SlingFin CrossBow 2 Tent

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UOG TOP PICK – For Year-Round Mountain Reliability: With smart stormproof features like the WebTruss system, excellent ventilation, and a liveable double-wall design, the SlingFin CrossBow 2 is a standout four-season shelter for serious all-weather use.

SlingFin says: 

The CrossBow Four-Season is our lightest four-season tent and a personal favorite of the SlingFin crew. It’s the most versatile tent in our entire lineup, and performs year-round in just about any conditions. Our patented WebTruss plus the recent addition of DAC’s 10.65mm PL poles give the CrossBow one of the best strength-to-weight ratios of any tent on the market.

Despite its weather worthiness, the CrossBow’s minimum weight can get as low as 3lb 15.6oz by switching the WebTruss out for the included DAC twist clips (4lb 2oz minimum weight with the WebTruss), and weighs only 5lb 2oz all-in, including enough stakes and guylines for all the external guy points.

With a breathable nylon canopy and numerous venting options, the CrossBow Four-Season protects its occupants against spindrift and dust while keeping condensation to a minimum. The CrossBow Four-Season is perfect for backcountry ski tours, alpine climbing, and river trips of all varieties. Because of the dust-proof canopy fabric and excellent wind resistance, the CrossBow Four-Season also makes a fantastic tent for desert camping.

Want a breezier experience in warmer weather that still provides bug protection and ample strength? The updated CrossBow Mesh Body accessory swaps out your ripstop inner tent for an airy mesh one that’s still compatible with both the WebTruss or DAC twist clips, making your CrossBow a true year-round quiver killer.

Thanks to the WebTruss, the CrossBow pitches easily in high winds. Unlike pole sleeves, which can lead to pole breakage during the pitching process in windy conditions, the WebTruss allows you to fully set up and tension the pole structure before clipping the tent body to the poles. This system provides much more strength for the weight than traditional clip-style tents. With internal guyline compatibility and our OutRigger attachment, the CrossBow can be further strengthened against harsh winds or snow loading using the included guylines and your own trekking poles.

The CrossBow can be used with a footprint, which can also be used to set up the CrossBow without the tent body for an ultralight fly-only pitch.

Our Verdict

Tough enough for exposed yet ventilated enough for humid nights, the updated SlingFin CrossBow 2 excels in adverse weather.

At 1,918g (Medium), this is an impressively lightweight double-wall tent designed for year-round use. I find the WebTrus, a reinforced fabric pole sleeve that supports the poles before the inner goes on (this can be removed to trim weight), particularly useful in rough conditions, as you can fully assemble and tension the frame before attaching the tent body. It makes pitching in the wind far easier (I recommend watching the included video above). Internal guylines and the option to use trekking poles as structural supports further elevate this already capable four-season tent.

The layout is well thought out, with two generous vestibules and an inner that feels genuinely comfortable for two. Eight internal pockets are a welcome upgrade; they improve livability, which I always look for in a four-season tent, where you might be confined inside for 12 hours or more. Ventilation has also seen a big improvement. The through-vent in the fly is particularly versatile: it can be fully opened, partially opened, or sealed off completely in bad weather. High-mounted kickstand vents on the fly help maintain airflow even when the tent is fully battened down in snow, making condensation much easier to manage. 

The materials feel refined and robust, with a 20D fly and an 1800mm PE floor that’s waterproof and tough without excess bulk. The packed size is tidy, and the updated design makes setup far quicker than the original, even when solo.

This tent has really impressed me, a strong contender in the two-person, four-season market.

– Reviewed by Ultralight Outdoor Gear

Features

• Roomy, strong 2P tent for pretty much anything
• Breathable ripstop body blocks wind, spindrift, dust, and sand
• Eight internal pockets for endless organizational potential
• Through vents on fly and tent body facilitate airflow
• Tent body through vent has separate mesh and ripstop layers for buggy conditions
• Kickstand vents on vestibule doors provide unrestricted cross-breeze for condensation management
• Compatible with the CrossBow Mesh Body accessory for warm weather use
• WebTruss adds strength and makes high-wind setup a breeze
• WebTruss can be switched out with included DAC twist clips for ~3oz weight savings
• Double dry entry
• OutRigger attachment uses your trekking poles to strengthen tent under high winds and heavy snow loads
• Pre-installed internal guylines
• Mesh door vents allow venting even when it’s buggy
• Spacious vestibules offer plenty of gear storage
• Toggles connect fly to poles at guy points for stability
• Internal ceiling o-rings for gear hanging

Specifications

UOG Specs

• Inner tent weighs: 789g
• Flysheet weighs: 547g
• Poleset weighs: 582g
• Total weight: 1918g (excludes pegs and bags)
• 14 pegs supplied weigh: 154g

• Capacity: 2
• Floor Area: 32sq ft (2.97sq m)
• Vestibule Area: 11sq ft x 2 (1sq m x 2)
• Interior Height: 41.5″ (105cm)
• Packed Size: 18″ x 6″ (36cm x 15cm)
• Pole Package Length: 17.25″ (43.82cm)
• Floor Dimensions: 92″ x 50″ (234cm x 127cm)
• Tent Body Volume: 58.6cu ft (1.66cu m)
• Vestibule Volume: 50cu ft (1.42cu m)
• Number of poles: 3
• Number of doors: 2
• Included stakes: 14 DAC J-Stake S
• Included guylines: 10 72″ 2.5mm reflective nylon core w/ tensioner

Material & Construction

• Tent Body Fabric: 15D Nylon Ripstop DWR
• Floor Fabric: 20D Nylon Ripstop SIL/PE 1800mm
• Fly Fabric: 20D Nylon Ripstop Sil/Sil 1500mm
• WebTruss Fabric: 20D Nylon Ripstop PE 1800mm
• Poles: 3 DAC PL 10.65mm

Help & Advice

• The Ultimate Guide to Ultralight Tents
• Time-Saver Guide to Choosing a Tent
• When pegs go bad – Everything you need to know about tent pegs
• Are Tent Footprints Worth It?