Marmot Tungsten UL Tent: 2-Person 3-Season

Marmot has done a phenomenal job of creating a super lightweight tent that doesn't sacrifice durability or space. With the cross pole and the bent pole design this tent offers more head room than your average ultralight backpacking tent. At 3.5 pounds it's not the lightest ultralight option but the fabric feels a little more durable. However, the 30D nylon floor should still be paired with a footprint. I left off a star since they do not provide you with one. Their other limelight tents include a footprint and I'm not sure why they don't include one with this tent. Still, it's easy to pitch, has smooth, snagfree zippers and a cool little headlamp pocket to light up your whole tent. Great design overall and made with Marmot's usual quality. I'm a huge fan!

I bought this tent after a lot of research. I am just getting back into backpacking and was in need of a good, lightweight, two-person tent. I settled on the Marmot Tungsten UL 2 and so far I am very happy. On my first weekend trip with the tent, I had a day of all rain. It stormed heavily at times and the tent held it's own with some moisture getting in (see CONS below). Setup is really simple and I am surprised at how easily 1 person can get this tent up.

PROS
1.) Compared to others, this tent is very roomy. The bent poles adds room at the bottom, where most tents start to taper. The small cross pole at the top adds a lot of head space.
2.)Two doors and two vestibules adds much needed space and versatility with two people in the tent.
3.) Well thought out added features like highly reflective materials on the outside which makes it easy to see the tent with your headlamp on, corner pockets at the head, and a pocket at the top for your headlamp that is made of material that disperses the light.

CONS
1.) The tub is a little short for heavy downpours. I got some moisture in the tent after it rained for 8 hours with heavy downpours. The drops would come off the rainfly in the corners, splash up off the ground and make it to the screen material. Items in the pockets got wet.
2.) There are only 6 stakes with the tent, but you need 10 to use all the guidewires. The stakes are also very thin and difficult to put in by hand unless the ground is very soft.
3.) I know this is an ultra-light, so the materials are going to be very thin. The rainfly is actually very good, however, the floor material is very thin and I can't imagine using this tent without a footprint. Marmot wants $70 for the footprint for this tent. I made one myself using a 5 mil tarp cutout and a grommet kit for $8. Worked great and adds about 8 oz.

I was in the market for a new 2 person tent, and decided to order this tent over the Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2. Here's why:

1.) I own a Marmot Limelight 3P already, and the pre-bent poles on the corners make a BIG difference. It provides head and foot room not found in most tents.
2.) The rain fly is polyester. Sil-nylon is great when the weather is nice, but if you experience wet conditions, the rain fly will sag and stretch when wet... causing the fly to lay on your tent body, possibly getting you wet inside the tent. It's also a 20D weight, which feels more durable.
3.) Floor area is 32 sq. ft compared to the Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL 2, which has 28 sq. ft. The Marmot is also rectangular, while the Big Agnes is tapered at the foot end.
4.) The Marmot is truly free standing. It's a nice option to have when you can't find a perfect spot to pitch your tent.
5.) The weight of the tent is 1 pound heavier than the Tiger Wall UL2, but I almost never take a 2 person tent when I hike solo. When you split this tent up between two people, it becomes just over 1.5 pounds per person, less than the lightest solo tents available. However, with the tent being very light for a 2 person, I can imagine people using it as a solo tent. I know I would.
6.) VALUE. This tent is a really great deal, especially if you can pick it up on sale like I did. It is $100 less than the Tiger Wall UL2 at full price.

The ONLY complaint I have about this tent, is that Marmot left off guy out points at the head and foot of the rain fly. The 3 person version has two loops. I'm not sure why they left this off. I sewed on two guy out points myself to provide better ventilation.

If you are on the fence about a new 2 person tent, I think you should give this tent a try. It has awesome features, is well made, seems durable, and is a true value in today's tent offerings. Also, if you do decide to buy it, get the footprint, or a ground sheet (my personal favorite: Gossamer Gear Polycryo -Large). You want to protect your tent and be able to use it for years to come!

Happy camping everyone :)