There are a lot of different kinds of tents from different manufacturers, but not all tents are created equal. My wife and I had been looking for a new tent to suit our needs and ever-growing passion for hiking and camping. One of the largest and most prestigious outdoor gear companies is the Northern Europe Fjällräven and we decided to go for their Abisko View 2 for several reasons. But first, before we head to the intro to the manufacturer, here is our second video! A little teaser of the Abisko View 2:
Manufacturer
Fjällräven is a big Swedish outdoors gear and equipment manufacturing company. Their products range from men’s, women’s and children’s apparel to tents, rucksacks and so on. Everyone in the Scandinavia who knows his outdoors gear knows Fjällräven.
They might be more widely known as the company that made the first framed back pack that was available to the larger public. Their started with the founder Åke Nordin finding the back packs in 1950’s unsatisfactory. So he made a wooden frame and a pack to go with it and the rest is history. The company literally started from the Nordin family’s garage with one sewing machine and an idea to make durable and functional gear. Really inspirational for a wanna be DIY man like myself!
Today the company swears on sustainability, as well as the same principles Åke had back at the start. Every product and material is made with these guidelines in mind.
Fjällräven has its roots firmly in the history and their retro styled back packs, such as the iconic Kånken, are a reminder of this. But their tents and larger rucksacks are modern and they strive to develop new sustainable materials.
Even so, their G-1000 fabric is essentially a waxed cotton fabric and several of their rucks still use wooden frames. But these are choices that are made through meticulous study and research to find the best materials.
Read more about their story and principles in English from their US website here.
The Tent
The Abisko line of tents have over ten different kinds of tents, that have more or less the same materials and material specs, but the features and capacity varies.
The tent at hand is the Abisko View 2 tent. It is essentially a two person tent with access on both long sides, made for the warmer months of the year.
The tent has an outer shell and an inner mesh tent. The inner mesh tent and large vents on the outer shell are optimized for a maximum ventilation.
The Abisko View 2 is a self standing tent. This means that the two tent poles that cross at both ends of the tent will hold the tent on its place, even without any pegs on the ground. The pegs and Dyneema guylines are used to pin the tent to its place and to prop up the vestibules. The guylines have small plastic slide locks, that make the adjustment very easy.
The inside tent has two openings on either side too, which allows you to use both vestibules at the same time to store rucks or other items inside the outer shell.
The inside tent has six pockets for small items, three on each end. And on the top of the inside tent there is a clothesline for light airing of damp apparel.
The inside top has attachment points for an accessory Gear Loft, that has several pockets more for small items. Fjällräven also offers a separate durable and waterproof floor mat, called View 2 Footprint, for added protection.
One of the nominal features of the Abisko View is the ability to toggle the openings in the outer shell and the inner tent, revealing the view completely for the persons inside.
The whole tent is made of PVC plastic and protected with flame retardant. The outer shell, or the Fly Sheet as Fjällräven calls it, is made of a high performance TripleRip nylon fabric. It combines a 20 denier fabric on the top part and 40 denier fabric on the bottom, making it very durable and extremely light at the same time. The inside tent is made of 15 denier ripstop polyamide fabric with DWR treatment.
And all of this weights 2700 grams. The tent is available in Sand, Pine Green and UN blue.
The Abisko View 2 is not a cheap tent. It costs 700 dollars in the US and in Europe 799€.
Personal Experience
So the idea my wife and I had was to get a quality two person tent that has room to fit the dog too. We made extensive research, read several blogs and reviews. In the end we settled for the Abisko View 2.
The price is a downer and something to really consider. A tent that almost costs a thousand euros seems out of proportions. But after using the Abisko View for some time now, I can see where the price tag comes from. It is a superbly designed tent. All the Fjällräven hallmark qualities are there. It is functional, durable and aesthetic too.
First of all, I like the lightness of it. Some tents are heavy and cumbersome to carry with you. And heavier tents usually pose a problem when packing too due to their size. The Absiko View is really pleasant to carry with you. The just under 3 kg is really light in my opinion, and that includes all the parts.
And when packed up, the tent is only 44cm long. This means it easily goes on top of your rucksack, or on the bottom with some straps. I have yet to find so nice a tent to just take along.
The space inside the tent is designed quite snugly. Two persons can easily sleep there together, with the gear outside under the vestibules. Two persons and a dog is already pushing the limit, so that is really the max. The vestibules are not too roomy and a larger ruck might not fit under it perfectly. So it is a snug tent, but then again the lightness has to show up somewhere, does it not?
The pockets inside are excellent. As a person who likes to carry small gadgets and wears glasses, I really appreciate the easy storage of such items inside. The clothesline is quite frail and does not carry a lot of weight well, but for a light shirt or jacket it is perfect. You can use the clothesline for other applications, like a small lamp etc.
The tent is really easy to assemble. You just have to insert the tent poles through the proper sleeves on the outer shell and you are done. No hassle, no tying of knots, nothing. And the great thing about a self standing tent is that you can assemble it and then find the perfect spot. Just pick it up from the poles, and because it is so light, just manoeuvre it around. And another great thing is that as a self-standing tent the Abisko View can be pitched on different terrains, unlike tents that rely on the pegs.
The Dyneema ropes that are used to pin the tent to the ground and to tighten the outer shell are really easy to operate. And the aluminium pegs seem reliable and tough. Although the pegs are really small, so you have to keep a close eye on them when disassembling so you do not lose them.
But the thing I like most about the tent is the View. I mean the way the tent flaps are made so that you can open them up almost all the way and still keep the mesh inside tent open. Or you can even open that up all the way if you want. And this feature allows you to really appreciate the scenery around you or use the tent as quick shelter for example cooking.
I remember, last summer, when we were on a trip on this lake shore. We propped up the tent near the shore and it rained lightly through the whole evening, so the surrounding woods were quite wet. Already at the twilight we could see the tendrils of fog creeping from the rows of pine trees to the lake.
I am a light sleeper in the woods. So I woke up around 5 in the morning. The nightless night of Finnish summer meant that the sun had already started rise. I opened up the outer flap and I saw the most surprising and breathtaking sight. The whole lake was covered in fog. I could not see the other shore, and it was a rather small lake. And the sun coloured everything in bright orange and light brown.
With the inner mesh flap closed to protect me from the annoying mosquitoes I just laid there in my sleeping bag watching the amazing view, thinking: money well spent. (Of course then I could not resist myself anymore and went SUP boarding into the fog and that was WILD!)
Likes and Dislikes
Likes
Lightness
Small size when packed
Easy assembly and use
The View
Dislikes
The price
Could be a bit roomier inside
The vestibules could have a bit more space too
Five points assessment
Functionality 4/5
Weight 5/5
Durability 4/5
Cost 2/5
Comfort 4/5
Overall 19/25
Disclosure of Material Connection: I purchased this product with my own funds. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
This review was first published in the Noble & Blue. Noble & Blue is a small Finnish outdoor and tactical gear reviewing blog, that also shares stories of learning and adventure. Click here to know more about Noble & Blue
-Noble