ALPS Mountaineering Zenith 2 AL Tent - 2-Person, 3-Season

Bought this tent for my 17 y/o son to take on family camping trip to Wyoming mountains at 9000'. First night in camp we had a lightning/wind/rain storm that was very intense and a great test. The low design of this tent did a great job of withstanding 50mph wind gusts and the rain-fly and floor kept out the torrential downpour. Ventilation was very good when the sun came out and allowed fast drying. This tent is really too heavy to backpack. It would be small for two people in my opinion. For one person there is good room inside the tent and an adequate vestibule for gear. Temperature was down to about 40 degrees on two nights and the tent was comfortable with a good bag. Very pleased with this made in China product and am planning to purchase another Zenith 2 for my older son.

Used this tent for backpacking with my sister and 6 yr old niece, we all 3 slept in it, very comfortable. Super easy to set up and take down.

The grommets at the ends of the poles come out almost immediately and cannot be put back in, which makes it very difficult to keep the polls up. This is truly shoddy construction, as I have a Kelty seventeen years old on which the pole ends are open, to slide onto the pegs attached to the tent itself. Duh! I'm returning mine. It was awkward to use.

I'm in the process of re-equipping my pack. I bought this tent after a recent hike where the poles for my other tent wouldn't fit well inside my interior-frame backpack. The main cavity of my pack is 18", and this tent fits nicely. The weight is also good, and the tent doesn't give the impression of being flimsy like a lot of the lightweight ones do, although this one hasn't been subjected to strong weather yet. I wouldn't feel right giving it a 5-star review until I know how it stands up to that. Assuming it does well in storms, I'd be perfectly willing to change my review.

Floor oozed water in heavy rainstorm, got refund promtly and I ordered another one just like it. Filled flooor with 1 inch of water and after 2 hours there was no leakage whatsoever. Overall good bargain for the money and Sierra was great to deal with. Andy Cserny

I wanted a lightweight tent. AT 4 LBS and some change it was a little more than some one man tents, but i wanted comfort an ease of setup! I usually hike alone, but my dog is always with me, so the room is nice! I was considering a one man tent, but why be cramped!?? The vistibule is setup in a way that if you were 2 people hiking, that you both have your own doors, not to disturb each other, and the vestibule covers a area on each side of the openings, so gear storage is very personal and very dry!! When i check my gear or leave for a bathroom break, I am NOT diturbing my hiking mate! I saw some one man tents that require more than 13 stakes to setup the vestibule!! I dont have time for that in Florida when rain is upon you within a blink of the eye!!! This tent is quick and easy for on the fly shelter! Also, if it's hot, leaving the vestibule off provides a nice airy mesh of bug protectant sleeping pleasure. The one man tents were coming in at 2 lbs and some change, yes you get lightweight, but you dont get something like this, for only a few pounds more for 2 people!!!!! So for a small amount of more weight, i considered this tent, the extra meant more comfort!!! Because for the 2 and 1/2 LBS more than other tents, I can live with better comfort and a easier design to setup! This thing puts up fast and beaks down fast! And is VERY wind and water PROOF!! I sealed it anyhow, mostly for UV protection, but this tent WILL keep you dry, and it's cost effective too!! I love this tent, and when I show it off to other THRU-HIKERS they love it too, 2 lbs more is worth the quality and design this tent has to offer!!! The design is awesome, and very futuristic looking, so you also will be the talk of the campgrounds!!! The vestibule looks like a duck foot! LIKE a web foot!!! No wonder this thing sheds water like a duck! You can tell the guy who designed this knows what he was doing, and with the right sleeping bag this tent can easily be a 4 season option in the south!!! Florida get's down to freezing temps. but this guy will do fine!! I have been searching for tents for months, and I feel like my purchese was well invested and researched, and field provin'! 5+ stars for sure!! This is from a person who does NOT use a tent 3 times a year!!! I have used this tent 3 times in the first week I got it! So I use gear ALOT, SO i demand the best!!!! THANKS!!

I have not used this tent yet, but it was easy to set it up. I will use seam sealer on the seams as per previous comments.

Great reviews, o.k. for 2 close companions a little tight for buddies can't beat the quality for the price and weight and compact pack size is a plus would definitely recommend.

I needed a good 1 and 2 person tent, and this fits the bill. First I'll discuss the size. Two people is a tight fit, but you each have a door and vestibule, so it's perfectly manageable. One other person and I used this for 10 days, and we had just enough room for our bodies in the tent with some clothes and essentials stuffed between us and at the end of the tent. Our backpacks (large 65-75 liter packs) and boots went in the vestibule outside and were completely shielded from the rain that fell upon us. One person is nice and roomy, a little too roomy to be honest. For me, it's the perfect minimalist 2 person tent, or a comfy 1 person tent. I used it as such for 10 days in Scotland. The trip was very wet and pretty cold, so we tested it pretty well I'd say. Now for the performance. This thing survived some nasty ridge winds and lots of rain multiple nights. The rainfly is a bit funky, but stretched and staked properly it will move water away from the tent. The zippers operate smoothly once you notice the one spot where it tends to grab the surrounding fabric. The construction is solid all around, and the tent is quite sturdy as a result. It's also quite easy to setup. Furthermore, it is pretty lightweight considering the price and size. It's no ultra-nice Marmot or REI tent though, so there are a few minor flaws. One night we had an issue with water pooling in a triangular section at the top of the tent. This resulted in the occasional drop of water coming into the tent. It's a design flaw I'd say - it simply needs to be sloped more in that area. However, other nights we didn't have a problem, but it definitely is a potential problem you'll be fighting with this tent. The rain fly collects condensation. Not a ton, but enough to annoy you. I don't know if this is avoidable with some magical expensive fabric, but if you're used to a tent that doesn't collect condensation, it may bug you. And that's it. Considering the price/performance ratio, I am super pleased. I'll be continuing to use this tent.

Great for light weight backpacking sets up fast and for the price this tent competes with tents twice it's price, don't know why someone would pay more for similar size, weight, and quality.