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Two-Person Tents


Ferreter5

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Just throwing it out there. I own the L.L. Bean Ultra light 2 person tent. Its a tight squeeze for two people, but it keeps us warm and dry and its also very light and compact. Pretty easy to set up.

Hi DruNuts,

 

I haven't looked at anything from L.L. Bean as yet. Can't say as I've ever thought of them first when considering outdoor gear. Not really sure why.

 

I'll have to give 'em a look to see what they have in tents. Thanks for the suggestion!

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Due to my lack of experience with tents I have a question ... What is the difference between three-season tents and four-season tents?

About 5 lbs.

 

Seriously, they are a lot heavier than 3 season tents. They are designed with more and heavier poles to withstand a snow load and much higher winds. They also have a lot less ventilation. Ventilation is great in

most seasons, but you really don't want a breeze inside your tent in the winter.

 

I think 4 season tent is a misnomer. They are really 1 season tents. They would not be very suitable for use in the summer. The weight factor aside, they will be pretty uncomfortable without the ventilation of a tent designed for summer use.

Thank you for the clarification, briansnat. :laughing:

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Hubba Hubba is a great tent. Lots of nice features. It was one I considered before buying my SD Sirius. Looking at the specs tho, it's 3 inches narrower than my SD Sirius (50" vs. 53"). I thought my Sirus was

tight in side at 53 inches, so Hubba Hubba is going to an even tighter fit for two. Perhaps the Mother Hubba

might be the way to go. Most 2 person backpacking tents are a very tight fit for 2 full sized adults.

That seems to be something several folks have said here in this thread -- a two-person tent can be tight, maybe consider going with a three-person tent.

 

I looked at the dimensions of several tents so far and to get the size perspective in my mind I measured those dimensions against our queen-sized bed. It's been interesting seeing how large/small the tents look in comparison.

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Just throwing it out there. I own the L.L. Bean Ultra light 2 person tent. Its a tight squeeze for two people, but it keeps us warm and dry and its also very light and compact. Pretty easy to set up.

Hi DruNuts,

 

I haven't looked at anything from L.L. Bean as yet. Can't say as I've ever thought of them first when considering outdoor gear. Not really sure why.

 

I'll have to give 'em a look to see what they have in tents. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

Do not rule out LL Bean tents. They make quality tents, usually at a pretty affordable price.

Edited by briansnat
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That seems to be something several folks have said here in this thread -- a two-person tent can be tight, maybe consider going with a three-person tent.

 

Backpacking tents are designed with the idea that the occupants will sleep head to foot, rather than shoulder to shoulder. I'm gonna try that next time the wife and I go backpacking.

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That seems to be something several folks have said here in this thread -- a two-person tent can be tight, maybe consider going with a three-person tent.

 

Backpacking tents are designed with the idea that the occupants will sleep head to foot, rather than shoulder to shoulder. I'm gonna try that next time the wife and I go backpacking.

 

Just what I'd want to snuggle up against after a long day of hiking... smelly feet.

 

:anicute:

 

 

michelle

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That seems to be something several folks have said here in this thread -- a two-person tent can be tight, maybe consider going with a three-person tent.

 

Backpacking tents are designed with the idea that the occupants will sleep head to foot, rather than shoulder to shoulder. I'm gonna try that next time the wife and I go backpacking.

 

Just what I'd want to snuggle up against after a long day of hiking... smelly feet.

 

:rolleyes:

 

 

michelle

Kind of why I've never done it before. I'm hoping that they won't smell too bad through the sleeping bag and that the extra shoulder room it gives makes it worthwhile.

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I've got a Kelty Gunnison 2. It is:

 

2 person

Three-season

5 lbs. 9 oz. total weight

7 ft. 8 in. long x 4 ft. 10 in. wide x 3 ft. 4 in. interior height

It can be put up by one person

2 poles with clip design

Rainfly

24 square feet of total vestibule space

 

It has 2 doors and 2 vestibules. With the 2 door design you don't have to climb over the other person to get in the tent. Each vestibule has 12 square feet of space, that is plenty of space for a couple packs in each vestibule. I'm 6'6" so I needed a long tent and this one has plenty of room. I've stayed in it several times with another camper and you definitely sleep close shoulder to shoulder (I know you're supposed to sleep head to foot but I don't want someone's feet in my face) with 2 but it's not too cramped.

