User Review: Columbia Frosty Ridge II

Columbia Frosty Ridge II
Above: The current Frosty Ridge II, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed July 21, 2006 by G5Man

Rating: rated 4 of 5 stars
Design: Three-season 1-2 man tent
Sleeps: 1
Ease of Setup: Under 5 minutes
Weight: 4.5 lbs
Price Paid: $99.99

I picked up the Frosty Ridge II tent at the beginning of June, 2006. I was impressed right away by the compact nature of the tent. Weighing in at only 4.5 lbs was probably the single biggest reason I chose the Frosty Ridge II. I prefer to backpack as lightly as possible and this tent fit the bill perfectly.

The package includes the tent, fly, two lightweight but very strong aluminum polls, ground pegs, tent bag, and two compression straps.

I think Columbia has mislead consumers somewhat as I still cannot understand how two people can sleep in this tent. I use the tent simply for solo camping; and for that it is perfect.

The tent material is excellent quality, and the craftsmanship is second to none. It really shows when you get the tent home and setup. Following the tent directions, I set it up and soaked the seams with water. Apparantly this allows the seams to expand somewhat and waterproof the tent further. I have added no third party product sealers of any kind.

The performance in rain and bad weather is great. It poured rain on my first outing, and not a drop seeped through anywhere. I did cut a groundsheet to size to protect the bottom of the tent. If you do this, make sure your groundsheet is marginally smaller than the footprint of the tent. You really don't want it sticking out the side, beyond the fly, where water could be whisked underneath the tent.

The size is small. Don't kid yourself. But with that said it is perfect for one person. I spend so little time in my tent during the day that the small size really doesn't matter. There is enough room though to toss and turn and get a great night's sleep.

I would recommend this tent to anyone who wants to try solo camping, and you should, it is very liberating. Columbia has created a very solid package here and for the price, you simply cannot go wrong.

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