Exped Lyra II Tent

Lycra II is a light, airy 2 person shelter that excels at quickly responding to changing conditions. The fly can be quickly configured in multiple ways and the highly ventilated inner tent maximises air flow in warmer conditions. Rapid set-up is a direct result of the clip-and-hub pole system, which allows the inner tent to be set up without the fly when conditions allow.

Exped says:

Lyra II is built to provide lightweight, freestanding and affordable shelter for 2 people in 3 seasons for backpacking and trekking. 2 doors and 2 vestibules allow easy entry, exit and gear storage. Endostructure poles (poles on inner tent) allow easy set-up without the fly in dry conditions.

Pole segments are unified into a continuous, shock-corded array for rapid set-up. Strong and light micro-hubs strengthen the pole intersections and eliminate wear of the fly at these critical points. Multiple set-up and deployment modes allow Lyra to adapt to changing conditions and personal preferences for optimal comfort.

Exped's Lyra II Tent is a solid, versatile shelter that provides great value for money. The tent has been designed to provide a range of options for the set up meaning that you can alter things depending upon the conditions. There are three main 'modes' where the fly is used fully, partially or not at all. The reality in UK conditions is that you will only get to use the normal set up the majority of the times with the changeable climate, but it is a nice idea and the tent is easily adapted if you get lucky with the weather in summer.

It has been designed to be easy to set up and use so colour coded points, simple guy lines, excellent SwissPiranha pegs and glow in the dark zippers all make this a practical and enjoyable tent to use. It certainly isn't the lightest weight tent at over 1.9kg but it is spacious, durable and provides great value for money so it is easy to see why the weight is at the higher end. This is a great all-rounder for three-season adventures.

- Reviewed by Ultralight Outdoor Gear

Help and advice:

• Optimist Mode: When no rain is in the forecast, or your imagination, set up the inner tent only, without the fly.
• Stargazer Mode: At the head end, full night-sky views. At the foot end, the fly is deployed for privacy or as a wind block.
• Privacy Mode: The fly is fully attached and zipped up for maximum privacy and weather-proofing.
• Ultralight, easy-use, flush-to-ground tent pegs
• Pre-mounted guy lines with knot-free, easy-adjust tensioners
• Pole/stake/accessories storage sack included
• Colour-coded, glow-in-the-dark zipper pulls are easy to find at night
• Ceiling mounted lamp pocket and gear loops
• 12 included SwissPiranha tent pegs offer excellent holding power at a very low weight

Our Specs

• Flysheet weighs: 722g
• Inner weighs: 722g
• Poles weigh: 518g
• Total weight: 1962g (excludes pegs & bags)
• Pegs x10 weigh: 56g

Exped Specs

• Minimum weight: 1.90kg
• Packed weight: 2kg
• Persons: 2
• Inner height: 110cm
• Canopy area: 2.8 m²
• Vestibule area: 1.4 m²
• Packed size: 52 x 15cm

Materials

• Rainfly: 68 D taffeta polyester, PU coated, factory seam taped, 1'500 mm water column, free from flame retardants
• Canopy: 15 D No-See-Um mosquito mesh nylon, 1500 mesh/square inch, 68 D taffeta polyester, free from flame retardants
• Floor: 68 D taffeta polyester, PU coated, factory seam taped, 5'000 mm water column
• Poles: 9 mm 7001 Aluminium, acid-free anodizing