I got mine for $120 about three years ago.

Edited by Gary the Possum
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I picked up a Sierra Designs Gamma a few weeks ago (a friend has used it for the past year and recommends it highly). Very well made with lots of room for two 6 footers and weighs in at 5 lbs. I picked this model up at a very good price because it's last years model.

 

The Sierra Designs Electron RC2 is a bit heavier (8 oz.) but has two doors and two vestubles; otherwise identical to the Gamma.

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The new tent... well, OUR new tent:

 

REI Quarterdome T3

I have seriously been looking at this tent. There's a lot to like, including the price. The only things I've seen in reviews of it that concern me are the possible shortness of the length of the tent, and that the fly doesn't quite go all the way to the ground.

 

Unfortunately, there aren't any REI stores in NY so checking out their wares in person isn't convenient. There's a great place here in the Finger Lakes for one and I'm hoping someday they'll have a store here.

 

I've also been considering the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL 3. It's slightly lighter, larger, more vestibule space ... but costs $200 more than the REI Quarterdone T3 -- yikes!

 

This is all good stuff from everyone and I appreciate all of the suggestions.

Edited by Ferreter5
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I picked up a Sierra Designs Gamma a few weeks ago (a friend has used it for the past year and recommends it highly). Very well made with lots of room for two 6 footers and weighs in at 5 lbs. I picked this model up at a very good price because it's last years model.

 

The Sierra Designs Electron RC2 is a bit heavier (8 oz.) but has two doors and two vestubles; otherwise identical to the Gamma.

The Electron and Gamma look interesting. I'll check 'em out. Thanks for the suggestion, ergomaniac!

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I have seriously been looking at this tent. There's a lot to like, including the price. The only things I've seen in reviews of it that concern me are the possible shortness of the length of the tent, and that the fly doesn't quite go all the way to the ground.

 

Unfortunately, there aren't any REI stores in NY so checking out their wares in person isn't convenient. There's a great place here in the Finger Lakes for one and I'm hoping someday they'll have a store here.

 

I've also been considering the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL 3. It's slightly lighter, larger, more vestibule space ... but costs $200 more than the REI Quarterdone T3 -- yikes!

 

This is all good stuff from everyone and I appreciate all of the suggestions.

 

I'm not sure where you heard the fly doesn't go to the ground, but I can assure you it does... The entire tent, aside from the bathtub floor, is mesh... if it didn't go to the ground you'd be screwed! We've been stuck out in the rain in the 2-man and never had issues with water from a too-short-fly.

 

The tent seems pretty comparable, lengthwise, compared to most tents of this type - lightweight, 2 or 3-man. It's certainly no shorter than our two-man. We threw a standard length sleeping pad and a tall-length sleeping pad in and they fit as we expected them to.

 

How tall are the people you're needing to fit in a tent? (A good thing to know when you're looking for suggestions from others!)

 

The reality of it is that if you're looking for luxury and room in a backpacking tent you're going to have to have to be willing to pack more weight (for a bigger tent) and/or pay more.

 

We don't hike enough to justify the big-bucks for a tent. (I'd like to spend my money on a warmer sleeping bag, please.)

 

One of the things I'm excited about re: the T3 is that it has the fast-pack option... which, for me, means that the ground cover fits a LOT better under the tent. The older 2-man has the WORST ground cover ever. After I read about the fast-pack option I spent the $30 on the extra piece.

 

We set it up last night (fly and ground-cover)... and will need a LOT more practice to get that thing up in a timely fashion if it's pouring down rain (a la Totemlake's set the tent up after you have the fly up example)

 

If you don't have an REI close by that makes REI tents a lot harder to find unless you're willing to suck up the shipping factor... If you can find something better, even at a higher cost (REI tent +shipping... or shipping + shipping it back if you hate it) it might be worth it to get something else.

 

One lovely benefit of REI is that you can take (send) anything back at any reasonable point in time if you're dissatisfied. No questions asked.

