arata AX-79 lightweight tent

"Lightweight and windproof"
The challenge of balancing conflicting requirements on a new level

"Wind resistance, suitable for four-season mountain use"
"As lightweight as possible, while providing enough space for single-person use without inconvenience"

*This update includes the following improvements and changes:

• One side of the pole sleeve has been changed to a closed structure, making it easier to set up the tent.
• Compared to the initial model, the force required to set up the tent has been significantly reduced, even when the nylon fabric shrinks in severe winter conditions.
• The guy lines have been moved to the flysheet for quicker and more convenient use.
• The flysheet and inner tent can now be secured with Velcro, making it easier to set up both simultaneously.
• The coating of the inner tent's 10D fabric has been improved to enhance overall strength.
• The shape of the pole support metal fittings has been changed to reduce component weight and minimize the risk of poles detaching during setup.
  

Arata attempts to balance these conflicting requirements on a new level, different from existing tents.　

Early in development, we calculated the weight of materials and quickly found that we needed to use tent poles that prioritized lightness over strength. I had a hunch that adopting lighter tent poles while maintaining the strength required for a mountain tent would be a difficult question to answer.  

Leveraging their experience as engineers, after much deliberation, the answer they arrived at was to adopt a unique sleeve hub structure with a truss structure using guy lines. The sleeve hub is an innovative structure that combines the strength advantages of sleeve-type and hanging-type tents, which traditional tents had to choose between. Furthermore, by combining it with a truss structure using guy lines, the tent's strength can be increased according to weather conditions.

With a width of 210 cm, the AX-79 is one of the longest single-person mountain tents from a Japanese brand. The maximum internal height is 98 cm. This height is comfortable even for people over 180 cm tall. The depth is kept at 80 cm to reduce weight. One of the concerns we had when deciding on a depth of 80 cm was where to place the backpack. This was solved by providing a unique rear room space. The rear compartment can also accommodate backpacks of 70L or more.

 Despite its excellent performance and livability,the latest update has made it even lighter, at just 920 grams. 
It isone of the lightest single-person mountain tents in its class*1

. The product includes the tent body, flysheet, tent poles, and groundsheet.
We also offer optional accessories to make the AX series even more robust and comfortable.
The AX-79 is a new generation Japanese mountaineering tent that allows you to enjoy solo camping even while mountaineering. 

In addition to adopting DAC Featherlite NFL 8.7, this update also includes the following improvements and changes:

-Improved convenience by changing the mounting position of the door pocket
-Reduced the risk of accidental damage to the sleeve by changing the tent pole mounting method
-Improved localized abrasion resistance of the inner tent bottom -Option to use stakes or not
-Added resin rings to the lower attachment points of the inner tent guy lines to improve tension adjustment -Improved storage for the top vent pole of the flysheet when not in use

Technical Notes
Introducing the technology and attention to detail adopted in the AX-79 

Adoption of high-performance tent poles "DAC Featherlite NFL 8.7"



To achieve this weight without neglecting any extreme features, for the AX-79's tent poles, it was necessary to use "DAC Featherlite NFL 8.7," which prioritizes lightness over strength.

However, DAC does not recommend using these poles in high mountains in strong winds. Therefore, a breakthrough was necessary to enable these poles to continue to be used as alpine tent poles.

The horizontal axis of the figure above shows the weight of the pole per 40cm, and the vertical axis shows the second moment of area, showing the relationship between the weight and strength of DAC tent poles. (The further to the upper left, the lighter and stronger; the further to the lower right, the heavier and weaker.)

The DAC NFL 8.7 (blue square) adopted in the AX-79 is approximately 22% lighter than the DAC Featherlite NSL 8.5 (red square) commonly used in mountain tents of this size, but approximately 17% weaker in strength.

In the AX series, the strength of the poles is enhanced by incorporating the following three innovative mechanisms into the tent structure:



1. Full-sleeve inner tent x unique sleeve hub




The AX series uses sleeves to connect the inner tent and tent poles. Compared to the hook type (hanging type) commonly seen in tents in recent years, the sleeve type has a structure that distributes the load on the poles and prevents the poles from deforming.

On the other hand, existing sleeve-type tents do not have two connected sleeves, and the structure of the two poles cannot effectively support each other. In contrast, in hook-type poles, the two poles are connected at the center by a swivel, so the two poles support each other.

Arata has created its own unique sleeve hub, combining the advantages of both sleeve and hook types. As shown in the figure above, the two sleeves are connected by a hub, so that the two poles can support each other even though they are sleeve-type.



This structure may seem difficult for entry-level users to set up, but since there is no need to insert hooks one by one, it can actually be set up quickly. Although this may be a bit difficult, if necessary, the flysheet, inner tent, and groundsheet can be set up all at once, as they are already connected, and this structure has an advantage when setting up in rainy weather.  





2. Sleeve hub guy line point



The AX series has guy line attachment points on the sleeve hub. By tying the poles together, crossing them, and securing them with stakes (as shown in the figure above), the two poles can be firmly connected, just as if they were connected by a hook-type swivel.



