Pomoly Hot Tents Compared: Circle 6 vs Chalet 70 Pro vs Locomotive 20 vs Barracuda 2
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I've camped in four Pomoly hot tents across Ontario: the Circle 6, the Chalet 70 Pro, the Locomotive 20 and the Barracuda 2. They look like they could all do the same job. They don't. Each one is built for a different kind of trip, and picking the wrong one means hauling more tent than you need or cramming into less.
Here's the short version:
Two to four people, or one person who wants room to stand: the Pomoly Circle 6.
Solo with a stove, and one tent for every season: the Pomoly Chalet 70 Pro.
Solo, light and low to the ground: the Pomoly Locomotive 20.
Solo with a cot, table and chair, or two people, on drive-up trips: the Pomoly Barracuda 2.
The Four Tents at a Glance
Pomoly Circle 6
Style: flared teepee with a rigid hoop that pushes the walls out
Floor area: 100 sq ft, with a floor included and a flame-retardant section under the stove
Fits: up to 6 according to Pomoly, realistically 3 to 4 with the inner tent in
Fabric: 40D ripstop silnylon, 3000mm
My rating: 5/5
Pomoly Chalet 70 Pro
Style: cabin, with mesh doors at both ends
Peak height: 150 cm. I'm 5'10" and still crouch.
Weight: just over 10 lbs
Floor: bathtub floor with an integrated fire mat
Fabric: 70D ripstop, 2500mm
Fits: one person with a stove, or two without
My rating: 5/5
Pomoly Locomotive 20
Style: low tunnel, with an inner tent you can leave at home
Weight: 6.2 lbs
Fabric: 20D ripstop silnylon, 3000mm
Fits: realistically one person plus gear
My rating: 3/5
Pomoly Barracuda 2
Style: freestanding dome
Floor area: about 64.6 sq ft, with no built-in floor
Peak height: 190 cm, enough for me to stand all around the tent
Fabric: 40D ripstop silicone nylon, 3000mm
Fits: one person with a cot, table, chair and stove, or two people
My rating: 4/5
Space and Headroom
If you're spending days in a hot tent, space is what you'll notice most. A cramped tent is fine for one night. It's a different story four days into a January trip.
The Barracuda 2 and the Circle 6 are the two I can stand up in. The Barracuda's dome lets me stand all around the tent, and the Circle 6's hoop pushes the walls out so I can stand tall across far more of the floor than in a normal teepee.
The Chalet 70 Pro is taller than a regular tent at 150 cm, but I still crouch to move around. The Locomotive 20 is a sit-up tent: I had about half a foot of headroom sitting and a foot to either side. It feels cozy, like a little debris shelter, but it's a one-person shelter.
Floor or No Floor
This matters more than most people think when there's a wood stove inside.
The Circle 6 comes with a thick floor that has a flame-retardant section under the stove. The Chalet 70 Pro has a bathtub floor and a fire mat built in. The Locomotive 20's inner tent has a bathtub floor too, and you can leave the inner at home and run just the outer with a stove.
The Barracuda 2 has no floor. On swampy Canadian ground with a stove going, that can turn into a muddy mess fast. If you go with the Barracuda, bring a good groundsheet or mats.
Weather
All four have handled Ontario weather for me.
Circle 6: took hard rain out of Thunder Bay without a leak, and wind wasn't an issue on any trip.
Barracuda 2: went through a snowfall that lasted over a day and stayed stable. I did have to smack the roof a couple of times to clear snow caught between the poles.
Locomotive 20: held up fine in heavy winter wind once every guy-out point was staked.
Chalet 70 Pro: took two days of heavy rain with no leaks when it was new. After more than a year of year-round use, the seam tape at the corners has started to lift, and it now leaks there.
Setup
Chalet 70 Pro: easy to figure out, and teardown takes about five minutes.
Locomotive 20: the first setup took about 20 minutes, including a close inspection. I'd expect about 10 once you know it.
Barracuda 2: the fabric was stiff on the first pitch, but it remembered its shape after that.
Circle 6: the hoop takes real muscle to seat when the fabric is cold and stiff. It's the one frustrating moment in every setup.
Once you know them, the Circle 6 takes me about 10 minutes to set up. The Barracuda 2 takes around 10 to 15 minutes, and less with two people helping.
Which Stove Goes With Which Tent
Circle 6: I ran the Pomoly Dweller Max 3 in it most of the time and had it close to 30°C inside on winter nights.
Barracuda 2: I ran the Pomoly Dagger, including at minus 30.
Chalet 70 Pro: I've run the Pomoly Dagger, an Oroqen stove and the Pomoly Ti Mini 0.6 in it, and I swap them out depending on how cold it is.
Locomotive 20: the same three have all gone in it: the Dagger, the Oroqen and the Ti Mini 0.6, swapped depending on the cold.
If you're choosing a stove too, I've put the Ti Mini 0.6, Dagger and Dweller Max 3 side by side.
Which Pomoly Hot Tent Should You Buy?
Buy the Circle 6 if you're camping with two to four people, or you want the most living space. Just know the hoop will test you in the cold.
Buy the Chalet 70 Pro if you want one tent for every season. The mesh walls make it my go-to, and the stove jack makes it a winter tent too. Keep an eye on the corner seams after a year.
Buy the Locomotive 20 if you're solo and want the lightest, lowest tent of the four. Taller campers will find the low door awkward. If you're shopping new, Pomoly has since released the Locomotive 3. I haven't tested it.
Buy the Barracuda 2 if you drive close to camp and want a tent you can actually live in, with windows to watch the weather. Bring a groundsheet.
The Locomotive 20 gets a 3/5 from me because it's too short for me once a sleeping pad is inside. My feet touch the back ceiling.
Pomoly Circle 6: best for 2 to 4 people who want room to stand. My rating: 5/5
Pomoly Chalet 70 Pro: best for one person with a stove, year round. My rating: 5/5
Pomoly Locomotive 20: best for light solo winter trips. My rating: 3/5
Pomoly Barracuda 2: best for drive-up trips with room to live. My rating: 4/5
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