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Reddit Reviews
Yes! We love our Alps Chaos 3 - they are on a good sale now for the closeout model at REI. Weathered many storms in the low profile design.
I personally go for a bit more durability and bad weather capable over the lightest weight as I'm not carrying it for miles on my back. What I looked for was a tent that wasn't too long when packed up and strapped to the bike. I got a ALPS Mountaineering Phenom 3 person. I think the Zephyr is the current version. The 3 person is only 10 oz heavier than the 2 person and I like having room for my gear.
I originally bought the Timberline 2 for backpacking in rugged terrain during Fall/Winter seasons in northern VT and NY. The simple A-frame style is superior to most designs in high wind or snowy conditions, but most folks today demand more space and comfort. As a retiree, with creaky bones, who can no longer manage hiking, I now normally use an Alps 3-man dome tent or a Core 4 cabin-walled tent. These two are not as rugged as the Timberline, but are spacious and inexpensive. I drive an F150 with a full 8' canopy so I keep the Timberline is case of full-storm weather. The Pacific coast can have wicked winds and sheeting rain during the colder months.
I highly recommend Alps Mountaineering. Their 3 person tents range from $220-$300. They have a 4 season option. But if you want a super cheap option Academy has the Tellico 3 person tent for $30.
I've spent a lot of time in my Alps Mountaineering tent. It's not the best quality, or lightest, or cheapest, but it's the best of all 3. Great quality, not too bad on the price, and very easy to set up.
Anything by Alps mountaineering. Really good warrantee, great quality, good pricing.
Look into Coleman for decent and affordable. I've been happy with Alps Mountaineering on Amazon. Best suggestions I can offer.
All the tents from Alps mountaineering have treated me very well in wind and rain. Colemans not so much.
Yeah the marketing is so bad. There are 3 season tents that are better suited for colder climates but they aren't advertised like that. So weird. In the south, I recommend Kelty tents a lot because their 2 layer tents have almost-full mesh bodies. I notice that people in the northern US swear by Alps Mountaineering tents... their bodies happen to have a lot less mesh in the body. They're like 3.5 season tents, lol (but they'd be bad in the south).
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