The North Face Dyad 22

Not for big people...

I have to admit I bought mine used and the seam tape was literally falling off.

In the end I got it for free, as the seller basically sold me an extremely used dirty tent that he advertised as used but in great condition. He didn't want it back and refunded me full.

Now for the tent. My guess, all tents are based off 6' 110 pounds wet of pure muscle or little people. Because I am not. I am 6'3" 309 lbs with wide shoulders. As every two-person tent I have ever owned was like 1.5 for me this is like a solo tent. Nevertheless I fit in this tent and that's about it no gear, just Klymit pad, Mountain Hardwear down bag with expander of course, and a camp pillow. I have room for small stuff a coat and maybe a large Camelbak above my head.

I was surprised it was long and wide enough not to feel claustrophobic. As far as another person with me? Not a chance, not even a cat. I must have used 4 tubes half pound of sealer after spending a few days peeling the remaining seal tape off the 900 seams this tent has. Why so many? I don't know. It could have been done with less.

I haven't taken it into the rain. I was thinking of setting it up in the yard and running the sprinkler on it for a few hours. I like this tent. Used it in Moab, Utah, and Alamogordo, N.M., White Sands National Monument at night. It was fine mid spring late fall in New Mexico.

My one and only gripe is for a few more ounces NF should have added a bug screen on the door, even half the door would have been fine as it does get stuffy completely zipped shut and we all know it take only one mosquito and it's up all night. The door zipper is a pain. Take it slow that damn flap!!

All in all I use it for motorcycle camping in summer in Colorado and northern New Mexico and for me being huge it has decent room for one large person and packs down to nothing.

Still need to check for seam leaks.

I have read the reviews on this tent and want to point out some of my own facts which I believe to be more fair than the negative ones which are listed.

I have owned the Dyad 22 for over 2 years. I purchased it when it first came on the market. I have been extremely satisfied with it. I backpack on a regular basis and do mainly long range trips consisting of 8-14 days each. The Dyad is great for most "ranges" of weather but because it is single wall it obviously is not going to be able to perform the same as non-single wall tents.

There is however condensation in most tents that do not have a mostly mesh interior, so if you are experiencing condensation problems you must leave the vents unzipped; as well if you unzip the upper portion of the door you will receive even more air-flow (and despite what you think rain will not get in-be aware of where you pitch your tent!!!). If a person opens the door and lifts the door up and out then you will not get rain in your tent, so if you get rain in your tent when opening the tent door then maybe you should try to be more conscientious of what you are doing to begin with. Single walls are not meant to cope excellently in extremely humid, rainy areas which is indicated in most product reviews and should be obvious common sense.

For size, it's not meant to be a "mammoth" interior as it is a tent made for fast & light packing; it is snug - but two average sized people can fit with packs inside if you put your gear in properly.

Overall, its a great tent, but what some people obviously don't realize is that where you are hiking and expected weather conditions play a factor, that's why most people own two different tents so that you are bringing the right tent for the right trip for the area in which the tent is best suited. If you don't want to own two tents then consider renting or be prepared to sacrifice the weight savings and purchase a canopy with fly.

If you absolutely do not like the Dyad 22 then consider the Big Agnes tents as they are the ultimate for no condensation, but be prepared to shell double the money.

I bought the Dyad 22 after a lot of research, concentrating on a tent that would be lightweight, rainproof, but with good ventilation as I live in a humid country (Taiwan).

I just tested the Dyad 22 on a 5 day trek in the south under ideal conditions: warm (25 degrees during the day, 15 at night) and mostly dry. It was the worst performing tent I have ever had.

We had one light shower the first night and the tent leaked slightly.

I might have put this down to the particular tent I bought having defective material, but it failed in several other ways.

The door, for example, is very poorly designed and literally flaps into the tent when you open it. This meant that during and after the rain we had, the water on the outside of the flap fell into the tent wetting the floor when I unzipped the door (there is no mesh door). It was also annoying to have the flap literally in my face all the time when getting in and out. The hooks to secure the door open are too far forward so the lower end of the door has a tendency to unravel and fall in. The zippers also got stuck on the material almost every time I opened or closed the door.

The worst performing feature of this tent though was that it allowed a heavy buildup of moisture on the inside during the night. The first morning I literally woke up to puddles on the floor and a wet sleeping bag and hair. Every else's tent on the trip was warm and dry.

