Tents Testimonials

Chaos 3

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.

Chaos 3

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.

Extreme 3

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.

Extreme 3

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.

Jagged Peak

I've been searching for some time for a "perfectly designed" true double wall tent and have finally found it in your product! Please give your design team a big happy face for me as this has got to be the best designed tent I have used in over 40 years of camping/motorcycle camping/backpacking. Zippers that open with one hand, vents that are placed correctly for optimum ventilation yet can be closed up, a floor plan that gives me plenty of room inside for me and all my gear, not to mention "sit-up and stretch your arms out space". I spent a rainy night "rain testing" in my meadow and not a drop leaked into the tent. Just spent another night in 30 degree weather and the tent was incredibly warm and draft free while allowing enough venting to eliminate condensation. I'm a little concerned about the floor seam being on the ground (apparently unsealed?) vs. a "bathtub floor" but it didn't leak after all night in a light rain. The quality of construction and materials is evident throughout this tent as well as a "real camper" designed it. Thanks to your company's team! I had never heard of ALPS Mountaineering before I started researching different tents, but am very impressed so far. Bad news for my tried and true Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight! I have been using that make of tent for the past 15 years and it now sits unused on the shelf thanks to your quality tent. I will happily show off my ALPS Jagged Peak to fellow campers and help spread the word of your tents.

- Chuck C

Chaos 3

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?." IMAGE 1 IMAGE 2

- Brian W

ALPS Tents

ALPS: I just worked at a rock festival in Green River, UT. MAJOR league sandstorms made a mess of many tents and shelters--there were probably 300 e-z-up shade structures in the dumpster at the end. My Sierra Design tent took a hit too and the zippers are forever ruined. I took note of one camp with a tent that held it together (the wind was 70mph+ at times) and it was an ALPS tent just sittin there killin it. Watching tents get smashed became a spectator sport (better than the music) but your tent just was bored. Anyhow, I don't know what kinda magic you got in those poles and whatnot, but, I'm working on a campaign to replace our sierra with one of your gems.

- Chris R

Zephyr 3

I rarely take the time to write a note of thanks to a supplier or manufacturer about their products. However, I have had such a wonderful time with your tents, I feel compelled to let you know how grateful I am. I am 54 years old and a native of the Colorado mountains. I have been backpacking and hiking throughout all of North America and western Canada for 46 years and have gone through a lot of equipment, including probably 20 or so tents. I hike and backpack from April through November with my youngest son Ben who is a bone cancer survivor with an artificial femur and hip joint in his right leg. We occasionally go backpacking with my oldest daughter and Ben's older sister, Michelle, as well. Altogether we end up hiking approximately 50+ days per year and backpack camping about 20 of those 50 days. We currently own your Alps Zephyr 3 and Extreme 3 and couldn't be happier with how these awesome tents perform. I also own a Eureka Spitfire 2 but rarely use it anymore. ~smile~ The latest adventure Ben and I took was a backpack trip into the Cloud Peak Wilderness in the Big Horn range of Wyoming. Several of the nights we were in remote country it rained, hailed and blew almost all night long. My guess is that we received over 3 inches of rain each time. On this trip we were using the Zephyr 3 with nothing more than a 10 mil plastic ground sheet underneath. The tent go a little bit of consendation on the inside of the vestibules, but otherwise stayed perfectly dry! Unbelievable! Your tents are the best and I will never consider buying any other brand.

- Dave K.

Zephyr 2

I wanted to let you know that your Zephyr 2 tent is quite the tent. I just returned from a back-packing trip in the Grand Tetons. I shared the tent with my Uncle for four nights. Two of which were spent in a spring snow storm at above 9300 feet. I couldn't ask for better performance from a three season tent. It with stood rain, sleet, snow, and high winds with gusts up above 60 mph!. It is surely reassuring to know that I can rely on that then in any type of weather from now on. Great job and many thanks!

- Pete

Chaos 3

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

Lynx 2

So we had the great idea to test our new tents out in some rain. The rain it turned into 8 hours of down pour and up to 60 mph winds. This tent held up to it all (pic is from morning after). The inside was completely dry in the morning (I did use a tarp underneath it)!! Having it packed down to about 6" x 8" in a compression sack without the poles, this tent has become my ultimate backpacking tent for how inexpensive it was. A buddy of mine actually just bought one of these he was so impressed. It fit myself and another person quite comfortably for sleeping thanks to the vestibules holding our gear. I don't think 2 people could do much else in it. All in all I would say this is one of the best tents as far as bang for your buck. Especially if you can find it on SAC.

