ALPS Mountaineering Zephyr 2 Tent: 2-Person 3-Season

Planning on using this tent for upcoming backpacking adventures in the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, and Ice Lakes Colorado. The weight is perfect for keeping my pack light. Upon viewing setup, not at all complicated, and take down is very easy.

I will write an updated review in regard to how it holds up under mountain climate.
My initial impression, however, is that I am completely satisfied and it more than exceeds my needs for a light backpacking tent to take in the back country.

Also, backcountry.com customer service has always been top notch. Backcountry is my go-to company for all of my backpacking/hiking needs.

This tent is sweet. The set up is really easy and intuitive and 2 adults fit comfortably. The 2 vestibules are a nice touch for keeping gear covered. I like that both sides open so no one has to climb over anyone. Fairly light and I am excited to take it backpacking. Doesn't come with a footprint which would be nice but not a huge deal.

I'll preface this review by saying that I've only spent one night in this tent (in my backyard no less). It arrived a couple days ago and I figured it would be best to spend a night in it before any serious use.

Lucky for me, it just happened to start raining as soon as I had my sleeping stuff in there. It rained all through the night, sometimes quite hard. The good news is that for such prolonged rain, I myself did not get wet. However, the top of the tent creates a flat surface where water pools. I woke up in the morning face-to-face with a sagging roof full of water. Again, none of it leaked on me, but it was disconcerting.

What was worse was that the section of rainfly above the vestibules definitely DID leak. The area around the zipper developed a very slow drip, and I could see splashes on the mesh where water had actually been falling into the tent. I left my shoes in the vestibule overnight, and while they weren't completely soggy, they were wet enough to soak through my socks when I put them on. I could actually see water droplets forming on the underside of the fly as water soaked through. Curiously, this was only on one side of the tent.

I'm sure that the fly would hold up fine in lighter rain. The tent itself seems to be constructed very well. The poles are good quality, the materials seem top-notch, and pitching is a breeze. Even though the ground around the tent absorbed a lot of water during the night, the floor was dry as a bone even without the footprint. I will apply some waterproofing spray to the fly and see if that fixes the problem.

I'm a small woman, so I loved how lightweight this tent was in my pack. My first night on the trail, I set it up in the dark. It was simple and straightforward. My friend and I (both about 5'5") and my 65 pound dog fit in it nicely with two sleeping pads. There was very little extra space on the sides, but plenty above and below us for taller people. I also liked the little shelf in the ceiling for stowing a phone or clipping in a little lantern. The footprint clips in perfectly. It kept us dry in the rain too!

This tent completely satisfies me. If I ever need to replace it I'll buy the same one.

One of my rainfly corners came without a quick release buckle. I contacted ALPS Mountaineering and they promptly sent me a replacement but that one didn't even fit my tent... So they definitely have some quality control issues.
Also the tent I got weighed 5 lb 6 oz. A full 10 oz heavier than advertised. I would not recommend this tent.

great little tent I use it when I am on a dual sport ride it is easy to pack and is lightweight

Okay, I haven't used this tent yet, but it just arrived and I set it up (in my living room) just to check it out and weigh it. Sets up very easy, seems quite roomy.

But the reason I'm writing this quick review (more of a heads up) is to pass along that the tent I received was 5 lbs, 2 oz. I weighed the tent, poles, fly, guy lines, stakes and all stuff sacks. I can shave some ounces by leaving the main stuff sack at home (it's thick and has buckled webbing for compression) and use lighter stuff sacks for poles and stakes, but I'm disappointed that it's 6oz heavier than advertised. Perhaps the one I received was an anomaly.

Anyway, just a heads up in case those 6oz are important. I realize that a tent nearing 5 pounds is gonna be a rock in the pack any way you slice it. But hey, for $110, it's as good as any of the cheap 2-man tents out there and about the same weight for a fraction of the cost.

