Yama Mountain Gear 2P Cirriform Tarp Review || My Go-To Shelter for Bad Weather

[@ropersix]

Two years later, and this is still a relevant, useful review even though the 2P Cirriform is no longer made. The way you explain things means the info. is good for other products out there, too.

[@northernswedenstories1028]

They renade it now in silpoly. Just been released

[@davidfriedman7533]

Dan, this is an awesome review. Really appreciate you taking the time on this! Would love to hear any updates

[@DanStenziano]

Haven’t used it much since this review, but that’s because I’ve mostly been on fair weather trips. My views on it haven’t changed though! I would still choose it without hesitation for rough or exposed conditions

[@katherinestenziano3208]

Lots of info very nice, I liked the blooper:) But I think i'd rather have the floor and easy set up, no wait make it a camper. lol you know me.

[@Callahan1]

finally. the perfect shape tarp i've been looking for! thanks for this. after using a hammock tarp with actual doors I never understood why I couldn't find them on most ground tarps, esp cat cut a-frames most companies offer. this shape looks amazing and seems comparable to a trailstar, except it doesn't have a door which remains open all the time.

[@sirsir108]

Thanks for putting me on to yama they happen to make a bug bivy that checked all the boxes for me I have an extra set of requirements since I'll be going out with my dog I'd been looking for the right bug bivy for us and thanks to your recommendation I found a winner

[@Copernicus22]

Hi Dan, thanks for this great review. I was wondering why you needed to switch to a tent. Wouldn't a bug bivy or a inner mesh be enough? I'm looking for a good all season tru hike UL shelter. This seems like the only affordable UL solution that is suitable for all weather conditions? If I understand it correctly , you didn't use this tarp in combined with a bivy right?

[@tullochgorum6323]

The best idea, I think, is to see it as a modular system. You can use the tarp on its own with a ground cloth or bathtub. You can use it with a bivvy. You can use it with a mesh inner. And you can use it with a solid inner. That way you get a genuine 3+ season shelter.

[@DanStenziano]

Hey! Sorry for late reply. I switched to my zpacks tent on the cdt because a) I already owned it and b) it gave better bug protection than my bivy because I was able to move around in it. I’m not a fan of bivies when there’s a lot of bugs. But the inner mesh tent designed for the cirriform works great too. It’s just heavier than a single wall tent.

[@markcummings6856]

Solid review. Very thorough. Thanks

[@AndyShepard]

Awesome review! I probably wouldn't have considered a shelter of this type until you explained the benefits.

[@tullochgorum6323]

I've been using A frames literally since the 1960s in exposed Scottish and Alpine conditions. I always come back to them for the very reasons that Dan outlines - the space over the head and feet compared to mids and the excellent wind-shedding. Mids are better for sitting. A-frames for sleeping - especially in wild weather. As I'm sleeping most of the time I'm in the shelter, the A-frame wins out for me.

[@xGorexGirlx]

Nice review Dan. Thanks

[@andrewhyduke1974]

I own the Cirriform 1 and it is adequate for my needs. I have the insert bug net as well. About 2 pounds on my scale. This shelter is very well made and is a nice addition to my gear. I too have used this shelter in Colorado. It faced rain daily and also hail. The bugs were voracious and I was thankful for the inner netting. If I were to purchase again I would buy the two person just for the floor space and yes would also buy the inner bug shelter. Rainmaker

[@DanStenziano]

Andrew Hyduke nice. Yeah I think I could get by with the 1p, but the 2 is very nice to have in certain situations. Some day I’ll probably pick up the but tent or at least the bug bivy.

[@jpawl4362]

Good review! I was wondering how this tarp performs. Now I know.

[@natalieberg2102]

In the first 10 seconds it looked like a lavvu, and I was like man that is the smallest lavvu I have ever seen, haha! And then it turned out to be a tarp :p

[@DanStenziano]

Natalie Up North I think I’d have a pretty tough time bringing one of those on trail 😆

[@joehikes5855]

Excellent video!

[@monkeyingout]

I like ur review, also like the fact u don't do them all the time, so its much more valuable 🖖

[@DanStenziano]

monkeyingout thanks! I aim to just do them for gear I really liked and that doesn’t have many reviews 🖖

[@surfandstreamfisher5749]

i have a Yama flat tarp that has been great! put in all honesty i prefer my Tarptent Protrail because of the full enclosure.

[@DanStenziano]

Cool, Yama makes awesome stuff! No denying the comfort of a fully enclosed tent though.

