wanted: north face aerohead/arrowhead tent review

anyone with TNF aerohead/arrowhead tent out there with any info. thanks.

I've lived in and out of a The North Face Arrowhead tent for over 25 years. It's an excellent 2 person 4-season tent. Typical 2 layer freestanding design (inner tent, outerfly).

I'm 6'2" and this tent will work for me, though not much room left. We've slept three adults in a pinch but not recommended. Plenty of headroom for sitting up, changind clothes. Coated nylon bathtub style floor, breathable nylon upper, waterproof outer fly, covers entire tent.

Reasonable to pitch, even in the dark. Pole sleeves with grommeted ends for the aluminum poles. Total 4 poles.

The sloping design sheds wind and is very stable in weather. The large entrance is easy to get in and out of the tent, and offers good ventilation. It's not quite as bomber a tent as a The North Face VE-24 but also weighs several pounds less.

Durable like most of The North Face tents, but with non-standard aluminum poles. You can get replacements for them but not as standard (I've never broken one). You can use guy wires when the weather is really bad but never have had to use them. I've slept in gale on Mt. Shasta at 12,000 feet with no worries, and dozens of winter trips in the Sierra.

Gear loops on inner roof of tent for attaching a drying rack. Mesh side pockets on each side of tent keep small items close at hand. Rear fabric window with zippers and no-see-um mesh. YKK zippers throughout.

I've had an arrowhead since the early 90's when I got one cheap at a big "member's garage sale" at REI when I was in high school. This tent has been truly bombproof for me. I still use it at least 15 years later. It has been thru a lot.

High winds or snow are no problem. I've run lines for it a couple of times but in retrospect I don't think it was necessary. It can be hard to pitch in the dark or windy conditions because the angled peak at the poles makes it awkward to slide the poles into the sleeves. Other than these minor complaints, it has been really great.

I don't think they make them anymore, but I have nothing but positive things to say about the arrowhead tent.

I have one that I am about to list on eBay because I bought a replacement. The Arrowhead is very solidly built, very stable in high wind, keeps heat in during the cold, and has a very stable pole configuration that can handle snow loads. I have been very satsified with it.

Just a note on my experience with the North Face Arrowhead. Got it on Ebay several years ago for about $115, and came in handy on a trip to Costa Rica, which remained stable through 70mph wind gusts in the highlands. Keep checking Ebay for prospects; it'll be worth the wait.

Have used one for 15 years in AK with no real problems. Aluminum poles will contract much more than the inner cords at -30 F, but you can feed it through and make it work.

The footprint is a bit small for two people if you are forced to hunker down for days with gear inside (e.g. bad weather at higher elevations.)

I'll keep this tent until it dies on it's own, but might take a larger one if I have an idea that I will be pinned down with another person for more than a day.