User Review: GoLite Shangri-La 3

Summary

I Love my tipi.

PROS: Very versatile shelter now offered at an unbeatable price. Roomy for two adults and a child, easy to pitch. A LOT of shoulder space. A fun tent to pitch and be in. I like to use the fly only, for added space and cooking possibilities. In this configuration, you can comfortably sit four adults to play cards at night. Also good as a winter shelter.

Solid attachment points. Good ventilation. Centre pole is beautifully made. The door opens all the way up: no more crawling to get in and out. 

CONS: Fragile — Because of the very thin 15-denier nylon that the fly is made of, I would be reluctant to rely on it on a serious expedition, nor would I try sewing in a stove jack. Also, the absence of a vestibule proper makes it hard to keep the interior dry or cook on a rainy day, unless you unstake one or two points of the nest to create a vestibule, which reduces sleeping space to a 1-2 man tent. For full sleeping space AND a vestibule, you must build a vestibule with an extra tarp or poncho.

The centre pole tends to sink on soft ground and move around on harder ground. Too bad Golite doesn't provide something to secure the pole in place on the floor. Also, I don't like the tiny stakes provided by Golite.