Cimarron vs CCS Lean+

[Alan Gage]

One thing you might want to investigate is changing your tent and going to a Seek Outside "Cimarron" shelter. The body only weighs 2 lb. 7 oz. and has a 6' height; which allows for standing up and stretching out your back if need be. For one person this is a palace and will give you plenty of space for your gear, a chair and sleeping area.

I was unaware of this tent until Snapper posted the above comment in another thread.

I'm curious from Snapper and anyone else how the Cimarron compares to the CCS lean.

I'm familiar with the CCS Lean and have spent many nights in one. The Lean 1 is a palace for one person and still has generous room for 2 people, 1 dog, and some gear.

The Lean can suffer from condensation buildup inside, especially after multiple days of rain. I assume this is also an issue with the Cimarron with it being a single wall shelter as well. Or does the ventilation at the peak remedy this?

Towards the back wall of the CCS lean is not very usable as the tent slopes down to the ground. But the other 3 sides are vertical which makes for lots of usable space. The Cimarron slopes down on all the walls. How much of the interior space is usable? I wouldn't like to be sleeping wedged up against a tent wall as it develops condensation overnight.

What are the other similarities/differences between these two shelters? Has anyone used both?

Here is my CCS Lean 1 in northern Minnesota:

20200818_012 by Alan, on Flickr

And in Canada:

20160803_028 by Alan, on Flickr

Alan

 

[snapper]

Alan - I've never camped in a CCS Lean+ shelter but I have slept in a similar knock-off made years ago by Eureka based on the photos you've posted. The big difference in my opinion is the Seek Outside shelters (Cimarron, Red Cliff, etc.) have two doors so there is easy access on two sides. As for condensation, one of the advantages to adding a nest for bugs to the interior is it also creates a double walled shelter in that area. When condensation does form, it will drop onto the bug netting and rarely reaches the interior occupants. As you mentioned, the upper vent helps with condensation and you can also raise the lower walls instead of pitching them tight to the ground for additional air flow. One last option is to add a stove as the heat will keep condensation from forming on the interior walls while it's going.

Hope that helps. I'd love to hear what other folks have to say so will be watching the other comments that come in.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

 

[Mason]

I've used a pyramid tent (Black Diamond Megamid, similar to the Seek Outside) as a backcountry ski trip cook shelter, and the largest CCS Lean on long canoe trips as a bug/rain shelter. The pyramid tents are popular for winter ski trips and mountaineering, where you can excavate under the tent, adding considerable room. The pyramid tents would provide more storm worthiness, and the CCS lean would provide much more livability: netted door, covered porch for rain, better views/ventilation, mostly vertical door keeps rain out. To get bug protection from the pyramid tents would (in general) require an additional net tent inside. I've never been drawn to the pyramid tents for buggy or wet trips--snow, yes.

 

[kahel]

it looks & sounds similar to my setup ...

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on my very first Trip I took a small pyramid Tent (Luxeoutdoor-Silhexpeak V4a) with an Inner Bug free sleeping cabin.
Mhmmmm - to small for me - in the morning washed by the condens is not so funny! - but promotes the first deep breath in the morning.

the other two trips I used a "lean-to" by HELSPORT (Gapahuck)

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Combined whith the bugshelter by TATONKA "Singel Dome" is very usefull.
I like the big wide space and the "free step-in / step-out"