User Review: Marmot Thor 2P

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

Reviewed February 21, 2004 by Tom

Rating:
Design: 4 season freestanding
Sleeps: 2
Ease of Setup: fairly easy
Weight: 8
Price Paid: $379

I love the clever design of this tent. While most reviews talk about the obvious (floor print size, weight, pole design, etc), few take the time to really use the tent and pick up on the details.

So let me state the obvious...this is a fairly light (about 8lbs) 4 season tent. Which I plan to use 3 out of the 4 seasons (and it's not winter which I'm eliminating). It features 38 ft of living/sleeping space, which is plenty for 2 people. 2 full size adults can sleep next to each other and still have extra space towards the feet. The vestibule has its own pole for extra space.

Now for the small interesting things that I think separate this tent from others, in no particular order.

1. A window through the rainfly in an obvious spot easy to see through.

2. snap buckles for the rainfly. you no longer need to stake the entire rainfly; only the vestibule. thanks to this clever design point you need fewer stakes and its a quicker setup.

3. vent windows on top for cross ventilation and condensation removal. In fact the windows have little poles with velcro to seat the poles in place and hold them there. this allows for uninterupted air flow. The nice thing is that you can close it completely if its raining hard.

4. 2 doors on opposite ends.

5. Color design - highly visible, pleasant to look at from the inside, gives off a nice tone.

6. A combination of pole design takes the best of both. Excellent sturdiness against winds or snow fall, while balancing ease of assembly.

6. Marmot makes floor tarps cut to the exact shape

7. mesh windows have covers which can be closed for maximum protection or allow for extra ventilation.

8. lots of pockets! it has double the amount my 4 person North Face has.

9. snap buckles in the interior allowing the use of the burrito bag (which holds the tent) to act as a supplies bag while inside (very clever).

10. stakes - small, strong well designed.. hold well in a variety of conditions, not just one or two (unlike some others).

11. tensioners between rainfly and freestanding tent body. Gives maximum amount of robustness to the design...less flutter at night in high winds, which can be a real annoyance if you're a light sleeper.

12. Did I mention the nice size vestibule with its own pole?? haha..

OK, that's enough...I hope that shows you what kind of thought went into this tent. It's actually the first product that I took the time to register....why..I don't know...oh, by the way..even if I didn't get it on sale, I'd still be praising this tent design. While none of these design elements are exclusive to this tent, not all, in fact few have the combination that makes it so special.