Walrus Lite-Star

Used in NE in light snow, thunderstorms and heavy storm.

Performs well, good wind-shedding design, easy to move around. Recommend the custom footprint for $25. Came into its own during two-week trip in the Florida Keys, stood up to a major tropical front in Bahia Honda State Park on the beach. Watertight 100 percent and dried in an hour or two. Moved it out of the sun by simply picking it up and plonking it down, sturdy and solid when not staked.

Bags of room for two, great height and easy enough for one to pack. Vestibule is big enough to cook in in a pinch, but is a weird shape, door has two layers, mesh and nylon, so visibility is good and you can still batten down the hatches when it turns rough. Zippers on door are kinda fiddly but overall it's a tough beast and you can't beat the space to weight/cost ratio.

I originaly purchased this tent because it was the cheapest freestanding tent I could find. My first outing with this tent was a two night ski fest in Colorado. I was skeptical about the Walrus being able to handle the conditions.

The first night was uneventful and the tent served well. The next day started out perfect but soon changed and we experienced gale winds and lots of snow. Our guide expressed some dread about my Walrus being able to cope. Three hours later the guide came to my tent; his 4-season North Face had collapsed in the storm. My Lite-Star survived that storm and three others since. My only complaint is the vestibule, or lack of. For this reason I will probably purchase the Walrus Tri-star.

an excellent backpacking tent. light, warm, sturdy for a dome tent. the trick is a little horizontal pole that crossed the main two for maximum stability. for a dome tent it really rocks. fully seam sealed from the factory and a full length vestibule. don't forget the footprint $25-40 extra.

This is a great tent from overnight stays to a 10-day trek in the Wind Rivers. Even handles snow with ease...