For three pounds five ounces you get a passable two person tent in a pinch. But the interior is somewhat cramped. I'm not a tall dude (5'8), and I felt like I could touch both ends of the tent while sleeping. This would be an issue except for the excessive condensation that builds up in the tent.

The tent is quite stable in high winds, and the pitch-from-within can be nice in rain. If weight is your primary concern on a climb, the Firstlight will fit the bill, but you must be willing to make some compromises. There's a reason this tent appears in so many magazines and trip reports recounting epics on cramped bivy ledges. And it has little to do with comfort or amenities.

I spent one night in this tent by myself and I thought is was just right, but I would hate to have to try and fit 2 people plus gear in this thing. I love how lightweight and simple it is, but because it's so lightweight it is kinda flimsy, tearing and leaking are real issues. I would like to have this as my second tent when I go out by myself and space and weight are primary issues, but I wouldn't recommend this tent for normal situations for 2 people.

I spent two months sleeping in this tent while hitchhiking through europe with a buddy.
For light weight, ease of setup and take-down, functionality, durability, and simplicity, this is the greatest tent i have ever had the pleasure of sleeping in. The tent took a beating (we pitched it everywhere from Irish mountaintops to Spanish parking garages) with nary a tear or loose thread. The zippers pulled snag free every time. The ventilation was effective - I never felt like I couldn't breathe in the tent, as I have in many single and double-walled tents. I have a hunch the bright interior played a role in keeping our morale up throughout the two months. By the end of the trip, I was questioning the value of houses: why not live in a tent for the rest of my life? I would live in no other tent but this one.
I'm 5'11" and my buddy is 6'. We were able to sleep in the tent with our backpacks on rainy days (which there were a lot of). It was admittedly cramped, because our backpacks were huge, but cramped can equal cozy with the right mindset, and I think backpacking in general requires a certain psychological shift that makes you more open to discomfort in exchange for freedom/exploration/escape/whatever reason you are camping to begin with.
The tent leaks in heavy rains. We dealt with it, but some may not want to. Those who say this tent is meant for alpine-style summit assaults are correct-it's better at sheltering you from dry snow than rain. However, if you're not afraid of a few drips, this tent is great for extended backpacking trips. A waterproofing fabric treatment is something else you could look into, however do your research because chemicals in waterproofing treatments could theoretically compromise the integrity of the fabric.

Has always kept me very comfortable in super cold weather in the snow. Never leaks, won't blow over even in very heavy winds.
Pretty much the best winter tent and about half as light as the competition. My only issue is that it's too short. I'm 6'3" and just barely fit.
Haven't tried it out of the snow but I've heard it leaks and gets condensation. I'd say it's not the right tool for that anyway, get a Tarptent for those trips.

I just feel like a clarification is needed here: the BD "_____light" tents are NOT NOT NOT designed for extended periods of rain or, really, any rain at all. They are superlight, supercramped bivy tents for high altitude alpine climbs where the only precip you'll get is snow, usually quite dry snow.

BD clearly states that the EPIC fabric is water resistant, not water proof. Don't be pissed at BD because you got all excited to go "ultralight", found a 3 pound tent, and then got wet because you didn't do your homework. These tents work perfectly for the narrow usage range for which they were designed; all the big boys and girls use them on their horror show climbs in the great ranges around the world. But none of them would take these tents backpacking with even the slightest chance of rain.

Read the fine print folks, lest you broadcast your foolishness across the web...

For a climber or aspiring alpinist, the firstlight is the best tent on the market.

Regardless of what people may have said in previous reviews, the firstlight does NOT leak as much as they would have you think. I've used mine in the rain and each time have stayed completely dry. There was even a small stream of water running under the tent all night and still we stayed dry.

That said, in heavy rain this tent may not be the best choice because the fabric is only "water resistant" though Nano shield is considered "waterproof" by european standards. Nano shield may be less waterproof than other "waterproof" fabrics but it is much more breathable. This means you will have less condensation in the firstlight than a similarly designed single wall "waterproof" tent.

