I maintained for a long time that the 4-season tent most ideally suited for backpacking in Pacific Northwest winter conditions was the Snow Peak Lago 1—once made by Snow Peak and originally designed for mountain climbers. Snow Peak stopped making that tent years ago.
The good news is that there is another company in Japan making a similar and better tent — the Ripen Air Raiz 1, that can be shipped to the USA.
This tent has appeared under the brand name “Leipen” and the Japanese Amazon website says “Brand: Arai tent,” but the stuff sack says “Ripen.”
If you have been looking around for a solo four-season tent, you have probably already discovered that the most popular lightweight versions, such as the MSR Advance Pro 2 costs around $800 and the Big Sky Chinook 1 cost around $6o0. The Chinook 1 is really the only light solo 4-season tent available on the US market that has a double-wall construction to mitigate condensation. However, the Ripen Air Raiz 1 (Air Rise?) is the most affordable double-wall 4-season solo tent. In my opinion, it is also the best. It is in the $350 range and there is a way to get it from Japan.
In Japan, the Ripen Air Raiz 1 sells new for ¥50,600 or $346 USD (updated, June 21, 2025). Presently, no retailer is selling it in the USA, although a few are showing up on eBay for around twice the price ($680 range). However, it can be found on the Japanese Amazon site (orange and green) and on the websites of other Japanese retailers, some of whom may ship to the USA (you can use Google Translate to try to navigate their websites).
Remco, one of the hikers in our Winter Backpacking Meetup, bought the one shown here (Green one below) on its first tryout.
Unlike the earlier Lago 1, this design has a side vent and a tent vestibule built into the fly. The fly also extends low to the ground on all sides providing more rain and wind protection.
Ripen Air Riaz 1 Size and Weight
The Ripen Air Raiz 1 is two to three inches shorter than American options: L 80.3″ x W 39.4″ x H 41.3″ inches (205 x 100 x 105 cm) or 6′ 8″ inches long. Overall, the design and weight (3 lbs 5.6 oz) are nearly the same as the Snow Peak Lago 1 (3 lbs).
If you are tall, six feet or above this tent may feel a bit short. If you fit comfortably on a regular-size Thermarest NeoAir sleeping pad (Regular Wide: 72 x 25 x 3 inches), the length is fine. The solo version of the tent is roomy enough to put two Thermarest NeoAir sleeping pads and air mattresses next to each other (shown below). If the manufacturer wanted to make a true solo tent, they could shave off more weight.
Comparisons
Here are some comparisons with what I regard as the main competitor 4-season solo tents.
Ripen Air Riaz (or ARAI) (1360 Grams / 3 lbs, Y50,600 = $346 June 8, 2024)
- Width 39.4 x Depth 80.7 x Height 39.4 inches
Black Diamond FirstLight 2P 4-Season (3 lbs 6 oz, $499.95)
- Width 48 x Depth 82 x Height 42 inches
MSR Access 1P 4-Season (3 lbs 8 oz / $679.95)
- Width 33 x Depth 83.8 x Height 40 inches
MSR Advance Pro 2P 4-Season (3 lbs 3 oz / $799.95)
- Width 42 x Depth 82 x Height 44 inches
Big Sky International Chinook 1P (3 lbs 7 oz / $599.95 [A good option and a lower price than previously])
- Width (head) 36, width (foot) 24 x Depth 91 x Height 39 inches
Durston X-Dome 1+ (2 lbs 2.6 oz / 980 g, regular version 3-season version. A few ounces heavier for the solid version. $379)
- 85″ (2.15 m) straight, or 90″ (2.3 m) diagonal. 29 – 50″ (0.75 – 1.3 m)
These are all good tents. I like the Big Sky International Chinook 1P. I also like the Durston X-Dome 1+, which is a recent option.
The Durston is well made and wins on weight. The price is competative. Next to the Ripen, I would probably recommend the Durston. So far, I have only seen the two-person version used in our group and I sam looking forward to seeing the solo version. Ultimately, I prefer the Ripen because of the end entrance and true X-frame design. When you have to dig out an area of snow and build a snow wall for wind protection at high elevations, the end entrance makes it easier to put the tents closer together and I expect the true X-frame design makes the Ripen more wind proof. That said, either option seems good to me.
