User Review: Sierra Designs Alpha CD

Reviewed June 29, 1999 by Duane Romer

Rating: rated 5 of 5 stars
Design: 3-4 Season Convertible
Sleeps: 3
Ease of Setup: Really easy, 5 min by myself.
Weight: 8 to 8-1/2 pounds
Price Paid: $320

I bought this tent as I wanted something lighter than the 4+-person 20-pound family car camping tent that I humped on our last backpacking trip that my two small boys and I went on. I also wanted something versatile enough for planned future winter camping/mountaineering trips. At 8 to 8-1/2 pounds, the convertible Alpha CD, 3-person tent seemed to fit the bill.

I’ve never owned a 4-season tent before so I wondered about the design of the doors. The screen is on the inside, the storm flap on the outside and each has its own separate zipper. I understand that this is probably the best design for winter, but in the summer the space between the two tends to collect sand, dirt, leaves, etc. Other than that this is an awesome tent. It’s light, roomy enough for my two boys (ages 9 and 6) and our two small dogs (poodle and a whippet). I would caution however that it would be a tight fit for three adults, but it would be entirely doable.

The zip out panel on the top provides excellent ventilation in hot weather, just as good as any three-season tent I’ve been in, even with the fly on. It has a fully vented door on each end, so the rather small vestibule is not a real problem as one could stack gear in the vestibule and use the other door for entry. The clip-on design of the poles really works well, no threading poles through sleeves and getting them stuck halfway through. I can put the thing up in five minutes by myself. It hasn’t seen severe weather yet (or even a heavy rain), but the fly fits very snugly and I think that it would hold up well. I highly recommend this tent as a versatile, relatively light 4-season tent that could accommodate three adults if needed.

Where to Buy

Sorry, we couldn't find any online retailers selling the Sierra Designs Alpha CD. You may want to check pricing and availability directly at these sites:

Retailers: Do you sell the Sierra Designs Alpha CD? List your site here.

Similar Tents

Compare
See how the Sierra Designs Alpha CD stacks up against the competition: read more tent reviews or more about Sierra Designs.

Contribute
Have you used a Sierra Designs Alpha CD or a similar product? Write a gear review.

Discuss
Still have questions? Answers? Opinions? Join the converstation in the Trailspace Forums.