Limelight Ultralight 3-Person Tent

TL;DR: Planning a 52 km hike in northern Sweden. Not sure if our Marmot Limelight UL 3P is reliable in strong wind/rain, considering switching to Durston X-Mid 2 for peace of mind. Looking for real experience and thoughts on this. If you also have other suggestions tent-wise, it is more than appreciated! Hi everyone! Me and my partner are planning to hike the Treparksmötet (52 km) trail in northern Sweden, and we’ve started second guessing our tent choice. We currently have a Marmot Limelight UL 3P, which has been great so far, but we’ve never used it in strong wind or heavy, sustained rain. I also haven’t found any reviews of how it performs in harsher conditions. Has anyone here used the Limelight UL in stormy or high-wind environments? How did it hold up? Because of this uncertainty, I’ve also been considering picking up a Durston X-Mid 2, mainly for its reputation in wind and bad weather. So now I’m a bit stuck between: \- trusting the Marmot and saving the money \- or upgrading to the X-Mid 2 for peace of mind Would really appreciate hearing your experiences or advice!

Thanks, that’s really helpful! Good to hear the X-Mid held up well! I think I’m sold at this point. I was also watching a lot of youtube videos from the trail and around Sarek and a lot of people had Durston and thats how I got to learn about this brand. Yeah, that’s kind of where my head is at, the Marmot has been great so far, but I just don’t know how much I trust it if the weather turns properly bad. Especially with the tent poles. haha, the helicopter is definitely tempting and I have just checked it is crazy that it is almost the same price as taking the boat. I will definitely take the helicopter from both sides. Thanks for the advice 🤟🏻

I use use it for my wife dog and I while backpacking and car camping. It's a champ. It puts up with the dog batting at with her paw to go out, very spacious the extra cubbies are great! It doesn't feel too heavy in our packs or take too much room

I have this tent too. It doesn't have too many miles, but has held up great. Went through heavy rains and nickel sized hail. OP, Marmot makes good stuff.

I have a limelight 3p that I bought a number of years ago and have no complaints about the tent, its been a solid little tent and has held up well. I wouldn't call it a backpacking tent just due to the weight but its still doable, I've taken my limelight 3p out once and I felt every pound after a while.

I’ve been a Tarptent user for most of my life and only pulled out my old Marmot Limelight 3P when I needed something for car camping. The Alpha Breeze has been a huge upgrade. I wanted something a little more leveled up for the amount of car camping I’ve been doing, but mainly for getting my son outside. My wife bought it for me on Father’s Day and it has been the only tent I’ve used this year. The rear wall has never bothered me. I’m used to tighter quarters, so I usually put my head back there and forget about it. The pole system took a little time to learn, but once the routine clicked I can set it up solo without any issues. It feels solid and well thought out. The real strength is the design and the vestibule. Being able to open or close different panels for airflow or privacy has been great, and it’s easy to tune for comfort. The vestibule has become my favorite place to end the night with a glass of bourbon and a book. If it fits your style of camping, I’d recommend it. Let me know if you have any questions.

*\*Image of my Alpha Breeze at the AAC Gunks Campground* Hey all, looking for some tent recommendations for a pretty specific setup. I spend a decent amount of time climbing up at the Gunks and usually camp nearby. When I’m solo, I’ve typically just used a small 1P Tarptent since it’s what I already have for backpacking. It works, but it’s not the most comfortable for hanging out at camp. On the other end, I’ve got a Snow Peak Alpha Breeze that I use for family trips. It’s great, but kind of a pain to set up solo. Also, there are times I end up sharing a 12x12 tent pad with other climbers, and the footprint on this is too big to allow that. It's nice to have this tent there, but I would like to simplify. Between the Tarptent and Alpha Breeze I’ve been using an old Marmot Limelight 3 that my dad gave me, which has been a nice middle ground, but it’s starting to show its age. I'm open to getting another Marmot Limelight, but wanted to open myself to other options first. So I’m trying to find something in between: * Freestanding * Quick and easy to set up solo * Compact footprint that works on a shared pad * Not ultralight, but not bulky either * Good ventilation and solid in storms * Bonus if it fits an Exped LuxeMat Duo, but not a must, I have other pads Basically something comfortable for a couple nights at a basecamp without turning setup into a whole production. Any ideas would be appreciated!

This is awesome, really appreciate you taking the time to set it up and share all the pics and details. Super helpful. That actually confirms what I was thinking. If your mat has that much extra space, I could probably size down and still make my pad work without any issues. Trying to stay a bit more space conscious, and a 4p might be more than I need for this setup. How was it getting everything tensioned out? I zoomed in and saw the cord system you mentioned. My current Marmot has something similar and it’s held up surprisingly well, so I’m curious if this feels comparable or a little more questionable. Overall though, this looks like a really clean setup.

I have a Tungsten UL 3p and it is like a mansion... Love that tent. We take it when we take a dog or just want spacious luxury... Even if it is a couple lbs heavier than our Durston. I'm not a fan of 1p tents in general. Just not enough room. Our first Marmot was a 3p Limelite.... Like a Cadillac, but just as heavy, LOL. Carried that sucker for 10 years before it started to wear out. I'm a fan of the brand.

If it's just you, go with the 2p, but if you need room to store gear and keep food and other stuff with you do the 3p. The weight is pretty close so it's really up to the circumstances on what you need to keep by your side.