If you're coming from a super comfy backpacking tent you will have to adjust your mindset transitioning to the firstlight.
The firslight is not designed to be a comfortable tent to spend a week in. It is a lightweight assault style tent for people who value their legs on the hike in, more than having a roomy tent.

This tent represents the bare bones of what a tent should be and it has no added features you don't absolutely need.
It doesn't have a vestibule for your packs/boots because people who are trying to save weight (ie people buying this tent) usually have 2/3 length sleeping pads and they use their pack and boots to insulate their feet-- eliminating the need for a worthless vestibule. This also means you need a smaller pack which will also weigh less. Also, climbers in cold, windy conditions often cook in their tents anyway using a jetboil (not recommended), so why do we need that vestibule again?

The firstlight sets up completely from the inside. This means that in bad conditions it is possible to throw your tent on the ground, jump inside with your stuff and set it up protected from the elements. Is it easy to do this--No, can it be done if need be--Yes, how many other tents could you do that with? It also has a very tall profile meaning that snow will just slid down rather than collecting on top.

This tent has a narrow profile. This means you don't have to have a very big ledge to be able to get a goodnights sleep. It also means you will be more cosy with your partner and sleep warmer. For those who think this tent is two small, I once used this tent without sleeping bags during a bivy with two 6ft+ guys last winter and we were just fine. Was it comfortable--No, was it superlight-weight and what we needed--Yes.

The firslight excels a being light wight, easy to pitch, area efficient (small footprint), and exactly what you need in the mountains. What more could you ask for? There is a reason that the firslight is used on peaks around the world and is the first choice among the worlds best alpinists.

A tent has a clear primary job—keeping you dry. The Firstlight fails miserably at this job. BD describes the fabric as “water resistant” which is an overstatement. In an extended light rain or even a short downpour, the fabric wets out and wicks moisture inside. Because it’s a small tent, your sleeping bag, cloths and lots of other things you care about will be in contact with the wet tent walls and soon your entire kit is soaked.

I’ve used the tent for around 30 nights. Most of those were dry, but on a recent trip in the Bob Marshal, we got rain every evening. And did we get wet! We kept a pack towel in the tent to dry the walls and our gear. On our last night, I started keeping track of the amount of water wrung from the pack towel. We soaked up more than a cup of water in a single night.

I had expected a little condensation from a single wall tent and we certainly got that, too. But I also expected the tent to protect us from rain. It does not. Even after painstakingly sealing the seams, big droplets from on the poles and drip on your face. The water pours down the poles and pools in little puddles in the corners (which ironically are waterproof). I might even get passed the wet pole thing, however, if the walls didn’t get soaked, but they do.

I also am disappointed in durability and construction. The minimalist brows of the door and rear vent are supported by flexible wire. The ends of the wires are cushioned by little plastic caps, but the wire poked through one of those and wore a hole in the fabric sleeve and now sticks out.

I gave the tent a half star because it is really lightweight and easy to set up. But if it can’t keep you dry, what’s the point?

This tent is nothing more than a very small mosquito net or a very expensive backyard play tent

2 words seam seal. bd recommends it and after following their instructions this tent is dry as as a popcorn fart

I'm guessing this is the new color for this years firstlight. Hope this one is better. Spent 4 night in one. Kind of small for me and I'm only 5'10". The kicker was when it rained for 2 and half days. Tent was worthless. Rained straight through the fabric. Not the seems that need sealing, the fabric!!! We put rain coats and pack covers on the tent to help it. If we had been out for one more night of rain we would have been in big trouble with the cold rain.

So this is a killer deal. a true KILLER. Blackdiamond should buy them all back and beg forgiveness.

This tent is great! Just as long as it never rains! Then it sucks. The rain comes through the fabric. Set it up on a sunny day get inside and stare up. Once your eyes adjust you'll see tiny points of light everywhere.