 

 

michelle

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I'm not sure where you heard the fly doesn't go to the ground, but I can assure you it does... The entire tent, aside from the bathtub floor, is mesh... if it didn't go to the ground you'd be screwed! We've been stuck out in the rain in the 2-man and never had issues with water from a too-short-fly.

That was just a one-liner I saw in a review somewhere. Not sure why it gave me pause or stuck in my head. Checking the pictures of the REI Quarterdome T3 it certainly shows the fly going all the way to the ground.

 

How tall are the people you're needing to fit in a tent? (A good thing to know when you're looking for suggestions from others!)

I am 6'3" tall, but I don't usually sleep stretched out on my back. I usually sleep on my side with my legs a little bent at the hips and knees. Everyone else in my family is shorter than I am.

 

We don't hike enough to justify the big-bucks for a tent. (I'd like to spend my money on a warmer sleeping bag, please.)

Hee hee, I haven't yet started a forum thread on sleeping bags and pads yet. That'll come in the near future, I think.

 

One of the things I'm excited about re: the T3 is that it has the fast-pack option... which, for me, means that the ground cover fits a LOT better under the tent. The older 2-man has the WORST ground cover ever. After I read about the fast-pack option I spent the $30 on the extra piece.

 

We set it up last night (fly and ground-cover)... and will need a LOT more practice to get that thing up in a timely fashion if it's pouring down rain (a la Totemlake's set the tent up after you have the fly up example)

I'm figuring on getting a ground cover for whatever I end up with.

 

Could the fly be left clipped to the tent and the whole thing set up at once or does the fly clip to the poles so that wouldn't work?

 

michelle

Thank you for providing so much valuable information about tents!

Edited by Ferreter5
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I'm not sure where you heard the fly doesn't go to the ground, but I can assure you it does... The entire tent, aside from the bathtub floor, is mesh... if it didn't go to the ground you'd be screwed! We've been stuck out in the rain in the 2-man and never had issues with water from a too-short-fly.

That was just a one-liner I saw in a review somewhere. Not sure why it gave me pause or stuck in my head. Checking the pictures of the REI Quarterdome T3 it certainly shows the fly going all the way to the ground.

 

I think the gripe came about because the fly is not touching the ground. Good flys for tents will not touch the ground. They will be about 2 inches above the ground level, but beneath the edge of the "bathtub" of th tent and they will be separate enough from the tent to prevent any splashback from a fierce storm.

 

The gap provides the ventilation in a tent that would otherwise have serious condensation issues from your everyday bodily functions. I once owned a tent that sealed up very well. Let me just say there's nothing like having your own bad breath dripping on ya. You'll appreciate how dry the tent will stay because of that 360 deg ventilation while protected from the elements.

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I think the gripe came about because the fly is not touching the ground. Good flys for tents will not touch the ground. They will be about 2 inches above the ground level, but beneath the edge of the "bathtub" of th tent and they will be separate enough from the tent to prevent any splashback from a fierce storm.

 

The gap provides the ventilation in a tent that would otherwise have serious condensation issues from your everyday bodily functions. I once owned a tent that sealed up very well. Let me just say there's nothing like having your own bad breath dripping on ya. You'll appreciate how dry the tent will stay because of that 360 deg ventilation while protected from the elements.

Hey thanks, TotemLake, for helping clear that up for me. I can see how having the fly sealed up completely could lead to condensation problems. Letting a little air in the bottom (while still protecting from rain and splash) and ventilating out the top makes sense.

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Let me just say there's nothing like having your own bad breath dripping on ya. You'll appreciate how dry the tent will stay because of that 360 deg ventilation while protected from the elements.

 

I once woke up to a snow storm inside a tent. Condensation formed inside, froze, then fell in snowflake like

form. Pretty funny. There was actually a ligh dusting of "snow" on my sleeping bag.

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A subject I know about also! I have had to lighten my pack due to my knees and age and recently purchased two very nice and light 2 person tents.

