CrossPeak 1

I had a blast taking this tent out on a trip where I was "converting"a friend to ultralight backpacking. Given their new frameless pack, quilt, and gear that I had curated to a minute detail of the level of counting the number of Benadryl tablets in their first aid kit, I figured evening time when they were tired was good moment to give them a sense of familiarity with their shelter. Given the minimal weight hit of the Crosspeak 1 and it's user friendliness, it was definitely the right choice.

For myself, I've been known to say you can pitch a trekking pole supported shelter anywhere, and it's true... but sometimes I know I want to make things easy on myself or choose a ridiculous campsite on snow or slick rock. The Crosspeak is a palace for 1, stable in high winds, easy to pitch in spots I might have to fuss for a while with a tarp. It's a fantastic tent to have in the quiver whether you're just starting out or have a highly specialized gear closet.

Nash and the team sent me a Crosspeak 1 prototype last summer while I was on the CDT. I received it in Pagosa Springs (southern CO) and carried a version of it for the remainder of the trail. I had used the Crosspeak 2 a handful of times before this, but have mainly used a Mid 1 Tent or Tarp as my go-to shelter. While I love the Mid 1, the Crosspeak 1 has some standout benefits at the cost of weight.

Benefits:

- Widely spacious. Seriously. I sleep on a Reg/Wide Thermarest and had significant extra space in the shelter. Most nights I would have all of my gear inside the bathtub of my tent. The poles + pole sleeves help provide a huge upgrade in overall headroom compared to a trekking pole shelter. For weight-conscious folks this probably isn't as big of a deal, but the Crosspeak 1 essentially eliminates any concerns I usually have about touching a wet tent wall with my quilt.

- Exceptionally storm worthy. I had the Crosspeak 1 in several hail storms, with the worst being a touch bigger than BB's and found the tent held up great. Adding a trekking pole in on the windward side during wind events also added considerable strength to the tent. Having come almost exclusively from trekking pole shelters, I was a little skeptical of poles breaking but the Crosspeak 1 took big gusts in stride. There were a few nights in Wyoming that I set my tent up in considerable winds and was almost shocked how sturdy it was when fully zipped up with a single trekking pole inserted. I'm usually…

I'm on the marketing team at HMG and I was able to use CrossPeak 1 prototypes on 3 multi day trips both on foot and by bike. I'm 6'3" and found it to be the roomiest 1-person tent I've used to date. Length is always an issue for me, but I still have room at my feet in this tent for my stuff sacks and Pods that have the things I need for evenings and mornings, and plenty of room for the rest (or wet gear) in the vestibule. The headroom, though, is something I probably enjoy even more! I can change clothes and move around freely like never before! I really enjoyed my time using it, and whenever I'm out solo, this'll be the go-to for me.