Showing posts with label rain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rain. Show all posts

1/19/2011

Swiss Gear Grindelwald I Sport 8- by 8-Foot Four-Person Dome Tent Review

Swiss Gear Grindelwald I Sport 8- by 8-Foot Four-Person Dome Tent
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This is a roomy tent that sets up reasonably quickly.Nicest feature is the peaked fly over the side windows.Unlike some tents where the fly extends down quite far, the Grindlewald I fly has poles which project the fly up high.Have not had any problems with water intrusion.Integrated shoe/boot bag on the outside of the tent is a thoughtful feature as is the portal for an electric cord.To be clear this is a sport/family-camping type tent -- great for summertime and shoulder season use, great for car camping.Nice and roomy for 2 people.Packs up well in the supplied carrying bag.Haven't been able to find a dedicated footprint/floorsaver, so use an 8x8 tarp underneath.Only minor glitch is stress point on lower edge of door zipper, making it slightly difficult to do a one-handed zip-up and this is only really an issue if you stake the front out hard and wide.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Swiss Gear Grindelwald I Sport 8- by 8-Foot Four-Person Dome Tent

Product Description:
Enjoy the great outdoors with the affordable Swiss Gear Grindelwald I (SG33025) sport dome-style tent, which can sleep up to four people. It has a polyester taffeta with double pass polyurethane coating tent body. The tent has a base measurement of 8 by 8 feet (64 square feet) and a center height of 54 inches. The tub style, polyethylene ripstop floor features a rain shingle layer for enhanced weather protection and superior water repellency.
It offers a two-pole fiberglass frame for good stability, three triangular bay windows with inside zippered storm flaps (2 sides and 1 rear), and Flex style door. The roof vent provides for better air flow and cooling in hot weather, and it comes with a rain fly to protect you when the weather turns nasty. You get a number of storage options to keep your gear out of the way, including a gear loft organizer, e-port for electrical cord access, mesh organizer pockets, and a shoe pocket. When packed up, the tent weighs 11.2 pounds, and can be easily toted around in the included zippered carry duffel.
Manufacturer's Warranty
Ten-year warranty
Amazon.com Tent Guide
Selecting a Tent
Fortunately, there are all kinds of tents for weekend car campers, Everest expeditions, and everything in-between. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Expect the Worst
In general, it's wise to choose a tent that's designed to withstand the worst possible conditions you think you'll face. For instance, if you're a summer car camper in a region where weather is predictable, an inexpensive family or all purpose tent will likely do the trick--especially if a vehicle is nearby and you can make a mad dash for safety when bad weather swoops in! If you're a backpacker, alpine climber or bike explorer, or if you like to car camp in all seasons, you'll want to take something designed to handle more adversity.
Three- and Four-Season Tents
For summer, early fall and late spring outings, choose a three-season tent. At minimum, a quality three season tent will have lightweight aluminum poles, a reinforced floor, durable stitching, and a quality rain-fly. Some three-season tents offer more open-air netting and are more specifically designed for summer backpacking and other activities. Many premium tents will feature pre-sealed, taped seams and a silicone-impregnated rain-fly for enhanced waterproofness.
For winter camping or alpine travel, go with a four season model. Because they typically feature more durable fabric coatings, as well as more poles, four-season tents are designed to handle heavy snowfall and high winds without collapsing. Of course, four-season tents exact a weight penalty of about 10 to 20 percent in trade for their strength and durability. They also tend to be more expensive.
Domes and Tunnels
Tents are broadly categorized into two types, freestanding, which can stand up on their own, and those that must be staked down in order to stand upright. Freestanding tents often incorporate a dome-shaped design, and most four-season tents are constructed this way because a dome leaves no flat spots on the outer surface where snow can collect. Domes are also inherently stronger than any other design. Meanwhile, many three-season models employ a modified dome configuration called a tunnel. These are still freestanding, but they require fewer poles than a dome, use less fabric, and typically have a rectangular floor-plan that offers less storage space than a dome configuration. Many one and two-person tents are not freestanding, but they make up for it by being more lightweight. Because they use fewer poles, they can also be quicker to set up than a dome.
Size Matters
Ask yourself how many people you'd like to fit in your fabric hotel now and in the future. For soloists and minimalists, check out one-person tents. If you're a mega-minimalist, or if you have your eye on doing some big wall climbs, a waterproof-breathable bivy sack is the ticket. Some bivy sacks feature poles and stake points to give you a little more breathing room. Also, if you don't need bug protection and you want to save weight, check out open-air shelters.
Families who plan on car camping in good weather can choose from a wide range of jumbo-sized tents that will accommodate all your little ones with room to spare. A wide range of capacities is also available for three- and four-season backpacking and expedition tents. Remember, though, the bigger the tent you buy, the heavier it will be, although it's easy to break up the tent components among several people in your group. It's also helpful to compare the volume and floor-space measurements of models you're considering.


