Big Agnes  String Ridge VST 1.5 Tent

I’m coming at this as an old 1990’s Sierra Designs Clip Flashlite user. I mainly used that tent as a one-person tent as it was very small inside. I’ve used this String Ridge for two separate March & April overnights, one of which had a bit of rain (but no high winds). Never had a single-ish wall tent before. I’d give it 4.5 stars if I could. It is pretty easy to set up if you have experience with non-freestanding tents. Stake out the four corners and then insert your trekking poles. I found that getting a level spot was important if you want the bathtub walls to be vertical. Perhaps I can overcome the level issues with more practice. It’s very light and because it is poly and not some wonder-fabric, I can just stuff it in its bag and not bother folding. Ventilation was excellent with no condensation for my two spring outings in Minnesota. Rain dried off quickly. I like the curved single door zip as I feel that one zip probably is more bug-proof than two intersecting zips. It’s tall inside for me at 5’10” and has just enough horizontal space for me. Staking out the ends helps give me a little more head- and legroom, which is a slight criticism. Other crits are the price (but I had lots of REI bucks) and the before mentioned level-sensitive bathtub issue. Vestibule is large. I like the color…not too bright. Pockets are decent for my glasses. I also don’t love the included stakes (kinda heavy and had a weird cross-section that hurt my hands) so I bought a bunch of titanium shepard hooks along with some MSR long ones for high winds and/or for important guy points. The factory stakes did work well in soft dirt, however. I might rig up some string to attach to the fly zip to make it less of a stretch to open the external door for midnight potty breaks. That’s not the fault of this tent…other tents like this have the same issue. So, color me impressed with the interior room, no condensation (prob due to the large secondary window), nice fabric, good zipper, small pack size, and essentially one quick-dry wall.

The Big Agnes String Ridge VST 1.5 tent allows you to cut weight without sacrificing comfort. The set up is almost intuitive and helped by the attached guy lines. The zippers are great. The inside space accomodates a large/wide sleeping pad and a pillow. The inside vestibule prevents unnecessary clutter. and allows for good ventilation. And only 19 ounces!

The string ridge has been awesome! I love the extra space inside, it's so roomy! I use a wide pad and still have room for all my stuff inside. It's easy to set up once you get the hang of it. It holds up really well in wind and storms. I really like the big vent on the side, it's like a little window you can look out when buttoned down. I also like having the option to have both sides of the vestibule rolled up. The magnets work well to hold the doors open. I'm very happy with the durability. After almost 5 months on the PCT it's still in great condition. It's a unique design that works really well. Overall it's been a great tent for the trail.

I must have spent a minimum of 30 hours researching UL tents, including from BA competitors and small cottage brands. I ended up choosing the String Ridge 1.5 for its light 19 oz, hyperbead fabric that doesn't stretch while wet, and for the extra space for my pack in the tent. So far I've spent 3 nights in this tent- two nights got below freezing and the third had some wild winds. I was very happy with how it performed. For starters, I have the tent in a 3L stuff sack. It could get even smaller if I had a smaller bag. It's so small and lightweight in my pack, it's been a real game changer. Set up is pretty intuitive (though I did use the instructions the first time). It took me about 10 min the first time, practicing in my backyard, but it got faster and easier each subsequent time. I think I've got it down to a pretty good pitch now. As with all single wall tents, there will be condensation if you zip the rainfly closed, although with the mesh vertical wall, popped out side wall and the 90in stretch between the head and foot walls things stayed pretty clear of the condensation that occured the night I closed up the rainfly. The two nights I left the rainfly open I experienced no condensation at all. Zero. It was amazing and such a gamechanger for packing up in the morning with gear that's already fully dry. On the windy night, I stayed up most of the night worried about it tearing apart the tent. It held up beautifully! I was shocked and impressed at how sturdy it was. In general, I'm really happy with the head space and usable inner space for my wide pad and pack, with extra space at the head for bear spray, water, headlamp, etc. An overall great UL tent for one person!

I used this tent for the first time on a trip in Florida. The directions that came with the tent indicated to set up the trekking poles first. It is much easier to stake out the corners first. My goal is to use it for longer backpacking trips. One night the wind was gusting to 20-30 knots and I was pleased with how it performed. It would have been even better had I staked out the guy lines. The ground was so hard I was happy to stake out the corners and poles.

