The author walks from the low mountains to the Alps with the motto of "as light as possible."
The weight of equipment excluding food, fuel, etc. is called UL (ultra light) to be less than 5kg, but recently there has been a growing interest in UL, and each brand has added a lineup of lightweight gear.
Among the equipment, the tent is a "heavy" gear that competes for one or two. Making the tent lightweight will have a greater impact on the total weight.
Tents come in a variety of shapes, but dome tents are the mainstream for use in mountainous areas.
Freestanding dome tents are popular as mountain tents because of their ease of setup, high livability, and high weather resistance, and most of the tents you see in the mountains are double-wall dome tents.
This time we will introduce the ZANE ARTS YAR-1, which was released in 2024.
Despite the fact that the Yarl 1 is a double-wall dome tent with features that can be used in mountainous areas, it is ultra-lightweight with a minimum weight of 860g, and that such an ultra-light tent can be purchased at an amazing price.
In this article, we will explain the features and functions of Yard 1, and review what I felt after actually using it in the Northern Alps.
The Yarl 1 was a tent that was all three keys: "portability," "livability," and "weather resistance." This is a great item for those looking for a mountain tent for three seasons and wanting to keep costs down.
table of contents
- Main features of ZANE ARTS YAR-1
- Detailed review
- It is quite light and compact among dome-shaped ones
- A large storage bag that can easily fit even if you pack it roughly
- Lightweight design, but with a high weather resistance and low condensation
- The long side has a wide entrance, making it a wide entrance and plenty of space for all rooms
- Long side 210cm, thankful for tall height (a rare Japanese brand)
- Intuitively easy to set up and details designed to be easy to use
- Highly weather resistant specifications that can be used in mountainous areas
- Seam tape has been processed since I bought it, so there is no need to do seams on your own
- Summary: A dome tent that combines "weather resistance" and "lightweight". Plus a cost-effective bonus
Main features of ZANE ARTS YAR-1
ZANE ARTS is an outdoor brand that was founded in 2018 in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, which is also the gateway to the Northern Alps. Among the outdoor activities, the tents made by Zain Arts are gaining popularity in the camping scene.
YAR is the first mountain tent of Zain Arts brand.
The YAR-1 is a dome tent that uses a basic cross-frame structure that has a good balance between "settingability," "wind resistance," "livability," and "portability," and the secret to its lightweight nature is the "processing" of the fabric.
The fly sheet is made of ultra-thin fabric with a 15D wall, and a 7D bottom wall, and a 20D bottom, and silicone processing improves tear strength, resulting in high tear strength despite being extremely thin.
The basic dome-shaped hanging tent is made specifically for the mountainous areas of Japan, making it easy to set up, but by increasing the power to pull the frame towards the inner, it has wind resistance that is no less than that of a sleeve type, and by driving in all 12 pegs, it provides maximum weather resistance.
By providing a firm space between the inner and fly sheet, condensation is prevented and the inner layer is prevented from sticking to the fly.
The wide entrance on the long side not only makes it easy to access the tent, but it also has a moderate vestibule, allowing you to place mountaineering boots and other items (by opening the entrance and exit, you can enjoy the view from inside the tent).
The tent has a convenient pocket for storing sunglasses, and five loops at the top of the room that are convenient for hanging lights, etc., and by using ropes, you can hang wet items inside the tent.
The product is seam tape-treated when purchased, and footprints, pegs, and ropes are included, so you can go straight to the mountains without having to buy anything.