The sleeve hub guy line can pass through the hole at the top of the flysheet. The AX-79 has a large projected area on the long side, so it is susceptible to wind from the long side. The Sleeve Hub Guy Point *2 is an original Arata mechanism that increases the tent's wind resistance by securing the long side, which experiences the most displacement, from the top of the tent.
(Using the optional emergency guy line kit will be more convenient)



3. Inner guy lines

 
Inner guy ropes are installed on the inside of the short side of the AX series inner tent. This acts as a reinforcing brace, similar to those found in prefabricated buildings, and helps prevent the tent from deforming due to wind blowing from the long side.



In addition, the AX series also offers an optional emergency guy line kit to increase the tent's strength at the expense of interior space. We recommend carrying it especially on long treks when the weather is unpredictable or when setting up a tent in places where the weather is prone to change.



The AX series, with expanded luggage space and improved wind resistance,


is equipped not only with a front space on the entrance side but also with a rear space. This space forms a luggage compartment while also improving wind resistance at the rear.

X-shaped dome tents for 1-2 people are susceptible to wind from the longer side because that side has a larger projected area. Single-sided entry tents, which typically have a tightly fitting rear to the inner tent to reduce weight, make it difficult for the tent to deflect wind, meaning it is more susceptible to wind from certain directions.

The AX series is constructed with an emphasis on robustness and practicality, without excessively pursuing lightweight design.



Distance from ground to rainfly


Raising the height of the bottom of the rainfly is a common method for reducing weight, but the AX series is designed not only for stormy weather with strong winds and heavy rain but also for snowfall, so it is set as low as possible.

If you encounter strong winds with rain, lift the tarp to reduce the risk of wind blowing rain into the tent. The AX series is also designed for winter use and still needs a rain cover. The AX series can be filled with snow in the gap between the ground and the rainfly, preventing snow from entering the rainfly.



Tent color that is not easily seen through



In popular mountain tent camps, it is often easy to reach out and touch the tent next to you. Modern tents are made of thin fabric, and if the color is light, people inside can be vaguely seen even during the day.

The inner and outer tents of the AX series are dark gray, so that people inside cannot be seen from outside during the day, and the clarity of people's outlines is improved when the lights are on at night.

The disadvantage of using dark gray is that the temperature inside the tent will rise during the day, but in hot seasons, it is difficult to stay inside the tent during the day regardless of the color. For this reason, the AX series has a color setting that prioritizes privacy protection.

Technical Specifications

arata AX-79
Version : 2.0
Seasons : 4-season
Sleeping Capacity : 1-person
Packed Size : 24 × 17 × 11cm (L x W x H )
Minimum Trail Weight : 920g
Packed Weight : 1105g ( Including Optional Stake 12pcs, Excluding GroundSheet 79g)
Floor Dimensions : 80 x 210cm (L x W )
Peak Height : 98cm
Number of Doors : 1 door（There is one other door for luggage.）
Pole Material : Aluminum DAC Featherlite NFL 8.7
Inner Fabric : 10D breathable nylon
Floor Fabric : 15D ripstop nylon silicone coated (PU1500)
Stake : DAC J-STAKE x 12（Optional）
Rainfly Fabric : 15D ripstop nylon with silicone coating (PU1200)
Contents : Tent body, Flysheet, Groundsheet, Tent poles, and Special storage bag 

Optional purchase

1) Ground Sheet for Back Room
Fabric：15D ripstop nylon silicone coated (PU1500)
Weight：43g(Ground Sheet : 39g /Bag : 4g）

2) Emergency Guyline Kit

Inner Diagonal Guylines × 4pcs
Sleeve Hub Guylines × 2pcs
DAC J-Stake × 2pcs

This is an optional item to increase the strength of the AX series.
By installing the emergency guy line kit as shown in the figure above, you can significantly increase the strength of the tent, but at the expense of interior space.
We recommend carrying it especially on long treks when the weather is unpredictable or when setting up a tent in places where the weather is prone to change.

Please note that the number of DAC J stakes included may vary depending on the version.
There is no difference in guy line length between different versions.

3) DAC J-STAKE Set (12 pieces)

Approximately 11g/piece
DAC J-STAKE is a ground stake that Arata trusts and considers suitable for the Japanese mountain environment.
The structure involves cutting the side of extruded TH72M aluminum alloy, which is a simple method with excellent cost performance.
The top is designed to ensure that force is applied in a straight line, and that no force that would cause the guy line to break is applied to the part where the guy line is attached.
The V-shape with a slight notch in the middle provides an excellent balance of penetration and support, allowing it to firmly penetrate and grip the ground without breaking, from soft ground to hard ground piled with large rocks.
DAC's anodizing and heat treatment maximize the potential of the material, making it stronger, stiffer, more scratch-resistant, and less prone to breaking than typical aluminum stakes from other companies.