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1/18/2011

Kelty 4-Person 3-Season Getaway Tent - Blue (7'8" x 6'8"x 4'10") Review

Kelty 4-Person 3-Season Getaway Tent - Blue
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I just bought this 4-person summer tent at Target to replace a dome tent whose fiberglass pole was shattered in high winds in the Black Hills, and after pitching it in the backyard, I'll return it.

On the plus side, it's easy to pitch, it has aluminum poles, and the size is fine ... very good for two people.But there's only one D-shaped door on the side, and the other side is just a wall.Two doors would be better.Also, there are no windows, so you can't see out.The clincher, though, in my opinion, is that the ventilation is inadequate.At a minimum, the mesh screening should permit some air to circulate, and except on the door side, all the mesh is too far up toward the ceiling.If you leave this tent up on a summer day, it will be an oven in there.And if you use it in cold weather, condensation is likely to be a big problem.

Two doors with a window or two, together with some facility for cross ventilation would solve the problems, but I'm going to shop for another tent.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Kelty 4-Person 3-Season Getaway Tent - Blue (7'8 x 6'8x 4'10)

Product Description:
Engineered for comfort, convenience and versatility, this Getaway tent can be easily carried for backpacking with enough space for comfort while family camping.

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1/10/2011

Sierra Designs Convert 3 Tent Review

Sierra Designs Convert 3 Tent
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
We bought this tent for occasional snow trips and for car camping, the latter as it is roomy enough for a queen size air mattress.The first night out in Olympic National Park we were caught in a deluge--rain falling like walruses and whales, not cats and dogs.We successfully set up the tent without getting the interior wet, and stayed dry all night.

There are two air vent snoots near the top of the tent.In addition, the doors on each end have a rain shield, so they can be opened part way.As this four season tent is a single wall design, these features are essential to keeping the inside of the tent from developing condensation, and they work very well.Noseeum netting will still keep the bugs out while you're letting fresh air in.While we haven't exposed the tent to fierce winds, what wind we encountered has been shed smoothly.

The process of setting up the tent differs from that of typical tents.After laying out the tent, the hoop poles are inserted in their sleeves.Then someone must crawl inside the tent with the front-to-aft frame pole, and place the ends in their anchor points while arcing the pole across the ceiling.When taking down the tent, be careful not to pull on the hoop poles--they are shock-corded, and will separate into their sections if you do so.Instead, pull fabric down on the far end section, and then *push* it along to advance the pole outward--it helps to have someone else guide the free end to keep it from going into the mud or the brush.

If you are used to standard backpacking tents, the interior feels immense.Attachment points allow one to hang clothing items, lights, or a mesh storage area inside the tent.Normal sized occupants can sit up comfortably.