- trfeldmann1658107

Lynx 2

My wife and I wanted to say thank you for make a great product at a fantastic price! We have a Lynx 2 that we share with our puggle, Milo. The tent has done a fantastic job at keeping us dry and comfortable on rainy muggy backpacking nights. The vestibules are great for cleaning up the dog before letting him in and storing our packs and shoes! My wife complemented how she likes that our tent sat at home in the woods and wasn't a bright neon eye sore like other tents we have come across. Very quick setup in the rain. Love all the included features as standard without the extra cost. Bought one for my brother. We also love the Tri-Leg Stools. Light enough and useful enough to carry on the sides of my pack for a comfortable seat while backpacking! Photo 1 Photo 2

- Andrew and Rachel

Zephyr 2

This is a great product for the money. I used this tent late March in the Rockies at 9,000'. The temperature dipped into the low teens that night, but we were still much warmer in the tent than we were next to the fire; even with bags only rated at 32 degrees. The double doors are quite convenient and eliminate the need to climb over your partner in the middle of the night. This tent is light and compact which doesn't make it much of a burden in the pack. The middle point of the fly extends a good three feet beyond the door leaving space to store packs and footwear outside and protected from evening downpours. I recommend this tent to anyone who wants a quality product for less.

- Jczie

Mystique 1.0

I purchased this tent 2 years ago and have used it several times on pack trips in the high Rockies. It appears to be resistant to rain and wind as there is no evidence of deterioration. It took a few trips for me to become accustomed to the smaller size of this tent even though it is roomy compared to other brands of single person tents. Well worth the money!

- 2milehighwalker

Mystique 1.0

I needed a tent that was within budget, lightweight, & small enough to fit in my back pack for hiking the Appalachian Trail. This tent is it! I am 5'10" & had plenty of room. A pad, blanket, & my backpack all fit inside with me. The only problem is my own OCD of needing my feet to face the door, so my head was in a tiny space! Set up and tear down were about 5 min each. The instructions are waterproof but not really needed it's so easy. In the rain I stayed dry without a footprint.

- mschick22

Chaos 3

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

Chaos 3

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

Floor Saver

Ever since I started using tents with floors (yes, I'm old enough that my first ones were floorless), I learned that putting a tarp under your tent helps prolong the life of the floor AND it keep the underside of the tent cleaner (i.e., no sticky pine needles or clumps of dirt sticking to the bottom when you go to roll it). Prior to getting this floor saver for my Extreme 3 tent, I typically carried around an extra tarp or some plastic sheeting. I didn't see much benefit in paying extra dollars for something so simple. Yet since I was plunking down a fair amount of cash for the tent, I decided to give one a try. "What could it hurt," I figured. Well, it proved its worth on its first trip. Tarps and plastic sheeting are no fair substitute. They'll get the job done, but not as easily as this. WEIGHT & BULK ------------- The first area where the floor saver wins is weight and bulk. Yes, using the thinnest plastic film can get you a comparable weight, but the floor saver is ligher than any basic tarps (e.g., common blue tarps). It wins hands down in the bulk department. It packs smaller than a mens large t-shirt. It's small enough to fit nicely into the tent bag without needing to cram it in. EASE OF USE ----------- Once I got used to using it, I realized it was a real time saver. Each corner has stap loops that are stiched part way through. At first I thought it might be a manufacturing defect. As you set up the tent, however, you can hook the tent pole end behind the stiched division. When all pole ends are in place, the floor saver is fairly taut and will move with the tent. The remaining part of the strap loops can be used to pick up and move the tent--a real benefit. Since it is cut the right size for the tent, I also save a lot of time. No more do I have to fold the ends of my plastic or tarp under the edges of the tent (if you leave the tarp edges out, they catch water and let it run under your tent). That was another of those tasks that took a little extra time, and had to be re-done every time I would adjust the tent location, even if only a little bit. EXTRA USES ---------- Since the corners already have loops, you can string the floor saver up as a quick makeshift tarp. Perfect for creating a little shade, or as a cover during a quick cloudburst. CONCLUSION ---------- If you are investing in a quality tent lik the ALPS Extreme 3, plunk down a bit more and get the floor saver. It will prolong the life of your tent, and is much easier to use than the other options.

