Reviewing the Samaya INSTANT2 Tent
A Premium Ultralight Breathable 2P Tent That’s Too Small For Two People
The French-designed Samaya INSTANT2 is a premium, ultralight, futuristic freestanding 2P backpacking tent, most notable for its single wall fly made of Dyneema and waterproof-breathable Nanovent fabric. The latter is essentially a three layer rain jacket material that helps to reduce – but definitely not eliminate – condensation build up. INSTANT2 makes for a superb solo shelter, but its greatest drawback is a profoundly undersized interior that is not livable for two people.
- Price: $990
- Weight: 34.7 oz
- Material: Dyneema, Nanovent fly, Sil Nylon floor
- Interior: 26 ft² | Vestibule: 17.8 ft² | Interior Area/Pound: 12.8 ft²
- Length: 86″ Width: 47-39″ Height: 43.3”
- Closest Competitors: Samaya Instant3, Samaya INSTANT2 Pro, HMG Crosspeak 2, Big Agnes Sarvis VST 2
- Pros: Ultralight. Breathable fabrics reduce condensation. Fly first pitch. Overall quite wind stable. Large vestibules with magnetic toggles. Interior mesh storage. Great aesthetic, good lighting. Sturdy carbon poles pack down small.
- Cons: Very small interior area, not livable for 2p. No lateral stability at head end without stakes. Top collects snow. No mechanical venting. Very expensive. Comes with bad stakes.
3 Different Versions of Samaya INSTANT Tents
Instant2, Instant3 (white and pink) pictured in this review. REI Co-op exclusives, most economical because of sil-nylon floor. Instant2 Pro (all white). Available at REI and Garage Grown Gear. Price increases by ~$200 upgrading the floor to Dyneema. Instant2 & 3 Ultra (all white). Only available directly from Samaya. Price increased by ~$1000. Dyneema floor and Dyneema-X canopy, a WP/B membrane sandwiched between two layers of Dyneema.
Compare this to more great options in our buyers guides to the best ultralight tents, and best ultralight freestanding tents.
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Expanded Pros
Ultralight: The ultralight bar for a “2P” freestanding tent is just over two pounds (HMG Crosspeak 2 for reference is 34.0 oz), and Samaya INSTANT2 hits the bullseye at 34.7 oz. Most lightweight freestanding tents come in at 40-48 oz.
Breathable fabrics reduce condensation: The pink fly sections are made with three layer, electrospun, waterproof breathable Nanovent fabric, akin to TNF Futurelight. Think of it like a tent made out of a really nice rain jacket, complete with fabric-y inside face, and 40k MVTR breathability score (twice as breathable as the average Gore-Tex). That being said, it’s not a panacea for condensation. You should still expect wet single wall surfaces in cold, damp weather.
Fly first pitch: The single wall design with exterior poles means that, at no point during the setup process, will an unprotected interior surface be directly exposed to rain from above
Overall quite wind-stable: This tent is designed by a mountaineering company that understands how important it is to make wind-stable tents. Samaya boasts that it survived winds up to 62 mph in wind tunnel testing. As a reference point, the Samaya INSTANT2 tent is sturdier than average for a freestanding 2p, better than Big Agnes Copper Spur, and much better than the semi-freestanding Big Agnes Tiger Wall. That said, it’s not perfect; see more in the cons section.
Large vestibules with magnetic toggles: The two 8.9 sq ft vestibules are a bit larger than average, and easy to roll up thanks to magnetic toggles. We now expect to see magnetic fly toggles on all premium tents.
Interior mesh storage: The interior is adorned with two large mesh gear storage pockets, more than most other ultralight single wall tents. There is a large pocket at the foot end and a removable mesh basket hanging from the center ceiling. The latter is better suited to lightweight objects, like sunglasses, hats, gloves, and headlamps. A phone and charger will weigh it down too much, creating saggy overhead clutter that you bump into, and potentially degrading the tautness of the pitch. There is no head-end interior mesh storage.
Great aesthetic, good lighting: The combination of exterior poles, white Dyneema, and pink Nanovent fly fabric is hyper futuristic looking, and evokes the wow factor. From the inside, you get a pleasant warm lighting, preferable to grays, blues, and greens used by other brands.
Sturdy carbon poles collapse down small: The 7.8mm diameter carbon poles are stiffer than we’ve seen in competing options, like the Durston X-Dome which uses a combination of 3.9mm and 6.3mm carbon poles. And for the bikepackers out there, these collapse down super small; just 12.2” in length.
Expanded Cons
Very small interior area, not livable for two people: The cardinal sin of Samaya INSTANT2 is simply that it isn’t actually livable for two campers. The cramped 26 sq ft interior is smaller than the industry average of 28 sq ft (HMG Crosspeak is 28.4), at a time when most duos now prefer larger 2+ sized tents in the 32-36 sq ft range. If you intend for this to be a solo shelter – great! If you want to sleep two, size up to the 3P version. For reference, the INSTANT3 has the same interior area as Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 XL. Lastly, tall users, those over 6′, will likely find that the footbox of their sleeping bag/quilt is always contacting the foot end of the tent, while the head end wall may brush against their head as it flaps lightly in the wind.
No lateral stability at head end without stakes: I was surprised and a bit disappointed by the lack of lateral stability at the head end. There is no cross bar, so if you pick up an empty, un-staked INSTANT2, it has a tendency to collapse flat. Any lateral wind stability is reliant on the vestibule stakes and bonus guylines, but even these do an imperfect job of keeping the top of the head end area taut. This can be problematic on uneven or slightly sloping terrain when one vestibule stake is higher or lower than the other. I imagine this tent is strongest if the foot end is facing the windward side, but I would try to avoid pitching it perpendicular to the wind, or with the head end facing the wind. No matter what I did, the top area of the head end was flapping in 25 mph gusts, which would occasionally brush against my head and wake me up.
