I purchased my first Xtent Maxx through the kickstarter. It was everything they claimed it would be, It has been a game changer. So much so that I just bought another!
THE GOOD!
The ability to fully stand up or use a queen sized cot with an air matress is amazing.
Fair weather set up takes about 3 to 5 minuts with a single person.
VERY sturdy!
I have used this tent in high desert wind / rain / thunder storm (down configuration) with 35+ MPH wind gusts, the tent didn't budge.
The deep forest in a 2 day deluge ( Up configuration ) where even my canopy spring multiple leaks, my tent / bedding stayed bone dry.
This tent can handle full sun with the included rainfly... but if you buy the reflective fly sheet you get a cooler and darker spot for lazy mornings or mid day naps or early bed times.
I tend to camp in dispersed locations so broken glass and sharp stone are issues. the footprint from Crua is super thick and durable and solves those issues.
Throw in a Crua Cocoon and this beast will be super warm and cozy on even freezing nights.
THE ROUGH BITS
There are a LOT of guy lines, this is a GREAT thing but it does increase set up time. You can quick set the tent with just 4 in a pinch, in about 5 minuts. Its worth it to use at least 7 to 11 if there will be rain/ high wind. ( about 15 minuts set up). IF you do use all of the provided ties and steaks, your tent will be implacable but give your self 20+ mins to fully steak out and tie down.
The porch is a little tricky to figgure out.
The tent is not remotely dust resistant because of all the ventilation so not a great tent to take to burning man / festival camping with fine blowing dust.
It might be a little weighty for long back packing trips.
That's it, no other issues. that's how good this tent is!
Buy it and never look back.
j'ai deja fait deux bivouac en forêt !! , la tente est géniale et j'ai beaucoup plus
de possibilités de choix de bivouac avec l'utilisation en hamac , donc SUPER :)
Very comfortable warm throughout the night!
Firstly, the Crua tent. Great tent. Quality materials and well put together. Stitching seems sound. Overall, quite durable. It's also lightweight, and fairly compact when rolled up in its bag, I sometimes use it as a standalone item and don't always use the culla with it, on these occasions it's quite spacious for a smallish tent. A bonus for me as I have only ever used it when travelling on my motorbike. It goes up quite quickly and is easily done by one person. I have swapped out the supplied pegs for longer, spiral style storm pegs as I use the tent all year round in variable weather conditions and I'm not a fan of re-pegging the tent in a storm at night - do it right first time, saves a lot of unnecessary hassle. The only improvements I would suggest are a tailored footprint groundsheet - not because the integral groundsheet is porous in any way, but because I prefer to use one. It keeps the underside of the tent cleaner and drier for packing away. Once back home cleaning / drying the footprint is much simpler than dealing with a muddy tent. The other improvement I could suggest would be to do away with the toggles and loops for holding back the tent flaps, these can be a tight fit, and difficult to manipulate in the cold and dark. Not too sure what an effective alternative would be though, perhaps a simple strap that ties up. One pull and it's undone.
I also use the reversible fly sheet, effective in the cold and the heat.
As for the Culla inner tent; oh boy, it's a modern marvel. So warm and toasty once inside in the winter months, plus I have decent sleeping bag and self inflating mattress - recently upgraded to the Crua sleep system, I'm not sure the airbeam construction is absolutely necessary, but it works so well. I use a battery powered compressor as it's much less bulky for travelling with on a motorbike, and I can pre-set the inflation pressure. And it's dark inside, lovely. No more bright light at stupid o'clock in the morning! Ideal.
Some suggestions for improvements (product development!) Some hooks on the bottom corners and roof to facilitate centring the culla inside the tent before the airbeams are inflated. Some storage nets inside the culla would be handy - the tent has them, but they're not accessible from inside the culla , and some more hooks inside too for hanging lights from for example, because you need lights, the blackout properties are quite effective, especially appreciated when I'm working away from home and I sllep all day and work all night. Ditto the toggle setup for the tent.