Favorite points
- It is quite light and compact among dome-shaped ones
- A large storage bag that can easily fit even if you pack it roughly
- Lightweight design, but with a high weather resistance and low condensation
- The long side has a wide entrance, making it a wide entrance and plenty of space for all rooms
- Long side 210cm, thankful for tall height (a rare Japanese brand)
- Intuitively easy to set up and details designed to be easy to use
- Highly weather resistant specifications that can be used in mountainous areas
- Seam tape processed for immediate use
Interesting points
- A feeling of pressure when sitting at 95cm height (height)
- Load applied to each location due to the small number of hanging hooks (durability)
- Small mesh part at the entrance (ventilation)
Main Specifications and ratings
| Item name | ZANE ARTS YAR1 |
|---|---|
| structure | Hanging type double wall dome tent |
| Number of people to sleep | 1 person |
| size | Width 210 x Depth 90 x Height 95 cm |
| Storage size | φ13.5×37cm |
| Minimum weight | 860g (fly sheet, inner tent, frame only) |
| gross weight | 1,150g (including back, rope, pegs, footprint) |
| Fly sheet material | 15D Nylon Ripstop Silicone & PU Processing (Water Resistant 1,500mm) |
| Inner Tent Material |
Wall: 7D Nylon Ripstop |
| Footprint material | 20D Nylon Ripstop Silicone & PU Processing (Water Resistant 1,500mm) |
| Pole material | DAC Feather Light NFL φ8.7mm |
| accessories |
|
| Outdoor Gearzine Review | |
| Comfort | ★★★★☆ |
| Ease of setup and removal | ★★★★☆ |
| weight | ★★★★★ |
| Portability | ★★★★☆ |
| Weather Resistant | ★★★☆☆ |
| Durability | ★★★☆☆ |
| Cost Performance | ★★★★★ |
Detailed review
It is quite light and compact among dome-shaped ones
Actual measurement of total weight
For those who want to prioritize "lightness" at least a little, the weight of the Yard 1 should be very appealing.
That's right, the minimum weight of the fly sheet, body, and frame is 860g, and the total weight of the pegs, footprint, rope, etc. is 1,150g, making it the lightest class for a mountain tent.
Currently, there are only a few similar domestically produced tents that weigh less than 1kg. When I actually measured the weight, I was even more surprised that it was lighter than the manufacturer's published weight (it is often more heavier than the manufacturer's published weight).
Weight of the main body, fly sheet, and frame (actual measurements)
The silicone finish gives the thin fabric strong, allowing it to be lightweight without sacrificing its livability and weather resistance.
It's also nice that it comes with a special bag that can store the main unit and frame separately. This allows you to store the frame in the side pocket of your backpack and the main unit inside the backpack.
A large storage bag that can easily fit even if you pack it roughly
I'm not good at folding and storing it properly, whether in mountain hiking or at home.
Not only in tents but also in sleeping bags, the storage bag is designed to be small enough to make the storage size even more compact, making it difficult to store.
The Yard 1 storage bag is large, so you can easily fit it without folding it without sloping it in. I'm very grateful for this, and when I actually used it in the Northern Alps it rained when it was removed, so I wanted to complete the withdrawal as soon as possible, but it was quite efficient to be able to quickly remove it by pushing it into a special bag.
Lightweight design, but with a high weather resistance and low condensation
The Yarl 1 is the lightest class for a domestic brand tent, but the double-wall tent with a separate inner tent and fly sheet ensures a comfortable living space.
The inner tent is 95cm tall, so although there is a slight feeling of pressure when sitting inside the tent, it is not so much that it interferes with your head, and as you often spend most of the time you spend in the tent, it is not so much that you may be bothered.
There is a solid space between the hanging inner tent and the fly sheet, making it difficult to stick to the fly sheet, making the inner tent less likely to condense and less likely to allow water to enter the tent.
When I used it in the Northern Alps, it was summer, but the temperature dropped to about 10°C at night, and although the fly sheet condenses due to the difference in temperature inside the tent and outside, the inside of the inner tent kept it dry.
The long side has a wide entrance, making it a wide entrance and plenty of space for all rooms
When choosing a tent, the key point I pays attention to is that there are entrances and exits on the long side.
The long side makes the entrance and exit wider, making it easy to enter and exit. Also, the dome tent has a more angle on the long side than the short side, making it less likely for rain to enter, and even when in bad weather, it can minimize the inflow of rain into the tent.
If you don't open the zipper and be careful when going in and out, the fabric will interfere with the ground, so be careful.
Be careful not to open the zipper casually, as it will interfere with the ground and cause dirt to the inner layer.
All rooms at Yard 1 have a maximum depth of 45cm, with plenty of space to place shoes and other items.
It was raining when the building was set up, but thanks to the wide entrance and ample vestibule, we were able to quickly escape into the tent.
Long side 210cm, thankful for tall height (a rare Japanese brand)
For authors who are over 180cm tall, I carefully check the length of the long side when choosing a tent.
