updated: 2018-11
index
The following is a list of the current tents we have used along with their current roles.
- 3 season – Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL3
- 4 season – Sierra Designs Convert 2 2015 version
- 1 person 3 season – Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL 2
- car camping & backup – ALPS Mountaineering Aries 2
- retired – ALPS Mountaineering Edge 2
tents
Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL3 Tent (Amazon affiliate link)
- owned since: 2018/8
- current status: tent for normal backpacking (2 person)
- acquired: REI members only garage sale
- condition when acquired: used
- paid: $230.83 + $13.00 state tax
- ground sheet: $63.99 + $3.22 tax
- type: 3 person semi-freestanding tent
- seasons: 3 seasons
- doors: 2 door
- pack size: 5.5 x 19 inches
- vestibules: 2 by the doors, 8 sq. ft. each
- minimum trail weight: 2 lbs. 10 oz.
- packaged weight: 2 lbs. 15 oz.
- floor dimensions: 86 x 66/60 inches, 38 sq. ft.
- peak height: 42 inches
- poles: 1 NFL aluminum DAC Featherlite (9.3mm diameter)
- walls: single walled
- Canopy Fabric: Breathable ripstop nylon/polyester mesh
- Floor Fabric: Silicone-treated ripstop nylon
- rain fly: Silicone-treated ripstop nylon – can be used with just ground sheet (sold separately)
- We needed a tent on emergency bases as we had to resent our Sierra Designs Convert 2 back in for repair so we picked up this tent.
- It was very similar in construction to my BA Fly Creek HV UL2, but had 2 doors and vestibules.
- We took this on our last backpacking trip returning to Ausangate. I was worried about how it would hold up since it is a 3 season tent, but it held up well even in a crazy hailstorm.
- Unlike the Fly Creek, we didn’t have any condensation issues.
- My biggest complaint is that the zipper on the rainfly are very difficult to zip and get caught constantly on the fly.
- This is our standard backpacking tent going forward and to take advantage of the fly/footprint setup, I splurged recently and bought the footprint to this tent for $63.99 + $3.22 tax. Part of the reason was the base of the tent doesn’t fit the tyvek dimensions very well either.
- A negative about the footprint is that it matches the dimension of the tent itself exactly, but not the fly. So the space for the vestibules are on the ground. I may continue to carry a tyvek sheet so I can have an area in the vestibules where I can organize things and not be in the dirt.
back to tent index / back to equipment index
Sierra Designs Convert 2 2015 version (2017 Sierra Designs Convert 2 version – Amazon affiliate link)
- owned since: 2015
- current status: tent for tougher climates
- acquired: theclymb.com
- condition when acquired: new
- paid: $455.98 with $114.00 discount off $569.98 (won $500 credit with sweepstakes, so free)
- type: 2 person freestanding tent
- seasons: 4 seasons
- doors: 1 door
- pack size: 5.5 x 19 inches
- vestibules: 1 removable by the doors, 12.4 sq. ft. & 10.9 oz
- trail weight: 4 lbs. 9 oz. without vestibule
- pack weight: 5 lbs. 2 oz.
- floor dimensions: 87 x 56/49 inches, 31.7 sq. ft.
- peak height: 39 inches
- poles: Aluminum DAC NSL poles (3 connected, 1 seperate, 1 for vestibules)
- walls: double walled
- rain fly: attached as the 2nd wall – 20-denier ripstop polyester
- We’ve taken this tent to several trips around the world and is our go to tent for incremental climates.
- The poles did break when we weren’t careful setting it up in brutal winds in Norway.
- When set up properly and after repair, the tent handled our mountaineering course on Mt Baker to the surprise of our instructors through some brutal weather.
- We really like how quickly this sets up because the fly is attached to the tent itself. An additional benefit of that is setting this up in the rain won’t lead to the inside getting wet.
- When setup, this tent handles the wind very well, even when it’s swarling.
- While it can handle cross wind pretty well, it does much better when set up along the wind direction. However this can be tricky and the wind will change in an mountaineering, base camp situation making the elongated shape not ideal
- For a 4 season tent, this is pretty light.
- One issue is that the ventilation is a little lacking and can lead to a bit of condensation build up.
- A second issue is that the vestibule is a bit flimsy and can be pushed around and collapsed easily in the wind. We’ve had to use our packs the weigh down the sides.
- The one vestibule is a bit of an issue with 2 people doing chores and getting out.
- Lastly, the support staff for the tent is great and they even repaired my snapped poles from trying to set up the tent is way too windy weather in Norway for free.