- Andrew R.

Tri-Awning

This is my third or fourth shade shelter. Compared to other shelters, this thing is a breeze to set up. Put three rods together, slide into sleeves, put ends into grommets, and stake. You're done. I've had epic battles attempting to set up other shelters by myself and some have totally defeated me. It doesn't get any easier than this unless you get an instant shelter. Love that this comes with a shade for one wall. Great value. Light and easy to pack in the zippered bag. Alps M makes good quality products. I'd give it five stars, but I've only set it up and taken it down in my front yard so far. Can't wait to test it this weekend!

- tag

Lynx 2

Well-made, love the aluminum flex poles and this tent goes up in no time. Easy to erect and take down. It's a keeper.

- TKodiak

Lynx 2

I haven't been able to camp yet but set up the Lynx 2 in my house and was very impressed by the quality and ease of set up. I will be using it for bicycle touring and motorcycle trips. Can't wait for summer!

- Bill

Zephyr 1

I used this tent every night for 6 weeks straight last summer on a bike trip down the pacific coast. I was always comfortable and dry - through wind, rain, and lots of morning dew. Don't let the low price scare you - I never had any problems due to lack of durability or build quality. I really like the large vestibule and full coverage rain tarp. For warm nights with no moisture, I left the tarp off and the mesh screen allowed me gaze at the stars. The tent has plenty of room for extra gear inside and even comes with a gear loft. I would suggest the footprint (sold separately) to protect the tent floor. If you want a quality 3 season, single person backpacking tent and don't want to break the bank - this is your baby.

- Ripvandan

Zephyr 1

Very high quality construction, nice packable weight, not bright clown colors, and spacious enough for comfortable extended stays in the field. This tent is of the same caliber as Eureka, MSR, or Big Agnes, but can be found at a much more reasonable price-point. Set up is fast and easy, and as a free standing tent you have the added ability to pitch in a real hurry if need be. Staked out with the fly in place it was very secure in high winds at 6500 feet. The no-see-um mesh construction makes for excellent ventilation, no condensation issues, and sans fly a wonderful way to sleep under the stars without bugs all over your face. Plenty of room to sit up (I'm 5'11") and change or stretch, and the included gear loft is a nice bonus. My only "complaint" is the length of the poles when collapsed; the tent can be compressed to very compact size, but the poles are still about 18" when stowed. But that is a minor complaint.

- J. S. Reinhardt

Zephyr 1

I am really happy with this tent. The design, craftsmanship, materials and quality all exceeded my expectations for the price. My Zephyr 1's maiden voyage was baptism by snow and wind on Mt. Adams in Wa. St. on October 2nd. This is a 3 season tent but it will keep you warm and dry if you use a well designed insulated sleeping mat like the Exped downmats combined with a good sleeping bag. We "guestimated" the windes at 20-40mph and tempuratures dipped into the low 20's F. I secured the tent with the supplied guy lines and aluminum stakes before turning in for the night and I was glad I took the extra steps. No one really wants to see the wind blowing snow sideways when we go camping. I highly recommend getting the footprint. Search for "floor saver" when trying to find the footprint. The footprint did its job well because the ground did freeze that night and I know it provided an insulating layer as well as protect the floor of the tent. I also liked that you can clip the urethane-coated polyester fly to the floor saver at all four corners.

