User Review: The North Face Tadpole 23

The North Face Tadpole 23
Above: The current Tadpole 23, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed July 6, 2006 by ckirkwood9

Rating:
Design: 3-season freestanding 1.5 to 2 person
Sleeps: 2
Ease of Setup: very easy
Weight: lightweight 4lbs and change
Price Paid: $200

I've used this tent in Rumney, N.H., over July 4th 2006, and in The Gunks in New Paltz, N.Y., three times and in Yosemite over Thanksgiving 2005 and have not had any real problems. Overall, I like the tent but have a few gripes about it. Read on:

Pros:
1) Easy to set up
2) strong construction
3) lightweight
4) glow-in-the-dark zipper pulls
5) Great vestibule space
6) fly/footprint only option
7) Tent did very well in HEAVY rain and did not leak.
8) Condensation is nowhere to be found.

Cons:
1) Tent could be taller - I'm 6 foot and can only sit up in this if I am against the door and my head still presses against the roof)
2) Tent could be longer - When sleeping 2 peeps and I can't lay across the tent, my head and feet are pushing the material against both ends of tent
3) More like a 1.5 person tent. Great for 1 person.
4) Guy lines are black - not reflective.
5) footprint stake-out-tabs are SLIGHTLY larger than the tent stake-out-tabs, so staking it out means the footprint isn't taut. (this is not a big deal tho)
6) Footprint MAY not be waterproof. I'm pretty sure that it soaked through, but it's possible that it was run off, so i'm not entirely sure.
7) Tent stuff-sack and bag that holds the stakes are WAY too flimsy. I know this was done to save weight but I think this is a bad idea to use such lightweight material for the bag that protects the tent. Somehow I've gotten several holes in the stuff sack however I've treated the tent gingerly, always packing it carefully, keeping it away from any heat source, etc. The ONLY think i can think of is that since the bag that holds the stakes is kinda weak, the stakes must have made the holes by causing stress points in the stuff sack when this is packed.

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Price

Campmor 2 purchase options:	Tadpole 23 Tent - 2009- Slightly Soiled Return	$159.96	Buy Now
Campmor 2 purchase options:	Tadpole 23 Tent - 2009	$179.97	Buy Now