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Big Agnes Tensleep Station 6

rated 4.5 of 5 stars
photo: Big Agnes Tensleep Station 6 three-season tent

This seems to be a great tent. I have only set it up in the yard and haven't spent any time in it yet, but I really like the versatility of the tent and the possible options for setting up to suit a ton of situations. It might not be the bombproof shelter you want for your roughest mountaineering expeditions, but it will be the perfect tent for car camping with the wife and kids when our TNF Trailhead 8 is more tent than we need.

Pros

  • Roomy
  • Solid
  • Full fly
  • Lots of ventilation
  • Standing room

Full disclosure:  I have only tried this in the yard and have not actually camped in it yet.

Update 6/10/13 - spent a weekend in it with some rough storms at night.  Held up AWESOME!!!  Love the tent and support all listed below.

I pitched the tent in just over 10 minutes with: no instructions, used one of the poles in the wrong sleeve and on a pretty dang windy afternoon....all by myself.  It comes with lots of stakes and the poles snap together quite easily.


IMG_0490.jpg

It does pitch tautly and could have been extremely solid with all guy out points utilized. I did not guy out even one of the points on the fly and the stiff wind hardly phased it even then.

I can't speak for the weather resistance as I haven't had it in any. However, it closed up seamlessly and the full coverage fly doesn't leave much exposure to the elements. The vestibules allow in and out of the front and back without standing around in the rain.

There is lots of mesh and even an extra fly vent  on the back side above the door. The front vestibule even has a couple of awesome wall vents that allow for more ventilation and some nice added visibility when desired even if you want to close the vestibule door.

There is lots of room for storage - long pockets at the base near the door, two smaller mesh pockets up top near the door, a set of storage pockets in the corner of the fly on both sides by the door.  The head room is great all the way around...but, I admit, I'm not exactly a giant.

It packs up nicely in a cool little storage bag without being compressed or tightly folded...compartments for everything.

Everything is certainly as advertised. The only wishes that I would have for this tent would be an option to zip the vestibule vents all the way around instead of the velcro attachments along the bottom run and that the back door would have a window option versus just being able to either open or close it. Small wishes that don't affect performance though.

Source: bought it new

I normally use an ultralight backpacking tent on my expeditions, but wanted a car-camping tent with more headroom, sturdy construction, ease in assembly, and a full rain fly.

The Big Agnes Tensleep performed well during a road trip on a thousand-mile loop that included Grand Mesa, Lizard Head Wilderness, Mesa Verde, McClure Pass, and Capitol Creek.

Pros

  • Waterproof full rain-fly
  • Ease of assembly, similar to backpacking tent

Cons

  • No screen on rear door
  • Large front vestibule a little tricky to configure

During the week, I had daily rainstorms at elevations from 7,000 to 9,000 feet base camps. The space in the tent was generous. At Burro Bridge, above Telluride, the rainfly allowed a small amount of mud to splash a couple of centimeters up on the fabric of the inner wall. However, I never experienced a drop of rain inside the tent.

Flies swarmed to get under the safety of the rain fly, which repelled and beaded rain for quick drying after the storms and allowed easy packing within a few hours of the storms. Against an incoming front at Mesa Verde, the Tensleep held sturdy on a solid footprint, despite a wind that ripped tent stakes out of the ground. The tarp that I used as a footprint that night was spread a bit too wide, so rain pooled beneath the tent floor. I thought this was going to cause water penetration, but the fabric resisted and dried quickly the next morning.

The Tensleep is easily assembled by one person in less than thirty minutes, with corded aluminum poles and quick hooks and snaps to secure points, but provides spacious accommodation for more.

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $440

This is a great tent. I have set it up many times in the past two years. It is very roomy and easy to set up by myself. It is the perfect three-season tent for car camping.

Pros

  • Roomy
  • Lots of ventilation
  • Solid aluminum poles
  • Easy to set up
  • High standing room
  • Full fly
  • Plenty of vestibule space

Cons

  • Only screen access from the front vestibule

Very happy and satisfied with this tent.

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $480

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Specs

Price Historic Range: $199.73-$499.95
Reviewers Paid: $440.00-$480.00
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