When I initially encountered ALPS I was skeptical of the quality of their products due to the noticeable low prices. I thought they might be another knock off company that puts the word "Mountaineering" in their name to sell more gear. I have been extremely impressed with the quality of the construction. In the past I have used tents from Eureka, MSR, and EMS. This tent is the same, if not better, quality for a fraction of the price. The corners and seams have a high stitch count with heavy thread. The material is a ripstop nylon that is typical for this type of three season tent. The seams on the floor come factory sealed.
- Eric F.
During our successful summit of Mt. Rainier on July 29, 2006, weight was a major factor in choosing a tent. We found the Extreme 2 for it's weight was perfect in both strength and space. I will continue to use the Extreme 2 in my mountaineering adventures and will recommend it's use for those extreme adventures.
- Eric R.
I "LOVE" the Extreme 5 tent I bought a few years ago! My wife and I and two children have plenty of sleeping room and our Labrador enjoys the vestibule on cold or rainy nights. The vestibule was a new feature to me and surprisingly keeps everything we store inside it safe and dry. I usually set the Extreme 5 up by myself in about 10 minutes and 5 with help. We lay down two twin air mattresses and one full air mattress on the floor and it all fits perfectly. This tent packs light (for a five man) and allows the kids to bounce around. We have been poured on and drizzled upon, but have yet to see a drop of anything inside the tent. The full rain fly truly does its job. I thought by now I would be searching for another tent, but I can't seem to wear this one out! Oh, I also can't believe that I haven't spent even one second freeing up a bound zipper!! THANK YOU for an awesome tent and be sure my next tent will be an Alps, if this one ever wears out.
- Preston B.
I want you to know how happy and satisfied I am with your products, your customer service, and everything about your company.
After a long hiatus from backpacking, I was thrilled when my sons expressed an interest and were old enough to go with me. One thing that was clear, though, was that some of my ancient gear would need to be retired.
Over the last couple years, I have purchased a Crescent Lake 20 sleeping bag, an Extreme 3 tent, and a Cascade 5200 backpack. All have outperformed much more expensive gear from other "bigger" companies that I have used or that other trailmates were using.
On my most recent trip to the Sangre de Cristo in New Mexico, we chose a beautiful campsite near treeline that we later learned was the windiest place on earth! The Extreme 3 handled it beautifully, and the pole design was much more sturdy against the wind than most tents (which tend to "lie down" flat in a strong wind.)
My new Cascade 5200 backpack is the most comfortable backpack I've ever carried, and it only took me a few minutes of fitting to get it just right. When I was having trouble finding a retailer for this product, I called your office and received friendly help above and beyond what I expected.
You are clearly doing it right--keep the great products coming, and you have a loyal customer in me. (A loyal customer with two rapidly growing backpackers in the family, so you can be assured that more gear purchases are in my future.)
- Craig W.
I am reviewing the "Outfitter" version of this tent which has a thicker floor material. Let me just say that this is the best tent I have ever used. If you want the details, read on...
I camped in Big Sur, CA for a 3 day trip. What are the chances that it will rain nonstop and have the biggest rainstorm in several years? Well it did. From the time I got there all throughout the three days it rained very heavily. At night I could not even sleep due to how loudly it was raining. However, I was completely surprised at the fact that no water leaked in from the roof of this tent. The fly kept me absolutely dry. I had my laptop in the tent all of the time and no water leaked through. On day 3 I started to see a few drops leaking through the floor but it pooled on an edge of the tent so it was no problem. When you have severe rainstorms for 3 days straight that is to be expected but nothing leaked from the top or sides.
The tent pitches very strong and sturdy. There are several spots to guy out the tent and rainfly for even more support in windy conditions. The tent also ventilated well. There is plenty of room for 1 large person or 2 people. I am a 6'4" tall guy and I had plenty of room in the tent by myself with 2 backpacks and my laptop.
If there is any gripe it is that they did not include a "bathtub" style floor. The seams on the floor are taped, but not very well. I suggest you seal all of the seams before using the tent and you should have no problems staying dry. I also advise you to get better tent stakes in the event that the stock ones bend.
I am incredibly happy at my purchase even though this is considered a higher priced tent. I know I will use it many more times.
- Seth A.
[ SOURCE ]
I'm really happy with this tent and don't think I could have made a better choice other than getting the Outfitter model with heavier floor material. I purchased it for a motorcycle trip through the Rockies and back through the Black Hills after I realized my old tent had finally given up the ghost and was unrepairable. I did a lot of research before making my choice considering Eureka, Marmot, Mountain Hardware and several other brands. Like most reviewers will tell you it's a little heavy for back packing, and you'll probably need to split the load between 2 people. However, it packs small and was easy to carry on the bike. It is truly a 2 adult person tent. You might get a 3rd person in it if they are small, but it will be very tight. The floor protector foot print is an absolute must, or else use a tarp. Be warned the floor protector is also light fabric and developed 2 small holes on the first trip. Police your camp site well before settin it up. A heavier material would have been a better option, but it did it's job and protected the tent floor from damage. I experienced a wide variety of weather on it's maiden trip and was extemely pleased. I was concerned like most people about the factory sealed floor seam, but had no problem during a heavy thunder storm with high winds. Other peoples tents collapsed, but the Alps took it all and kept me warm & dry. The rain fly is great but the zippers are a little difficult to reach. I'll live with that trade off for the awesome vestibule/gear storage area. Pitching it the first time is a little difficult because of the pole design, but I had been forewarned about the instruction sheet and looked hard at the picture on line. Pitching it a couple of times before leaving on the trip made all the difference. It's actually very easy and quick to set up once you're familiar with it. Overall this a great car/motorcycle camping tent awesome for 2 people not for 3.
- Bruce B.
[ SOURCE ]
Instructions
