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Sierra Design Tent
Guide And Reviews.
Like any hiking equipment or camping gear company you'll find that one Sierra Design tent may be better than another. There are some I'd recommend, and others I wouldn't.
Sierra Design has been around since 1965, and was originally started by George Marks and Bob Swanson. Sierra Designs manufactures their products both in the United States and abroad. To ensure good working conditions they regularly have unannounced third party audits to make sure that ethical work standards are being followed. Although a Sierra Design tent wouldn't be my first choice in camping tents, see the issues I mention below, they do offer some tents I can recommend. See the camping tents page for other recommendations and for information about
how to find the best camping tents.
The Meteor Light is a Sierra Design tent (Opens new window to REI. They have awesome customer satisfaction results and are one of the best outdoor stores online.) worthy of praise. Scoring a 9 out of 10 it's actually very good. It offers a lot of room for a two-person 3-season tent. With 40 square feet of floor space and a 16 square foot vestibule there's plenty of room to stretch out. While the peak height seemed a little low to me at 43 inches, I reminded myself that it's not a cabin tent. The 9.0 mm DAC Featherlite SL 7001 aluminum poles are stronger than fiberglass especially if you get caught out in the cold. The no-see-um netting keeps out the tiny biters, and the vestibule can also be used as an awning, half vestibule or full vestibule... nice. The interior mesh pockets and gear loops are nice to keep equipment out of the way too. Although the Meteor Light is advertised for backpacking it weighs in at a claimed 6 lbs. 10 oz. "minimum packed weight" (tent, rainfly and poles only) and at 7 pounds 5 ounces "average packed weight" which might seem a bit heavy if you're an ultralight backpacker. But if you split up the load with your partner, 3.5 lbs. isn't really that bad. This Sierra Design tent also won Backpacker Magazine's Editor's Choice Award.
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My second Sierra Design tent recommendation (opens new window) is for their 4-season Stretch Dome Tent. This 3-person (remember these numbers are usually optimistic unless you don't mind being on close terms) 47 square foot tent is a good size and it offers two doors which makes it much easier to get in and out. The full rainfly provides more protection from the weather than shorter skirts, and the vestibule allows you to stow gear outside the tent making more room for you and your buddy to play cards if it's pouring outside. Also the zipper pulls are made of reflective material instead of metal. So when it's a windy night, they won't jingle, saving you from dreaming about Santa Claus. ;-) The interior pockets of the Stretch Dome also come in handy for stashing small gear. At 10 lbs. 5 oz. this Sierra Design tent is better suited for car camping than backpacking, but in fairness, bigger tents weigh more. Although if weight is a concern and the weather is cooperative you can shave weight down to 6 lbs. 2 oz. if the rainfly, poles and footprint are all you require. Don't worry about the poles because the DAC Featherlite 7001 Aluminum are strong and up to the job even if the weather turns cold. A quick note: One of the complaints I've heard frequently regarding Sierra Design tent design is that the zippers often catch on something, whether it be on the rainfly or a zipper flap. This may or may not bother you, but it is something that I thought I should mention. I've heard both positive and some not so positive things regarding Sierra Designs customer service. Though it seems like most experiences lean toward the good side. If you insist on a Sierra Design tent then I'd go with one of the two above, otherwise I'd have a look at the main
camping tent reviews, tips and guide.
Copyright Marc Wiltse. All Rights Reserved.
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