Top will collect snow and sag: To be transparent, I have not tested the Samaya INSTANT2 tent in snow. However, I’m quite confident that the flat-ish top center of the fly would collect snow and begin to sag. And because there is no spreader bar – see above – it could make head end sagging even worse. I don’t think this tent would be a disaster in the snow or anything like that, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a mountaineering tent to take out when you expect snowfall, especially because the lateral head end stability is so dependent on stakes.
No mechanical venting: For a tent that goes out of its way to reduce condensation with high tech fly fabrics, it strikes me as foolish that they didn’t add any peak vents for additional crossflow. Considering that almost every other tent has some type of mechanical venting, wouldn’t it have been low hanging fruit to add vents on the Samaya INSTANT2? It reminds me of the hubris of brands forgoing pit zips on their premium rain jackets because the fabric is “so breathable” – a choice I disagree with 100% of the time. From my perspective this is an obvious oversight.
Very expensive: $1000 is the going rate for an ultralight freestanding tent made with Dyneema, but dang that’s expensive.
Comes with bad stakes: Samaya INSTANT2 comes with a set of 6” DAC V Stakes. I replaced them immediately. For starters, V stakes are worse than Y stakes (bend easier and worse hold). But for a tent in which staking out the vestibule is integral to its wind stability, these stakes are not adequate. Make sure you carry at least two larger stakes for the vestibule when using this tent. 3D printed titanium 7.7” Teragon Pioneer Torque Stakes are the current best-in-class option for strength of hold relative to low weight
Top of head end lacks lateral stability because there’s no crossbar
A single large/wide sleeping pad takes up most of the tent
Who Should Choose It
Choose Samaya INSTANT2 Tent if:
- You will be using it as a solo shelter
- You have an unconstrained budget
- You want the latest and greatest in tent technology
- You’ll be using it in humid environments where condensation reduction is valuable
Don’t Choose Samaya INSTANT2 Tent if:
- You will be using with a partner (in which case choose the 3P version)
- You want to pay even more for a slightly better version (in which case choose the Pro Edition which upgrades to a DCF floor and reduces weight by 1 oz)
- You want the lightest tent possible (in which case choose a trekking pole tent)
- You want what we think is the best 2P ultralight freestanding tent (in which case choose HMG Crosspeak 2)
- You hike primarily in dryer environments, (in which case you don’t need to pay extra for breathable fly fabric)
Overhead storage
Foot end storage
Head end has no storage
Samaya INSTANT2 Tent Vs Other Versions and the Competition
Samaya INSTANT 2: REI Co-op Exclusive, baseline model.
Samaya INSTANT2 Pro: For an extra $210, you can upgrade the floor to Dyneema, which saves an ounce. The Pro Version is strictly better in terms of performance, but quite a bit worse in terms of value proposition.
Samaya INSTANT3: REI Co-op Exclusive. If Samaya INSTANT2 is actually a 1+ sized tent, then the INSTANT3 is actually a 2+ with 37 sq ft – about the same size as Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 XL. Because larger tents have larger wind profiles, Samaya has correctly upgraded from 7.8mm to 8.6mm carbon poles to keep the wind stability similar. However, I would be even more concerned about snow piling up on top of the even flatter 3P ceiling.
Samaya INSTANT2 ULTRA & INSTANT3 ULTRA: Samaya Exclusive. Compared to baseline model, the 2 ULTRA and 3 ULTRA increase price by $1000. Upgrade floor to Dyneema. Upgrade Nanovent canopy to Dyneema X, a waterproof breathable composite textile that laminates a WP/B membrane between two layers of Dyneema. Haven’t tried it. This is almost certainly the best performer, but definitely the worst value proposition.
HMG Crosspeak 2: HMG Crosspeak is the best ultralight freestanding tent on the market, and overall slightly superior to Samaya INSTANT2, which is still a great tent. Crosspeak2 and INSTANT2 both weigh ~34oz. Crosspeak, with its traditional x-pole + spreader bar configuration, feels simpler and more refined. It is also 2.4 sq ft of additional interior area (~9% increase) which goes a long way when space is at a premium. It also has small peak vents, though the Nanovent walls of Samaya make it overall more condensation resistant. For duos, we recommend Crosspeak 2 over INSTANT2. For soloists, we recommend HMG Crosspeak 1 over INSTANT2. See more in our HMG Crosspeak review.
Big Agnes Sarvis VST 2: This is the best ultralight freestander from a mainstream outdoor brand. Like Samaya INSTANT2, Sarvis VST is a single wall tent with exterior poles. Both tents manage condensation relatively well, but in completely different ways. Sarvis has the largest peak vent I’ve ever seen (in conjunction with a mesh double wall canopy), while Samaya uses breathable fly fabric. At this time, I’m not sure which breathes better. But 32 sq ft, Sarvis is also quite a bit larger (23% increase), and comfortably livable for two campers. At 40 ounces, Sarvis is 5.3 oz (15% increase) heavier, making INSTANT2 the superior choice for soloists and Sarvis VST better for duos. Read more in our Big Agnes Sarvis VST Review.
Samaya INSTANT 2 Tent Review Conclusion
The Samaya INSTANT2 is a top performer and a great choice for ultralight solo backpackers in humid environments. However, its smaller-than-average interior is not functionally suitable for two people. The misleading capacity, combined with a lack of lateral stability at the top of the head end hold it back from true greatness. If you want to splurge on a tent, we recommend the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Crosspeak 2 over Samaya INSTANT2.