Since I had no option of changing tents during the trip I had to resort to wiping down the inside walls and ceiling several times during the night and especially in the morning before I sat up (if I touched the roof with my head, water would run down the top and then drip onto the floor).

As I wrote the moisture was a sever problem during ideal conditions. Either I got a dud, or this tent is just not worth it despite the lightweight. I plan to return it, it is that useless to me.

The North Face Dyad 22 is a non-freestanding single wall ultralight tent and is one of the many items in the Flight Series. Although The North Face states that this is a 2-person tent, it, in my opinion, is the perfect 1-person tent because there is simply no room for that second person. Room enough for 1 plus gear.

The Dyad 22 withstood heavy wind gusts during an overnight test on the Metacomet Trail. My evaluation is as follows. It is simple and fast to set-up and easy to get in and out of and very comfortable to sleep in. The design and quality of the materials of this tent is superb as with all North Face products. I highly recommend this tent to anyone who is seeking a roomy ultralight tent for one person.

I purchased this tent at The North Face store in Boston "which carries the entire selection of The North Face Flight Series gear and clothing" and I am very pleased with this purchase. It is worth noting here that if you love North Face products, then this is the place to go.

I agree with Robert Kelly's review. This tent is quite possibly the worst piece of backpacking equipment I have ever owned.

I don't know what happened in the factory, maybe some sort of joke by the workers in China, but this tent is a disgrace to The North Face. I wondered if maybe the fabric had been sewn and sealed inside out, or if it was just too cold certain nights I used it - October and March in East TN and Western NC. But this thing traps moisture like a hot cotton sock. Even when I let one of my 12-year-old Scouts use it by himself, the tent was soaked by morning.

If you are looking to stay dry, please look elsewhere. I've used a Sierra Designs Sphinx 2 since '92 and it has been great, so maybe I can get Campmor or TNF to replace my Dyad 22 with a Lightning or something else. The North Face Flight Series definitely has some good gear including the Diad Jacket, which my wife and I have, but this tent is very poor.

THOSE WHO COMPLAIN ABOUT CONDENSATION DO NOT KNOW HOW TO USE THIS TENT. THIS TENT IS FOR ULTRA LIGHT BACKPACKERS WHERE EVERY OUNCE COUNTS

First off placement is key. Check wind direction. It is best to align your vents parallel to the wind.

Second it is a 3 season, it suited for a multitude of weather conditions, thus partially opening door to allow air flow is paramount in certain conditions.

Third the condensation inside is due to your own breathing. So in winter camping to avoid the build up layering light covering over your head will reduce the buildup and keep you warmer since residual body heat is lost mainly thru your head.

I thought the condensation was a problem at first as many others have, but after a little education it is no longer an issue, Granted there are better 3 seasons on the market but i purchased this product for the weight. My sleeping bag weighs more, by nearly a pound. (NF SNOWSHOE).

Tools are only as good as you let them. Don't watch porn for the story.

I just bought this tent for a weekend bachelor party camping trip. It is super light, packs up tiny and sets up fast.

The first night we had pouring rain from 2 am to 10:30 am, the tent only had a small amount of condensation inside in the morning and my bag was slightly damp while all 5 other tents that were with me leaked.

The next night was the windiest night I have ever camped in. I don't know the exact gust mph's but they forecasted 50 mph. Everyone complained about how noisy their vestibules were, I had no overwhelming noise. One guy's dome style tent with gear blew all the way accross the lake we were set up next to and just about sunk, the Dyad was fine.

I couldn't have asked for a better tent. It is a 2 man but I feel it would be a little too tight for 2 plus gear. I'll be using it as a one man plus gear.

This tent is high quality and extremeley light. I have read some of the negative reviews and can only come to the conclusion that they either received a poorly made exception or simply have little real world backpacking experience.

I have used this tent in hot weather/snow and severe downpours and been totally satisfied. The reports of condensation are overstated. This tent is not amazing in that regard but isn't any different from the extreme majority of small/lightweight tents on the market.

My only complaint is that it IS cramped. I use this tent by myself but 2 people with gear will not fit comfortably. Used as a solo tent however, this tent is great.

We slept two people and gear in this two-person tent on several cool and rainy early spring evenings in north Georgia. The tent was warm enough that we started on top of the sleeping bags but before dawn were zipped in. Not the Hilton of sleeping gear, but certainly adequate for our section hike of the AT. I'm female and 5'9"; my partner is male and 6'1". We made it just fine.