3 Room Tent: Sierra Designs Lightning XT 3 Tent 3-Person 3-Season Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have been using a North Face Starfire (tunnel-dome style) tent for 12 years on backpacking and a few car-camping trips with zero complaints - at least until my wife and I got a black lab dog.Quarters were cozy for the two of us, but for the three of us it was downright cramped.So we purchased this Sierra Designs Lightning XT tent for our backpacking outings to have extra room for our dog and gear.We like to hike, camp, and backpack year round in Idaho, so we get everything from 100 degree heat (for a few weeks, anyways) to wet and rainy Spring and Fall seasons, to 10 or 12 feet of snow.It is all usually accompanied by wind of some form or another.We haven't put three people in it, so I can't speak for whether or not it is a roomy 3 person tent, but it sure is a comfy and spacious 2 man tent, even with the dog.

The tent is super light weight; it packs down to the same size and weighs about the same as my North Face 2 man tent.Splitting it between two people makes even better and not at all bulky or heavy in a pack.The tent is almost entirely mesh, which my wife really likes on starry nights, with a bathtub style waterproof bottom.The rainfly is coated nylon and comes down just an inch or two shy of the ground with two vestibules, since there are two doors on the tent.It hooks in to the tent corners where the tent poles hook in, as well clips on to the poles for added stability.Setting the poles up is different than other tents I've used, but seems like it will hold up well in sub-hurricane winds.It is easier to do with two people, but it can be set up by one person if needs be.The tent doesn't have sleeves for the poles, there are just clips every foot or so which seems a little less bomb-proof than my North Face tent, but I haven't had any problems.The poles are hubbed, which also seems a bit less bomb-proof, but the major loads and stresses placed on the poles doesn't go through the hubs so I don't think it will be an issue in the future.The third less bomb-proof item is the fabric - its a little lighter and thinner than my North Face tent to save on weight and bulk.However, the poles, fabric, and clips are all very high quality, so I seriously doubt that I will have any issues with reliability or durability with this tent.

The idea to use Jake's Feet connectors, hubbed poles, and a full mesh top aren't brand new, and most of the big manufacturers buil tents this way.So I figure I won't knock the design unless I really do have a problem.Hence, it still get's 5 stars because it is a high quality, spacious, and VERY light and packable tent. Overall, I'm very pleased with the tent and expect years of service out of it without any issues.

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Product Description:
Hang on; ?09 brought about a lighter and bigger version of the Sierra Designs Lightning XT 3 3-Person 3-Season Tent? Yup. Sierra Designs used a new pole configuration that lightens connections, increases interior room, and makes set-up and take-down easier while boosting this tent?s sturdiness when it?s deployed. This three-season tent has two doors for easy night-duty access and 46-inches at the peak height so you and your buddies won?t feel like you?re stuck on the bottom bed-bunk.

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