Black Diamond Distance Adaptor Tent Review

The Black Diamond Distance Adaptor is a single-walled fully enclosed tent with lack-luster airflow but good weather protection. The pitch is high enough to sit up in, but space is a little small for two people and their gear. It offers no vestibule, and to set it up, you must carry a set of poles that are compatible with its adaptor kit.

Performance Comparison

Livability

The Distance Adaptor is built as a single wall tent with no vestibule and one door that is erected with the use of two poles on the outside of the tent. While it provides enough room to snuggle down with somebody you know pretty well, the space inside is tight laterally. We found ourselves against the sides of the fabric. If trying to fit your gear and all the rest in the tent, it's best at your head or your feet, but it lacks comfort and space with two people. Since there is only one door, you need to crawl over the other person at night to get out. However, we appreciate that most people, just around 6 feet can sit up without their head touching the top of the fabric.

On nights when it's super cold, and you need to zip up the mesh window (it is the main point of ventilation), condensation inside the tent becomes a problem. While there is a vent at the top of the tent and towards the feet, airflow is an issue if there isn't a good breeze and you haven't oriented your tent correctly (with the steep wall towards the wind). We woke up a few times with a soaked sleeping bag.

We love the mesh window that offers a good view, and the fully enclosed set-up. While it isn't the most comfortable living space, you can undoubtedly bed down comfortably without worrying about creepy crawlies or weather when it storms. It's also got a few great pockets inside for organizational purposes.

Weight

It comes complete and trail-ready! Stakes, a tent, and an adaptor kit that fits a set of poles are all you need to get on the trail. When weighing all these components (without the stakes), it comes in just under two pounds.

The 30D polyester used in its construction offers a more rigid pitch to increase the tautness of the tent so it doesn't sag, but it is a little heavier than SilNylon or Dyneema. The packing size is also large. You can't fit the adaptor kit inside the stuff sack, so you end up carrying two bags. While this is still pretty darn light for a tent, it's a heavier option in the ultralight world.

Weather Protection

With a 30D polyester nylon construction, this tent is durable and abrasion-resistant. The polyester fabric is not as stretchy as other Nylon fabrics out there, supposedly ensuring that the tent stays pitched and maintains its shape. This theory is validated by our experience.

On a camping mission, we set this tent up as a basecamp tent for two days. During these days, winds were incredibly high. After being beaten by the wind, we were surprised at how well it maintained its shape; it wasn't until a stake became unpegged that it lost it. That night, it was hard to sleep. The thicker material is loud when flapping in the wind. While it doesn't stretch as much as a Nylon tent, there is a little give. Also, the material on the lower angle of the pitch has no guy lines or attachment points to help prevent this flapping, which we think would be a good addition if Black Diamond decides to revamp this tent.

The rain wasn't an issue when it came from right above, however, one night when we had it set up in the wrong direction, the rain actually came in sideways through the sizeable open vent at the top of the tent. Given the small space, our only option was to get out and change the aspect it pointed towards. Aside from that, the fabric doesn't stretch much (just a little in the rain) while being 100% waterproof (minus the vents). Just ensure you set it up in the right direction (steep side to the wind).

Adaptability

The adaptor addition of this series allows you to use most tent poles to set it up. You must be able to stake it down or attach large rocks to the guy lines to do that. The adaptor kit itself is just a shelled-out plastic handle with a piece of Velcro around it. While this is a great idea, it doesn't work with all the poles, especially those that don't fit the shape.

Nor does it work well with a fixed-length pole that is the wrong size. The handle has a specific shape that works best with other black diamond poles, but not some other brands. One of our testers experienced this issue before looking at it closely while on a camping trip. Be sure to look at the pictures to see if your trekking poles are the right shape before buying this tent.

Black Diamond also does not have any modular components that we are aware of, nor are there ways to slim down on its weight or bulk. The only solution is to own a pair of BD Zpoles compatible with the pole on top, which omits having to bring the adaptor kit. Its super warm design and polyester construction makes it an option for winter camping with the ability to easily be set up on snow or open glaciers.

Set-Up

As tent experts who have set up tents many times, this took us about five minutes to figure out.

To begin, stake down all four sides. Then, adjust your poles to about 125 cm (or slightly higher). Clip the adaptor pole into the top of the tent, then insert the adaptors into the pole itself. Attach your poles first to the webbing loops on the bottom (near the door). Adjust the height of the pole until the fabric material around the door is taut. Finally, adjust all your guy points. With some practice, you can pitch your tent in under five minutes. Pitching in stormy weather isn't helpful, but it's not frustratingly impossible either.

Value

The price point isn't so bad on this fully-enclosed single-wall tent. It's also light enough to keep the pounds off your back, especially if you already carry poles. We'd say this is a decent deal despite our critical caveats.

Conclusion

The Black Diamond Distance Adaptor is a single-wall tent that uses polyester in its construction. It comes at a great price while offering the protection you'd want on cold, stormy nights. While its ventilation is questionable (when you need to zip up the window), it stands out as warm, easy to use, and adaptable. Use it for any adventure where you might carry a set of poles, as it needs them to stand up tall.