User Review: Sierra Designs Lightning 2

Sierra Designs Lightning 2
Above: The current Lightning 2, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed June 12, 2006 by Andrew S

Rating:
Design: three-season freestanding dome
Sleeps: 2
Ease of Setup: color matching and equal lengh poles
Weight: 3-4lb
Price Paid: $249 tent + $28 footprint

Two-person tent with good headroom and just enough room for gear at foot. Ultralight and packs very small. Not orange colored. Great ventilation even with fly attached. Used first time in mighty downpour. Floor stayed dry with footprint. Velcro straps on inside of fly that attach to poles had small slow drip as they were sewn in (eight places total). Will have to use seam sealer. Not a big deal. Great tent. Web site states that owner should use seam sealer anyway as a precaution. I think they should pay someone at the factory to do this.

Review Update (2006-9-22): There is no longer a leaking problem after applying the silicone seam seal. This was their advice after contacting SD customer support.

If you are camping without a chance of rain, leave the fly at home, and this tent can pack the size of a softball just over 2 pounds. It doesn't come with a compression sack but I suggest the smallest one that Granite Gear offers.

I also added the gear loft ($14.99) to hold flashlights and misc gear. It's a one size fits all product, so fit it to the tent, and trim the extra cord. This is a nice addition since the Lighting only has one pocket.

I have used this tent 10 times during 2006. There have been no addl quality issues with this product; tearing, floor, poles, mildew, mesh, etc. Except that excessive star gazing can cause mild vertigo.

TCO: tent($250) + footprint($30) + gear loft($15) + seam seal($5) + sales tax = $318