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FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
-
When does Big Sky charge my credit card for my order?
- Does the tent/shelter need to be seam sealed?
- Which is better - pole sleeves or pole clips?
- Which is better - aluminum poles or carbon fiber poles
- The internal area is not listed, please explain.
- The internal length seems short, please explain.
- Which is better - Evolution or Revolution/Chinook series?
- What is the difference between breathable fabric and mesh netting Interiors?
- Can you tell me more about the fabrics Big Sky uses?
- Is silnylon fabric waterproof?
- How should I clean my tent?
- How should I store my tent?
- Where are Big Sky's products made?
> It is mostly personal preference... pole clips are lighter and less expensive, while pole sleeves add some structural strength... but if a pole breaks, e.g. carbon fiber pole, it will probably tear a hole in the pole sleeve... we have not noticed that one will last longer or wear out sooner than the other one... also there is not much difference in setup time between sleeves or clips, both are quick.
Which is better - aluminum poles or carbon fiber poles?
> Aluminum poles are less expensive and will take more abuse, while carbon fiber poles are lighter... aluminum poles usually bend before breaking, while carbon fiber will give no warning before failure (breakage)... it recommended that those using carbon fiber poles carry duct tape and a pole splice for field repair (The pole splice is an aluminum tube slipped over the pole break and held in place with duct tape.)... the first sign of failure in carbon fiber poles will be a hairline crack, usually where the pole join, once this happens it just be a matter of time before the pole fails (breaks)… so we recommend inspecting carbon fiber poles occasionally to try to prevent failure at an inopportune time.
The internal area is not listed, please explain.
> Big Sky uses advanced design techniques others do not use. Big Sky creates very roomy ergonomic interiors by designing around the geometries of a human body and its motion. Most other company's "numbers", such as "internal area", make them sound larger, but they are usually not as comfortable or as roomy as Big Sky's designs due to inefficient design practices that were used. The best way to see this is actually experience it by getting in, laying down, sitting up, and getting out of Big Sky's products... we also create better designs by doing such things as making sure a person can open/close vents from the inside without having to go outside in the rain... Big Sky puts an extreme amount of work and effort to make our designs very comfortable, roomy, and user friendly.
The internal length seems short, please explain.
> Big Sky's products are designed differently and are measured differently that most other products. Big Sky cuts off the unusable corners so the inside ends have straight walls. The distance measured is the internal length from the foot end wall to head end straight wall, rather than pole tip to pole tip. This length is entirely usable and does not include the unusable corners some others include in their measurement. Click here to see drawing for clarification.
Which is better - Evolution, Revolution, Chinook, or Mirage series?
> It is mostly personal preference... they all have the same interior dimensions...
> Here is link to a table comparing different fabrics.
- Does the tent/shelter need to be seam sealed?
- Which is better - pole sleeves or pole clips?
- Which is better - aluminum poles or carbon fiber poles
- The internal area is not listed, please explain.
- The internal length seems short, please explain.
- Which is better - Evolution or Revolution/Chinook series?
- What is the difference between breathable fabric and mesh netting Interiors?
- Can you tell me more about the fabrics Big Sky uses?
- Is silnylon fabric waterproof?
- How should I clean my tent?
- How should I store my tent?
- Where are Big Sky's products made?
When does Big
Sky charge my credit card for my order?
> Big Sky will charge the credit card just before shipping.
Does the tent/shelter need to be seam sealed?
> It is ready to go out of the box... it was seam sealed where necessary at the factory before
being shipped.
> It is mostly personal preference... pole clips are lighter and less expensive, while pole sleeves add some structural strength... but if a pole breaks, e.g. carbon fiber pole, it will probably tear a hole in the pole sleeve... we have not noticed that one will last longer or wear out sooner than the other one... also there is not much difference in setup time between sleeves or clips, both are quick.
Which is better - aluminum poles or carbon fiber poles?