[@pgreenx]

Nice review - I had the 1 person DCF cirriform tent and during warm/humid nights with the low "ceiling/headroom" it was a hot box; very little ventilation thru the narrow side netting and front door w/only partial netting. I know this isn't your tarp but through it would help someone looking at the tent version. I should have gone with the tarp and ivy like you. I did like A frame for the high headroom and I agree there was a lot of fiddling to get the pitch tight

[@DanStenziano]

Interesting to hear your perspective- I have contemplated getting the 1p SW for buggy summer conditions. Too bad about the ventilation.

[@macmann3902]

I love my Black Diamond Beta Light... I use an A6 bug bivy when the bugs come out. And it's only 15ozs.

[@DanStenziano]

Mac Mann the Beta Light looks really solid! Kinda reminds me of the x mid or skurkas high route tent

[@tullochgorum6323]

@@DanStenziano Skurka used a Beta Light in Iceland, I think, before he designed his own tent. The main problem with that double pyramid design is that you get poles in the living space and have to sleep to one side bringing you close to the walls. Awkward for rigging bug netting too, but not impossible. The HIgh Route is an interesting design that gets the poles out of the living space and plays well with bug netting. It has a remarkably small footprint for the space it provides because the walls are so steep, and the steep walls also help keep the damp away from your head and feet. But the steep walls don't shed wind well. I asked Andrew on his forum what he reckoned the comfort limit would be and he was saying around 40mph which is cutting it too fine for me. There's a video on KZbin where someone is summit camping with the HR in a fresh breeze, and it's flapping pretty badly - you're not going to get much sleep. For exposed camping, I still think the A-frame has the best balance of benefits if comfortable and dry sleeping is your priority. With the right cut and rigging it can be rock-solid in serious wind. The living space is human-shaped and plays well with inners and nests. Pitching isn't too tiresome if you are using silpoly, which is a lot more forgiving than DCF. And the latest Cirriform iteration gives you the option of rolling up one of the sides in good weather, which overcomes the lack of views in the traditional A-frame setup.

[@DanStenziano]

@@tullochgorum6323 really would like to have one of the new cirriforms for the side opening feature. Basically eliminates the primary downside to A frames

[@tullochgorum6323]

​@@DanStenziano Yes - the ability to enjoy open views on a nice evening and then close up the sides without even getting out of your pit is a game-changer. Previous A-frame designs generally offered front loading - where you don't get the views but can keep the vestibule open in rain, or side loading where you get views but have to zip everything up in rain. And with side loading, your stuff gets wet as you enter and exit in bad weather. The new Cirrus gives you both, with very little weight penalty. So in good weather you use the convenient side-opening, and in bad weather you use the weather-proof front opening.

[@tjdalton]

Great review! It’s nice to have an up to date look at the shelter. Thank you. Do you think that the 1p would be too small?

[@DanStenziano]

Depends on the situation I'd say. For most three season stuff I'd think the 1p would be fine since you could pitch it a little higher and get away with it. I got the 2p specifically for bad weather- snowstorms, high winds, etc, so I could pitch it low and have more space.

[@tjdalton]

Dan Stenziano thank you! I was thinking for general 3 season use, maybe the occasional shoulder season storm. It looks like a nice storm worthy tarp and enough for one a small guy like me. Thanks again for the input and the review👍🏻

[@dianal.1279]

Thank you very much for the review. What about condensation?

[@DanStenziano]

Diana L. I left a little note about that in the description since I forgot to mention in the video. But basically it was a non issue for me because the tarp was so roomy and I never really came in contact with the walls.

[@speygeek]

Nice review! Yama definitely puts out interesting gear. Will you do a review on your camera gear? I own the same camera as you and I was wondering if you liked it or not.

[@DanStenziano]

I don’t hang my food bag thanks! That could be a good video. I like the a5100 a lot except for the fact it has no option for external mic. After 2 years with it I just upgraded to the a6600 for this reason (and some other nice video features).

[@speygeek]

@@DanStenziano can't wait to see the footage you're gonna get with it!

[@DanStenziano]

I don’t hang my food bag neither can I! I like it a lot so far 😀

[@andyveres3982]

Yeah boyyyyyyy

[@ttracemusic]

Great review!

[@pgreenx]

Great review but I had this and for the weight prefer the Tarptent notch. Same weight but double wall enclosed tent. Easy set up and am ok giving up some interior space.

[@DanStenziano]

pgreenx the notch seems like a very solid tent, personal preference I’d say

[@tullochgorum6323]

Depends if you can live with the fabric in your face in wind or snow - there is very little clearance over head and feet in the Notch. I'm with Dan that the classic A frame has a lot going for it if you basically use the shelter for sleeping at the end of the day.