- Overall, this is a 4 season tent but not the most optimal for the harshest mountaineering conditions.
- We’ve taken this tent to several trips around the world and is our go to tent for incremental climates.
back to tent index / back to equipment index
Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL 2 (Amazon affiliate link)
- owned since: 2018/6
- current status: retired with some life left, given to relatives in 2022/8 as they wanted to continue backpacking.
- acquired: REI members only garage sale
- condition when acquired: used – reason: felt too flimsy, smaller than expected
- paid: $114.83 + $6.60 state tax
- footprint: $35 from Facebook Backpacking Gear Sale Group
- type: 2 person semi-freestanding tent
- seasons: 3 seasons
- doors: 1 door
- pack size: 4 x 19 inches
- vestibules: 1 by the doors, 8 sq. ft.
- minimum trail weight: 1 lbs. 17 oz.
- packaged weight: 2 lbs. 5 oz.
- floor dimensions: 86 x 52/42 inches, 28 sq. ft.
- peak height: 40 inches
- poles: 1 aluminum DAC Featherlite (8.7mm diameter)
- walls: single walled
- rain fly: detachable Ripstop nylon – can be used with just ground sheet (sold separately)
- This was my 1 person tent for typical backpacking. This is ideal 1 person than 2 as noted by the previous owner as it is too narrow to fit 2 people comfortably especially at the foot of the tent.
- It served me well during my JMT hike as it was quick to setup and was good in the rain and wind I did get, though it was more of an afternoon problem.
- I used tyvek for my ground sheet, so I couldn’t set it up in the fly/groundsheet setup.
Though I will be looking for the groundsheet in upcoming REI garage sales.- I eventually bought the ground sheet and the quick setup is useful. However, the ground sheet doesn’t cover the vestibule ground.
- One negative about the tent was that I had issues with condensation on the sides. It was better when there was a breeze through the night.
- A second negative is that the meshing is starting to fray a little. I might need to contact Big Agnes about it.
- By the time I gave this away, the mesh around the door was very brittle and starting to come apart. It still had life, but I was ready for a new tent. I passed the tent on to a young relative looking to do more backpacking.
back to tent index / back to equipment index
ALPS Mountaineering Aries 2-Person Tent (Amazon affiliate link)
- owned since: 2016
- current status: retired in good condition, given to friends in 2021 to encourage them to come backpacking.
- acquired: backcountry.com
- condition when acquired: new
- paid: $144.78
- type: 2 person freestanding tent
- seasons: 3 seasons
- doors: 2 door
- pack size: 6.5 x 19 inches
- vestibules: 2 by the doors, 17 sq. ft.
- trail weight: 4 lbs. 15 oz.
- pack weight: 5 lbs. 6 oz.
- floor dimensions: 88 x 52/44 inches, 31.5 sq. ft.
- peak height: 42 inches
- poles: 3 7000-series aluminum (8.5mm)
- walls: single walled
- rain fly: detachable 75D 185T polyester
- This was the cheap tent we bought to replace our previous 3 season casual camping tent.
- We’ve only used this so far for car camping as it is a bit heavier, but it is manageable only to share the weight between 2 people.
- The mesh interior wall is nice for the views when the weather is nice, however we had a couple minor defects where the mesh connects to the walls on our tent (small holes from bad stitching).
- A negative of the mesh walls it allows the heat to escape pretty easily.
- I would recommend this for beginner backpackers.
back to tent index / back to equipment index
ALPS Mountaineering Edge 2 Tent (current version – Taurus 2-Person Tent; Amazon affiliate link)
- owned since: 2011
- current status: retired 2016 since I lost the poles and stakes on a trip
- acquired: REI.com clearance
- condition when acquired: new
- paid: $76.93
- type: 2 person freestanding tent
- seasons: 3 seasons
- doors: 2 doors
- vestibules: 2 by the doors, 20 sq. ft.
- trail weight: 5 lbs. 4 oz.
- pack weight:
- floor dimensions: 7.5 ft x 5 ft, 37 sq. ft.
- poles: 2 Aluminum 7000-series
- walls: double walled (including the fly)
- rain fly: included – Polyester taffeta
- This tent has held up well through the years, including putting up with the Patagonia winds.
- It was simple to set up with just 2 crisscrossing poles.
- With the rain cover on, we never had problems with rain leakage so it provided good protection as a nice 3 season tent.
- This is a great beginner tent for the cost, though not the lightest.