Exped Aries UL

During a few days of wonderful paddling in the archipelago outside Trosa, we got the chance to test the Exped Aries UL – a lightweight two-person tent with a generously sized sleeping area.

Exped’s tents with the UL designation are new additions to the range, where UL stands for Ultra Light. The Aries UL is a tunnel tent for two that at 2.4 kg should be considered a lightweight tent. Beyond just sleeping in the tent, we naturally examined specific details that in several cases set the Aries UL apart from other similar tunnel tents. The reflective guylines and their small stuff sacks that also function as warning flags are simple but brilliant ideas. The very thin tent fabric is both durable and stands up well to the elements. We didn’t endure any hurricane storms or lashing rain during the trip, but the wind and light rain that fell during one of the nights gave a hint of the tent’s wind stability.

Setting up the tent was very easy and took a couple of minutes at most. The tent fabric did need a bit of tensioning after standing for a while. After that, it was spot on. The inner tent is completely dominated by mesh. Around all sides, there’s so-called No-See-Um netting, providing excellent ventilation. Condensation is nevertheless fairly difficult to avoid completely, especially the night when the tent was pitched on an already damp grassy spot.

The space inside the sleeping area is generous for two people – something that’s needed since the vestibule is tight and only swallows part of the gear brought along.

This is a very pleasant tent that’s easy to set up, has clever detail solutions, and VERY good ventilation. The weight is at a good level, and the only drawback is that a somewhat larger vestibule would have been nice – this was compensated by the inner tent’s size, which was appreciated.

Recommended retail price is SEK 4,795, and more information about the tent and test comments can be found in the slideshow below the product specs.

Product Specs:
Weight: 2.4 kg (packed size 40×12 cm)
Floor area: 225 x 135 cm
Ceiling height: 100 cm
Outer tent: PU/silicone coated 15D Ripstop nylon, taped seams
Inner tent & floor: Taffeta nylon / No-See-Um netting & Ripstop nylon, PE laminated (10,000 mm water column)
Poles: Aircraft aluminum DAC Featherlite NSL 9mm TH72M
Color: Green

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