 

I have the Big Agnes seed house 2, the UL one, a little over 3 pounds. Very very dry and airy. Here is a pic:

 

TSH2SL.jpg

 

Another brand you may want to consider are the tarp tents by henry spires. He makes several differant designs, I chose the double rainbow for my needs. I has one pole, and you can use your hiking poles to make "porches" which can still remain open during a light rain. You can also use them to make the tent freestanding. Here is a pic of mine in the yard:

 

rainbow6.jpg

 

rainbow5.jpg

 

rainbow1.jpg

Here it is snugged down for bad weather

rainbow.jpg

Here is a link for a review of the tarptentdouble rainbow

 

If you go to the homepage of backpackgeartest.org you can look up reviews on all kinds of stuff. The reviews are very extensive and include pics and stuff. There are a lot of light tents to chose from, It's easy to find sub 3 pound ones. I would definatly stay under 4 pounds.

Edited by gitarmac
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That seems to be something several folks have said here in this thread -- a two-person tent can be tight, maybe consider going with a three-person tent.

 

Backpacking tents are designed with the idea that the occupants will sleep head to foot, rather than shoulder to shoulder. I'm gonna try that next time the wife and I go backpacking.

 

Just what I'd want to snuggle up against after a long day of hiking... smelly feet.

 

:huh:

 

 

michelle

Kind of why I've never done it before. I'm hoping that they won't smell too bad through the sleeping bag and that the extra shoulder room it gives makes it worthwhile.

 

There was this one winter hike on Mt Lafayette in the Whites of New Hampshire. We had split up into two person teams. One guy foolishly got too far ahead of his partner who decided it was "too cold" and turned back for a hotel room. Which meant this other guy was left on the mountain without a tent. We got 3 people into my Gerry Mountain II that night - two shoulder to shoulder and the guy in the middle head to feet. No one was too concerned about smelly feet. 'course it was -15°.......

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There was this one winter hike on Mt Lafayette in the Whites of New Hampshire. We had split up into two person teams. One guy foolishly got too far ahead of his partner who decided it was "too cold" and turned back for a hotel room. Which meant this other guy was left on the mountain without a tent. We got 3 people into my Gerry Mountain II that night - two shoulder to shoulder and the guy in the middle head to feet. No one was too concerned about smelly feet. 'course it was -15°.......

So did that guy ever get invited back out?

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There was this one winter hike on Mt Lafayette in the Whites of New Hampshire. We had split up into two person teams. One guy foolishly got too far ahead of his partner who decided it was "too cold" and turned back for a hotel room. Which meant this other guy was left on the mountain without a tent. We got 3 people into my Gerry Mountain II that night - two shoulder to shoulder and the guy in the middle head to feet. No one was too concerned about smelly feet. 'course it was -15°.......

So did that guy ever get invited back out?

 

Ya know, I don't recall whether he was ever out with us again. My main point was stuffing 3 people into a 2 man winter tent.

 

But, to elaborate because it sounded a bit too harsh, he was not the only one to turn back. There were a few others - but they left together. The main problem was this guy's partner was foolishly too far ahead and had only the fly, stakes and poles, IIRC. The guy who turned back had the rest of their tent. But, before turning back he discussed it with us and we agreed that we could find room in one of the tents for the other guy. We weren't too happy with either one of them, though. And had no intention of carrying in the additional tent parts. Lesson learned about who I go with.

 

The next night we spent in snow caves and were much more comfortable.

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The "latest" backpacker mag shows the REI quarter dome T3 and the Big Agnes copper spur ul3 neck-'n- neck.

With the B.A. leading a small margin in room, but WAY more in price.

May have to get some reviews on these myself.

 

It's not that I TRY to go out in inclement weather, but sheise happens. Rarely do I have the time needed to plan a trip on it being gorgeous out , much less dry and light wind.

Someone mentioned a "lack of ventilation" in all-season tents... Not so. In fact, MORE is needed to keep condensation forming in colder/wet environs.

Stayed three days in the snow with my 1st wife (there've been a few) in Eugene, OR AND four in the POURING rain/sleet (pitched the tent up IN it) in Yakima, WA (meeting the folks and play) in a Hilleberg and never experienced any major condensation problems . Haven't been in a Hille since, but that was TWENTY years ago! Have to improved even more today.

Every time I've been in a "lighter/lesser " tent in adverse conditions (maybe I'm a jinx) I've been soaked.

 

I actually prefer a bivy bag while solo, but in order to keep CJ interested , need a tent.

