Heritage is an outdoor gear manufacturer headquartered in Azumino, central Nagano Prefecture. Starting with their flagship mountain tents, they offer a wide range of products, including tents, sleeping bag covers, outer shells, and poles. Once a prototype is completed in-house, they test and refine it repeatedly in the mountains until they're satisfied, making this the ideal place and method for product development. This time, we tested and reviewed a lightweight double-wall tent made by Heritage in the Shinetsu region, near Azumino.
table of contents
What kind of tent is the HI-REVO? - General features
The HI-REVO is Heritage's lightest three-season, single-person tent. Despite being double-walled, it weighs less than 1000g, including the inner fly, poles, and storage bag. However, its light weight doesn't come at the expense of interior space or functionality. It's a Japanese tent, made by Japanese people for the Japanese mountain scene.
Recommended points
- Lightweight with a minimum weight of less than 1000g
- Compact storage size
- Designed for breathability
Points of concern
- Well-balanced, but nothing outstanding
- Living Comfort
- Weather resistance in rainy weather
Main specifications and evaluation
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Item Name | Heritage HI-REVO |
| Number of people sleeping | 1 person |
| Actual weight when carried (g) |
Total weight: 1,083 (breakdown below)
|
| Inner tent main material | 15D nylon ripstop with water-repellent finish |
| Inner tent bottom material | 20D polyester ripstop with PU coating (water resistance 2000mm) |
| Fly material | 15D nylon ripstop with PU coating (water resistance 2000mm) |
| Pole material | Aluminum alloy (7001-T6) hollow pole, 7.5mm diameter |
| Footprint material (optional) |
20D polyester ripstop with PU coating (water resistance 2000mm) |
| Room size | 203 (frontage) x 93 (depth) x 100 (height) |
| Floor area | 1.89㎡ |
| Storage size | Body: 28 x 11.5, Pole: 38 |
| accessories |
|
| evaluation | |
| Living Comfort | ★★★☆☆ |
| Ease of setup and takedown | ★★★★☆ |
| weather resistance | ★★★☆☆ |
| durability | ★★★☆☆ |
| weight | ★★★★☆ |
| Portability | ★★★★☆ |
| Versatility | ★★★★☆ |
HI-REVO detailed review
A lightweight set that includes everything you need
The set comes with the bare minimum: the main body, rain fly, poles, and eight pegs. Three types of storage bags are included: one for the main body, rain fly, poles, and pegs. The advertised weight of 960g includes the main body, rain fly, poles, and each storage bag. The total weight including the pegs is 1083g (actual weight)
Storage is divided into three sections: the main body, rain poles, and pegs
The poles are made of two aluminum alloy poles (7001-T6). They're nothing special, just the plain aluminum alloy color. They fold into 10 poles and store to a size of 38cm. The two poles weigh 288g, and with the storage bag it weighs 293g. The pegs are made of extra-high-strength duralumin (7075-T6). They have a simple and easy-to-use design. The bag is a bit tricky; it's just the right size to hold eight poles, so you have to stack them properly, as shown in the photo, to fit them in. The weight of the pegs is 96.8g (12.1 per pole) + 1.6g storage bag = 98g. I wish the bag was a little larger
The peg storage bag is just large enough to hold eight pegs
The fly is made of ultra-thin 15-denier nylon ripstop fabric with a PU coating for waterproofing, with a water resistance of 2000mm. Because it is PU coated, care must be taken when handling it after use and when storing it. The seams are securely taped
The seams on the back of the fly are securely taped for increased waterproofing
The main body is made of an ultra-thin 15-denier nylon ripstop fabric with a water-repellent finish. Because it's the same ultra-thin fabric as the fly, it's quite see-through. Be careful, though, as the lights will be visible at night even with the fly on, so you'll need to be careful. The floor is made of 20D polyester ripstop fabric with a PU coating for waterproofing (water resistance 2000mm). The 20D construction increases durability. The use of polyester instead of nylon may be due to its slightly lower water absorption, making it a more suitable material for the floor
The inner tent is made of extremely thin fabric, so you can see through it
Regarding weight, the official weight is 960g (body, fly, poles, and storage bag), but the actual weight of the set was 985g. The total weight including the pegs is 1083g (body: 349g, fly: 335g, poles: 287g, pegs: 96g (12.1g x 8), body storage bag: 8.5g, pole storage bag: 5.2g, peg storage bag: 1.6g)
A waste-free setup method means you can set it up anytime, no worries
Next, we will look at its features while setting it up
The poles are secured to the inner tent using sleeves, so first lay them flat on the ground
The poles are inserted from the left side facing the entrance, so check the orientation of the inner tent and lay it flat on the ground
