I don't usually endorse or review products however I feel it is warranted in this case so here is my endorsement for one of your tents that I have much respect for after this weekendís outing in the backcountry of Black Rock Mountain state park in Georgia:
This tent was everything I hoped it would be. I did not intend to test it out the way I did on its first outing... I read the reviews and even set up several tents in a local store (REI) before deciding on the catalyst 3 (Chaos 3) tent from ALPS. I took it out on an overnight backpacking trip this weekend and man did I put this thing to the test. The downpour started at about 2am and it did not let up until I was home on my couch at 1:00 in the afternoon. My wife, dog and I were dry and warm the entire night, and in the morning I took the tent down inside of the dry safety of the rain fly and the footprint. I did not get wet at all until I had to take down the rain-fly! However by that time I had packed EVERYTHING else and only had to deal with the fly and footprint. The ability to do this is a huge advantage and makes the footprint a no-brainer to purchase from ALPS as opposed to a generic one. I would say that this tent is the single best piece of equipment I have bought for my wife, dog and I to go backpacking with. It sets up in under 5 minutes including staking it out and weighs about 5-6 pounds which I think is fine for a 3 person tent that KEEPS YOU DRY regardless of the storm outside. We got over 1.5 inches in a few hours and this thing might as well have been a boat at some points during the night. The tent dries quick once you get it hung-up in your garage and feels roomy inside with a 30lbs dog my 5'7" wife and a 6'2" me together with her 65L pack and my 80L pack.
Muddy boots never went inside due to the sizeable vestibules that housed our boots dry and out of the rain all night. Our flashlights kept up in the gear loft meant that we never wondered where to find a light.
If you are looking for a mid-light weight 3 person tent for 2 (3 people in this tent would be a bit cozy....) then you should buy this immediately. If one person carries the poles and footprint and the other the tent and the fly the divided weight is really great. For the size, comfort and Especially the rainproof performance, this tent cannot be beat.
- Joe H.
I did the protester program with the Chaos 2 tent and I love the tent so much. I just wanted to email you guys to talk about this past weekend using the tent. My wife and I went camping in Brown County State Park (IN) and there was a massive thunderstorm that night. We woke up a lot because of the noise but the tent kept us 100% DRY! There was even dry ground under the tent when we packed up the next morning. We also got a ton of compliments from our friends that we were with when they saw how fast we set it up and when we told them how dry we were. Needless to say, none of them had ALPS tents. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you guys that and let you all know what a huge ALPS fan I am.
- Jake B.
The first time we used this tent, we were caught in a huge lightning storm on Mt Adams. We kept dry as can be..which is my top priority because I've slept in too many wet tents. One person can set it up in 5 minutes--it essentially uses one pole. Also--if you buy the footprint, you can take the tent down in heavy rain without it ever getting wet; the fly and the footprint can be free standing. Also the two-door/two vestibule design is a great way for people to access their gear or get up in the middle of the night and not wake your partner. It's a little heavy but fine when you share the weight. I'm thinking of buying the 2-person model for my son who likes to be light. This is a really great tent.
- the lorax
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I got this tent to replace an old REI 6 person dome. That tent was great but a lot bigger then what me and my wife need. We were able to fit a queen size air mattress inside the Chaos tent, but there was not a lot of room to spare after that. We had about an inch on each side and about a foot at the bottom. Good thing there were 6 pockets, and amazing little attic (great place for flashlights). It would be better suited for sleeping pads or a full size air mattress. Set up was easy and the rain fly has great coverage along with creating two good size vestibules. The tent is very sturdy so it will be able to deal with a lot of wind when that time comes. Great tent for 2 for car camping and backpacking.
- drnickm53
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I bought the Chaos 3 last year and have had great luck with it - taking it on several trips with rain and wind. Set up was a breeze and the tent was well made and built to last. I have been camping for more than 20 years and this is one of the best designed tents I've used.
- Jason C
I just returned from a mission trip to Uganda with a team of 16 and wanted to write and tell you how impressed our whole team was with the Alps gear that we purchased for the trip.
