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

I went with the three man version, although it was intended for two people. It was perfect for 2 men, I wouldn't go smaller unless going solo. Pretty lightweight and easy to setup. Used for a week straight and had some slight condensation inside one morning, but not enough to get anything wet or hamper sleeping.

This is an excellent tent. Not really a "3-person" though. More like 2 1/2. It's very easy to set-up; only took about 3 minutes. Very well manufactured. Unique design. You can't go wrong with this one!

We took the tent backpacking for our first use, and it took up little space and weight on our packs, and set up quickly. We loved how the fly created roomy vestibules to keep our packs out of the elements.

Have used this tent 3 times now and enjoyed it every time. Easy to set up from day one, done it solo and in the dark no problems. Stands up well to rain and wind. Absolutely love the asymmetrical design which puts the highest point over your head where it should be. Very easy to get in and out of, lots of space to sit up if you are not just sleeping. The full mesh dome is incredible for nice nights. Have nothing bad to say about this tent right now. Will certainly update if I come across anything. Oh and what a great deal here at STP too. Alps Mountaineering seems to be a great brand I see no difference in quality to top shelf products.

Used this most recently for camping and canoeing down the Colorado River. The tent held up very well to strong winds (with the wedge pointed into the wind) and a brief downpour. The almost entire mesh top is awesome on calm nights allowing you to sleep under the stars and enjoy the cool breeze. Set up/take down is easy and can be done with 1 person. Gear loft is a little small to be useful for anything other than glasses or a small flashlight.

The interior is roomy, but the fly does not protect the interior from rain when the door is opened.

[...] this tent is simply too heavy for it's own good. It is quite out of range of backpacking weight even for a 3-person tent. Ideal for car camping, trekking with mules or horses or backyard/beach.The material quality is first rate, just don't try to lug it anywhere...

Took this tent about half way up Kenai Peninsula's Summit Creek Trail (alpine tundra) It stood up very well to a howling sleeting night, and is huge for it's weight. You might modify it by putting additional staking loops in the middle of the fly doors to prevent flapping. Also, you must be very thoughtful about how you open the vestibules in the rain to avoid inundating the tent floor (basically crawl out under the fly). Still, you can make it work pretty easily and you'd have pay more than double the price to even hope for better quality and design.

this stuff exceeds all my expectations !!! thank you all. i cant just spend my money on anything these days. resectfully - charles b heenan

I'm impressed with the well-designed details of this tent--the included gear loft, well placed stretchable transparent panels at the top of each door, the additional velcro pole attachment points (that can be fastened after setting the tent up), ample outside guy points for adding additonal lines if the wind blows hard--making for a stronger and more rigid pitch. I purchased the 3-person model, and the modest weight penalty over the 2-person size is worth it--quite spacious and comfy for two (though the 2 person model would probably be okay for 2 consenting adults. The included guy lines feature line tighteners, there are 3 color-matched fabric swatches for repair patches if needed: The designers of this tent have done their homework. The stitching on my tent is even, about the ideal 12 stitches per inch, well bar-tacked where needed. Main design minus I noted is the need for a guy line pull out on the center of the fly at the foot of the tent to increase the chimney effect of the well thought out high-low venting system of this tent.(An easily made modification if you a gear fiend, as I am.) Purchased on sale, this tent was a steal, and an excellent value quite competitive with all the big name tent makers (Sierra Designs, North Face, REI: I own and use tents from all of them!)