User Review: Marmot Sanctum

Marmot Sanctum
Above: The current Sanctum, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed March 7, 2006 by Ben

Rating:
Design: 4-season freestanding
Sleeps: 2
Ease of Setup: with the clip design it's fast and easy even in the dark
Weight: 9 lbs I think
Price Paid: $480

The Marmot Sanctum has been my go-to tent for five years now. I've used hundreds of times in many types of conditions from snow, wind, rain, hail, and yes, even a typhoon!!!! I currently live in Okinawa and was camping near the beach when a typhoon decided to show up two days early in the middle of the night!!! Luckily it had been already raining hard enough for me to decide to completely stake and guy out the tent. The tent easily shrugged off constant 60 knot winds with gust to 80 knots (I was nervous a cpl times lol).

The only drawback to this tent is the weight, but when this tent was designed (six or seven years ago) it was light for its sturdiness. When I go touring on my bike I bring the Sanctum, but when I'm backpacking I usually opt for my ultralight North Face. This tent is going for under 250 now? What a steal!!!!