~*~ Shelters ~*~

 

Ask a backpacker for a recommendation on three tents you are considering and you will receive a list of four more tents and why they are better. It all comes down to personal preference again. Do you want single walled or double walled? One vestibule or two? Are you a hammock hanger or ground dweller? I tend to like a little variety depending on my mood, so my selection is all over the place. I don’t particularly like Tarp Tents though. Yes, I know they are very lightweight, but I prefer something sturdier and double walled. I like a lot of mesh for the warm nights that happened to be bug-infested. I like being able to set up bare bones with a ground cloth and rain fly. Basically, I like options.

 

 

LL Bean Ultralight 2 person

Hennessy Hammock A-Sym

Marmot NYX 2 person

Sierra Designs Mach 1

 

 

 

LL Bean Ultralight 2 person

Weight:

Poles:

Sq. Footage:

Specs: Freestanding, double walled, 1 vestibule

Review: Definitely not ultra-light by today’s standards but it was at the time I bought it! I think I spent $149 on this tent back in 1996 while working for an adventure camp. It has served me well. It is a “mummy design” and tapered at the feet, meant for 2 people. Most of time, it was my solo shelter though I have shared it on occasion. I used an old poncho has a ground cloth and had minimal leaking in one storm in the White Mountains. There is little to no mesh on this tent which makes for fun condensation issues, particularly in the winter when you wake up to ice crystals surrounding you. I believe that was part my error in that I did not unzip the vestibule at all and therefore didn’t allow any kind of circulation. I also had it guyed out pretty tight. The vestibule is a little on the small side but is fine when using it solo, unfortunately it’s a little heavy for that with the other options I have. There is no chance of purchasing a footprint for this now out-of-production tent so unless it’s a short hike in, this tent probably won’t see much use from me.

 

Hennessy Hammock A-Sym

Weight:

Poles: N/A

Sq. Footage:

Specs: Hammock & Rain Tarp

Review:

 

Marmot NYX 2 person

Weight: 4 lbs 13 oz w/footprint

Poles:

Sq. Footage:

Specs: Freestanding, double walled, 1 vestibule

Review:

 

Sierra Designs Mach 1

Weight: 3 lbs

Poles:

Sq. Footage:

Specs: Freestanding, double walled, 1 dual track vestibule

Review:

 

 

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