User Review: Mountain Hardwear Trango 3.1

Mountain Hardwear Trango 3.1
Above: The current Trango 3.1, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed June 15, 1998 by Jonathan DeMoor

Rating:
Design: 4 season dome
Sleeps: 3 easily
Ease of Setup: Extemely easy. 4 poles (2 straight, 2 curved) plus a vestibule pole, all colour coordinated. The clip system is a lot easier to set up than sleeves (like TNF) and works really well, once you get a hang of the double clips used at the pole intersections.
Weight: fairly heavy, approx. 9 1/2 lbs.
Price Paid: $750 cdn

This is an incredible tent, well worth the $ and extra weight. I lived for an entire summer with my buddy in it while treeplanting in northern Alberta and have taken it backpacking on several occasions. It is easy to set up, virtually bomb-proof once standing and keeps everything (wind, rain, bugs) out completely. Despite its design to be a full bore expedition tent (you can see ed viesturs et al using them in the imax everest film) it remained comfortable during the summer months thanks to two massive doors on each side that offered flow-thru ventilation to keep it nice and cool. And when you zip those doors shut it retains its heat so well it easily kept me comfortable sleeping in it in the Canadian Rockies in December - February. All around, just an excellent tent.