Sierra Designs Anu Tent - 3-Person, 3-Season

I got several good nights out of it then one of the test poles snapped on the 5th day of an 18 day trek on the JMT. Fixed with duct tape. The bag for the poles ripped at the bottom on day 10. Fixed with duct tape. Both zippers constantly snag on the material making a fast or graceful exit impossible. Then on day 16, the zipper to the mesh door simply stopped working. I can't see any reason for the malfunction., The two sides just won't join together.

Set up in home in the midst of winter. Easy to pitch, sturdy fly, roomy interior. Extensive experience tells me this tent would be a " no brainer " for a car camper and probably work very well as a three season backpacking tent ( split the weight between two carriers )

We were looking for a 3 person tent from a reputable brand, lightweight and easy to set up. This tent is exactly that!

I will start by saying that I am VERY meticulous when it comes to buying gear. I research, read reviews, check out reputable sites and then make an informed decision to get the best VALUE. This tent has been a fantastic purchase on all fronts. I have read some unfavorable reviews and personally I think that occasionally there will be one or two people who have bad luck with a piece of gear (poles, zippers, etc.), but go with what the majority say.Anyone who says this tent is not sturdy enough for backpacking use is either overly rough on tents (which I would find humorous considering the materials that make up lightweight tents)or is expecting this to be a "mountaineering tent" which is not intended to be. This is a very solid 3-Season tent. Well ventilated; no condensation problems; ample living space for 3 - mammoth for 2; great peak height - so sitting up (even backcountry card games) is no problem; and combine all of that with a sturdy construction, "relatively" light weight and a great price and you have solid VALUE.I have taken this tent on 3 trips so far (all backpacking - 2 15 miles and 1 20 miles) accounting for total 50 miles. Setup is a breeze, as is taking it down. Been through rain and moderate wind (maybe 15 mph or so) and when fully guyed-out experienced no "flapping" problems. In the rain we stayed bone dry. One trip was in February in the North Georgia Mountains. With evenings dipping into the teens, we were a bit chilly due to all of the mesh. I will reiterate that this is a great 3-SEASON tent and NOT meant for cold, winter trips. Overall, I highly recommend this tent to anyone looking for a solid tent for backpacking and casual uses alike. You will be VERY hard pressed to beat the VALUE here.

Great on our first trip (but there were no bugs; see below). We didn't read the instructions and set it up wrong *twice* (reversing the direction of the poles and putting them upside down) and we still got it up in less than 10 minutes. Next time it'll be less than two. Quite snug for two adults and a child, but that's normal for "three person" tents. Would be great for two, though, and plenty light for backpacking. Didn't use the fly though winds were up to about 20mph. No problem inside and wonderful ventilation during the day and stars at night. My one annoyance is the door. What possible advantage is there to starting the zippers at the exact top of the roundish door, thus forcing one to open the door at least 2/3 open every time you use it? If there were mosquitoes they would be *guaranteed* to get in. But this seems to be common among light tents now so I'm only taking off one star.