Kelli Busch

I picked up this tent last summer and have been able to test it out a few times since then on backpacking trips. The total weight w/rain fly is only about 6lbs - pretty good for a 2 person tent. My boyfriend had no problems with the length -- he's 6'3" -- so if you're tall, this might be just the tent for you. I'm 5'4" and am able to store extra clothes by my feet for those "just in case it gets cold" nights. The doors on both sides make it quick easy in & out for either person, and the zippers work well. Set-up time is 5 minutes or less by yourself (I haven't officially timed it yet), which is made easy by the sleeves you insert the poles into before you stand it up. Bright yellow color is a plus if you're out canoeing and trying to find your campsite again at dusk, however if you're trying to blend in with the scenery this is probably not the tent for you. The extra vestibule space created by the rain fly is plenty sufficient to store a pack under it and keep it dry. Only complaint I have about the rain fly is the zippers only zip from top to bottom. It's a bit of a stretch to reach from inside the tent to pull the zipper all the way down on the rain fly. It did, however, function perfectly well for keeping out the rain.

The padding on the hip-belt and shoulders of this pack is great. Typically men's packs are too large for women's torsos, but this one is adjustable and I've been able to make it work. (My torso is slightly longer than average for women sizing.) The main storage compartment is large enough to carry my tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, clothes, and food. There is a "hidden" compartment for inserting your own water bladder (not included). The top cover is also a compartment to store quick-access items (headlamp, rain jacket/pants, snacks). And there are just the right amount of compression straps to tighten down the load if you don't fill the bag to the max. Downside: it's not waterproof, but a generic raincover solves that problem and adds little weight.

If you're backpacking or camping where you have an infinite supply of water (therefore don't need to carry all your water with you), this is a must have. I used it for a week-long trip in the Boundary Waters along w/ the pre-filter (attaches to Nalgene bottles only - the threads are very specific). No problems the entire week. Brought extra batteries but never needed them.

Used it for a week-long canoe trip in the Boundary Waters, and a separate hiking/camping trip in the Smoky Mountains. Loved being able to just dunk the bottle (cap off) into the lake or waterfall stream, re-cap, and drink. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who must take big gulps of water at a time, but it worked very well for me. No problems on either trip. Purifier and water bottle in one - great for those who don't want to carry a bunch of separate things just to drink water safely.

Friend and I used this for a week long trip to the Boundary Waters. I didn't know before hand that my generic-brand Lexan bottle wouldn't have the same threads on this screw-cap prefilter. Luckily my friend had a Nalgene bottle, and we had no problems. It filtered out debris, but not the color of the water. Not a problem for us, but beware to those who have a problem believing brown water is safe to drink after you've used the pre-filter with the Steri-Pen.