A tent with a short side is 200cm long, while domestically produced tents are made to suit the Japanese body shape, and the average length of the long side of a single-person tent is about 205cm, while the yard 1 is 210cm long.
The difference is just 5cm, but this is surprisingly large, with a 210cm gap that makes the sleeping bag less likely to interfere with the tent itself, causing the down loft to collapse, reducing the heat retention power, and contacting the tent itself prevents the sleeping bag from getting wet.
Intuitively easy to set up and details designed to be easy to use
The corner parts that connect the main body and frame are simple to hook up
The corner parts for connecting the pole and the main body are made of aluminum, and the structure is easy to intuitively understand how to assemble, making it easy for people who are unfamiliar with it.
The fly sheet has two adjusters to adjust the tension, allowing for firm adjustments after setup.
An adjuster on the fly sheet. Easy to adjust after setup
There was little air space, and I was a little concerned about the ventilation.
The inner tent has ventilations up and down to create air circulation from the bottom to the top, and you can use the ventilation at the top of the inner tent, allowing you to open and close the ventilation of the fly sheet from inside the tent.
Fly sheet ventilation can be opened and closed from inside the tent
There are ventilations on the top and bottom, but when I actually used them, the mesh part at the entrance and exit was small, so I was a little concerned about the ventilation. Even when I was inside the tent, I didn't feel any ventilation, and I felt the heat and humid during the day.
Smaller mesh parts are probably to be lighter. A little bigger makes it breathable and makes it comfortable to stay inside the tent, but sometimes there is a trade-off between "lightness" and "comfort."
Highly weather resistant specifications that can be used in mountainous areas
There are 12 pegdowns in total, 8 points that allow the main body and fly sheet to be fixed directly to the ground, and four tensioning ropes. All of these are peg-down to provide maximum weather resistance. The fly sheet has four Velcro locations that can be connected to the frame, so by fixing it to the frame, it reduces flapping and keeps it stable even in strong winds.
One thing that concerns me is the durability of the inner tent, which is the 9 points where the inner tent is suspended, and the load applied to one location increases. The hanging tent I used before had a total of 13 hanging points, and the corners were sleeved to distribute the load applied, but compared to that, there are only 4 fewer places, so I'm a bit concerned about the durability.
The Yard 1 comes with four 2mm Dyneema ropes, 12 V-pegs, and repair pipes in the unlikely event that the frame is damaged. It also comes with footprints, which are mostly sold separately, so there is no need to buy any additional items.
When I stayed in a tent at an altitude of over 2,600m, the wind started to get stronger at dawn, but there were 12 pegs down so I was able to spend my time with peace of mind without being stoked by the wind.
It also comes with a special footprint, so I'm grateful
Seam tape has been processed since I bought it, so there is no need to do seams on your own
Some tents you purchase do not have water-repellent treatment for the seams, and some tents require you to attach seam tape yourself to stop water, but Yarl 1 has been seam tape treated, so you can use it as is.
I don't think it's that difficult for experienced or used to it, but for beginners who are not used to it, it's a great thing that has been treated with water stops.
Everything you need comes with and has been treated with water stop treatment, the Yard 1 is also recommended as an entry model for the first time in the mountain tent.
Summary: A dome tent that combines "weather resistance" and "lightweight". Plus a cost-effective bonus
So far, we've reviewed Yard 1, and one last thing is about cost performance.
The lightest-class double-wall tent for a mountain tent, a comfortable living space and easy to use, and is packed with carefully selected details, and comes with everything you need.
It's a high-spec tent, but the price is 37,950 yen (tax included) and you can get a change for 40,000 yen!
With prices rising recently due to inflation and the strong dollar, and tents from overseas brands often often priced at amazing prices, users are worried about how good the value is.
The highest cost when choosing a gear is the highest level of 1. This tent combines "portability" and "livability."
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Yosuke
From spring to autumn, I chase after char deep in the mountains and go fishing in the mountain stream. We walked the mountains in search of spectacular views that cannot be seen from the ground. Camping to be healed by the bonfire. Snowboarding is a floating mountain with a mountain of silver.
A freelance writer who enjoys outdoor activities all year round. I share my own experiences and tools that I've been using.