[A self-paying review without any consideration] Montbell UL Mono Frame Shelter Review: Body weight: 552g! Review of the shelter's use, which is "lighter" rather than livability
written by Yosuke.C
Climbing is at the peak of the season. The weather is still hot in the lower reaches, but it is already beginning to feel like autumn on the top of the mountains.
Lightness is just for those who want to lighten the equipment even at 1g.
For those who want to lighten their gear even at the expense of comfort, the gear we're introducing today may be attractive.
Montbell's UL Mono Frame Shelter is recommended for those who think, "I want to make it lighter than a dome tent, but I'm not sure what Zelt is." The minimum weight is 552g, half the average dome tent!
The UL Mono Frame Shelter was the perfect item for those who want to make it lighter than 1g, trail running, or speed hiking, who want to have a private space to sleep rather than high livability!
I'll review what I felt after using the UL Monoframe Shelter.
table of contents
Main features of the Montbell UL Monoframe Shelter
Montbell is a comprehensive outdoor brand that handles not only mountain climbing and camping equipment, but also climbing, canoeing, fishing, travel equipment, and clothing for people working in fields such as agriculture and fishing. In the United States, attention has been attracting attention and is gaining popularity.
The "UL Monoframe Shelter" created by Montbell is a shelter that allows one person to sleep.
The single-wall non-supporting UL monoframe shelter has fewer frames than conventional cross-frame dome tents, making it significantly lighter. The main body fabric is made of ultra-thin 10D ballistic air light nylon ripstop with urethane coating, and the bottom part, which requires strength, is thickened to 30D to increase durability.
The space reserved in the center of the monoframe is compact, yet has improved livability, and the air circulation is efficient by ensuring ventilation with a total of four ventilation areas.
You need at least two pegs to set up, and you can set up with fewer pegs than one-pole tents or zents, and by setting up additional ropes, you can ensure weather resistance that can be used in mountainous areas.
The floors also provide high sensitivity and allow for a private space.
Favorite points
- Ultra-lightweight and portable
- Breathability ensured by ventilation in all four locations
- It's non-independent, but it's easy to stand on two pegs
Interesting points
- The room is not spacious and comfortable
- Unavoidable dew
- There is no dedicated footprint
- The mesh provided at the entrance and exit cannot be operated from inside the tent.
Main Specifications and ratings
| Item name | UL Mono Frame Shelter |
|---|---|
| structure | Non-independent monoframe shelter |
| Number of people to sleep | 1 person |
| size | 300 x 115 x 105cm high |
| Storage size |
|
| Body weight | 552g for the main body and pole, 606g for the total weight including the staff bag |
| color | Yellow |
| material |
|
| accessories |
|
| Outdoor Gearzine Review | |
| Comfort | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Ease of setup and removal | ★★★★☆ |
| weight | ★★★★★ |
| Portability | ★★★★★ |
| Weather Resistant | ★★★☆☆ |
| Durability | ★★★☆☆ |
Detailed review
Ultra-lightweight and portable
The UL Monoframe Shelter has a single wall structure with only one piece of fabric separating it from the outside air, and is a monoframe type that uses only one frame, so it is surprisingly lighter than a cross-frame dome tent that uses two poles.
The UL Monoframe Shelter has a different purpose than a regular tent, and is intended for experienced users, but the total weight, including the main body, pole, two pegs, and stuff sack, is 576g, which is a larger weight advantage.
With the advancement of technology these days, there are lightweight tents that can weigh less than 1kg even for double-wall dome tents, but when compared to UL Monoframe Shelter, the difference is obvious at a glance (it is still difficult to make it lighter to this weight with a dome tent).
The advantage of a single-wall tent is not just its weight. Since there is less fabric used, it becomes compact when stored.
When you compare it to a 500ml plastic bottle, you can see how compact it is.
Since UL Monoframe Shelter does not have an vestibule, it is not a good livability, such as cooking in bad weather or storing undressed shoes, but the benefits are huge instead.
