Sierra Designs Bedouin 6 Tent

David Chester - 2007-06-23

A great tent in all kinds of weather
My girlfriend and I took this tent for a four night try out at Nickerson State Park in Cape Cod. During our stay the climate ranged from hot to cold and dry to very wet (a midnight thunderstorm). The Bedouin 6 came through like a champ. With the fly on, not a drop inside during or after the rain and no drafts during a chilly night. (I'm glad I decided on this tent because it is one of the few with a complete cover fly.) With the fly off, plenty of ventilation and nice and cool when it was hot. Set up and take down was a breeze and the steel pole construction looks like it will last forever. I didn't bother with the stakes and with our queen size airbed I don't think it would have gone anywhere anyway. Two minor complaints. The semicircle doors are a pain to zip and unzip. I would have preferred the old style vertical zipper in the middle and horizontal zippers on the bottom or some other solution. I see most of the new tents use this method, so I guess this is the new way to go, even though it's awkward. The other thing is that calling it a 6 person tent is laughable, although it seems all manufacturers exaggerate their tent capacity. I can see putting up to 4 adults inside, although even that would be a bit too cozy, for my taste. Six people would have to be stacked like cordwood or packed like sardines, take your pick! :)

Was this Sierra Designs Bedouin 6 Tent Review Helpful? - Yes - No (1 of 1 liked this review)

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Ginny M. - 2006-07-30

I really liked liked this tent!
Easy to put up.. kept me dry in horrible rain storms.. great pockets for storage..room to stand up.. plenty of air ventilation in 95 degree heat.. I finally found a tent I love :)

Is this Handy? - Yes - No

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Ginny M. - 2006-07-30

I really liked liked this tent!
Easy to put up.. kept me dry in horrible rain storms.. great pockets for storage..room to stand up.. plenty of air ventilation in 95 degree heat.. I finally found a tent I love :)

Is this Useful? - Yes - No (1 of 1 liked this review)

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> Read All 11 Reviews

David Chester - 2007-06-23

A great tent in all kinds of weather
My girlfriend and I took this tent for a four night try out at Nickerson State Park in Cape Cod. During our stay the climate ranged from hot to cold and dry to very wet (a midnight thunderstorm). The Bedouin 6 came through like a champ. With the fly on, not a drop inside during or after the rain and no drafts during a chilly night. (I'm glad I decided on this tent because it is one of the few with a complete cover fly.) With the fly off, plenty of ventilation and nice and cool when it was hot. Set up and take down was a breeze and the steel pole construction looks like it will last forever. I didn't bother with the stakes and with our queen size airbed I don't think it would have gone anywhere anyway. Two minor complaints. The semicircle doors are a pain to zip and unzip. I would have preferred the old style vertical zipper in the middle and horizontal zippers on the bottom or some other solution. I see most of the new tents use this method, so I guess this is the new way to go, even though it's awkward. The other thing is that calling it a 6 person tent is laughable, although it seems all manufacturers exaggerate their tent capacity. I can see putting up to 4 adults inside, although even that would be a bit too cozy, for my taste. Six people would have to be stacked like cordwood or packed like sardines, take your pick! :)

Was this Sierra Designs Bedouin 6 Tent Review Helpful? - Yes - No (1 of 1 liked this review)

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Ginny M. - 2006-07-30

I really liked liked this tent!
Easy to put up.. kept me dry in horrible rain storms.. great pockets for storage..room to stand up.. plenty of air ventilation in 95 degree heat.. I finally found a tent I love :)

Is this Handy? - Yes - No

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Ginny M. - 2006-07-30

I really liked liked this tent!
Easy to put up.. kept me dry in horrible rain storms.. great pockets for storage..room to stand up.. plenty of air ventilation in 95 degree heat.. I finally found a tent I love :)

Is this Useful? - Yes - No (1 of 1 liked this review)

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Ginny M. - 2006-07-30

I really liked liked this tent!
Easy to put up.. kept me dry in horrible rain storms.. great pockets for storage..room to stand up.. plenty of air ventilation in 95 degree heat.. I finally found a tent I love :)

Was this Sierra Designs Bedouin 6 Tent Review Helpful? - Yes - No

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SDupas - 2006-06-12

I love it
I went to Radium, B.C., Canada with my two children 6 & 2yrs. I'm a single parent and having a tent that I could put up by myself was very important. I put up the tent in about 10min and it was a breeze to put up. The pockets inside are priceless when you have diapers, wetwipes & bottles. It's worth every penny.

