Hey folks, Thrifty Hiker here coming at you with another affordable tent review. This week I’m taking a look at the Naturehike Wind Wing tent. It looks like a fairly versatile 1-man offering, and certainly ticks all the right boxes in terms of price and weight. Let’s take a look at the specs:
Design & Materials
The Naturehike Wind Wing is freestanding, with an ‘inner first’ pitch. It’s double-skinned, which means you get that little bit of extra protection from rain and condensation. The inner first pitch means this tent would also do well without the fly in dry and clear conditions- so there’s definitely a weight saving opportunity there. The Wind Wing features a single entrance and gear storage vestibule.
It comes in a choice of either grey or light blue, but the colour represents more than just an aesthetic choice. A different fabric is used for each – the grey version is 20D Nylon coated Silicone, whereas the blue version is 210T Nylon. There’s also a difference in waterproofing level, with the grey version having a 4000mm hydrostatic head vs the blue’s 3000mm. Overall, top points are definitely going to the grey version so far. Both versions of the tent have aluminium poles and pegs.
Size & Weight
As you might expect, the blue version of this tent weighs a bit more – at 1.42kg – than its grey cousin, which weighs in at 1.25kg. However the sizing is identical for each colour. The inner tent of the Wind Wing is 215cm long by 90cm wide at the head end, and 55cm at the foot. The head clearance inside is 95cm, and it packs down into a 50 x 15cm stuff sack.
Naturehike Wind Wing Tent Review
Pitch
So let’s talk about the slightly unusual pitch of this thing. First, you throw down the ground mat – if you’re camping somewhere rough or worried damaging about the inner tent. Next, you peg out the four corners of the inner tent. Then you need to insert the two aluminium pole ends into their respective sockets along the length of the tent.
And here’s where it gets a little funky. Once you’ve inserted the poles, you then need to cross them over and tie them together. I’m surprised that there isn’t a more integrated way of lashing the poles together, as it seems like it would be easy to lose the piece of string you need to tie them up. But then, I guess, paracord. Nevertheless, I like this crossed poles element of the design. It seems like it would offer just that little bit more stability in high winds. I’m guessing this is why it’s called the Wind Wing 🙂
Once the main poles are intersected, a small cross-beam pole goes between them for stability. Then, you throw on the outer rain fly and peg it down.
Space & Storage
So like I said, there’s only 1 vestibule and entrance on this tent. The vestibule looks very roomy, and I can see it taking a pack size of 65 litres or so fairly comfortably. As for space inside the tent… well, let’s just say that the Wind Wing is definitely a 1-man. Not a whole lot of room for anything extra in there. But there is a gear wallet / pocket, and a hanging hook for your head torch.
Wallet & Weight
So, how does the Naturehike Wind Wing stack up in terms of wallet and weight impact? Well, it’s marginally more expensive than some other Naturehike options we’ve seen – the Cloud Up, for example. Maybe this is to be expected given its greater emphasis on wind stability.
At 1.25kg, the grey version of this tent at least tent is nothing to be sniffed at, and is comparable with the lightest tents in Naturehike’s range. From that perspective, the Wind Wing offers a great entry route into ultralight territory, for a very minimal outlay.
Verdict
As we’ve come to expect from Naturehike, the Wind Wing is affordable and yet also has a very decent build quality. If you need a tent that emphasises stability and gear storage – without having to sacrifice money or weight – then the Wind Wing could be just the ticket.
Well folks, that’s all for now. Don’t forget to check out the rest of our blog for more tips, tricks and gear reviews from the trail. Until next time.
I’m liking the reviews I’m seeing so far. I’ve seen the Naturehike tents pop up on my Amazon feed very frequently. However, it’s difficult to find reviews of them out and about. I’m looking for a 1-man tent, and I’ve been looking at some of the different offerings that Naturehike has. They all seem to be within the same price range – with a price range of $100-$150 US you could afford anything in their 1-person line, it looks like. Would you be able to compare/contrast some of their 1-person tents like the Vik, Wind Wing, and Cloud Up and give some thoughts on which you’d go with if you were picking one? Thank you very much, and keep up your good work!
Thanks for the feedback Dustin! I’m planning to (hopefully) do more in-depth write-ups like that at some point.
My TL;DR of the situation would be to get the Naturehike VIK. I just love the innovation in the VIK’s design – it’s just that little bit different, and extra, compared to the rest ?