User Review: Sierra Designs Hyperlight 3

Sierra Designs Hyperlight 3
Above: The current Hyperlight 3, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed July 20, 2006 by BusterBluth

Rating:
Design: freestanding
Sleeps: 3
Ease of Setup: Very Easy
Weight: 6 lbs. 1 oz.
Price Paid: $165 @ Sierratradingpost.com

This tent is incredibly easy to set up and probably takes around 5-10 min. after your first time. A loop/clip on the fly and one on the tent body are blue, so it's easy to figure out what goes where if it's dark out.

The tent's biggest problem is that it's billed as a 3-person tent. I bought it as a roomy 2-person tent, but recently used it as a 3-person tent. SD suggests that two people sleep with their heads near the doors, and one sleeps in the middle with their head in the corner (head-to-toe). This position would be impossible.

My friends and I (all under 6' tall) had to sleep with all of our heads near the doors but this causes your feet and sleeping pads to overlap. I woke up with a wet sleeping bag because it was too crowded in the foot area and my bag was touching the wall. Even if you attempt to lay two standard size sleeping pads next to each other (in a rectangular position), they barely fit and almost touch the outside walls.

There is a 1 inch gap between the rainfly and tent body near the top of the tent. So you may wake up with mosquitoes buzzing around your head. It makes it more difficult to keep them out of the tent when you try to open the door.

If you can get it as cheaply as I did, it's worth it. Otherwise, I'd buy a different model.

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