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- Verified Buyer
I am a 60-ish, rather short woman with a fair amount of backpacking experience, but now I prefer more relaxed car-camping. I wanted a tent that would hold one person and a lot of gear and be tall enough to stand up in, and blend with the landscape, and I wanted nylon (not canvas) to dry quickly and avoid mildew in my damp climate. I also wanted a full-coverage rainfly, as my previous tent’s fly would flap and let rain in when windy. I had my doubts about this tent, as it seemed too ‘cute’ to be substantial or practical, but given the low Prime Day price, I took a chance. I have camped in it twice now, and I am delighted!When the shipping box arrived, I was cautious when cutting through the tape, but there was a strip of cardboard under the top flap opening to protect the contents…first clue that this was thoughtfully made, or at least thoughtfully packaged! It is fairly heavy, but the bagged tent is under 4’ long, unlike some ‘instant’ tents. The bag is top-opening (not on the end), and does not cinch up completely, but is easy to repack, and has handles on each end, and a snap strap around the contents serves as a center handle.There are brief instructions in the bag, and following them is helpful for the first setup, though I have a few tops for improvement. poles are pre-connected with sturdy joints, and their long segments are on the usual elastic shock cords. It took a minute to figure out which way was up, but after the first setup, it was easy the second time. I laid out a tarp as a ground cover, the staked the tent floor corners. (Put the stakes through the strap loops, not the grommets!) The tent has clips to attach it to the external frame. Contrary to the instructions, though, I strongly recommend clipping the ridgeline clips to the top bar of the frame before setting the frame up…much easier to reach those while the frame is still lying on the flat tent! Then raise the frame into position, putting the pointy pole ends into the corner grommets. (There is some tension on the poles when set, but this is what keeps such a vertical-walled tent stable.) Then, the rest of the clips can be attached.The fly is made of much more substantial fabric than the tent itself, and has well-stitched, sealed seams. The bottom ends of each zipper also have velcro reinforcing tabs. Getting it up and across the set-up tent was a hassle, but I use a broomhandle to help. (A second person would make it much easier, but it is definitely manageable by one short, un-athletic person.) The fly corners snap into the latches on the tent corner straps. There are loops with adjustment clips for staking out the extended ‘vestibule’ ends. The shade-fly at the front is supported by two reasonably sturdy poles in three segments, and staked-out cords with adjustment sliders, which get looped around the pole tops. (Tie your own knots) There are also staked cords at the back corners of the fly to aid stability. It was moderately windy the first week I used it, so I used the two other separate cords (meant for the large back ventilation flap) to reinforce the front shade fly. I also lowered the poles to bring the shade fly down a bit and catch less wind, which could be done without having to re-stake the cords. The whole tend felt quite stable in the wind, and did not flap or deflect, though I would drop the front shade fly and zip it closed for truly bad weather.I was impressed by the various thoughtful design features! The left vestibule area has its own full-height door in the rainfly and also in the tent itself. This gives easy access to storage in that area: I stash the cooler there. It would also serve as the preferred door in any serious rainstorm, when the front shade fly is zipped shut and prevents use of the front door. The fly at that corner also attaches separately, and can be folded back. The screen windows are large and plentiful: in addition to the ‘cute’ front window, the right end and back have have large windows, the left end has a smaller one, both doors have window panels, and the roof is mesh. All windows (except the roof mesh) also have zip-up covers on the inside, and the large back window has a corresponding zippered flap in the rain fly which can be staked out for sheltered ventilation. There are stiffened gable vents to reduce condensation when everything is fully zipped up, and a small, low zippered hatch in the right end for crawling-height access to the vestibule at that end. (I believe it is intended as a dog door, if you put your dog’s bed in the vestibule; I use it to stash the tent bags and other items that don’t need frequent access.) There are side pockets on the inside of each end wall, but honestly, these are too low to be ideal. Better than having your phone or inhaler or flashlight go sliding around on the floor, though. The floor itself is not crinkly as some are, but I use a plastic woven outdoor rug on it anyway. I do not expect any tent to be warm, and no mesh-ceiling tent will keep in heat like one with a double solid ceiling/fly comb, but I have used this at 40°F, and being able to seal out the drafts so effectively makes a huge difference in comfort. (That, and a good sleeping bag and hat.)I was dubious about the mesh ceiling, as my last tent had one that leaked like a sieve. This tent has not yet gone through a serious rainstorm, but so far, the fly seems well-designed and waterproof, and all sides zip fully to the ground. No water got in during the minor rain I have camped in so far, and I am optimistic for future outings. Especially during rain, having a tent with room to stand up is wonderful! It is about 6’ high in the middle, long enough to hold my cot without bumping into the walls and still have room to put my chair and all my gear inside…and if I ever bring my husband along, there is enough space for a queen-size air mattress instead, and a bit of gear.The biggest drawback is setup time. It is not ‘instant’, and because of the multiple stakes, clips, and fly, it takes a bit longer than a dome tent would. I could do it in half an hour, though, if I tried. Not ideal for a single-night campsite, but for multi-day outings in one location, it has been wonderful. As with every tent I have ever seen, though, it ships with rather skimpy stakes. They are better than some, but I still replaced them with heavier, longer ones.