- Groovechampion

Zephyr 1

On the advice of someone who owns a fleet of tents for commercial use I purchased this tent from the Alps Company. It was about $80 less than comparable freestanding solos from MSR, Big Agnes, and Mountain Hardwear. Despite the price difference, this tent is of the same quality as far as materials, workmanship, and design go. I was under the impression that Alps just copied others designs and that they saved their money in R&D. But this tent disproves that. The design is extremely practical. They took a simple timeless design with the two crossing poles and made a huge improvement to it just by adding an elbow resulting in more headroom where your head goes rather than in the middle of the tent where it is wasted. The innovative designs of the MSR Hubba or BA Seedhouse are great, but I really think this more basic modification performs equally as well. I know MSR used to provide the 3-sided stakes with some of their tents and that may be the only thing that is clearly superior to this Alps, which just provides your basic aluminum needle stakes. The Zepyr 1 is roomier than I expected. Though you couldn't fit 2 sleeping bags side by side but I do think you could sleep two friendly people in here on a dry night. The Zephyr narrows slightly at the feet and leaves plenty of room for one person and some belongings. The vestibule is smaller than expected but should be adequate for a single pack. The Zephyr 1 requires the fly to have two included 12 inch guy wires attached to the bottom of the fly on each side in order to pull the fly from the body. With these in tack the fly did not touch the body anywhere, clearing by an average of about 2 inches. The poles have male fitting on the end and slide through eyelets attached to webbing on each corner. Fly attaches to each corner with adjustable side release buckles. A two piece spreader pole fits in above the door. Alps thoughtfully used a smaller diameter pole for this as it is non load bearing. My first night in the Zephyr it rained lightly (1/2 of an inch in about 3 hours) and I stayed completely dry. This was in central Florida where humidity is high and condensation occurs every morning. I could feel only the slightest amount of moisture in the cotton teeshirt that was acting as my pillow. There was a bit of water pooling in the triangle created by the intersecting main poles and the spreader bar (maybe 10 mL), but nothing to be concerned about. In sum, this has surpassed my expectations and it is definitely comparable to the products of the big gear companies. A bit heavier than a Big Agnes Seedhouse SL or a MSR Hubba but cost is 70% and 60% less respectively. I am convinced the price differential is not due to quality or R&D, but is instead due to the advertising campaigns of MSR, The North Face, and even Big Agnes these days. When you buy a Hubba you are paying for 2 page spreads in Outside and Backpacker. I will buy Alps again.

- Brian W.

Zephyr 3

I purchased this tent for a July 4th camping trip in SW Colorado. True to the nature of mountain camping, it rained, HARD all 4 nights and most of each day. This tent kept me, my dogs and my gear completely dry. I agree that getting 3 (average sized) people into this tent may be a challenge but I had plenty of room for myself, an air matress, all my stuff, a great dane, a labrador and a cocker spaniel. The tent was super easy to set-up and lightweight.

- Mandi M.

Zephyr 3

Background: Scouts, hiking, orienteering, (limited) adventure racing I actually have the Zenith 3 which is basically the same tent, just a couple years older and different color fly. This is a great tent for camping and backpacking. For size, it is more suited to 2 people or 1 adult and 2 kids. Water: camped in the rain, no problems with water. Love the full rain fly and 2 vestibules to keep gear and wet boots outside. Did not do any seam sealing, did not need it. Temperature: got to mid 40's (fahrenheit) and with a cheap sleeping bag and stocking cap, was very comfortable. Ease of setup/take down: Setup was dry and was able to set up in about 5-7 minutes. Take down was rainy and was able to take down in less than 5 minutes. Weight: aluminum poles, very light I would and have recommended this tent to friends and colleagues.

- VectorJoe

Zephyr 2 Floor Saver

Lightweight and perfectly sized for Zephyr 2, it clips right onto the frame assuring a perfect fit and floor protection. It's much lighter than a tarp.

- A. P. Nessel

Taurus 4

I bought this tent as a Christmas present, and it has been one of those purchases where, as you use it you are constantly surprised by new great things about it. So far, i've only had the chance to use it once, in the dead of winter, which it really isn't designed for, but the tent held up fantastically and was extremely practical and easy to use, if not very warm. I'm a pretty tall guy, and this is the first tent that i've had plenty of room to stretch out in, and still have room for all my camping gear. The vestibules are great, but there's no way to cover the plastic windows. SO i'll have to rig up somehting to cover them for changing and stuff, but otherwise they are very handy. It's a great tent, and not just some ripoff "mountainering" tent. Its worth it.

- Nathaniel F.

Taurus 4

I am well in to my second season with this tent and it is awesome! It packs up small and is easy to take along. I bought this for use on motorcycle camping trips and it has been everything I expected and more! A few weeks ago I had set up in one of my favorite campgrounds. The forecast was for thunderstorms and it was right. We had got wind and rain like I haven't seen in years. I had staked and tied the tent down and it held up beyond belief. We got 5 inches of rain that night and the only wetness in the tent was from me coming in. This is a great product!

- W. Darling

Meramac 3 Tent

This may be considered a 3-person tent but I think of it more as a roomy, 2-person tent. With 2 Thermarests on the floor, there "might" have been room for a third but really was only enough for our gear. The construction seems durable. It was a breeze to pop-up and take-down was easy since there was plenty of room in the carrying bag. For a couple going car-camping, this unit is perfect.