> Aluminum poles are less expensive and will take more abuse, while carbon fiber poles are lighter... aluminum poles usually bend before breaking, while carbon fiber will give no warning before failure (breakage)... it recommended that those using carbon fiber poles carry duct tape and a pole splice for field repair (The pole splice is an aluminum tube slipped over the pole break and held in place with duct tape.)... the first sign of failure in carbon fiber poles will be a hairline crack, usually where the pole join, once this happens it just be a matter of time before the pole fails (breaks)… so we recommend inspecting carbon fiber poles occasionally to try to prevent failure at an inopportune time.
The internal area is not listed, please explain.
> Big Sky uses advanced design techniques others do not use. Big Sky creates very roomy ergonomic interiors by designing around the geometries of a human body and its motion. Most other company's "numbers", such as "internal area", make them sound larger, but they are usually not as comfortable or as roomy as Big Sky's designs due to inefficient design practices that were used. The best way to see this is actually experience it by getting in, laying down, sitting up, and getting out of Big Sky's products... we also create better designs by doing such things as making sure a person can open/close vents from the inside without having to go outside in the rain... Big Sky puts an extreme amount of work and effort to make our designs very comfortable, roomy, and user friendly.
The internal length seems short, please explain.
> Big Sky's products are designed differently and are measured differently that most other products. Big Sky cuts off the unusable corners so the inside ends have straight walls. The distance measured is the internal length from the foot end wall to head end straight wall, rather than pole tip to pole tip. This length is entirely usable and does not include the unusable corners some others include in their measurement. Click here to see drawing for clarification.
Which is better - Evolution, Revolution, Chinook, or Mirage series?
> It is mostly personal preference... they all have the same interior dimensions...
- pick the Evolution if you want to remove the outer fly and only use the mesh netting body and poles; the poles attach to the inner body and the outer fly covers the body and poles...
- pick the Revolution, Chinook, or Mirage if you want to be leave the interior attached so it can quickly and easily be set up or taken down as a one piece shelter, which is especially nice when it is raining since rain will not get into the interior. The interior hangs from the outer shell and the poles attach to the outer shell.
- pick the Revolution or Chinook if you want to remove the interior. The Mirage interior is permanently attached and can not be removed.Some Chinooks have options not available on other models, such as breathable fabric interiors and outer shells with sod/snow flaps. Since the poles attach to the outer shell on the Revolution/Chinook/Mirage series the structure is stronger and more storm worthy than the Evolution series... and on some Chinook models there is an optional 3rd pole for even more storm worthiness.... also, the Revolution/Chinook interiors can be removed to create a very storm worthy single wall shelter since the poles attach to the outer shell.
What is
the difference between breathable fabric and mesh netting Interiors?
> The dimensions are the same, they both have waterproof tubs
- breathable fabric interior has breathable fabric above the tub
- mesh netting interior has mesh netting fabric above the tub
> Here is link to a table comparing different fabrics.
Is silnylon fabric waterproof?
> The silnylon fabric (silicone coated nylon fabric) we use is waterproof under "normal" conditions. Extreme weather, such as wind driven rain or an extreme downpour may cause light "misting" inside
How should I clean my tent?
> We suggest cleaning with non-abrasive sponge or rag and cold water, and maybe some non-detergent soap, if needed.
Rinse thoroughly.
Be sure to dry completely before storing to prevent mold.
How should I store
my shelter?
> We recommend that it be stored clean (wet sponge/rag), dry
(to prevent mold/rot), and un-compressed (prevent “hard” folds/creases)
Where are Big Sky's products made?
> Most of our tents are made with products from South Korea/China… tents made with Big Sky's Let-it-Por™ is fabric made for us by Cubic, which is a product of USA.
As a side note, our tents used to be products of USA, but the quality of materials continued to decline so we were forced to find a higher quality supplier so our sourcing decision was made to improve our product’s quality… our costs increased 10-20% by using South Korea, but we feel quality is more important than country of origin.