Tent pegs
Bear in mind that the Ripen tent weight given above (3 lbs 5.6 oz.) includes 13 aluminum tent pegs. Ditch these heavy pegs for lighter and fewer snow pegs.
Unless there are really high winds, I’m only likely to pack 6-7 Coghlan snow pegs. I don’t use thi Ripen tent in the summer, but if I did I would use lighter titanium pegs.
Mosquito Netting
Comparative Differences
There are a few differences to be aware of.
First, the Ripen Air Raiz 1 is slightly shoter: L 80.3″ x W 39.4″ x H 41.3″ inches (205 x 100 x 105 cm) or 6′ 8″ inches long.
By comparison, the MSR Advance Pro 2 is L 82″ x W 42″ x H 44″ (208 x 107 x 112 cm). The older Snow Peak Lago 1 is L 89″ x W 36″ x H 40″ (226 x 91.4 x 102 cm according to an internet review). My own measurement is roughly 84 inches in length.
The Ripen Air Raiz 1 seems to be designed for shorter people, which is fine for me, but if you are 6 feet tall or above, the 6-feet 8-inch length is likely to leave your sleeping bag touching the back wall of the tent.
There is a another Japanese tent, the Mont-Bell StellaRidge 1 that is 82.6 inches long (210 cm). It also has a double wall with vestibule, but they don’t ship outside of Japan. The Mont-Bell tent and fly are sold separately (with the fly not fitting models manufactured before 2019). A few show up on eBay, but at a much higher cost, around $815 complete (tent and fly sold separately)
The largest option is the Big Sky Chinook 1, 91″ x 24/36″ x 39″ (230 x 92/60 x 99 cm). The Chinook has more floor space but is not quite as tall for sitting up.
Second, although the fly has the vestibule and superior rain and wind protection, rain is usually not a problem and the added protection may cause more condensation. However, this may not be an issue, because all sides of the tent under the fly are breathable, whereas on the Lago, only the sides breath. I have used the Ripen for a few years now and found no significant degree of condensation.
For more about winter tent options see “3-Season vs. 4-Season Tents.”
Please comment below
If you have any suggestions or questions, please let me know. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
*Just so you know, there is no financial incentive behind any of the gear recommendations on this website. No company sponsors my reviews. In this case, I now have a Ripen Air Raiz 1 tent because I chose to buy it myself.
17 replies on “The Ripen Air Raiz 1, a 4-season Tent for the Pacific Northwest”
Hello Michael. Great job you do testing winter equipment. We live in Norway and some of your equipment is unknown for us. Just want to inform you about our wonderful tent from the tentmaker HUSKY in Cz. We got our Extreme Fighter 3-4 this winter and just love it. Heavy, yes, but good quality poles and fabric. Take a look at our pictures on insta @2fjellreker. All the best from Birthe and Kare
Thanks! Nice insta pics. I can see that a heavy tent is not as challenging where you are because you can use a pulk. A 10.5 lb tent would be hard going here in the Cascade Mountains. Our terrain is steep and the valleys full of trees. There’s not much flat terrain. We have to carry everything in backpacks so weight is a major consideration.
Thank you so much for the review! Is there any bug netting on the Leipen Air Raiz 1?
Excellent question. Yes, it has a double door, each with its own zipper. The inner door is a tight weave mosquito net. It will give you some visibility, but not as much as the type of loose mosquito netting that goes over a hat. I added a photo showing the mosquito netting.
Thank you Michael for the helpful information! I just ordered an ORANGE Leipen Air Raiz 1 on the Amazon JP site. Today’s price ¥50,600 + shipping, a Total ￥57,881. I paid $406 USD. I do need to register a new account to be able to check out.
I look forward to having Winter backpacking adventures with you all.
Thanks Lili! Countries everywhere have been raising interest rates so the dollar is loosing its import advantage. Still a reasonable deal compared to other options. I hope you get to enjoy the tent this winter.
I have Osteoarthritis both knees.
What tents would you recommend
for Me, I love camping? I’m 5’8″ Tall.