[@pgreenx]

@@tullochgorum6323 check out my review of the notch ( no tent wall in your face). It’s not a perfect tent but single wall tents have lots of condensation problems especially on east coast. I grew to dread setting up the Yama and the cord/pole in the back night after night.

[@tullochgorum6323]

@@pgreenx I have an old shelter with a similar design to the Notch and find it a bit claustrophobic. I guess these things are very subjective - which is why all the basic design layouts have their proponents. I camp a lot in very exposed areas with unpredictable weather, like Scotland and Scandinavia, so for me having some wind performance in hand is paramount. I think the A-frame is a bit more performant for my needs. I've discussed this with Henry in the past, and he doesn't disagree. My own MYOG shelter copied some ideas from the Yama but I've put 3 guying points on each side wall and more around the perimeter too. It can take pretty much anything, and the extra pegs help spread the load in sketchy tundra pitches with thin soil. But my needs are extreme - in a typical US scenario the Notch would be just fine.

[@pgreenx]

@@tullochgorum6323 I agree with you too for your use case senario. Probably need both and a few more too…..

[@tullochgorum6323]

On the silpoly vs silnylon, I've been corresponding with one of the most experienced lightweight tent designers in the business, with dozens of production models to his name. He's a big proponent of silpoly for smaller tents, but not below 20D in fabric weight. He says that so long as it's properly reinforced tear-strength is a non-issue. He points out that because it holds its shape better in wild weather it will be under less strain than a flappy silnylon tent. He's asked the repair departments of his brand-name clients and tear-strength is pretty much never the cause of any failure in the field. Also, silnylon degrades much faster in UV, so he believes that after a few weeks in the field the silpoly won't be any weaker. He points out that any lightweight fabric has pretty low strength anyway, and is a proponent of carrying a high quality repair tape to catch any issues in the bud. Having said all that, the very best 6.6 silnylons are pretty close to the silpoly in terms of stretch, and most of the top makes like Tarptent and MLD haven't shifted to silpoly, so there's that. Ron at MLD is a fabric fiend with his own testing gear so I guess he has his reasons. None of the expedition makers like Hilleberg and the other Scandì tentmakers use silpoly either, which is a bit of a worry for anyone using their shelter in exposed situations. So it's all a bit confusing, and even the pros argue back and forth. In the end, I suspect a lot is down to user skill - neither silpoly or silnylon will survive if you allow it to rub against rocks or branches - as with any lightweight gear some basic common-sense is probably the most important factor.

[@DanStenziano]

Appreciate this input. I've always suspected that silpoly's tear strength is a non-issue with proper reinforcements at high stress areas. Maybe the tear strength is relevant in expedition shelters but that's beyond the scope of what I need from a shelter. And vs nylon: even if the best silnylon doesn't stretch much more than poly, poly will still absorb far less water and will not sag in high humidity like nylon, and to me those advantages are huge.

[@DanStenziano]

Enjoyed reading your perspective on shelters on your various comment replies here. Sounds like we're in solid agreement that A-frames are the most comfortable when it comes to actually sleeping, rather than the short periods of time that you're entering/exiting or sitting up.

[@tullochgorum6323]

@@DanStenziano I suspect that you're right. I used a TrailStar for years, as it's so good in the wind and I hike in windy places. But it's a pain to pitch, the living space is very awkward, and the footprint is HUGE. Not quite the right tradeoffs for me. I'm currently designing my next A-frame iteration, nicking Yama's new idea of the optional side-entrance for good weather. I think that's a game-changer for A-frames - front loading with vestibule for bad weather - side loading with ability to roll side up for views in good weather. But I'm going to have a zip on both sides to add flexibility - worth the extra weight for me. The question is, a good 6.6 or silpoly? I think I'm going to go with silpoly but keep the shelter as small a possible to minimise wind-loading. My aim with this one is to find the bare minimum that will work for a thru-hike, and the lower water-absorption of silpoly is hard to ignore when you're carrying the thing day after day... The other key is the right guy points. The design will have 5-6 pegs in good weather but extra side-support for poor weather - 6 points but only 4 pegs - see the Kifaru Paratarp, which they use for elbow season hunts in Alaska. That way you can keep the sides from flapping in 70 mph plus...

[@bjclark4936]

Love mine as well!

[@bereantrb]

The Cirriform is about the only shaped tarp that ever appealed to me.

[@DanStenziano]

bereantrb it’s pretty hard to beat!

[@adastra3147]

And people still buy that horrible quality zpack...

[@DanStenziano]

Ad Astra haha that may be a little harsh... although the memes about their sewing are 100% accurate