L.L.Bean Light Stuff 2

Blessed to have been gifted this tent. Multiple 50-milers as a youth, countless scouting campouts... now 24 years later, it's still the tent I prefer to use (with my kids now in scouts).

Figured I would drop a line... been using this tent for 24+ years now (well there were many years from the '90s until now that I didn't use it that much).

This thing is still holding up well. Definitely need to drop a few cans of Campdry on it... but she helped me through multiple 50-milers in the foothills of North Carolina (working toward my Eagle), and I am now using with my boys as they are embarking on their own scouting adventure.

Still have the blue tarp dad cut for a footprint, but had to make a new one as it was getting a bit rough (and I punctured the footprint on one of the campouts with the cubs). Poles, body, rainfly... everything still in good condition.

A little heavier than I would like, but so is all my other gear (also from the '90s).  Ventilation could be better, but I have definitely got my $ out of this baby.  Thanks, Mom and Dad!

Background

Received 1996/1997... used ~3-4 years for scout camps and 50-milers. Put away for a couple years (probably decades). Pulled out when my oldest started scouts (I may have used a couple times in between, but not much). Now with 6 more years of scout camping... this is still my primary tent.

I just used this tent for the first time this past weekend. Very impressed with it. Fairly lightweight as far as carrying goes. My daughter carried the poles while I carried tent and fly. Went up quickly and easily.

A wee bit cramped for room, but I'm a big fella. Really loved the attention to details; design, workmanship, sewing, etc. Excellent quality for a very reasonable price. More impressed than with my TNF tent, and much more than with my Eureka and Kelty tents. The vestibule is large enough to store a bunch of stuff and still allow easy access in and out.

On our trip, it rained all night one night, and the wind blew fairly strong and we stayed dry as can be. On the dry night, the ventilation hoops in the fly worked well, and allowed very little condensation to build up.

All in all, I'm very pleased with the purchase.

I've used this tent for a full season now. I did seam seal it before I used it, just to make sure.

I found the setup to be very simple even in the dark. I set it up one night on a rock summit in the Whites. With no place to use stakes, it was very simple to use the tent and fly tie-downs with reasonable sized rocks. With constant 40 mph wind, we stayed very secure. On stormy nights, we stayed very dry. The ventilation worked well on warm July nights as well.

There is enough room in the vestibule to keep two packs and still get in and out of the tent easily. The three-pole system is very stable. I'm tempted to give it a try in the winter.