- Juanzelli

Meramac 3

This is a rather hard to find size for a non-backpacking style tent and is ideal for single (car camping) or two person use (split between two when backpacking or also for car camping). Weighs 9#. It's small enough to fit in a 27" checked bag since I often fly to camp at the national parks. It's easy enough to find a 3 person backpacking tent, but I've found backpacking tents to be difficult to get in and out of and just don't provide the type of ventilation I seem to like. This is a great solution at a great price. The color scheme is not the same as what's in the picture - it's even more pleasing to the eye, blending in nicely with a natural colored background scheme. The picture shown here doesn't show it, but at the bottom of the fly there is a tab midway through to use with a guy line. It helps secure the tent a bit more and the ventilation increases dramatically when used with the guy line. By the same token a guy line isn't necessarily needed if it's getting into autumn and you want to retain more warmth inside. The two door design is great too, esp, with 2 users or if you want to increase the ventilation even more via the windows. With the other 4 guy lines midway up the fly attached I think this could deal with some pretty significant wind gusts with no concerns. The carrying bag easily holds the tent, poles, 10" nail stakes (wrapped carefully in a hand towel to prevent puncturing the tent) and rubber mallet with room to spare for a few large kitchen bags in case you have to take this down in the rain. Sturdy, stable and affordable. A solid 3 season tent. Much like other tents, the stakes that come with this are a joke and are more like paper clips if you ask me. I'd recommend different stakes such as the 10" nail type that has a separate hole to connect the fly. They are rather heavy by comparison with other stakes, but perfect for use with this tent and a very inexpensive purchase since you only need 4. Another thing I found a bit annoying was the very small amount of velcro on the fly to use to wrap around the pole. It was difficult to get ahold of and so small that unless your fingers are spindles you have to really work at wrapping it around effectively while managing such a small amount of velcro. There are enough guy lines, but it would have been nice to have 2 of the 6 be smaller for use with the tab at the bottom of the fly. Some reflectivity of the lines would be nice too. I wish a custom ground cloth was available for it, but a blue 6x8' tarp you can get at that big chain store for less than $5 works great when folded under about a foot. Given the other factors above which I find to be more important, the few negatives I've mentioned here wouldn't warrant lowering my star rating to 4 and are easily remedied for about $20. If you've been thinking to yourself that a 2 two person tent isn't big enough but a 4 person tent might be too big, then get this tent - it's the perfect compromise between the two and really is a rare size to find with that has such high standards (i.e., 1500mm coating). I would not think too long though if you're thinking of buying it. I am a member of an national outdoor gear company that was selling this tent at a slightly lower price. I waited too long and it sold out. I prayed that Amazon would have it and thankfully they did. It was worth the few extra dollars to have found it. UPDATE: Sept. 2011. Just returned from several rainy days at Aspenglen Campground at Rocky Mtn. National Park and wanted to report that the inside of my tent and all my possessions were bone dry at all times. Before getting in and out of the tent in the rain I found it helpful to very gently pull the rainfly up and down a couple of times by the fly rod so the water sitting atop wouldn't end up on me since the peak height is 52" and I'm 66" tall and am going to somehow make bodily contact with the fly. It was a gentle, steady rain so when I opened the windows now and then no water even came near the windows at all, though a good wind-driven rain might cause some problems, but that's not the fault of the tent as much as it would be Mother Nature coupled with the position at which the tent was pitched. I had to take the tent down while still wet and luckily had a large hotel room in Denver. I simply spread the tent across the floor and hung the fly from the top of the bathroom door and both were bone dry the next morning. I continue to be very pleased with this product and it's the only tent I used through several camping trips in 2011.

- K. Hyde

Taurus 2

This is a great tent, it performs well under most conditions and did not leak during a major Texas sized down pour during its first campout. It is quick to setup and light weight. This is not a big tent but what it lacks in size it makes up for in quality and performance! This tent has great rain fly that features a small vestibule.

- Davisa777

Taurus 2

This is a great tent at a great price. I could have gotten a much more expensive tent but read some reviews and decided to give it a go. It handled rain better than I expected and is well designed. It was perfect for car camping by myself with gear. I'm very happy with this purchase.

- E. Lapenna

Lynx 4

I bought mine direct from Alps, fantastic service I needed a tent quickly. I enjoyed the rainfly vents, I put a battery powered fan in the gear loft facing down, made great sleeping on hot muggy nights. Spent a week camping with several rainy nights, never a problem with leakage. I made a extension for the rainfly zipper tabs which made it easier to open from the inside. Has a handy gear loft for storing headlamp and personal items, also has a couple of sidewall pockets as well. Had many desirable features makes a good backpacking tent easily split for two. Roomy, comfortable & easy to set up. I would recomend to anybody.

