User Review: Marmot Swallow 2P

Marmot Swallow 2P
Above: The current Swallow 2P, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed May 23, 2000 by Tony Dugal

Rating:
Design: 3+ Season-Convertible
Sleeps: 2+
Ease of Setup: very easy
Weight: 8 lbs. 6 oz.
Price Paid: $249 a steal

After only three 40 degree nights in the Marmot Swallow, I'm convinced it's one of the best 2-person, 3+ season shelters. I look forward to cold, hot, and wet conditions to test the tent's strengths.

The "convertible" zippered vents give you all options for holding in the heat on cool/cold nights by closing most vents, while still allowing customized ventilation.

The vent in the rainfly is wonderful, and it should allow cross-ventilation in all but the worst storms, when it may need to be closed.

In my limited use so far, I've managed to keep the inside tent walls dry by using the fly vent to keep airflow moving across the tent ceiling. With two sleepers on a cool night, the tent stayed bone-dry, while the underside of the fly was very wet, collecting sleepers' humid breaths, as there were no breezes and the vestibule was closed.

It's possible that if stuck inside for a day or two under wet conditions, some of this humidity from the fly will end-up on the tent walls. We'll see.