Over the past few weeks I've posted a few times about some of the new gear that was on display at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City. One of the companies that brought a lot of new, innovative gear to the show was Sierra Designs, which not only showed off their waterproof Down options, but also had new gear to keep us warm, called the Cloud Layer System, on display. But perhaps most impressive of all was their new Mojo UFO tent, a 4-season shelter that weighs just 1 pound 11 ounces. (.76kg) including the poles and fly. The kicker? It comes with quite a hefty price tag. When available in the spring, the tent will cost $1800.Just one glance at the tent tells you exactly where it derives its name. The thing looks otherworldly or at the very least high tech. It is made of Cuben Fiber, a very lightweight but insulating material that has been used in a few other tents in the past. Sierra Designs also outfitted their offering with carbon fiber poles, which helps to reduce the weight even further. That addition will help to make this one of the lightest free-standing, two-person tents on the market when it drops in a few months time.
While $1800 doesn't make this the most expensive tent around (there are mountaineering options that run more) it is definitely on the more expensive end of the spectrum when it comes to backpacking tents. Because of that, SD says they'll only make them in limited quantities, although I'm sure there will be some gear hounds that are obsessed with weight enough to shell out the cash.
I have to say, seeing this tent in person it was impressive. Sierra Designs had it floating in air at the entrance to their booth, which made it nearly impossible to miss. But personally I think I could get by with a tent that weighs a but more and costs a lot less. Think about all the other gear you could purchase with the money you'd save!