- Camping Scout

Lynx 4

ALPS Mountaineering makes some of the best tents I've ever used and they are by far the best price. These are easily on par with tents that cost 2-3 times as much and they come with all the bells and whistles instead of having to buy them after you've already bought the tent. 2 huge vestibules, a gear nest, 2 windows and multiple storage pockets. I love this tent. I had a problem with my Lynx, one of the poles broke when a branch fell on my tent. I called ALPS and they rushed me a new pole, no questions asked. From then on I've sworn by ALPS. The only bad product I had from them has been the Denali pack, every one of their tents have been absolutely stellar.

- D. Ranucci

Hybrid CE 2

I took the tent camping for the first time at the coast in Oregon, and it was a great test, because it rained all night long, the tent inside did not get wet nor leak. During the rain storm i did feel the underside of the fly, and it was wet. Im not sure if this is a bad thing or not. But the main thing is i did not get wet. The roominess was outstanding, i was easily able to fit 2 people plus air pads and extra gear in the tent as well as in the vestibules. Ventallation was great, with the ability to turn the doors into screens, plus the vents you can prop open on either side of the fly. Set up I was able to set it up by myself in about 5-8 min, with is quite impressive for a tent to be so easy and intuitive. it was very light and portable to carry, just split the load between two people, and you are only carrying around 3 extra lbs ea. All in all, a great tent that i highly recommend for your backpacking needs.

- swagg

Hybrid CE 2

I used this tent (the 2-man) for the first time on a trip lasting 4 nights. This is exactly what I was looking for in a solo tent. I wanted a tent that had enough room for my sleeping bag and my gear, with little wasted space. Being somewhat skeptical ordering a tent that I had not seen in person, I did not know what to expect size, set up and material wise. As per usual,the two man tent is room enough for a sleeping bag and my gear. I like a tent as small and efficient as possible. Two people in this tent would take up all the floor space pretty tightly and would not leave much room for gear (I do not like to leave mine outside). The construction is solid. I have only owned three or four lightweight tents, all of them being old fashioned dome style, and this is by far the easiest tent to set up, take down and pack that I have ever had. It is definitely several steps up from what I am used to. Both doors have a vestibule, which is great for shoes, wet clothes, etc. There is plenty of ventilation,as there are two doors that unzip to mesh and two windows at the head and foot, as well as a mesh roof window. Even with the rain-fly on, which covers the tent entirely, it stays aired out inside. There are vents on the fly at each end that can be controlled from inside via a zipper at the top of the window. You can reach through and open or close the vent using a nicely designed Velcro wrapped stick (it kind of hard to explain, but it works well). Pretty much the only complaint I have design-wise is that the small windows on each end do not close with solid fabric. I knew this purchasing the tent though, knowing the rain-fly would cover them. This is just a privacy issue, I like my tent closed up at busy campgrounds. When set up and staked to the ground, the structure is extremely taut and stable. The floor is made of about the same material (but slightly more coated) as the walls are. I used a common 6' by 8' tarp from the hardware store as a footprint. It was just the right size to cover the floor of the tent. If you want to cover the ground under the vestibules, an 8' by 10' tarp would be needed. I have not encountered any rain but I can almost guarantee this tent would stay completely dry even in windy, heavy rain. The rain-fly encompasses the entirety of the tent and all water running down is channeled several inches away from any part of the tent itself. Also, the tent did not even budge in the 20 MPH wind of a cool front; again, it is very solid. If you put your hand on the top to shake it, it barely moves. I am very pleased with everything from the materials to the engineering of this tent. Overall an excellent buy.

- KIWH

Mystique 1.0

Easy in and out. Room to move but not excessive. Enough room to have a few things available to you but still be out of the way. Vestibule is smal but was able to squeeze in my pack and shoes. Have not used in rain, but I use a tarp over my tents anyway. Worked great and seems to be made of quality materials. Happy with purchase.

- mtnhkr

Mystique 1.0

Finally, a one person tent that will actually fit someone that is over 6ft tall!! This tent had ample room, and I'm 6' 3". Easy setup. The weight and size of the tent takes up very little space in your backpack. The only thing that could make this tent better would be to have a little bigger vestibule.