We had a tough bill to fill; we needed a lot of user friendly gear that could stand up to the harsh Ugandan environment and it had to fit within our very limited budget. I did a lot of research, read hundreds of reviews and spoke with several manufacturers/suppliers about our situation. The staff at Alps was by far the most helpful, the gear was exactly what we were looking for and the price fit within our budget. We placed our order and found that even with our limited funds we were able to get personal gear (packs, bags, pads and pillows) for everyone that needed it along with four Chaos 3 tents.
As soon as we got set up, the clouds started rolling in and the sun set. It was an awesome site to see the lightening show over the Nile, but we knew we were in for a rough night. At about midnight, the rain started. Then the wind picked up. It wasn't long before we were in the middle of one of the worst storms that I've ever been in. Through the pounding of the wind and rain on my tent I could hear faint screams from the women in the E! tent. I scrambled around, got dressed and left my dry secure home to try and rescue the women. When I got to their tent, it was folding up on top of them and had about a half inch of standing water on the inside. We evacuated them, moved a couple into one of the Chaos 3's and the rest into the safari van for the night. In the morning, we found that all of the Chaos 3's were completely intact and dry on the inside (one had even been set up with the fly on upside down). The E! tent didn't fair so well. It had completely collapsed and was full of water. As we were surveying the storm damage, the youngest member of our team rolled out of her Chaos and said, "Did it rain last night?."
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- Brian W
This tent was everything i hoped it would be. i did not intend to test it out the way i did on it's first outing... I read the reviews and even set up several tents in a local store before deciding on the catalyst 3 (Chaos 3) tent from ALPS. i took it out on an over night backpacking trip this weekend and man did i test it out. the downpour started at about 2am and it did not let up until i was home on my couch at 12 in the afternoon. my wife and i were dry and warm the entire night and in the morning i took the tent down inside of the dry safety of the rain fly and the footprint, I did not get wet until i had to take down the rain-fly! however by that time i had packed EVERYTHING else and only had to deal with the fly and footprint. i would say that this tent was the single best piece of equipment i have bought for my wife, dog and i to go backpacking with yet. it sets up in under 5 minutes including staking it out and weighs only 5-6 pounds which i think is fine for a 3 person tent that KEEPS YOU DRY regardless of the storm outside. we got over 1.5 inches in a few hours and this might as well have been a boat at some points during the night. the tent dries quick once you get it hung-up in your garage and feels roomy inside with a 30lbs dog my 5'7" wife and a 6'2" me together with her 65L pack and my 80L pack.
Muddy boots never went inside due to the good sized vestibules that housed our boots dry and out of the rain all night and head lights kept up in the gear loft meant that we never wondered where to find a light.
If you are looking for a mid-light weight 3 person tent for 2 (3 people in this tent would be VERY cozy....) then you should buy this immediately if one person carries the poles and footprint and the other the tent and the fly the divided weight is really great. and for the size, comfort and Especially the rainproof performance, this tent cannot be beat.
- Steven H.
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I researched and purchased this Chaos 3 tent for my son who is in scouts. I looked for an "easy set up/take down tent", required it be "lightweight yet durable", a "small footprint" for carrying in a backpack, and could "accommodate two with gear". This tent easily meets or exceeds all requirements.
Set up and take down was less than 10 minutes at most, fastest in his camp with twelve tents from various makers. The carrying bag does not require "tight rolling and stuffing" as many do. It has a full fly for privacy and rain protection. The medium height profile handled 40-50mph winds on our second day of camp, staying tight and stable unlike the taller dome tents in camp, yet we only had the stakes holding it. It has two rain-fly vent windows with Velcro posts to adjust ventilation, a bonus I did not read in the description.
This is about the largest tent you would want to carry on a hike...other brands and larger sizes quickly reach 7 - 10 lbs or more.
A tarp or bottom sheet is always recommended, I prefer a slightly oversize tarp to allow a walk-in area in front of one door (this tent has two, which is very convenient when one camper needs to make a late night visit to the latrine).
I've owned five tents over the years and this one is the best designed I have purchased, in fact, I just bought a second Chaos 3 for myself.
- James C.
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Instructions
Setting Up the Chaos Tent
