Sirius first impressions

By Art Noll Ranked #1989 - 3-Season Tents March 2, 2007

Good Day, I Set this tent up indoors just to check it out. Warning, I’m no pro, and this is a quick, living-room-test, first impression:
Tent is packaged in a blue bag, with a mostly text instruction booklet.
Weight in the bag as delivered= 4lb.,10oz.
Weight of everything minus the baggage= 4lb.,6 oz.
Poles only= 1 lb.
stakes only= 3.5oz.
Packs down to about 20”x5.5”
The poles are about 19.5” long. Nice light DAC poles -at 19.5”though, still hard to cram into a pack or pannier.
First impression is that the material looks substantial, in dark blue with light blue fly, reminiscent of my old Clip Flashlight. Inexplicably, the nylon loops on the fly came folded up and sealed in a small plastic bag, with a shiny gold twist-tie neatly wrapped (not twisted) around the hem to secure them. Bling Bags?
Setup is super-fast. I only looked at the instructions just to make sure I was not missing something.
This is questionable as a two person tent. Maybe if the two of you are married. Not if you’re having a spat. Okay, bad analogy…
At six feet tall with a broad build, my head and feet both brushed against the inward sloped walls of the tent. This is not unusual in comparable tents I have tried. I don’t like it, and I worry that in the single-wall section of the tent, wicking could occur. The seamless bathtub floor is confidence-inspiring.
The tent stands nicely without stakes, but near the doors the fly does need to be staked to insure ventilation.
Visibility is good, with about half the tent in mesh. Less than half of the view, sky and environs, is blocked.
The fly went on easy and fast. An innovative design with the half fly. Would be questionable in a wind driven sideways rain – you would have to be watchful when pitching the tent, which direction you point into the wind. The directions allude to the same precaution for achieving the required ventilation.
The vestibules are a joke- the bottom of the fly is high off the ground and the area is small. If you put your boots there they would get filled in all but the lamest vertical drizzle. Luckily the tent is wider than most, so you could bring your gear inside…
Instructions recommend use of seam-seal, but I could not locate a seal that did not already have broad seam tape on it(?)
The instructions also recommend use of a ground cloth or footprint to protect the tent. Why not include it then? $$?
So, I can’t believe the quality for the price-point. For just slightly more weight than the Clip Flashlight you have a freestander. You’re on your own testing it in a windstorm.
Hope that helps.
Be Well,
Art

View Details: Sierra Designs Sirius Tent 2-Person 3-Season

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