- The Russian

Vertex 4

This is a great tent. Lots of room and very spacious for a light tent. The rain fly is awesome and has plenty of room for a couple backpacks on each side under the vestibule. I love the two door entry. It is tall enough to kneel in and have head room. Plenty of room for 4 people. I took it on a short hike with the family and it worked great. Easy and fast to set up and take down. I would buy it again for sure. Great value for the money. There are "expensive brand" tents out there that are better if you are in a super windy environment or if you have people getting in and out of the tent all night. They don't have the vestibule space and only claim quieter zippers and better in windy environments, but they are twice the money. I don't backpack on Wyoming sagebrush plateaus. I spent a lot of time researching the size of the vestibules for storage and the footprint for body space in a 4 man tent. Weight was also very important to me because I will only use this tent to backpack. It is a good quality tent. No regrets here. I will probably find something to put under the floor or on the floor to make it more durable, but all backpacking tents seem thin on the floor.

- Lerpster

Vertex 4

GREAT TENT-GREAT BUY! Alps has a great product line I didn't know about! This tent is more than I expected-lightweight aluminum pole system set up easily, especially with the clips that fasten the tent to the pole structure. Absolutely no problem setting up the tent by myself. The fly installed easily using a simple buckle system on the four tent corners. The fly completely covers the tent so there's no drip line on the tent itself. The floor space was large enough for a double-bed-size blowup mattress plus some. The two vestibules are key storage space outside the tent and not found on many tents. The zippers work well and didn't bind at all. I pitched the tent in soft soil, but in harder soil conditions I would recommend stouter tent stakes (short top-hook aluminum come with the tent). The guying that comes with the tent for the fly works well to hold off the fly from the tent to keep condensation and moisture out of the tent. I don't think this tent is heavy at all, and would carry it in/out of a campsite without hesitation. I'll still treat the seams for moisture penetration. There are two screened openings on the sides and one at the top that you can't close, just so you know. We camped out in 40F weather and were fine with good sleeping bags and down comforters though. Enjoy!

- Todd in Atlanta

Mystique

Ok, first off, this tent is plenty big enough for two people. I am 6'1" 245 and I slept comfortably in this tent with enough room for myself and my wife and two sleeping bags zipped together. The tent has a pocket on each side for each person and it also has ties across the top for hanging a cord to dry your socks, etc. at night. The design is perfect for sustaining high winds and the rain fly creates a covered space for gear or your shoes. We set this tent up in 10 minutes our first time without even looking at the instructions. It weighs in total 5 lbs which is perfect for backcountry trips and it was very easy to take down. The stakes it comes with have pointed ends for driving (not like those flat-ended ones that typically come standard) and they are very light considering how durable they are. The design also keeps the fly off of the tent so the tent can breathe at night so it doesnt create moisture inside the tent. if you backpack, this is the ideal tent. I found the footprint online at another site for about $17 which is awesome. All-in-all this is a fantastic tent and you will not be disappointed!

- aehardee

Mystique

I am a GEARhead. I own or have owned over 30 tents plus all the fixings... Both backpacking as well as car camping. This tent as far as I know did not exist when I rewalked Colin Fletcher's 1000 Mile Summer through California. Had it, I would've of used the 1.5 model. After getting home and settling in from my walk I ran across both the 1.5 and 2. I own both now and can say they both are killer deals in their price range. And yes I own SD, REI, Kelty, Coleman/Exponent, Moss, Slumberjack Bivy (I used) and on and on and on... I have tried many while hiking in the Olympic Mountains in WA. I would put this model(s) up against any listed. If you have money to burn yes there are some that may be better at lasting a little longer but I question that too... and yes you can go lighter in weight... but by going lighter you'll give up a lot of comfort and the security you get knowing that you have a shelter that will handle just about anything Mother nature throws at you. Alps other models I'm not sure of size VS. weight and the value VS. dollars. But this model is absolutely great.

- H. M. Johnson III

Vertex 2

Could not be more pleased. Used last year for 2 month tent camping trip in Alaska. Easy to set-up. It rained 4-5 nights per week and never got wet, no condensation problem. Very bug proof. Rain fly has nice size vestibule for boots and other stuff you want to keep dry, or out of sight while not in camp. I used as a solo tent, so there was plenty of room for one (I'm 6ft. tall). Packed size is just right for camping out of my truck and on my 165 mile, 8 day, Yukon River canoe trip. Highly recommend for one person or two smaller people (or those that like to be cozy and save tent weight/space.)