My only quibbles are that I find myself fumbling with the door zippers, as there are just too many.And the stuff sack seems rather flabby.But these are very minor concerns.We're quite satisfied with this well-conceived product.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sierra Designs Convert 3 Tent

Product Description:
FEATURES of the Convert 3 Person Tent by Sierra Designs Single Wall Waterproof Breathable Fabric External/Internal Pitch Well Vented Reflective Door Trim and Guy Outs 2 Doors Sew-Free Windows 360 Degree View SPECIFICATIONS: Trail Weight: 5 lb 14 oz Packed Weight: 6 lb 10 oz Number of Doors: 2 Interior Area: 46.5 ft2 Peak Height: 45" Floor Material: 70D Nylon, 5000mm Body Material: Drizone 40D Nylon Poles: DAC Featherlite NSL Season: 4 Capacity: 3 Packed Size: 24" x 7" Number of Poles: 3 Pole Diameter (Outer): 9.60 / 9.00 mm

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12/25/2010

Kelty Palisade 4-Person Tent Review

Kelty Palisade 4-Person Tent
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
The Kelty Palasaide was the second tent that I received from Kelty.I had purchased the Kelty Villa 4 this year (2010) and when I set it up I came to find out that is was defective.I called the warranty department at Kelty and they were really great.They had me setup the Villa Tent one additional time and then had me send a photo of the 3 inched of space under the floor.Being that the Villa 4 tent was from 2007 and discontinued they offered the Palisade as replacement.I was sold on the vestibule just from the website.

We are planning a trip next week to Sedona and as a test run we set the tent up in our living room.The main part of the tent went up supper easy - the circular pole was an interesting puzzle to figure out and using my 6 year old daughter as a brace we managed to get the tent up. I can honestly say that I could set up the entire tent by myself.As for the circular pole for the roof, I think a tree, car or anything stationary will work just fine if you are setting it up by yourself.

There are a few issues that I have with the tent....

1. Staking the Tent is a Must - The tent definitely needs to be staked to the ground.We go beach camping Palisade offers great ventilation in 80 degree Arizona evenings - finding a way to stake it in the sand will challenging.

2. Lack of Privacy.The Palisade is basically a bug shield without the rain fly.If you like a little privacy in a big campground you will need to attach the fly.Then you give up the awesome open roof and the star gazing that goes along with it.If you tend to do back country camping then the openness will not matter to much.

3. Pets Can Potentially Damage the Tent - We have a puppy we will be taking on our next camping trip and she already has come into the tent and made herself at home. The thing that concerns me is that if she wants out she can tend to scratch at the door.If she does with this tent the mesh will not last.

The Really positive things about the tent....

1. A BIG stuff sack - When we opened the box we found ample room in the duffle bag to account for non-professional packing.

2. A Star Gazing Roof to die for - My daughter and I laid down in the tent and looked up at the ceiling in our living room and the first thing she said was wow we can sure see a lot of shooting stars in this tent!!!!

3. Super Easy to Setup and Take Down - I could do it myself!

4. Large with Vertical Walls - We like to sleep with big comfy cots and both fit in just nicely.If you wanted a third cot it could get a little tight.Four cots would definably not fit.

5. Vestibule and Rainfly is really cool! - Makes an extra room for you!(For it to work it needs to be staked to the ground!)

6. Great Customer Service - Kelty provides awesome customer support directly out of their Colorado office...

We will report back once we have a chance to test it in the field.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Kelty Palisade 4-Person Tent

Product Description:
New for 2010, the Palisade is ready for any adventure. It features double-door convenience with a full vestibule and back 'porch' storage area to keep you and your family organized while enjoying the great outdoors.

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10/26/2010

Kelty Green River 4 Four Person Tent Review

Kelty Green River 4 Four Person Tent
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I bought this tent 5 months ago and have spent many weekends this Summer living in it.I travel to a lot of music festivals and wanted something weather-proof, roomy, and tall enough to stand up in.These requirements were nicely met (and exceeded) by this tent.It is much roomier that your typical 4-person tent.At aproximately 9'X9', the interior easily fits a queen-size inflatible matteress with plenty of room on all sides for tons of gear.The nice thing about the height of this tent is that the roof is at its maximum height right inside the door - not just in the very center like most dome tents.

