Sierra Designs Lightning Tent 2-Person 3-Season - 2007 BCS

Stayed bone dry during numerous storms in the Canadian Rockies. Great ventilation, will results in a colder night. Lots of condensation on fly, condensation on vestibule door will fall through the mesh door if you hit it accidentally. This is not a 3 season tent, the floor gets soaked if on snow and the wall collapsed under a very small snow load (about 4"). Make sure to purchase at least 4 more pegs and some extra guy line, it does not come with enough.

I got this tent to replace my QuarterDomeUL because it had no fly-footprint option. However, first time I used the Lightning I realized it had no top ventilation slot. With the fly on and zipped, there is no where for rising hot humid air to ventilate, it becomes an absolute sweat box. A simple overhanging slot with hook-and-loop tab (as on the Quarterdome), or a side chimney tube (as on Montbell products) would let the hot air rise out and solve this problem, and only add maybe 40 grams. This tent is now reserved for shoulder season use only and I am back to my Quarterdome for summer camping. Also, Entry and exit are difficult because the fly zip creates a triangular shaped slit which narrows at the top. Instead of one long zip; dual 1/2 length zips would be the same weight, and create a garage door type entry of sufficient width, and would create dual vestibules on both sides of the entry. On a positive note, this tent is a little lighter than other comparably sized 2 person 3 season tents. But again, I'd rather carry the extra weight of a top vent.

I am very happy with my Sierra Designs Lightning. The very first time I used it, I was not very careful about where I set camp. I awoke after a decent night's rain to find my tent in what can only be described as a very large puddle or very small lake. There was not a drop of water in the tent and the floor was acting like a water bed. I expect a lot out of my gear, but minimizing the effects of my stupidity earns the Lightning high marks in my book.

We used this tent for 6 weeks straight in the high sierra. It is exceptionally spacious for the weight and packs small in a separate compression stuff sack we bought. It has a lot of mesh so it is really nice on warm nights with no fly, but we also had rain, hail, and wind storms and it held up really well for a 2-pole tent. Under some of the higher wind conditions it looked slightly stressed, even when fully guyed, but then again it is a 3-season tent, and no damage ensued, so it was fine. The only negatives we noted were that it doesn't vent well with the fly on and closed, so a lot of condensation forms on the inside of the fly under certain conditions. Perhaps if it had a two-way zipper on the fly door it could be vented better. The other thing is that the fly sags a bit when wet on the narrow ends of the tent and sometimes comes in contact with the tent walls. Perhaps we didn't have it staked out optimally but we sure tried. Extra guy points on the bottoms of the ends of the fly would help with this. It didn't pose much of a problem though. The large door is nice. Two people can sit side by side while putting on shoes, etc. Overall we were very happy with this tent and look forward to a lot more use in the future.

I've just bought it in Japan and used in quite stormy weather for few days in Spain. I slept very well and it was very comfortable and easy to use. I love it.

I think this is one of the best 2-person backpacking tents on the market (especially considering the price). It weighs around 4 lbs and very spacious for a 2-person backpacking tent. It has a nice squared-off vestibule which I really dig. I am very happy with mine so far. :)

Though my wife and I have only had the Lightning out one time so far, I must say I am very pleased. This is the first clip type tent I have owned and the first Sierra Designs tent I have purchased in many moons. I used to swear by Glacier Tents years ago. I purchased this tent because of the light weight and am pleased that it goes up quickly and taught. The space is very comfortable for two and four people can sit around and play cards. And the big roundish door is too cool. I look forward to sleeping in this jewel for years to come.

If you're looking for a great 3-season tent, you can stop looking now. This is it. It stands up to heavy downpours without a problem. I have yet to experience any kind of condensation inside the tent. It is light and easy to set up. What more could you ask for? I highly recommend picking up the footprint as well.

Lightweight minimalist tent. Lacks a few features I’m accustomed to that save weight. Would be nice to have a second vestibule, although the one is definitely large enough for 2 full sized packs. Pitches very quickly and easily in all configurations (i.e. foot print & fly). Tent is very roomy for one, or cozy for two, but you definitely have your own elbow room. This tent is a good compromise and very versatile due to its many configurations, but if you want a true lightweight tent, I wouldn’t recommend this but rather a single-wall tarp tent or equivalent.

For those unwilling to use tarps, in my opinion, this is your best bet for a super-light shelter. For 4lb 2oz you get a fairly roomy tent with full weather protection. The ventilation on this tent is the best out of any I've used (MSR and Eureka). The vestibule could probably fit eight pairs of boots, but I don't think it's tall enough for most backpacks. Setup is pretty easy with the clip locks, but I would recommend at least one guy-out on the back to keep the fly off the tent body. My only problem is that the tent does not come with enough stakes for bad weather setup and the stuff sack is far too large for the tent, necessitating the purchase of a smaller one if you want to take full advantage of the small packed size of the tent.