Mountainsmith

Celestial Tent: 3 Person 3 Season

Punches above weight, but not ripstop

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

This is a great tent for the price. I did find it cheaper at another vendor but the Backcountry price match is the real deal and they easily resolved the price to come in under their competitor. So I got it cheap. Planned use is to keep it in the truck, car-camp, or short-haul bikepack if there is bad weather in forecast (just overnight, within 30 or 40 miles). I love Mountainsmith as a company because they offer solid gear in reasonable price points. I also have a 4 person Equinox tent, and two packs--one of which was from near the beginning of the company and still functions reliably. And their repair/replace policy is also solid. The Celestial is a get-a-little-more-than-you-expect product, but it is not a performance expedition tent or anything. Main qualm is some vendors list it is ripstop nylon but it has no ripstop stitching throughout. So you just need to mind it a little more. It's not going to fail on you if you are on a tent pad or light dispersed camping terrain. If it were ripstop it would cost a bit more, let's be real. There are some other design issues that aren't dealbreakers--the point connections on corners for the fly aren't color-coded, but the tent is symmetrical so you just need to be sure you match long and short sides--nothing to pout about. All said, I'd rather get this model than spend out for just a couple non-essential features. It comes in on a bigger side for a 3-person. And it is a fast, clean, simple set-up.