Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)First the bad news: this tent is a tunnel design, so it is not free-standing. This means that you have to pull stakes to move it. In all my backpacking I have *never* had to move a tent before I was ready to leave (though my companion and I awoke one morning to find our Clip-3 had been in the middle of a storm-started stream all night--the seals held, and we both slept through it!). Also, I have only occasionally camped where the ground was so rocky I had trouble putting the primary stakes down. I camp mostly in the Pacific Northwest--your mileage may vary, so ask friends who camp in your area. My conclusion: "free standing" means little to me.
So why buy a tunnel design instead of a geodesic? Because tunnel designs offer the best interior space to weight ratio. In human speak, you get more space and less pack weight. You can reduce the ~4 pound pack weight further by purchasing some premium titanium stakes from aftermarket manufacturers. Many newer "ultralight" tents from Sierra Designs and others cost twice as much and weigh over 6 pounds.
Some tunnel tents from Stephenson's offer even lower weight, but are custom made--cost is very high, you may wait several weeks to receive it, and I would worry about availability of replacement parts. Sierra Designs is common enough that most outdoor chains can quickly sell you spare poles or parts should accidents occur while traveling.
This tent is a breeze to set up--takes only a few minutes, and regularly garners compliments and amazement from other campers who watch.
I only wish that Sierra Designs would offer the very similar but larger Clip-3 tent again. Mine packed under 5.5 pounds (with spare stakes), and had 42 square feet of interior space. That's less weight than most two-person geodesics and more space than most three-person tents! And I find the three person version a lot less claustrophobic.
Before purchasing a tent, I suggest you consider carefully how you will use it. This piece of gear is one of the most expensive and heavy you'll take into the wilderness. Each feature adds weight, and you may decide some are not worth carrying. Backpacker Magazine has excellent annual reports on tents--compare features there (it is often available in public libraries).
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A best-seller, year-in and year-out, the Clip Flashlight features a hoop design for less weight, a generous vestibule, and Swift Clips for easy set-up.Tent Guard with Ultra Fresh, a SuperSeal Floor, Cam-Locs, color-coded webbing, reflective guy-outs and DAC Featherlite poles make the Clip not only a great value, but a top performer.
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