Kids still fast asleep, I silently slipped out the tent’s large side door, reached under the vestibule to snatch the cook kit and brew up a pot of coffee. This wasn’t just any backpacking trip – this was our family’s first backpacking trip.

Guide, cook, camp counselor, and parent: It was my job to ensure a smooth backcountry experience. So bringing a two person tent for our family of four (two adults, two kids) was admittedly a stretch.

But it provided a good test for Sierra Designs’ forthcoming Divine Light.

Non-Freestanding Tents

Before the dome tent, non-freestanding tents were the norm (think the pup tent). But with ultralight backpacking ethos slipping into mainstream gear, its taken on a new spin. Since a seasoned backpacker always carries trekking poles into the backcountry, why not double down on that investment and cut out a handful of ounces by replacing traditional tent poles with … your trekking poles?

This isn’t a new idea, but it inspired a new line of tents for Sierra Designs. In 2014, Sierra Designs revamped its iconic and beloved Flashlight, swapping the traditional clip system with a straight pole system (leave the kit poles at home and save six ounces by swapping in your trekking poles).

Last year the Sierra Designs Tensegrity literally flipped traditional tent space on its head with an “inverted” non-freestanding design that yawned from a narrower footprint to a wider head space.

Blending the best of both worlds, it’s no surprise this year Sierra Designs evolved its compatible trekking pole configuration with the new inverted wall space to bring the versatile Divine Light. Minimal and airy, the Divine Light is billed as a lightweight livable camp space.

Setting Up the Divine Light

The Divine Light sets up similarly to its sister tent, the Tensegrity. Start by staking out the four corners of the tent and evenly staking out the forward awning triangle flaps. Slot the tip of the pole (or trekking pole) into the grommets and extend the poles into the apex of the awnings, adjacent to the door.

Next, stake out the side awnings guylines. Finally, clip the single arched pole into the footbox of the tent and stake out the single guyline extending off the footbox. Cinch the tent down taught and you’re all set.

Configuration

The Divine Light has two side doors, one for each camper. Each J-shaped zipper door is composed of a no-see-um mesh and a protective nylon panel that can unzip and tie back, out of the way.

Each door is protected by a 10-inch awning which angles off the peak of the tent and wing forward to provide additional side protection out front.

The vestibule extends off the front of the tent and zips onto the pair of forward reaching awning triangles. This seals off the gear garage and protects your kit from foul weather. Pitch it up with a pair of trekking poles and you’ve got yourself a shady porch for hot summer afternoons. Or, roll the entire vestibule back for maximum exposure. The convertible vestibule is extremely versatile.

The vestibule can be accessed from the tent through a U-shaped door or from outside the tent.

Ventilation

The configurable design negotiates superior protection with ample cross ventilation or anywhere in between. Vestibule door unzipped and side panels cracked, the tent ventilated well enough for our party of four to stay dry inside.

That said, condensation rained down on the inside of the vestibule where the moist air collected. We don’t advise bunking four mouth breathers in the tent!