Sierra Designs Orion AST

I love this tent!!!

I love this tent! I have had it over 10 years and it was exactly what I was looking for. It is lightweight and very easy to set up. I have done it by myself for years. It packs right away. The ultralight poles are strong and will not shatter like the old fiberglass poles. It pitches tautly and I have had it in high winds with no problem at all.

I have had no problems with rain or wind. I have re-waterproofed it several times with no problem. The ventilation is good.

It is just the right size for me alone or two people who are comfortable with close quarters. I love the vestibule. Perfect for my shoes/boots.  

I particularly like that the screen door has a pocket at the top so that I can unzip all but the very top of the door and put it in the pocket out of the way. This makes it very easy to load or unload the tent. I also like that the fly has clips on the sides that can adjust the tautness of the tent.

I was just out looking to see what else is out there now as I have had this one so long. I don't see much that compares.

This tent is the best!  I would buy another in a heartbeat... after this one finally wears out.

Excellent all around tent. Lightweight for the space and strength. Plenty of room for two average size people who carry reasonable amount of gear. The width of the tent is the only area that could get tight, and then only towards the back of the tent. The tent has a small footprint so it fits almost anywhere. It has been rained on more than twice for more than eight hours straight and gear and people never have gotten wet. Ventilation is excellent so condisation is low, even with condensation it remains on fly. When all is tied down it is comparable to a four season in strength. Excellent in wind, flapping is not a problem. Has handled the Texas panhandle wind like a champ as well as wind on Kili as well.

A few negatives. Fly stretches when wet, but this does not affect the waterproofness. Zipper flap on fly tends to snag a little, but it is easy to undo. And the placement of the zipper on the fly makes the occupant reach to zip.

It is strong, well ventilated, weatherproof, easy to set up and lightweight. I gave it a four, I haven't seen a tent yet that deserves a five.

This is the only tent that I have ever owned, but it has been a good one. I have had it for four years and I have had no problems. The vestibule is very big and you can fit two backpacks under it. This tent is very easy to set up and can be done in the dark with no problem. The tent is tall enough to sit up in.

The only downsides are that it's a little small for two people, unless you're married (like me) or if you are very comfortable with the other person. Another downside is that the zippers get stuck a lot and its sometimes a big pain. But overall I would buy it again in a heart beat. I bought mine on sale so I paid under $200 for it.

My dad bought this tent for me as a Christmas gift around 2001. I have used it for 95% of my camping trips since and have yet to find a reason to replace it.

It's easy to get in and out of and has survived many rainstorms and rough surfaces. I have never used a ground cloth or footprint and it has held up fine.

After 8 years, I did have to apply some waterproof treatment to the rain fly, but is that a big deal after 8 years?

Love the tent for its simplicity, strength and durability.

Great tent. I have used it along the coast of CA, Yosemite, High Cascades, Owens Valley, and many other places with weather ranging from extreme rain to extremely arid, sub 30 temps to 100+ and have zero complaints. Takes only a few minutes to set up (even in the dark). To avoid condesantion guy out the fly to increase venting. Plenty of room for two inside and ample space for two peoples gear in the vestible. Very light weight. I have not used the fast pack option as of yet though.