ALPS Mountaineering Zephyr 1 AL Tent

Rating

I haven't camped out since Boy Scouts in the 1960's. Things have sure changed a lot since the canvas pup tent. I spent two nights at 10,000 feet in this tent in the National Forest west of Grand Lake, Colorado. The first night it rained off and on; no problem. The second night it got below freezing. No complaints. The tent is well made, cleverly designed, and just right for solo camping. it packs well in its stuff sack and carries well in the backpack.

Rating

I am really happy with this tent. The design, craftsmanship, materials and quality all exceeded my expectations for the price. My Zephyr 1's maiden voyage was baptism by snow and wind on Mt. Adams in Wa. St. on October 2nd. This is a 3 season tent but it will keep you warm and dry if you use a well designed insulated sleeping mat like the Exped downmats combined with a good sleeping bag. We "guestimated" the windes at 20-40mph and tempuratures dipped into the low 20's F. I secured the tent with the supplied guy lines and aluminum stakes before turning in for the night and I was glad I took the extra steps. No one really wants to see the wind blowing snow sideways when we go camping. I highly recommend getting the footprint. Search for "floor saver" when trying to find the footprint. The footprint did its job well because the ground did freeze that night and I know it provided an insulating layer as well as protect the floor of the tent. I also liked that you can clip the urethane-coated polyester fly to the floor saver at all four corners.

Rating

Overstock had a very competitive price on this tent ($20 less than another major online retailer). I set it up for the first time at my campsite and it was easy to figure out, though the stuff sack has an attached nylon sheet with instructions. The rain was very light so I did not have a chance to see how the tent would stand up in heavy precip. The design is fine. Durability appears to be quite good for this price. It's definitely not a tent for somebody who will be rough and bang it around. It's probably not going to last forever, but for a beginning backpacker such as myself it makes a fine starter tent and you do not really sink a whole ton of cash into the purchase. This tent is actually big enough for a couple, or two very good friends, to share. Weight compares well to similarly-sized tents. I did not use any kind of ground cloth because the camp site was basically a soccer field so extra protection was not necessary. It would be nice if Overstock (or anybody else for that matter) sold a fitted ground sheet for this tent. Overstock used UPS ground so it took over a week for the package to reach NYC but they did get it into the shipping stream immediately upon receipt of my order. Considering what you get for the money, I have no problem giving five stars for value. As for durability, only repeated outings will tell.