The sleeve has a designated opening, only on the left side as you face the opening, while the two on the right side are completely closed. Slide the pole in from the left side. The 7.5mm diameter aluminum alloy pole is flexible and bends well, but if you insert it straight it will get stuck, so you'll need to pull the fabric along the way to make it easier to move. Once both poles are inserted, it will stand upright
Place the pole into the sleeve from the left side of the entrance
Once you have inserted the poles, adjust the tension by pulling the buckle at the opening of the sleeve
The sleeve opening where the pole is inserted has a mechanism for adjusting the tension
This completes the inner tent setup. The poles need to be inserted in specific places, so it can be a little tricky in the dark, but you'll get used to it after setting it up a few times
The inner tent is made of the same nylon material except for the bottom, so it is not very breathable
Next is the fly. It is very simple, as you just hook the hooks on the four corners of the fly onto the red loops on the corners of the inner tent
To secure the inner tent and fly, simply hook the hook on the fly corner onto the red loop
The tension of the fly can also be finely adjusted
The tension of the fly can also be adjusted
Considerations for increased comfort and a sprinkling of small gimmicks
The interior space is reasonable for a lightweight one-person tent. Even with a full-size mat, there's still enough room for luggage, so it's more than enough. The height is also reasonable at 100cm, so it doesn't feel cramped
As a one-person tent, it doesn't feel cramped even when you have a lot of luggage
However, there are no pockets inside the cabin, and the only thing that's missing is a loop on the ceiling to attach an optional net. Even if it's for the sake of weight reduction, some kind of improvement would have been appreciated
The interior is very simple, with no pockets or decorations
Speaking of the interior space, the floor is pulled along each corner in a line rather than a point, increasing the angle of the walls and making it less likely for your feet to hit them
The floor part is pulled in a line rather than at a point, so the fabric at your feet stands up, making the interior feel slightly larger
The entrance can be kept open at all times by tying the fly with Velcro and the inner tent with string
The entrance can also be kept open at all times
From inside the camp, the fly zipper and inner tent zipper are color-coded, making them very easy to identify
The inner tent is color-coded red and the fly is color-coded yellow, making it easy to tell which is which when opening it from inside the room
The vestibule is small, so it might be a bit difficult to cook in the rain
The vestibule is not large, but you can store a few shoes in it
Highly breathable structure
There are two mesh panels at the entrance to the inner tent that allow constant ventilation, and another ventilation opening opposite
There are two mesh panels at the entrance
The mesh panel cannot be closed, but the ventilation opening opposite can be closed by squeezing it
The vent opposite the entrance can be closed
The top of this mesh panel can be left open even when the fly is on
The mesh panel at the top of the entrance can be left open even with the fly on
There are other innovations to improve breathability. The sleeves through which the poles are passed have several slits. These slits are obviously intended to reduce weight, but they also seem to be intended to allow air to circulate when the fly is on
The holes in the pole sleeves are there to reduce weight but also to allow for better ventilation
The end of the fly is higher off the ground, likely a result of weight reduction and breathability. However, the bottom of the waterproof inner tent is only low to the ground, so a combination of heavy rain and strong winds could seep rain into the tent and wet it. Even if it's for the sake of weight reduction, it would be less of a concern if the fly was a little longer or the bottom material was stretched a little higher
The fly is slightly off the ground
Summary: Recommended for these people
Lightweightness is an irreplaceable element. With today's various new technologies, it's easy to maintain weight while enhancing functionality, or even reduce weight while maintaining functionality. However, this often comes at a price. However, the HI-REVO tent offers a reasonable price while maintaining the functionality and safety of a mountain tent, achieving a lightweight design despite its double wall construction. As a Japanese tent manufacturer, it adheres to its traditions and is a well-made mountain tent. However, compared to similarly specced tents from overseas, it lacks any outstanding features and is rather ordinary. While this tent is recommended for those seeking the high level of security and balance that only a Japanese-made tent can offer, it may be a bit much to expect more from it. Once you fully understand its strengths and weaknesses, this tent has its merits and is well worth using. Because it's manufactured in Japan, easy access to after-sales service, including repairs, is another plus point
Related reading