Is this Handy? - Yes - No

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SDupas - 2006-06-12

I love it
I went to Radium, B.C., Canada with my two children 6 & 2yrs. I'm a single parent and having a tent that I could put up by myself was very important. I put up the tent in about 10min and it was a breeze to put up. The pockets inside are priceless when you have diapers, wetwipes & bottles. It's worth every penny.

Is this Useful? - Yes - No

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SDupas - 2006-06-12

I love it
I went to Radium, B.C., Canada with my two children 6 & 2yrs. I'm a single parent and having a tent that I could put up by myself was very important. I put up the tent in about 10min and it was a breeze to put up. The pockets inside are priceless when you have diapers, wetwipes & bottles. It's worth every penny.

Was this Sierra Designs Bedouin 6 Tent Review Helpful? - Yes - No

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Cory Gavitt - 2006-07-24

great features, poor performance
I have been an avid backpacker for 20+ years and have always sought out the best equipment; recently my wife and I had a baby which has completely changed the way we look at our gear. Buying a large (affordable) family tent has been an adventure all on its own. When the Bedouin 6 arrived I was thrilled. The set-up was a snap, storage amazing, and the light colored fabric allowed great visibility inside. We have since gone on two outing and my joy has diminished. Our first trip saw wind and rain. While we stayed dry, the fly (even when tightened fully and guyed out) flapped and water pooled on the top. Also once the fly was tightened it pulls down on the top tent poles causing the inside tent walls slack and not be taunt, which is very annoying if you happen to be sleeping under it. Our second (and last, as we are returning and starting our search all over again) trip we were next to a river, very moist and cool when we woke the condensation was dripping from the fly ceiling through the mesh on to us. I'm not sure if we some how got a "bad tent," as I have had many products made by SD and all have been of excellent quality, the tent seems to have everything but just didn't perform.

Is this Handy? - Yes - No

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Cory Gavitt - 2006-07-24

great features, poor performance
I have been an avid backpacker for 20+ years and have always sought out the best equipment; recently my wife and I had a baby which has completely changed the way we look at our gear. Buying a large (affordable) family tent has been an adventure all on its own. When the Bedouin 6 arrived I was thrilled. The set-up was a snap, storage amazing, and the light colored fabric allowed great visibility inside. We have since gone on two outing and my joy has diminished. Our first trip saw wind and rain. While we stayed dry, the fly (even when tightened fully and guyed out) flapped and water pooled on the top. Also once the fly was tightened it pulls down on the top tent poles causing the inside tent walls slack and not be taunt, which is very annoying if you happen to be sleeping under it. Our second (and last, as we are returning and starting our search all over again) trip we were next to a river, very moist and cool when we woke the condensation was dripping from the fly ceiling through the mesh on to us. I'm not sure if we some how got a "bad tent," as I have had many products made by SD and all have been of excellent quality, the tent seems to have everything but just didn't perform.

Is this Useful? - Yes - No

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Cory Gavitt - 2006-07-24

great features, poor performance
I have been an avid backpacker for 20+ years and have always sought out the best equipment; recently my wife and I had a baby which has completely changed the way we look at our gear. Buying a large (affordable) family tent has been an adventure all on its own. When the Bedouin 6 arrived I was thrilled. The set-up was a snap, storage amazing, and the light colored fabric allowed great visibility inside. We have since gone on two outing and my joy has diminished. Our first trip saw wind and rain. While we stayed dry, the fly (even when tightened fully and guyed out) flapped and water pooled on the top. Also once the fly was tightened it pulls down on the top tent poles causing the inside tent walls slack and not be taunt, which is very annoying if you happen to be sleeping under it. Our second (and last, as we are returning and starting our search all over again) trip we were next to a river, very moist and cool when we woke the condensation was dripping from the fly ceiling through the mesh on to us. I'm not sure if we some how got a "bad tent," as I have had many products made by SD and all have been of excellent quality, the tent seems to have everything but just didn't perform.

Was this Sierra Designs Bedouin 6 Tent Review Helpful? - Yes - No (1 of 3 liked this review)

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Anonymous - 2008-10-15

Returned
Was disappointed. The fly did not fit correctly and was difficult to position. Maybe just a defect on this tent, but I returned it. The folks at Altrec gave great customer service. Would buy from Altrec again, just not this tent.

Is this Handy? - Yes - No (1 of 1 liked this review)

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