Columbia Stargazer

Got this for a family vacation with a focus on a sturdy tent to sleep five with substantial room for gear and with great ventilation (we have four other tents of various sizes) but without a huge footprint. It was tested in three days at 110F+ temperatures at Zion, followed by nightly thunderstorms at Mesa Verde and Grand Canyon.

First, this met all of the above expectations. Tremendous ventilation with or without the fly, and bigger inside than it first appears. This is rated for six people but you could fit eight and still have room for gear.

On the plus side, there are some great design details. I particularly liked the pockets on the fly to tuck the lines for the pull-outs into. There are also more interior organizers than we could use and the cupholders are a nice touch. The buckle system for the fly was a nice change from the elastic hook design I was used to, and added much more integrity to the structure. Surprisingly, I was able to pack the tent easily back to its original size every time (the carry bag has an expansion zipper that I never needed to use).

On the down side, I had three problems. The fabric on the main pole sleeve tore slightly the first time we put it up -- don't pull too hard on it when streching the pole onto the pin. Secondly, it was impossible to find a 12v photo battery to operate the remote control for the light. Not a big deal, but why couldn't it just use a 9v or something less exotic? Finally, we got some weeping along the bottom of the door zipper during some heavy thunderstorms that puddled on the floor. This was slight, and seam sealer would probably take care of it.

In short, a great family tent, rugged enough to take heavy weather when set up, lots of interior space and great ease-of-use details. Just be careful when setting up the two main poles not to pull too hard on the pole pockets.

This tent is amazing space wise and a great concept tent except for...

This tent was really great, very spacious, and has lots of organizers and extras, but the zipper was a constant issue! It would separate easily and we spent constant hours cursing, freezing, and trying to fix it on our trips. Then on our second trip with the tent the zipper finally stopped working on a cold night out with our young son!

Also we never found a battery for the remote for the light. Not a huge deal but disappointing and annoying. Setup was difficult because the poles snagged. My advice. DO NOT BUY THIS TENT!

Don't get me wrong, I love this tent. The partition makes it easy for you to share your space with friends and still have plenty of room. I have had alot of trouble setting up the tent as the poles snag easily and it has ripped in several places. The zippers on the door snag easily in both directions and this can become very frustrating when opening or closing in any sort of rough weather.

My wife and I have also had to deal with several leaks that made for uncomforable nights, tarping the tent was the only solution. We are in the market for a replacement tent even though we have only had this one for a year.

- J Chapman

We bought this tent for the space and still admire that aspect. Our first trip was in a dry and cool climate. The zippers on the doors had to be manipulated and even then they separated. Our second trip was in rainy conditions. There is no seam seal and the tent leaked even with the rain fly attached. One of the door zippers finally separated completely and we had to use duct tape and safety pins to keep it closed in the rain. We'll likely be buying a Kelty or North Face next time.

I love this tent! The only thing I don't like about it is that it is difficult to put up without another person. But it isn't so hard to put up with someone else (my 10 year old daughter helped me). The first time we used it the weather was thunderstorms and there was no leaking anywhere.