Please let me know what to purchase.
Sincerely, John
Hi John. Sorry about your Osteoarthritis problem. I’m not sure if any tent would ameliorate your difficulties with Osteoarthritis. That aside, if you are looking for a 4-season solo tent, I recommend the Samaya Radical 1, especially for climbers and anyone who needs to reduce pack weight. If you require a more all-weather tent, the double wall Leipen Air Raiz 1 is an excellent choice for the money. If you want more floor space consider the Big Sky Chinook 1. I hope that helps.
Hi,
on the topic of winter tents in general, what do you think about tunnel tents? Hilleberg Nallo or Nammatj would be two such examples. I am a Nordic hiker, and here tunnel tents are the default for winter hiking. One major advantage of tunner style tent is that one can assemble it flat, i.e. you stake one end, put the poles in place with the tent flat on the ground, and then pull the tent up and stake the other end, meaning it is relatively easy to pitch in a high wind situation. Many dome tents seem to pitch inner first, which for me would seem like a big downside for the design, but you seem to be fine with that.
One issue with tunnel tents is that those designs in practice seem to be more weight-efficient for 2p -designs, and you seem to favour 1p tents. The 1p Akto seems pretty tight for winter use, but then again, so seem those mountaineering tents you seem to favour.
Hi Jesse
When you say you’re a Nordic hiker, does this mean you are hiking in Scandinavia, Finland, Iceland? Whatever may be the case, I hope you will share some of your winter adventure photos and experiences on our Facebook group page.
From a tent set-up point of view, staking out a tent in deep snow is challenging. So I don’t want that tasks in high winds. With a free-standing tent (preferable an x-frame design), I can set the poles, throw my pack inside to weight it, and climb in. Once inside, I can change into my camp layers and then go out, secure the tent with deep dead-man pegs, trim the fly, and build a snow wall if needed. Now, if you are dealing with gale force winds (39-46 Mph/62-74 kph), then maybe the lay flat system has an advantage. In most situations, I’m only in 10–20mph winds.
Aside from setting up the tent, the only Hilleberg tents I would consider are the Enan solo tent ($720, 1.2 kg/2 lbs 10 oz) or Akto ($635, 1.7 kg/3 lbs 12 oz) because these align closer with the 3-pound rule. The Hilleberg Nallo ($855, 2.4 kg/5 lbs 5 oz) and Nammatj ($925, 3.0 kg/6 lbs 10 oz) are just to heavy for winter backpacking. If you’re on skis pulling a polk on relatively flat or gradual terrain, then these heavy bomb-proof tents are probably more attractive. But here in the Pacific Northwest, we are backpacking in steep terrain. We’re not using polks. Everything is in the backpack. So getting our winter backpacks down to 25–35 lbs (roughly 12 kg–16 kg) is a priority.
I think most people here favor the 1-person tents because they are lighter. The Leipen Air actually seems roomy to me, especially compared with the Samaya Radical1. For long winter nights, the extra space is appreciated. Samaya is the only company offering spacious 4-season tents that are under 3 pounds.
Hi Michael! I bought the Leipen Air, and I’m excited about it! But I’m wondering, did you use the seam sealer that came with it or a different one? Curious if you have any recommendations about this. Thanks!
Hi KS. I hope you enjoy your new tent. I did not use the seam sealer because I am only using this tent in snow and winter conditions and not rain. However, another hiker in our group has the tent and he tested it with a garden hose and in overnight mild rain in his backyard and said there was no leakage. He thinks the sealer is unnecessary. I have no plan to use the sealer.
That’s helpful – thanks, Michael!
One more question for you – have you had the chance to test the tent in strong winds, and if so, how did it hold up?
Sorry KS. I just now noticed your second question. Thus far I have not used the Leipen in high winds but I have used the similar Lago 1 tent in 20–35 mph winds many times with no problems. The x-frame design is strong. I expect it can handle unexpected gale force winds but if the forecast is gale force I’m probably going to stay home.
I have the Tarptent Arcdome 1 which is proving excellent so far. Has anyone else tried it outside of Scotland ?
Looks good. I am interested to learn more. How much does the winter version weigh?