I tried this tent for the first time recently by hiking the AT Approach Trail which starts in Amicalola Falls State Park somewhere in Northern Georgia...
Unfortunately the weather conditions were miserable enough by way of Joaquin and the ongoing, relentless pouring of rain (if you seen the news you know anything in this area and north of it was deeply affected). I am from South Florida and was not going to waste my days off by not hiking/camping.
I arrived late, around 7:30 PM to the campground that is about 1.5 miles from the top of Springer Mountain. Setting it up was fairly easy and fast, in about 1 minute the mesh tent (interior wall) was up followed by another minute for the rainfly. I am 'taking' 1/2 a star because the way the poles and sleeves are designed, do not allow for the rainfly to go at the same time you setup the poles/mesh. Once it was up I quickly threw everything either inside or in one of the 2 vestibules, which is great to have along with the incredible fact that you have individual entrances/vestibules for his and her. Yes, it is a bit small if you do not want to get up close and personal with someone else, but so far I have only used it solo and I have a lot of space by sleeping on one side. The other 1/2 star I am taking away is due to weight, but then, at the price I purchased from Backcountry, at $120.99, I am asking too much. SO, how did it hold to the relentless downpour? In a word AWESOME. It did not stop raining and the tent was dry inside the whole time. It helps that there is some separation between rainfly and mesh the further you go down and the venting is ideal as well with the top and bottom vents. Everything else in my gear eventually failed to keep me dry, including some well known boots and jacket but not this tent. How about condensation? None if very little near the top. Would I endorse this tent? Hell Yeah! More so with Backcountry's prices and services.

I love how ALPS Mountaineering likes to label their products as Lightweight, UL, and right in the specs up above, "4 pounds, eight ounces: superlight"

I dare say there's nothing that ALPS Mountaineering makes that's in any way, light.

But the price is right, which is why I bought a Zephyr 2, a few years back and it's done just fine. I love the simplicity of setting it up, especially when I'm in a hurry, waiting for the rain or darkness--I'm already inside while my friends are still circling their UL tarps, trying to get everything just right.

If you're on a budget or still not sure if you want to go UL and have to tinker and fuss every night, then this tent might be just right for you.

So I have own this tent for 3 years and I normally do not write reviews until I seriously put the equipment through some heavy adventures. I am still using the same stakes and poles that came with the tent 3 years ago and never got a footprint (getting one soon) and it is holding up perfectly.
This tent has come on my summer glacier camping trips, backpacking in MT, WA, OR, CA, NH, MT and acted as my front yard home at friends houses when I have had one to many beverages on a summer night.
Honestly this two person tent is perfect for one person and equipment or two people and leaving the gear under the vestibule. Super happy with this product.

Very easy to set up. Freestanding, but not a true dome. Set up next to Sierra Electron 2. Zephyr has less vestibule space, but is more compact and slightly lighter when packed. Picture was taken while camping on Fire Island National Seashore. Will need sand/snow stakes to anchor on beach. I used REI snow stakes.

Great, bare bones product over all. I've used it several times along the AT in New York and in the arid summer heat of Bryce Canyon, UT. I've even taken it camping on the beaches of Malibu. The tent is easy to pack and travel with in a hiking pack or a duffle. This 2-person tent is great for one full-sized man, but if you intend on sharing be prepared to squeeze in together.

This tent is incredibly easy to set up.

This tent is snug but it's not too small. My boyfriend and I both sleep comfortably in here, I'm only 5'5'' but he's 6'2''.

This tent holds up to the wind very well. If you've ever camped in the Utah desert you know how windy it gets.

I have had noting but good experiences with ALPS Mountaineering, and this tent is no exception. I recently bought this as a birthday gift for my girlfriend as she had always admired my Chaos 3 (also by ALPS - Great tent). We just took it out last weekend on an 8 miler backpacking trip through Lost Creek in Colorado. I did not intend on testing it in the rain...but it happened. There was a steady downpour for about an hour and a good 15 minutes of hard rain and we stayed dry the entire time. I also got the footprint and I think that definitely helped. Additionally,the vestibules on either side are HUGE! We were able to store all of our gear under one and use the other solely as an entrance.



Set up and take down are a breeze and the construction is great. It's a little on the small side, but it is as to be expected for a lightweight backpacking tent. My girlfriend and I are both around the 5'5" mark, so it was cozy but not cramped.



My favorite feature, the plastic window integrated into the rain fly, is not included in the product description, but it should be. It really helped me see where we were in the storm and what was to come.



Awesome lightweight tent that won't break the bank. Everything I buy from ALPS impresses me more and more. My girlfriend loves it, and when she's happy, I'm happy...you get it.