Do the bears prefer dining IN or OUT... :unsure:

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The "latest" backpacker mag shows the REI quarter dome T3 and the Big Agnes copper spur ul3 neck-'n- neck.

With the B.A. leading a small margin in room, but WAY more in price.

May have to get some reviews on these myself.

 

It's not that I TRY to go out in inclement weather, but sheise happens. Rarely do I have the time needed to plan a trip on it being gorgeous out , much less dry and light wind.

Someone mentioned a "lack of ventilation" in all-season tents... Not so. In fact, MORE is needed to keep condensation forming in colder/wet environs.

Stayed three days in the snow with my 1st wife (there've been a few) in Eugene, OR AND four in the POURING rain/sleet (pitched the tent up IN it) in Yakima, WA (meeting the folks and play) in a Hilleberg and never experienced any major condensation problems . Haven't been in a Hille since, but that was TWENTY years ago! Have to improved even more today.

Every time I've been in a "lighter/lesser " tent in adverse conditions (maybe I'm a jinx) I've been soaked.

 

I actually prefer a bivy bag while solo, but in order to keep CJ interested , need a tent.

Do the bears prefer dining IN or OUT... :unsure:

Soemtimes they prefer a twinkie versus a big meal. :laughing:

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If you have an REI store near you, try their brand tents. I have been using a 2 person tent from them ( the name is slipping my mind right now) for many years and it has all the features you said you are looking for. I really like it, and REI is great, if you ever have a problem, just take it back and they will replace it or give you something else. I have also used a Kelty Dolemite, and a North Face. I think the REI tent takes the cake.

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I have been using a NF Tadpole for almost 4 years now and it has done me proper. There are a few minor faults, as is with any product, but overall I would recommend it. It packs in @ 4lbs 4oz and can be stripped down to rainfly/footprint (weather permitting) @ under 3lbs. Here is a link to its specs on the NF homepage.

 

Here is a picture of it with the rainfly on. The vestible in the front has plenty of room to keep 2 packs out of the rain.

slide11.jpg

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I have the REI Halfdome 2. It's larger than the quarterdome at not that much more weight. It's been a good bomb proof tent that's held up well in deep snow and winter use. There are doors on both sides with good size vestibules on both side for cooking and gear. I also use a Hennesey Hammock for the other 3 seasons when the weather is warmer. You MUST use some decent insulation under you. Most important part of keeping warm is good insulation under you.

 

I have 3-4 more tents that I don't use much anymore. It's easy to get caught up in the tent mania. There are a lot of good tents out there and a lot of poor ones. REI has always done well in tent making. I have a Eureka Timberline Exp. 4 man tent as my car camping tent and it's held up to Alaska winds and heavy winter snows. You don't need to spend $400-$500 for a good tent. There are plenty in the $150-$250 range. No matter what you buy. Get a bottle of seam sealer and reseal every seam on the tent.

 

Don't bother buying a footprint. That's just a way to suck more money out of the newbies. You can make one from tyvek or 6 mil plastic if you really feel you need one. You don't need one though. I've used many tents over the years and never had a floor puncture.

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Don't buy MSR. Their customer service has gone down the drain. Buy a Big Agnes!! The Seedhouse is awesome and fits everything you're looking for. I have the Sarvis SL2+ eVent and it's the best tent I've ever owned hands down. Lightweight, yet spacious and weatherproof! Check them out - they stand in front of their products.

 

^^ike

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I use REI Morph (no longer carried). 3/4 season convertible. That means for full wind and weather resistance I can put an extra pole over the middle for strength, a zip-out liner can be insralled for extra warmth, and a vestibule that can be attached to fly. That whole ensem is about 7lbs. I can drop it to 4 lbs by going with just the tent and fly w/o the extra mid pole, liner, and vestibule. More than being 3/4 season, it's about desired comfort level. The vestibule gives huge space for gear, cooking, etc., and is great to have during stormy summer weather.

The short retail run of the Morph model indicates to me that it didn't sell well with the target audience, and REI has come up with some other models. You can't go wrong with the half-dome, becoming I guess their flagship tent.

The Big Agnes is certainly a fine tent; I wouldn't buy it because somehow the name irks me (oh well, get over myself...). I would also look at the Marmot line. I would have bought one of the Marmots except for being budget conscience - I'm very happy with my REI; it's my 2nd tent in 28 years (yes, my first lasted me 20 - only 8 on the Morph). I got mine on sale for $140.00, would have had to spend $450+ on Marmot, so......

