Mountain Hardwear Sprite 1 Tent 1-Person 3-Season - 2009 BCS

I have last years version but form what i can tell nothing has changed. the only real drawback here is the lack of a free-standing architecture - this makes pitching on a platform a pain in the neck but nothing some parachute cord and nearby trees cant solve. while not being especially light, it takes up very little room, so its great for solo trips where you want more than just a bivy.

the asymmetric design has a ton going for it! the internal nook leaves all the room that you need for some night time reading, a head lamp, toiletries and so on. the vestibule is just the right size for a pack and boots. some have complained that it is cramped in side, though i find it to be plenty spacious. i'm 6'1" and 175lbs, so not especially large but have found my self more than comfortable in it.

the stakes that it came with were the worst stakes ive ever seen, two of them bent immediately. the bottom of the barrel stakes that you can get in bins at REI are of greater quality. its non-freestanding design also requires a good number of them. not really a big deal imo thought minimalists may be irked.

this thing is extremely hearty! as a result of poor planning and waning daylight, i ended up pitching the thing at over 5000 feet on the presidential ridge of the white mountains. i tried to get in the lee of the terrain as best as possible, but i still got hammered with 50mph winds all night long. when i got up the next day you could have bounced a quarter off the fly. im considering using it as a winter tent in conjunction with a bivy sack since it seems pretty bombproof.

Update: A friend and I went camping over the 4th of July. The weather was rotten; punctuated by thunder, lightning driving rain and hail. We both have Sprites. I remained very comfortable all night long while my friend wound up soaked as condensation poured in on him all night. I theorize that one of two things happened to him: A) his whole fly is defective and useless, or B) he somehow didn't manage to get the fly taught enough to keep it off of the tent body. I suspect the 2nd option is the most likely. In my opinion getting both the tent body and the footprint if present as taught as possible before attempting to put the fly up is critical to avoiding this problem. Further compounding the issue is the fact that he used the 2007 model tent body and fly with a 2008 model footprint. Both the footprint and the tent body have the hardware required to pitch the fly, however part of me wonders if the 2008 footprint is not somehow just different enough to prevent the fly from sitting tightly over the hoops thus preventing condenstation. At this time, this is the only explanation I can think of given our otherwise identical equipment.

I bought one in 2008 and have used it a bunch: sierra backpacking, california coast bike tours etc... it is quick to set up and, if set up properly, will keep you dry in any storm. The tent is not that big, however. i am not very tall, and my head is quite near the top when i sit up. makes it slightly difficult to shed layers inside, but not impossible. I think the size is a reasonable sacrifice for the weight. the only other downside of the tent is the tendency for water to run under it if the rainfly is not cinched down properly. if you get it nice and tight it wont be a problem tho. defenitily recommended if you need something light that is going to keep you dry. if you prefer more room however, look elsewhere.

This is nice, sturdy, lightweight solo tent. It's not freestanding, not all that light, and a little short though. I'm 6' tall and felt like the length was somewhat restrictive. I do like the dimensions and design because the little area next within the tent for storage is pretty cool and the vestibule is larger than other solo tents.

bought this tent about 1 1/2 years ago and it is a great little tent. I stress little but hey thats what it is designed for. perfect light weight shelter for 1. Much better that a bivy and it I was able to store what I wanted access to in the jog space and my osprey kestrel 48 pack fit just perfect with my shoes in the little vestibule. If you are a tall person (over 6'1")it might not work so good. was also very effective in stormy conditions. would recommend highly!

I loved the tent itself. I could sit up enough to pull my hair back and the tent cover gave me enough dry space to put my shoes on without getting my socks wet. The extra corner was great for holding any extra gear I wanted to keep inside my tent without getting in the way of sleeping. The only problem I had was keeping the wind out. I tried several tricks to setting up the cover, but nothing worked for me.

Just got back from a three day backpack with a new Sprite.
It was easy to set up, withstood 30 mph winds the first day, and comfortable in the vestibule for reading and even dressing. Only complaint was its' fragility, after the first day on the trail I noticed tiny holes in both the internal tent and rain fly, probably caused by the tent poles or stakes rubbing against the material as we shimmied through Round Valley draw slot canyon (both stakes and poles were securely wrapped inside their bags, inside the tenting material). Is there a warranty on material?