Incidentally, I'm not good at folding it properly and storing it. The UL Mono Frame Shelter storage bag can be stored casually (this is quite important for lazy people).
A "Rhombus" shelter that specializes in "lightness" without comfort
As mentioned above, the UL Monoframe Shelter weighs 575.5g, and the secret lies in its "shape." Looking from above, you can see that it has a unique "rhombus shape."
Many tents, including dome tents, have rectangular floor structures, but the UL Monoframe Shelter is a "rhombus."
In addition to the space where one person can sleep, there is also space for a little space to put luggage, but we couldn't put large items such as backpacks inside, so we put them in plastic bags and placed them outside the tent.
Not only does it have an vestibule, but the space inside the tent is also cut to the limit, making it lighter and more compact.
The unique shape is a problem with the footprint
The unique diamond shape is a problem with the footprint. Because there is no dedicated footprint, I used the Tyvek sheet folded into the shape of a shelter to prevent damage to the tent.
This UL Monoframe Shelter is a very quirky when used for camping or hiking in a tent. It is not designed to be easy to use for everyone, and I feel that it is a shelter built for emergency use or for people who want to prioritize lightness, such as fast packing and speed hiking.
Breathability ensured by ventilation in all four locations
UL Monoframe Shelter has a floor, making it highly confidential and provides a private space.
The space volume was small, so I was worried that I might get suffocating, but there are 4 ventilation areas in total, and the ventilation is firmly ventilated, so even when I was spending time inside, I was able to feel no suffocating.
There are 4 ventilation areas in total, allowing air to circulate firmly
One thing that bothered me was that the mesh provided at the entrance and exit cannot be operated from inside the tent. It's inevitable because it has a single wall structure, but as someone who is used to using double wall tents, I was a little concerned about it.
The inevitable "condensation problem"
"Condensation" is something that cannot be avoided in a tent or shelter with a single wall structure. There are four ventilation locations at UL Monoframe Shelter, but condensation occurred while spending time inside the tent.
Condensation causes temperature differences between the outside air and the inside of the tent, and condensation occurs when a person exhales as water vapor. In the case of a double-wall tent, the temperature difference can be reduced by having one space between the outside air and the outside air, and condensation can be suppressed, but in the case of a single-wall tent, a temperature difference between the outside air directly occurs, resulting in condensation.
If you are using UL Monoframe Shelter, you need to think about how to deal with condensation rather than preventing condensation. For example, you need to take measures such as covering sleeping bags and clothing to prevent it from getting wet, storing it in a waterproof bag, or wipe off condensation regularly with a water absorbing sheet or hand towel.
It's non-independent, but it's easy to stand on two pegs
You can set it up by peg down to two places indicated by the arrows
UL Monoframe Shelter is non-independent. Freestanding tents can be moved to position after setup, but UL Monoframe Shelter, which cannot be set up without peg down, can be a bit harsh when deciding on a camping location.
However, thanks to one frame, you can only have two pegs to make it stand on your own. A typical monopole tent requires at least four pegs, so compared to that, it requires less effort when setting up.
The part where the frame passes can be peg down, and there are two loops that can be used to lay the rope, and by peg down in a total of four, weather resistance can be improved (only two pegs included, four additional pegs and ropes must be prepared separately)
Summary: The good things about Zert and the tent. Specifications that can be used for emergency use
The UL Monoframe Shelter is an attractive shelter that weighs 575.5g (including two pegs) and is extremely lightweight. If it's this light and compact, it can be used as an alternative to emergency Zert to add it to your equipment for day trips and hiking.
The UL Monoframe Shelter, a hybrid shelter with a good mix of Zelt and tents, is a very sharp item to use actively considering its functionality and livability, but it seems likely that it will be useful in situations where speed is emphasized, such as trail running, speed hiking, and fast packing.
Get even 1g of equipment lighter and head out on the trail!