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Anybody have any experience with the North Face Rock 32 or Marmot Limelight?

 

Added links

NF Rock 32

Marmot Limelight 3

 

OK, I know I'm replying to my own post.

Just wanted to say that I ended up with the Marmot Limelight 3. Haven't really used it yet other than setting it up to check it out, but I like what I see so far.

 

The Limelight replaces my old Gerry Mountain II which was an "A" frame catenary cut tent with vestibule and zipper opening at one end and tunnel entrance at the other. It had four interior gear pockets and a zippered half circle cookhole at the vestibule end. (Yes, I have cooked inside the tent many times with an MSR GK-X). Tent was spacious for 2 but could fit 3. It weighed over 7 lbs and was not well ventilated by today's standards. It was used almost exclusively for winter camping.

 

The Marmot Limelight 3 weighs 6 lbs 5 oz complete with hardware and is said to be a 3.5 season tent. It packs a bit long (22") because of the poles. It was easy and fast to set up and spacious for two. Three could fit, but I'd opt for head to feet for the middle person. At 6'2" I fit very nicely. It has less screen netting than the other tents I looked at and this gives the impression of being "sturdier" while still being well vented. There are two zipped entrances, two roomy vestibules and four interior mesh gear pockets. I like the two entrances and look forward to not being stepped over in the middle of the night. It comes with a footprint and an additional gear loft. There are two main aluminum poles that set up the dome and an additional short "spreader" pole which makes the tent seem much "roomier". There are no sleeves for the poles - it uses all clips. The tub floor has one seam in the middle but it appears to be well taped.

 

It can be set up using just the footprint and fly, leaving the tent body behind for a significant weight savings. Though I'm not sure how you would use the "spreader" pole in that configuration. The footprint has it's own adjustable fastclips (as does the tent body) for attaching the corners of the fly. The two main poles were attached to each other with a rubber piece where they cross. The rubber piece reminded me of silicone. Not sure how well this will hold up but it seems easy to replace with a bit of paracord or even a heavy rubber band.

 

The color is not bad, being a combination of red and "pumpkin" - the colors are somewhat "muted" and not as bright as I first thought they would be.

 

Included were tent, footprint, fly, poles, 10 stakes, 1 stake puller, 4 fly tiedown lines and tensioners, 1 gear loft and 3 stuff sacks.

 

I'll write more after I spend a few nights in it and if anyone is interested....

Edited by cliff_hanger
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It packs a bit long (22") because of the poles. It was easy and fast to set up and spacious for two.

 

I always separate the poles and tent. The tent goes into a compression stuff sack and compresses to about the size of a football. Poles either go inside my pack in one corner, or are rolled up tightly in my wife's Thermarest.

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It packs a bit long (22") because of the poles. It was easy and fast to set up and spacious for two.

 

I always separate the poles and tent. The tent goes into a compression stuff sack and compresses to about the size of a football. Poles either go inside my pack in one corner, or are rolled up tightly in my wife's Thermarest.

 

We separate our gear as well.

 

I was recently reading an ultra-lighter talking about how he packs his bag and it was a little more 'free form' than compressing the tent - it goes inside the pack, kind of 'lining' the pack and then everything else gets stuffed inside.

 

As many little 'compression sacks' as we end up with (sleeping bags, tent, thermarests) I am intrigued.

 

 

michelle

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It packs a bit long (22") because of the poles. It was easy and fast to set up and spacious for two.

 

I always separate the poles and tent. The tent goes into a compression stuff sack and compresses to about the size of a football. Poles either go inside my pack in one corner, or are rolled up tightly in my wife's Thermarest.

 

We separate our gear as well.

 

I was recently reading an ultra-lighter talking about how he packs his bag and it was a little more 'free form' than compressing the tent - it goes inside the pack, kind of 'lining' the pack and then everything else gets stuffed inside.

 

As many little 'compression sacks' as we end up with (sleeping bags, tent, thermarests) I am intrigued.

