User Review: Big Agnes Big House 4

I quickly returned this tent after a weekend of using it. First the “features”: the welcome mat seemed a nice feature at first; but then it rained, and the waterproof mat turned into a puddle – right in front of the door. The skylight also seemed a nice feature. We could watch the rain, but once the weather dried out, it let the midday sun shine right on my face while I tried to take a nap - very annoying. The screening was nice and the storage pouches which ran the entire side of the tent were handy. The back “door” opens downward, so it is really more of a window.

One nice feature was the tie loops along the sides of the fly to permit rolling it up and allow the side windows to get better airflow.

The setup was straightforward, but the pole that spanned the middle of the tent tended to float off the ground, causing the floor to not sit right. As a result this tent really needs to be staked out to perform.

Overall, I was disappointed with this tent, and returned it to REI. For a comparable price, I found the Kelty Green River to be a better tent.