The only drawback to the culla is its bulk. It's quite a sizeable beast on the back of a motorbike, not especially heavy, just bulky, I understand the latest version addresses this though. Now, if Crua were to send me one to review....
I have a large roll bag that accommodates the culla, but is not as waterproof as I had hoped. It would be good if Crua could manufacture something appropriate like a waterproof storage bag.
Iv had my crua core for about 7 years and I have no complaints it has every thing and is built really well this is an amazing product. I got a digital pump and set it for the proper psi and step back amazing results
Tent has some really great features and is built with some hearty materials. The only think that is taking me getting used to is the way the rain fly has zippers on multiple sides and and Addis upper to release a flap. Height of the tent is super amazing! Best three man tent for car camping! The reflective rain fly is also really great for minimizing un-wanted late night head lights or early morning sun.
Very well made with good room and adjustable height which makes for nice adjustment in bad weather. Good storage options. I have been a Scoutmaster and have used many top brands camping in good and extreme weather and this tents rates is one of the best and versatile.
set it up very good quality, was just the initial set up, to learn how and season it.was impressed on the guy line being reflectint
Cons: Lots of packaging. Heavy. Tote bags don’t seem like they will be up for handling the fire pit.
Pros: Fire under almost any circumstances! Breaks down making it compact or slim.
I paid full price and would do so again because it is a Firepit for dummies. My biggest complaint is the weight, stressing out the tote bags and detracting from the “portability” of the pit.
I have had my frame for a few years now and have nothing but good things to say. It has been outdoors for 3 years in Michigan and has held up very well and continues to put in a shift.
Highly recommended and endorsed by me, and my co-chiller!
I’ve used the Crua Hybrid Set for almost two years and have slept out about 25 nights at multiple sites while motorcycle camping in a variety of weather conditions. Hammock/tent, rain fly, mattress & sleeping bag are ALL thoughtfully designed & well-made with quality materials. The product videos were helpful, delivery time was good, and the company & customer service, from my experience, has integrity & pride in its reputation. I would not hesitate to buy from Crua again. Highly recommended.
I have used my crua cocoon indoors and inside garden gazebos in Scotland. When the heating failed in mid winter by my seaside accommodation in Edinburgh i pulled out my cocoon and laid it on the double bed and slept beautifully for the 3 weeks before i headed south to England. The cocoon was a life saver helping my small dog and myself sleep comfortably in the warmth of the 0 and sub zero degree nights. So versatile and easy to use pack and unpack. Highly recommended 👌 thank you Crua
This is my go to tent when night temps dip below 55 degrees F. Great for blocking wind, moisture and cold.
Everyone in our Troop is jealous of our Crua Combo when we are doing our cold weather camping. The caccoon keeps us warm even when temperatures drop below freezing and the snow is coming down. My son is under 100 lbs and even with his small size he can stay warm all night long with no one else in the tent with him.
I got the culla that was big enough for my cot and room to move around in. It sets up super easily and takes down easily and packs up better than I expected. Cuts down on both sounds and light so it is ideal for bright campgrounds. It really opened up the cooler months for tent camping.
Its a good add on, and gives the ekstra heat or cold. I love my TRI tent ! Sorry can review the flysheet without talking about the hole setup. Only missing is the airvents in the back arera in summertime to make it better ventilated and a a window in the front porch to have light in when its closed up so I can see my front area stuff. A combo of window and mesh would be nice for ventilation so both option of airflow and with flysheet on to reduce heat ot keep it in. I like the quality of the products !
I was a little worried about buying a refurbished tent, but they did a great job. It looked brand new and it’s holding up great. The core is used like a living room for us and we love it.
Love it. Only complaint I have is moisture in cold temps. But that’s tents for ya…. Other Still my favorite piece of gear.
Big tent you won’t be cramped and or hunched over in this tent. One thing thou is you need to be sure you have the space to set it up it’s a pretty big foot print.
