User Review: Sierra Designs Sirius 2

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

Reviewed August 26, 2004 by Rod Richards

Rating:
Design: Three-Season Free Standing dome, half fly half single wall
Sleeps: 2
Ease of Setup: Extremely easy. You must stake out the fly, however.
Weight: 4.0
Price Paid: $116

I bought this tent because it's 4.0 lbs packed. It's an easy, two-pole setup gig, no problem even at night. Don't bother getting the footprint -- make your own. I used some 6mm vapor barrier, cut it to shape and used duct tape in the corners -- I punched holes in the duct tape so the tent poles fit.

The weekend of 8/21-22/2004 in Mount Jefferson Wilderness, Oregon, was a record rainstorm, a good test for this tent, and although it fire-hosed all night and water even ran underneath, this tent never leaked. There was no escape from running water during this "floodstorm."

My one issue is the zippers, which snag 100% of the time if you use the zipper pulls. It's annoying when it is pouring and you are holding something in your left hand, trying to unzip with your right, and always have to put everything down in the mud to unsnag that zipper.

On the positive side, breaking this tent down is done in a flash, something I apprecated in the downpour in the morning!