Mountain Hardwear Room With a View

I did much research on buying a tent that suited my needs. I was looking for a tent that was 3 season, fairly lightweight, freestanding, and unique in its design. I inevitably decided on the Room With a View. I admire the following things about this tent:

1. Ease of set-up

2. Brilliant design allowing much headroom with the 3.5 pole setup. (I am 6'3" and fit nicely.)

3. The window scheme is enticing. Once inside you won't want to leave the views. Skylight with UVX plastic overhead. Somewhere I read a rumor about the plastic condensating. While this can be a problem in foul weather, (where you wouldn't have any stars to look at anyway), I found the UVX to be like looking through a pane of glass.

4. Gear pockets everywhere. With the extra brow pole you have room to stash all kinds of goods.

5. Built in gear loft.

There was one disappointment I recognized with this tent. The seams weren't factory taped. Seam sealing takes quite a while due to the vestibule's complex stitching.

But once you get past a little sealing you will find this to be a tent which is unrivaled in both durability and design.

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JBraun

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Overall, the Room With a View is a superb tent. Having owned and used Walrus and Sierra Designs tents for years, it was time to branch out. I looked at and compared a number of 3season/2person/functional/roomy/large vestibule/economical/dependable/lightweight tents. The Room With a View came out tops in many respects. It is very spacious with a large functional vestibule. Set up is simple. It has ample storage pockets and organizational features. It breathes very well and it looks cool. I like the tent, however there are some drawbacks.

The cost is a little high as similar tents can run $50-$100 cheaper. Also the fabric has a tendency to sag, perhaps from use, but it was still "loose" when I got it. Finally, if you prefer a no-frills, trimmed down tent, avoid this one. It weighs in at over 6lbs and may have too many pockets and other gimmicks (UVX windows) for some people. However, I like these features and use them. The more I use it the more it grows on me--an excellent tent!

My wife and I have used this tent for the past four years all over the Colorado Rockies. We try to get out for four to five multi-night backpacking trips each summer, so we have used it quite a bit.

It's easy to set up, and very comfortable inside. The vestibule is very handy for storing muddy boots out of the weather. The many inside storage features, the loft, the side, front, and back pockets are also very convenient. I love being able to see the stars at night.

On a recent eight-day trip in the Holy Cross Wilderness area it rained every day, some days it rained all day. The tent performed perfectly, and everything stayed dry. It has rained on us on numerous other trips as well, and we have never had a problem keeping dry. It stands up well to a strong wind also.

I know this tent will not last forever, and I am already beginning to worry that we won’t find a replacement that we like as well.

I submitted a great review on this tent about a year ago when it had little use.

I've changed my opinion on this tent. It's definitly not a real good buy; let me tell you why:

1. Seams not taped.

I just don't understand this. For this class of tent it should have been taped. Sure you still have to seam seal it, but it should have been taped.

2. The tent sags

After a year of moderate use it's like the tent just droops. I think this is due to it having the clips rather then the sleeves, and of course material stretching. I recommend going with North Face newer tents much more solid.

3. The windows always fog up

When I saw this tent I went, wow cool windows. You know what, you don't need em! The damn things always fog up anyway and you can't see anything.

Very disappointed with this tent after using it for a while. There are much better tents out there (NF, Moss, Dana Designs), for close to the same price.

I love it.

Being able to see the stars was the main draw for me, but having used it, I have really begun to appreciate the amount of space that it offers. I have slept three in there (leave the bags in the vestibule), and you can easily fit two people and a dog. If it's just two of you, you will enjoy the ability to sit up and move around, as well as the multiple gear lofts that it offers.

A bit on the heavy side, that I will admit, but I have suffered a couple of heavy storms in this, and my seams held well.

My wife and I just backpacked with the tent in the Uwarrie Mountains. I didn't put up the fly because the forecast was good. It was great looking up through the mesh ceiling at the stars. Near dawn, a very heavy dew began falling, and even without the fly everything stayed pretty dry. The nylon walls did begin to sag when wet. It was very easy to take down and stow. I wish it was as light as my clip flashlight, but then again, it doesn't make me claustrophobic like my clip flashlight does. Also, it is roomy for a two person tent.

This is the most innovative tent I have ever seen. The design is kewl. Lots of mesh panels clear windows you can see out. Built in gear lofts. (More than one) vestibule. Plenty of room for 2+ gear and my wife likes it so that means she has plenty of room (I guess you could squeeze a third person).

In summer it has great ventilation.

In the rain it is DRY.

In the cold it breathes.

(I have not taken it below 25deg yet but have been in snow/ice/rain.)

Great tent, but the fly wasn't taped. Seam sealed wtih mcnetts, but the fly continued to leak in heavy rain. Contacted Mtn Hardware about this. They sent me a new fly that was factory taped at no charge. Have used this fly for the past year and a half with no problems noted. Even when I got caught out in a storm that came from a hurricane off the coast. Love the features. Love the customer service. Great tent! Great company!