Sierra Designs Sirius 3 Tent

dre - 2007-04-03

best tent ever
It's super light, easy to set up, and breathes well. I've used mine about two dozen times in climates ranging from the rainy NW fall to the hot SW summer. When it's colder, I simply don't stake out the rainfly. Sure, that means a little bit more condensation, but the tent stays *warm*! In hot, arid areas, I leave the rainfly off completely and wake up to the warm sun on my face. It has problems in windy and rainy conditions; even if I set the tent up against the wind, if it changes directions, the rain might come through the rainfly. And yes, the zippers snag. However, for the price, weight, and roomieness, you can't beat this tent!

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Anonymous - 2006-06-26

Third season
We are starting our third season with the Sirius 3. It has plenty of for two adults and a dog or two. We have spent about 30 nights out and have had no problems. Yes, Vesibules are a little small. But, for two people there is plenty of extra room inside. Great tent, great price.

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Maria - 2006-05-17

a very light and affordable tent which still has space for three
This tent is easy to set up, and the light weight makes it a great choice for backpacking. It porvides adequate ventilation, though we haven't tested it in a very hot weather. It may feel a little cramped for three large adults.

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> Read All 9 Reviews

dre - 2007-04-03

best tent ever
It's super light, easy to set up, and breathes well. I've used mine about two dozen times in climates ranging from the rainy NW fall to the hot SW summer. When it's colder, I simply don't stake out the rainfly. Sure, that means a little bit more condensation, but the tent stays *warm*! In hot, arid areas, I leave the rainfly off completely and wake up to the warm sun on my face. It has problems in windy and rainy conditions; even if I set the tent up against the wind, if it changes directions, the rain might come through the rainfly. And yes, the zippers snag. However, for the price, weight, and roomieness, you can't beat this tent!

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Anonymous - 2006-06-26

Third season
We are starting our third season with the Sirius 3. It has plenty of for two adults and a dog or two. We have spent about 30 nights out and have had no problems. Yes, Vesibules are a little small. But, for two people there is plenty of extra room inside. Great tent, great price.

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Maria - 2006-05-17

a very light and affordable tent which still has space for three
This tent is easy to set up, and the light weight makes it a great choice for backpacking. It porvides adequate ventilation, though we haven't tested it in a very hot weather. It may feel a little cramped for three large adults.

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etienne - 2005-10-10

Great gear
I read a review on Backpacker mag. and got it on the website, after sevral nights out of camping there is nothing else to say apart that it is a great tent and we fit in quite nicely, I am 6'6" and fell at ease inside, I can move around since the headroom is well proportioned for my size, the weight make it easy to carry as it is pretty light, approximately 10' to set it up on my own, didn't have a chance to try it out in the rain yet. I feel pretty confident I'll remain dry inside. Great bargain, I suggest it for anyone who wants an easy to set and light as well as roomy tent.

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Paul A - 2005-04-18

A roomy, high quality tent.
My wife and I use our Sirius 3 as a backpacking tent when we bring our dog along. There's plenty of room for us and our shephard as well. The only problem with size is the vestibules. They aren't big enough to keep much of anything dry. The tent sets up easily, is of very good quality and didn't even need any seam sealing to keep us dry. Ventilation is very adjustable so you can set it for every condition. If you're looking for a good quality, roomy tent I recommend the Sirius 3.

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Anonymous - 2004-09-01

Awesome in Rain
I went camping for a few days and unfortunately the weather was awful with severe thundershowers for most of the time. My tent was the only one that stayed dry, everyone else's tent got flooded and they slept in their cars. This is a great tent. Just make sure the rain fly is away from the tent and you'll stay dry no problem. The air vents were great to keep the tent cool in the morning too.

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Anonymous - 2004-08-16

Good Tent
I took the tent out for a few days and it meet all my expectations, and more. The best part of the tent was the "air vents". They allowed the wind to move through the tent, to stop the build up of air. I did camp when it was dry out, so I will have to see how it works with rain....but I have no fear as the vents are protected well. Not too big when packed, but in all a nice sized tent to packed ratio.

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George Nash - 2006-11-03

Fine for desert
We spent six nights in early September in Southern Utah's Escalante region and the tent performed great. There are two convenient doors (no crawling over each other to get out; easy to load and unload packs at the same time)and the zippers work even when camping room doesn't allow a perfect pitch. This light (especially when load is divided among two), inexpensive tent was perfect for four 50 degree nights and two humid, drizzles. It stayed airy and dry and was easy to set up normally, in 20 mph winds and in the dark. Both of us are 6'3" and touch both ends when stretched out but the room allowed ALL our gear to sleep with us and left room for cards. Boots stayed under the small fly. Important for our trip...there are two sands in S. Utah, soft and hard. We had the wrong size footprint (too small) and have some abrasion (pinholes) from the hard sand. The soft sand, however, did not blow inside despite the venting. Great to see the stars and surroundings when the fly is off. All in all, intelligent tent for two big guys.

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Anonymous - 2005-02-20

Great price on good tent
I can't say great tent yet as I wont have the opportunity to try it in the sierra's until June. But the buying experience at Altrec was great. I had initial doubts because in the past I have purchased my outdoor stuff elsewhere but the price and availability made me try Altrec. I got the tent within 4 days which is sooner than I thought via regular shipping. I put the tent up in the living room and it looked ready to go. The tent is advertised as a three man tent by Sierra Designs but I got it to function as a comfortable two man tent. I am 6'1 and my son is 6'0, we fit just fine with enough length and width to sleep comfortably. Three adults or even two adults and a kid would be a stretch. The design of the tent was solid as you'd expect with Sierra Designs. Pitching the tent was simple and having done it once, I should be able put this freestanding tent up myself within 3-4 minutes. I really like Sierra Designs models. We had a SD Comet which we purchased 14 years ago which has functioned without a hitch. I just wanted something lighter now as the years have caught up with me. The Sirius 3 should fit the bill nicely at under 5 pounds.

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