User Review: Sierra Designs Lightning 2

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

Reviewed December 28, 2006 by Cryan

Rating:
Design: Three-season freestanding dome
Sleeps: 2
Ease of Setup: Very easy- no tent experience necessary
Weight: packed weight is 4lbs. 2 oz.- fly-tent is 2lbs. 7 oz.
Price Paid: $250

I was looking for a great lightweight backpacking tent and I found it with the Lightning. I was interested in the tent and checked the reviews here on Trailspace to make sure it had a good reputation. After buying the tent - which as a college student was even in my budget - I haven't been disappointed yet. I think all the other reviewers have nailed it except for one feature that I really enjoy about the tent.

The Lightning is able to be set up with only the footprint, poles, and rainfly. I wasn't even sure that I'd ever use this feature until I was hiking in an off and off rainy day. I just set up the fly-tent when it began to rain and sat it out with my friends nice and dry. It sets up and comes down so fast that it wasn't a hassle. When we reached the shelter/campsite after a day of hiking the AT we were the only ones not soaking wet and trying to devise a way to dry out our clothes. It's so lightweight that I keep the fly-tent in my daypack in case of showers as part of my ten Es.

The tent itself is wonderful and I don't have any complaints, no wet floors, great ventilation, the door isn't a door at all - the entire wall zips away. The windows are huge and it packs down to nothing. Set up is a snap, all you have to do is clip the tent to the poles - takes me 3 minutes by myself. I even like the color, which seems to let in as much light as possible.