NorthPole Glacier's Edge, Hiker

Best tent for the price. Better than some more expensive models.

I love this tent. I received it from my brother-in-law as a gift. I took it on a 5-day rafting trip down the Yampa and Green Rivers and it rained every night; however, I stayed warm and dry inside.

Setup is a snap and can be accomplished without having to use all the stakes if you're in a hurry. The back pole did break on me and rip some of its sleeve but the repair was easy, and that was after many uses. Back pole can also be very hard to get set as well.

Using it for elk season this year (2014) and it does need a fresh coat of waterproofing. At 4 lbs. it is twice the weight of some much more expensive tents but at nearly a quarter of the price of those tents it is worth it for someone just starting out or on a budget.

The main tent is almost all netting so ventilation is good and the rain fly covers the whole tent nearly to the ground. There is a nice vestibule at the front with space for boots and a pack, and the zippers at the front of the fly offer multiple easy ways in and out. Even if rain manages to somehow get past the excellent rain fly the tub style floor keeps water out very well.

I honestly think this is the best small lightweight tent you can buy for this price and is better than some much more expensive models.

To much of my surprise, this is a true two person tube tent. 5 foot at the front, tapering down to 28" at the back. It is 7'6" long, and 38" high tapering down to 22" in the back. with a tub style floor.

Weight is 4 Lbs. The majority of the tent is no see-um screen. The door is all no see-um and is 4' wide and 34" high. The rainfly covers all the tent to within 2" of the ground. And makes a nice vestibule over the door, though not real big, it is large enough to put in a backpack and still be able to get in and out with ease. Of course it came with cheap stakes, and the poles are on the flimsy side.

At the first set-up I was impressed with the stitching. I found that it needed a lot of stakes. But in no time I could set it up fast using only 3 stakes. This came in handy on the trail when I got surprised by one of our freak Pacific storms. It came up so fast that I didn't have time but to find shelter, some small sand pines. I had the tent up within 2 minutes. Still had to put in the rest of the stakes, but the tent was up and fairly dry. I road out the storm all night. Winds were gusting up to 60 mph. Hard driving rain. Not a drop got in.

I have used this tent many times since then. And every time I feel safe with it. Now that being said, I have had the back pole crack. I have replaced it with a heavier pole. I also use a shock cord at the rear of the tent from the top of the pole to the rear tent stake. This just tightens the top of the tent.

I'm a weekend backpacker, so the tent is only up 2 nights a week. Plus for the most part a fair weather camper, but I do like getting caught every now and then by a good storm. It is nice to find something I feel comfortable with in any condition that might occur. And for under $25 it was a real steal.

Update: January 8, 2010

Allready did the review. Just adding a picture.

I bought it because it was cheap and I needed a tent, but now I'm just darn glad I got it over the other tents at the store. This little tent is fantastic. It's easy for one person to set up in about five minutes, and while the stakes are your typical cheap ones, they do get the job done.

Me, a friend, and a dog were camping on what was supposed to be a nice weekend, and instead we got an extreme thunderstorm with exceedingly heavy rain and sustained high winds, some hail. Despite the fact that our only option ended up being to camp on mud, despite being very exposed, we weathered the storm perfectly dry on the inside, and pretty darn content. Both our packs (one bulky external frame, one large internal) fit under the rainfly outside the tent and they stayed dry as well.

It's not the best tent that money can buy, but it actually seems to be not half bad for the Pacific Northwest... or Pacific NorthWet I should say. I like my tent. If it croaks, I will probably buy the same thing again.