Stansport Adventure

Great tent that costs 1/8 the price of a major name-brand one that does the same thing.

This is an almost-square dome-style tent that sets up in a jiffy, since there are no sleeves to thread with the poles. It uses plastic clips that attach the poles to the tent, and they go on easily, but you do have to locate them below the nearest ferrule, or you will have a confusing setup (refer to erected tent photo). A height of 43" is typical for 2-person tents, and is perfectly acceptable.

It is not long enough for two adults, and the one adult has to sleep diagonally to stretch out. Even then, it is not suitable for those over 5' 10". The benefit to the squarish, compact floor design is that almost all your small articles and gear are always within your immediate reach. The tent floor dimensions are advertised as 6.5' x 5.5', but I think they are more like 5'5" x 5'. I'll measure later and update. I am 5'10", and can not lay straight either lengthwise nor along the width.

Although only two side pockets are supplied, a great deal of arrangement can be had by buying and using clip-on hooks at a hardware store, then attaching them to reinforcements on the four, corner, double-stitched seams which run from apex to floor perimeter: Two on each seam gives you eight locations of hanging, small items. A small, nylon loop is supplied at the apex of the tent for suspension of a tent candle or hanging flashlight (a nice touch by Stansport).

The floor is particularly strong and is seamless poly-urethane, so impossible to leak, unless punctured. The Adventure has a bathtub floor design that continues up the sides of the tent for about 3". The stitching for all eight clips for the poles are well-reinforced inside the tent. Everything is double-stitched: Very impressive for a tent of this price.

The stitching on the sides of the tent (particularly down low, where your fly might not cover enough for blowing rain) can leak unless seam-sealed. I didn't detract points for that.

My camp in summer is static (I camp from late May to mid-Sept), so the extra weight of the fiberglass poles is not an issue.

Aeration is an issue in hotter, more-humid climates, since only half the door is screened. There is no screening on the back of the tent, and overhead has maybe a square 12" mesh at the apex of the tent. This design does promote heat-retention in the tent: Something to think about if you camp in cold weather or are up north (Maine) like me.

The fly is the major concern: Although I have, incredibly, heard good reviews from those who have used the supplied "1/4 fly", there is no way I would ever use a tent that did not have a full fly. The "1/4 fly" is designed to basically cover the square-foot of no-see-um screening at the top of the tent. I consider this wholly inadequate and the only real reason the tent did not get five stars.

I have a fly from a Sierra Designs Meteor Light 2 that I wasn't using, so that is the fly I use for the Adventure. With this fly, the tent withstands strong rain, so I would consider buying a full fly (or tarp w/ grommets) for this tent, to cover it if you are going to use it in the rain. If you do find a full-size fly that will fit it (almost any 2-person dome), make sure you use the fly vents, or you might get some condensation on the inside of the tent in the night, depending on how wet the ground is.

I stayed dry and comfy and slept like a champ during the 8/13/14 deluge in southern Maine where over six inches of rain fell in the span of a few hours. Rain protection is all about your fly, and how well you have it staked out, anyway: It's not really about the tent.

The rolled-down door is secured by two small dowls w/ nylon loops. While the small dowls do not hold the  door as tightly as velcro would, dowls do not wear out.., velcro does.

The zippers aren't YKK, but are of good quality and work well, even with just one hand. The door zipper has a single-layer storm flap on the outside. The tent pitches surprisingly taut: There is no sag anywhere.

The mesh is no-see-um, and of a quilt that I have not seen before (mosquitoes can not even poke their probosci through it), and it keeps out even the smallest bugs, and where I am, that means chiggers.

This is my first fiberglass-pole tent, and though (in contrast to aluminum) I found them somewhat wobbly to get positioned, I also found them quieter, which I appreciated (no more racket during tent set-up or tear-down).

I think what most amazes me about this tent is that it shares the same quality and design features of tents that cost up to ten times as much. Believe me, I've researched (and owned) Eureka, Sierra Designs, and Kelty. They are no better, and probably made by the same factory in China.

I'll be using this tent again in 2015.

You can find this tent for $24.49 at la police gear. I paid $38 on ebay. Amazing deal.