Exped

Orion III Tent: 3-Person 4-Season

Some companies talk about the little things they do differently, and then they go and churn out tents that are all virtually identical. Exped is actually walking that talk, and the Orion III 3-Person 4-Season Tent is a prime example of different done right. The major features are broadly recognizable, from the PU-coated ripstop fly and floor to the fully taped seams, gear loft, and mesh pockets, but just about everything else is thoughtfully engineered to make tent life easier, simpler, and more straightforward, because having a crappy shelter in the middle of a blizzard is kind of a bummer.

Exped designed the Orion with color- and number-coded pole sleeves to make setup a breeze, and it sealed one end of each sleeve for even easier grommet-free installation. The DAC Featherlite aluminum poles slide smoothly through the wind-shedding low-profile sleeves, and each pole has a removable end cap that lets you adjust the tension of the internal shock cord or repair a broken section with the included pole repair tubes (the repair tubes also double as props to keep the dual vents open). The cords use a simple and reliable sliding tensioner to ensure a bomber setup without the need for knots, and the peg loops are easily adjustable to fit comfortably around skis or other large anchors.

Each guyline also comes with a cord stuff sack, which functions as a flag to help you see the guylines at night and makes it easy to keep the Orion organized and neat when you're packing it up. The doors have separately-operating mesh and fabric layers for ventilation and extra weather protection, along with color-coded, reflective, and glow-in-the-dark zipper pulls for easy use at night. Dual vestibules hold gear for three with ease, and the extended ridge pole protects the door from drips when you leave it open for a minute to take care of gear in the vestibule or poke your head outside to see if the weather's cleared up