As far as being weather-proof, I've endured a few nasty wind and rain storms and I haven't gotten a drop of rain in it; The full-coverage rain fly on this tent is a wonderful feature. This tent also has lots of nice buckles, velcro, and elastic hooks secure everything firmly in place.Well-placed screening and vents keep air circulating in hot weather.

My gripes with this tent are few.One is that I've never been able to roll it up tight enough to fit all of the pieces back into the original carrying case.My other gripe is that the tent poles are so long, its difficult to set up in close quarters (between trees, other tents, etc.) and a bit of a struggle for one person.

I found the picture of this tent misleading and didn't understand the purpose of the ground flaps around the door until I saw it set up.The flaps secure the vestibule - a nice place to store your cooler, shoes, and chairs out of the weather or to use like a screen room to avoid insects.Go to the Kelty website to see a picture of the tent with the vestible attached.

All in all, I'm very happy I 'upgraded' from my usual department store-type tent to this much higher quality tent.Worth every penny!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Kelty Green River 4 Four Person Tent

Product Description:
A great choice for car camping or use for a basecamp, the Kelty Green River provides a roomy interior for four campers as well as a front screenroom with room enough to store gear or set up chairs for watching the sunset. This tent sleeps up to four campers, offers three-season usage, and a freestanding design that enables you to move it around your campsite to find the optimum position. It also includes large mesh windows for good ventilation, UV resistant polyester fly, and color-coded poles for quick-and-easy setup. Weighing 20 pounds, 15 ounces, the four-person Green River has a 81 square foot floor area, and a 43.6 square foot vestibule area.
The shockcorded fiberglass poles have color coded clips that make setup a breeze. The tent also offers post and grommet type assembly with locking pole tips for convenience and security. Kelty's ArcEdge construction lifts floor seams up off the ground, preventing water seepage around the floor and wall seams. Other features include a single flashlight loop, mesh interior pockets for gear storage, external guy points for added stability in windy conditions, and noiseless zipper pulls.

Specifications

    Dimensions: 108 x 108 x 71 inches
    Interior height: 5 feet, 11 inches
    Floor area: 81 square feet
    Vestibule area: 43.6 square feet
    Weight: 20 pounds, 15 ounces
    Seasons: 3
    Doors: 1
    Windows: 2
    Wall material: 68D 190T polyester ripstop
    Floor material: 1800mm PU nylon-taffeta
    Fly material: 75D 190T, 1800mm PU polyester ripstop
    Number of poles: 4


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9/24/2010

Kelty Grand Mesa 4-Person Tent (Ruby/Tan) Review

Kelty Grand Mesa 4-Person Tent
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I have been extremely pleased with this tent. It is spacious enough for my family of four and is very easy to set up.My ten and seven-year olds can pitch this tent almost completely by themselves.Hooks for the poles is a vast improvement over running poles through slits. The connections for the rainflap are very easy to use. The inside is pretty spacious.The one loop for a lantern is good, but would have liked one or two more.The storage compartments inside are sufficient,and between them and the space created when you close the rain flap we had all our gear out of the elements.Given the size of the tent it is not overly heavy, although I could not fit this in my pack using the bag is comes in. Instead I connected it via some extra straps on my pack and it worked just fine.We have had no issues with any component of this tent and would recommend it to other campers.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Kelty Grand Mesa 4-Person Tent (Ruby/Tan)

Product Description:
Blending affordability with versatility, the Kelty Grand Mesa is a great choice for packing on your trail excursions. This freestanding tent sleeps up to four campers, offers three-season usage, and includes a single vestibule for storage. It also includes large mesh windows for optimal ventilation, full coverage, UV resistant polyester rain fly, and color-coded poles for quick-and-easy setup. Weighing 7 pounds, 4 ounces, the four-person Grand Mesa has a 53.3 square foot floor area and a 18.8 square foot vestibule.
The aluminum DAC Press Fit poles offer more strength for improved durability and a more wind-resistant pitch. They use a color-coded clip construction that eliminates the hassle of feeding poles through cumbersome tent sleeves--just slide the shock-corded pole sections together and attach the clips. The tent also offers post and grommet type assembly with locking pole tips for convenience and security. The bathtub floor offers wrap-up sides for extreme weather protection, and the main fly and floor seams are factory taped for extreme weather protection. Other features include a single flashlight loop, mesh interior pockets for gear storage, external guy points for added stability in windy conditions, and noiseless zipper pulls.
Specifications