 

 

michelle

I tried that once. I saw two problems with it. Pulling it out with everything on top of it in rain or shine. And putting it back in wet then putting everything back on top of it... rain or shine. Yah that's not a good plan.

 

Then I thought about putting everything in first with the tent lining the top, and came to the same conclusion.

 

I decided I liked having it rolled up where I was able to minimize the wet surface against things that could handle it better than other things.

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I always separate the poles and tent. The tent goes into a compression stuff sack and compresses to about the size of a football. Poles either go inside my pack in one corner, or are rolled up tightly in my wife's Thermarest.

 

We separate our gear as well.

 

Yeah, we separate the tent out, too. Someone here mentioned packing at the trailhead so that "community" gear like tent, water filter, stove, etc. got evenly distributed. That works well and you know who is carrying what.

 

I was just commenting that the poles seemed a little long when broken down. I never thought of rolling them up in a sleeping mat. Good idea.

 

I was recently reading an ultra-lighter talking about how he packs his bag and it was a little more 'free form' than compressing the tent - it goes inside the pack, kind of 'lining' the pack and then everything else gets stuffed inside.

 

As many little 'compression sacks' as we end up with (sleeping bags, tent, thermarests) I am intrigued.

 

michelle

 

Interesting. I never thought of that either. But, since most of my backpacking was done in winter conditions, my tent was most always wet from snow - so into the stuff sack it went.

 

So, what did everybody think of the rest of the review?

 

Bill

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I tried that once. I saw two problems with it. Pulling it out with everything on top of it in rain or shine. And putting it back in wet then putting everything back on top of it... rain or shine. Yah that's not a good plan.

 

Then I thought about putting everything in first with the tent lining the top, and came to the same conclusion.

 

I decided I liked having it rolled up where I was able to minimize the wet surface against things that could handle it better than other things.

 

I think part of the issue is that here we hike and camp in rain. I would be willing to bet that a lot of ultra-lighters do not. It would be a lot harder to be ultra-light when you have to plan for and carry gear that keeps you prepared for 3-seasons at all times.

 

:)

 

Ok, maybe not ALL times, but it's darn close.

 

 

michelle

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Interesting. I never thought of that either. But, since most of my backpacking was done in winter conditions, my tent was most always wet from snow - so into the stuff sack it went.

 

So, what did everybody think of the rest of the review?

 

Bill

Well you saw my thoughts on this above which match your experiences and is pretty typical here for the wet (no typo) side of Washington.

 

As for the tent, it resembles my MSR Hubba Hubba tent and the spreader will help to spread the fly if you only use that with the groundcloth.

 

As for the durability perception... that's pretty subjective. The netting, no matter how much or little, will always be the weak link. Because the Hubba Hubba is all netting attached to the tub floor, I tend to be more protective of it when rolling it up. The way I roll it up also serves to keep the wet side out and the dry side in. If you treat the Marmot with the same protective "attitude", it will serve you a long way.

 

As for stuff sacks:

I tended to stuff sack everything, but found I was going through and dumping the contents out to find one tiny little item. So, most of my little gear went into double-zippered ziplock baggies from the little sandwich size to the freezer gallon size. It helped to waterproof the contents and I could find what I was looking for without dumping the contents. That being said, I do need to buy and mark three breathable stuff sacks that are small and light enough for the tent, fly and groundcloth for easier and modular packability. The reason for calling out three is if one is wet, it won't dampen the others as easily although the fly does get a wipe down from one of those pack towel shammies.

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As for stuff sacks:

I tended to stuff sack everything, but found I was going through and dumping the contents out to find one tiny little item. So, most of my little gear went into double-zippered ziplock baggies from the little sandwich size to the freezer gallon size. It helped to waterproof the contents and I could find what I was looking for without dumping the contents. That being said, I do need to buy and mark three breathable stuff sacks that are small and light enough for the tent, fly and groundcloth for easier and modular packability. The reason for calling out three is if one is wet, it won't dampen the others as easily although the fly does get a wipe down from one of those pack towel shammies.

 

I stuff sack everything too. I put like things together and have a variety of sizes so I know where everything is. I also have some mesh ones now where I can see the contents.

 

I use a single compression sack for the tent, fly and ground cloth. I figure if one is wet they will all probably be wet.

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