Sierra Designs Lightning 2 Tent - 2 Person 3 Season - 2008 BCS

Picked this tent up at an insane deal ... Setting it up was very easy if you've ever worked with a X frame tent, you simply place one end into each end of the tent diagnal and lift the tent body clips and attach to poles ... Very quick, 1-2 minutes ... The inside is nice and bright front the optic white canopy, the mesh is great, but it is tight so air doesn't flow through it very well unless its windy .... Keeping the front door open some is best for flow of ventilation ... The door on this tent is by far my favorite feature ... i'm tall, 6'4 and getting out of tents is torture for me ... NOT anymore, the full side of this tent can open up and be tucked into its on pocket on the side of the interior ... very nice feature ... the vestibule is good enough for my pack laying down on some sort of tarp/ground cloth ... on the smaller side, but i like it quite alot ... The rain fly on this is very nice also as its full adjustable with tension straps ... i like this also ... I normally HATE stakes that are included but the ones provided by sierra are keepers ... I had this tent setup and gave it the GARDEN HOSE test as i've not had the chance to be in it in the rain yet, but it held up under garden hose rain for 15-20 and with my friend sitting inside for breathing/condinsation testing it passed with FLYING colors .... Only real time in the backcountry will define the tent, but i don't see if being any different than the tests run in my own backyard .... Excellent tent, Specially if you find it on sale!

I got this tent a few years ago and have loved it. It is super light and it doesn't skimp on the important stuff. I've never had a problem with leakage. The fly did get soaked while I was backpacking in Colorado this summer, but it was because the tent was pitched for 15 hours in a huge downpour and even then, everything inside the tent stayed dry. This tent is really sturdy, simple, and has everything I need: room for two full size sleeping pads plus some gear inside, a huge stash door, and a vestibule with room for boots and packs. You can comfortably sleep two people in the Lightning and not worry about ending up on top of each other. Some advice, use the nylon cord that comes with the tent and stake out the back side of the fly, it really helps ventilate the tent. The thing is durable too, never ripped, even a little in some rough handling. All in all, a great tent in a lightweight and durable package.

I went on a hiking trip with a bunch of my friends. I pitched my tent in what seemed like a good place, but when a micro (A VERY WINDY AND RAINY STORM) came in my spot was a 1 or 2 inch puddle. I was outside when this happened and didn't realize until i heard my friend say that my tent was soaked. This was not true. With the bath tube design even the water was kept high and dry, and i mean dry.

This tent is great for a short trip. I used it for four days. It did not weigh me down too much at all. Very easy set up. Very cozy. Loved it