The North Face Bullfrog 23

Get it if you can.

My husband lived in this tent for two summers while working on the Alaska Railroad. Camped in it every night. We've gone backpacking with it in Denali, and it's proven light enough to stuff in our plane bags for car-camping in Mexico.

Legendary durability against rain and wind despite heavy wear by the sun, and being thirty years old. Roomy enough to stuff the plush mattresses in. Super spacious, warm enough, little condensation, and still lightweight.

Best all-around tent we've ever found.

Background

I'm an avid backpacker who's worked outdoors since I was 14, and my husband lives in tents in windy, rain AK all summer.

very 2-person tent for asian sizes, with some room at the sides to store gear within the tent. may even accommodate 3 for those really cold nights!

floor area of vestibule is huge! can even cook while the bags are still there. need to practice crouching while exiting the tent in order to avoid catching the vestibule against your back.

no-see-um mesh blocks some of the water if they get through the rainfly.

door really opens wide!

windows are a great plus!

so far, holds well in wind, assuming proper pitching alignment.

hopefully they added a third mesh pouch at the top of the interior. pitching it without the rainfly contacting the body may require a little change in pitching when it comes to using the grommets and pegs. speaking of pegs, they bend rather easily, so careful when stepping on them or hitting them with rocks when pitching.

shape of compression pouch is impractical when used to pack the tent in a backpack: get a more squarish pouch or plastic bag for this.

Great freestanding 3-season tent.

I've had this tent for years, with no issues.

Easy to set up, only three poles, and once put together, easy to move, or shake out debris.

Without the fly, the mesh is right where you want it for great views, which is nice.

With the fly up, which is straightforward, it has done well in wind, and rain. Staking the vestibule is the only minor challenge, depending on the terrain.

As I said, I've had the tent for years, so durability is good, for me, at least.

Similar to North Face Lunarlight and Starfire -- Bullfrog not in production anymore. Tremendous ventilation with mesh on all four sides, also helps keep condensation low with fly on. Many tie downs available with fly combined with low design promote great stability even in high winds. Fabric is strong (I have used in 12 deg F).

No hitch pitch difficult to thread poles in correct spots. However, when poles threaded, easy to take down and pack up with poles still inserted. Extremely quick setup in dark or rain when poles already inserted.

Plenty of room in larger two-person tent, low weight for long backpacking trips. Rate an 8 out of 10.

Very good tent. Light and easy to use.

I've been using this tent for over 30 years now, and with few waterproof treatments it's still a very good tent. Light, fast, and easy to mount, it never failed me, even when the rain was pouring down!

Pros: The fly is free-standing even without the tent body, so you can take just the poles and fly for ultra-light camping. Good headroom and built-in vestibule. Three loops inside for a gear sling. Has excellent ventilation, yet has never leaked. Roomy for 2 people.

Cons: Can be annoyingly hard to set up, due to discontinuous and similar-looking pole sleeves. The main hoop also kinked permanently when the tent was hit by a huge storm downdraft (it still works, though). Can be breezy in high winds. Cramped in the foot area for two bags.

I owned this tent for about eight months and it provided excellent North Face Quality...sturdy and waterproof. I used it in some parks in Wyoming.

I gave it to my teenage son because I didn't like having to turn around after getting into the tent. This was especially problematic when another was inside already. I purchased a side entrance style with two entrances. Much easier to get in and out of in the middle of the night. It's like having your own room. Thanks.

I bought this tent in Canada a couple of years ago and it has been terrific. Stands up well to snow and rain with plenty of ventilation. Adequate vestibule and enough room for two with room to spare. Overall a great tent for those looking for light weight and good workmanship. It's a pity they stopped making them, as they are one of the roomiest small tents around.

Wonderful, I used it once a month and on two expeditions through my scouting experiences. It has always been there for me and has never let me down. With a warm sleeping bag you can use this tent for mild winter conditions.

Purchased used for $100 and could not be happier. The tent held up in snow, rain and ice for a 2.5 month trip to the Rockies. Had footprint which helped as well.