flexibility. This built-in flexibility is crucial to resisting the strongest winds. As a result of perfecting the important details of the outer and inner tents, it is not possible to simply erect the inner tent on its own. It can be done only with a spiderweb of guys and pole straps.

Both ends of the inner tent have fully zipped door panels and mesh screens. You can unzip just the screen covers or the entire door panel depending on requirements for ventilation, access to equipment, and so on. The whole wrap-around inner tent front door assembly can be zipped off to either side for open access to the equipment and cooking gear stowed in the vestibule. You can then also easily detach the front end of the floor pan from the outer tent attachments and pull it back to clear extra ground space for cooking or packing up in bad weather. The inner tent is provided with a three-compartment mesh pocket suspended within easy reach under the center pole arch, as well as a lengthwise hanging line.

Being suspended by shock cord loops, the inner skin tension is maintained through changing weather conditions. The angular inner design allows excellent, unobstructed airflow between the two skins without compromising inner tent space. You have the option to leave the inner tent attached to the outer tent so it all goes up and comes down as one unit. Otherwise, the shock cord loop attachments between the two layers simply unclip from the small, nylon, captive hooks under the outer skin so the tent layers can be packed and carried separately.

Our unique tub-floor design on the First Arrow has special advantages. The simple, folded corners are not stitched. This is possible because the floor pan hangs freely from its attachment points to the outer tent, located well above ground level. A stress-free floor pan improves the life expectancy of the floor fabric coating in particular. This PU coating on the tough, 100 deniers, highly waterproof, nylon fabric we use 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 beneath accidental coating damage is easily identified for repair by liquid sealant application.

The FIRST ARROW inner tent has a snug shoulder width for three people and plenty of lengths. The drawings show the main dimensions of the tent, including vestibule space. On ski tours, we often have three in the First Arrow – at close to a kilogram per person that’s very lightweight double-skin shelter.

Wilderness Equipment manufactures durable, innovative and high-quality tents, hiking packs and day packs for hiking, trekking, ski touring, cycling and expedition use. Founded in Western Australia they have been manufacturing outdoor equipment for over 30 years. They are now part of Crossfire Australia’s range of brands.