    Dimensions: 96 x 80 x 55 inches (LxWxH)
    Interior height: 4 feet, 7 inches
    Floor area: 53.3 square feet
    Vestibule area: 18.8 square feet
    Weight: 7 pounds, 4 ounces
    Seasons: 3
    Doors: 1
    Windows: 3
    Wall material: 68D 190T polyester taffeta
    Floor material: 1800mm PU nylon taffeta
    Fly material: 75D 190T, 1800 mm PU polyester taffeta
    Number of poles: 2

About Kelty
Kelty is based in Boulder, Colorado, and uses the natural backdrop of the Rocky Mountains to test, create, and continually innovate within their diverse outdoor product families of Apex, Backcountry, Trail, Basecamp and KIDS gear. Kelty combines the best in new technology with a healthy dose of common sense to create exceptionally made, affordably priced outdoor products.
Amazon.com Tent Guide
Selecting a Tent
Fortunately, there are all kinds of tents for weekend car campers, Everest expeditions, and everything in-between. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Expect the Worst
In general, it's wise to choose a tent that's designed to withstand the worst possible conditions you think you'll face. For instance, if you're a summer car camper in a region where weather is predictable, an inexpensive family or all purpose tent will likely do the trick--especially if a vehicle is nearby and you can make a mad dash for safety when bad weather swoops in! If you're a backpacker, alpine climber or bike explorer, or if you like to car camp in all seasons, you'll want to take something designed to handle more adversity.
Three- and Four-Season Tents
For summer, early fall and late spring outings, choose a three-season tent. At minimum, a quality three season tent will have lightweight aluminum poles, a reinforced floor, durable stitching, and a quality rain-fly. Some three-season tents offer more open-air netting and are more specifically designed for summer backpacking and other activities. Many premium tents will feature pre-sealed, taped seams and a silicone-impregnated rain-fly for enhanced waterproofness.
For winter camping or alpine travel, go with a four season model. Because they typically feature more durable fabric coatings, as well as more poles, four-season tents are designed to handle heavy snowfall and high winds without collapsing. Of course, four-season tents exact a weight penalty of about 10 to 20 percent in trade for their strength and durability. They also tend to be more expensive.
Domes and Tunnels
Tents are broadly categorized into two types, freestanding, which can stand up on their own, and those that must be staked down in order to stand upright. Freestanding tents often incorporate a dome-shaped design, and most four-season tents are constructed this way because a dome leaves no flat spots on the outer surface where snow can collect. Domes are also inherently stronger than any other design. Meanwhile, many three-season models employ a modified dome configuration called a tunnel. These are still freestanding, but they require fewer poles than a dome, use less fabric, and typically have a rectangular floor-plan that offers less storage space than a dome configuration. Many one and two-person tents are not freestanding, but they make up for it by being more lightweight. Because they use fewer poles, they can also be quicker to set up than a dome.
Size Matters
Ask yourself how many people you'd like to fit in your fabric hotel now and in the future. For soloists and minimalists, check out one-person tents. If you're a mega-minimalist, or if you have your eye on doing some big wall climbs, a waterproof-breathable bivy sack is the ticket. Some bivy sacks feature poles and stake points to give you a little more breathing room. Also, if you don't need bug protection and you want to save weight, check out open-air shelters.
Families who plan on car camping in good weather can choose from a wide range of jumbo-sized tents that will accommodate all your little ones with room to spare. A wide range of capacities is also available for three- and four-season backpacking and expedition tents. Remember, though, the bigger the tent you buy, the heavier it will be, although it's easy to break up the tent components among several people in your group. It's also helpful to compare the volume and floor-space measurements of models you're considering.


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