I was very excited about the Big Agnes String Ridge 1.5. I like Big Agnes, and I had been waiting for them to make a trekking-pole tent, so I bought it as soon as they did. There is a lot to like. The interior is surprisingly roomy thanks to the bump-out, the vestibules are generous, the colors are nice, the fabric feels private rather than see-through, and the zippers work great. Unfortunately, after practicing the setup several times at home and using the tent on about six backpacking trips, I never felt like I could get a consistently taut pitch. The bump-out area was particularly frustrating: I could never get the lower mesh and fly positioned so the mesh stood properly upright instead of collapsing inward. The fly kind of flops down into the mesh. I considered staking that section separately but never found a good solution. The tent also had significant condensation in condensation-prone conditions, such as camping near a lake under an open sky. My suspicion is that the collapsed mesh/fly area limited the intended airflow, despite the large ventilation opening. Even after multiple trips, setup remained fiddly and slower than I expected. My biggest concern, however, is the trekking-pole-supported awning. I use Black Diamond trekking poles, and the pole handle does not fit securely into the attachment point—it can slide in and out far too easily. One gust of wind could lift the awning enough to cause an immediate collapse. I eventually rigged a hair tie as a backup so the pole wouldn't completely detach if it slipped out. I never experienced a collapse, but I also never encountered significant wind in this tent, and I would not feel comfortable trusting this setup in windy conditions. Overall, the String Ridge 1.5 has some genuinely great ideas, but it feels like a tent that needs another iteration to work out the kinks. I'm returning mine, but I sincerely hope Big Agnes keeps developing the concept and tries again.

For some reason the rear trekking pole location does not have a pocket or loop or anything to keep the trekking pole from sliding out. If you don’t have poles with handles that are just the right size and shape, the pole has nothing to grasp into and is just sitting against the fly - which is slick. Tightening the guy lines does not help. It is a major flaw in the design of this tent and makes most people unable to use.

This tent was super roomy for myself, my giant backpack and my husky! We slept great and could spread out without worrying about rolling on each other. The tent was easy to set up and stayed taught during the rain and wind we encountered on a 2 night trip in the Eastern Sierra. Hiking with the tent was easy peasy too, it's super lightweight.

I consider myself a pretty average thru hiker when it comes to how heavy my pack is. I'll obsess over my base weight to an extent and I love the look of a small, compact pack, but I'm also not afraid of a few luxury items and am not willing to sacrifice any necessary comforts to simply lighten my load by a few ounces. In other words - I will be bringing a stove, I will be bringing a pillow, and until recently, I insisted on using a two person tent; but after several months in the Stringline 1.5 I find myself reconsidering this last rule. I like to have some extra space in my tent and vestibule to stretch the legs and spread out whatever contents explode out of my pack after a long day of hiking. The first three months of my CDT thru-hike I used the BA Tiger Wall 2 and loved it for the lightweight frame and reliability in the windy desert. I was eager to try out the new Stringline 1.5 trekking pole tent for a few weeks at most, but almost immediately I knew the Stringline was the tent I would be finishing the CDT with. The first thing I noticed was how compact it was. It stuffs down small and there's no poles to carry so the extra space was immediately noticeable. Also noticeable was just how light the Stringline is. I'd been really pleased with the minimal weight of my Tigerwall, but the Stringline 1.5 was another level and I truly appreciated the lighter pack as I hoofed across the Great Basin and up into the Wind River Range of Wyoming. My assumption was that I may feel claustrophobic in the Stringline and not have enough space for all my things, but that wasn't an issue at all. The vestibule is large and easily covers your pack, shoes, water bottles and whatever else you might leave outside, while the unique shape of the tent floor creates another vestibule-like triangle internally for your power bank, phone, clothes, etc. I'm on the taller side at 6'1 and use an extra long pad and sleeping bag and I always felt like I had enough space to really stretch out (although this might be something to consider if you're 6'2 or taller). I also really appreciated the mesh pockets by the door that held small items like my airpods and wallet. I also have to say… the tent looks cool with an eye catching and sleek silhouette. I think it looks like a mountain range or a witches hat. The walls are pewter grey and the floor/mesh door are a beautiful emerald green - my favorite color. More than aesthetics, it's an extremely effective tent. I had no trouble setting it up and the trekking poles & guy lines formed reliable tension that held all night, even in windy conditions. I was especially impressed with how it performed in the rain. There were some stormy nights on the trail where it really dumped on us, most notably, my last night on the CDT in Glacier National Park when it poured a cold, late-September rain all night and into the morning. The tent held up great and kept me safe and dry. The bathtub floor was effective in preventing water, dirt and critters from getting inside. Tents are very personal business for backpackers and especially thru-hikers who need to live out of them for months on end. They're our shelter and home and it's SO important for them to function effectively. I'm happy to say I give the Stringline 1.5 the CDT thru-hiker seal of approval for its shockingly light weight and reliable performance. I've grown really fond of this tent and I'm excited to take it on many more adventures for years to come.