- G. Corderman

Vertex 2

I bought this tent for an overnight canoe camping trip in the middle of December. There was about 8" of snow on the ground and it was about 30F. It rained and snowed for several hours at night. This tent held up flawlessly, no leaks, no water inside the tent, no water inside the vestibules, and stayed warm enough inside that I did not even turn my tent heater on (I think the minimal venting was a bonus for this trip). This tent was just the right size for me to solo camp. I am 5'10 and 230 lbs. I had room in the tent and vestibules for my gear, and my sleeping pad and bag. Changing was a little bit tough due to the lower ceiling, but that is to be expected for all tents this size. I liked the wide opening vestibule doors which provided easy access to the tent without feeling like I needed to lay down or contort somehow to get in. The zippers on the tent doors tended to want to hang up near the top of the door where the tent fabric was pulled taut. It required 2 hands or a quick 1 handed zip to get it through that spot. Never snagged, just the way the tent fabric was pulled. I have seen this on many other tents, so it was not really any problem, just a mention. The 1 piece pole design is awesome, very easy to pitch and take down. Fly went on in a snap (literally). I liked how the fly has a bit of a peak in the middle, which helped the snow easily slide off without any accumulation on the tent. I am sure this is also a bonus for rain too. Tent was easy to fold back up and get to fit in its sack, even with the addition of MSR Groundhog stakes and a ALPS footprint. Very compact package that is perfect for me for canoe and motorcycle trips. I look forward to many years of use from this fine tent.

- K. Rochester

Zephyr 2

This tent is all you need for a trek into the backcountry, especially for the price. You will here people complain that it's really a one man tent with space for gear but this tent is designed for backpacking, not car camping. I'm yet to find a two man tent designed for backpacking with a ton of space inside, this is because the more space you get inside the tent means the more space it will take up in your backpack. Plus the two vestibules created by the rain fly creates plenty of space for your pack and boots, all at about a five pound pack weight which is killer for this price point. You can't beat the tent's breathability with the rain fly off because there is no solid material to block airflow, and an included crossflow vent in the fly means you'll get about as good of venting as you can for a $100 tent. The tent sets up super easy since due to the shape there's no way to mix up the direction of the two poles, which are aluminum, a very rare feature for tents at this price. Plus a five pound pack weight when split between your partner (since it is a two man tent) means it takes up minimal space in your pack while adding only 2.5 pounds of weight. You also get fully sealed seams which are yet to leak on me although I admit being in California means the storms we get aren't the same caliber as the our brothers to the east. Now like many lightweight tents this lady is going to need a footprint since her floor while waterproof is not the bulletproof like many of the higher end tents. Now a foot print will add a bit of weight but since there is only about 5ft by 7ft to protect it minimally effects your pack weight. The tent also comes with quality guy lines which is a nice addition to a tent at this price. Other tents I have had at around this price like the kelty grand mesa while having the anchor loops for guy lines did not include them. The stakes are your standard issue cheapo's that come with most tents but I have no problem since most of the pitching I do is in the soft soil of a redwood stand. If you took this tent out somewhere with drier or tougher soil I would recommend so upgraded stakes cause these will bend on you in a heartbeat. On last thing is the color is of this tent with the rainfly on is super cool! Color is a preference thing but personally I really dislike bright tent colors like orange and yellow, it kills the mood for one thing cause no-one likes a bright orange eyesore disrupting the hues of mother nature. Plus why draw attention to your self? Especially if the passerby is not the most upstanding individual. This may sound like paranoia but think about it, if you and your buddy go off away from the campsite and leave your gear at the tent, you don't want that tent to be so easily visible that someone could walk up and snatch your gear. the drab green means she blends in real nice with her surroundings, especially in a stand of trees or shrubs. There is a bit of orange on the top of the tent and where the vents are, but definitely not enough to gain the notice of someone far off.

- Broseph5280

Zephyr 2

Really happy with the Zephyr 2. My other tent is a four-man Big Agnes and I would say that the quality is actually comparable between the two, though the Alps Mountaineering tents are much less expensive. I'm honestly quite impressed with the bang for buck here. Wanted something light enough to pack & carry myself when tenting solo but big enough for me and my 5 year old son, and this fit the bill. But I wouldn't want to spend a night in the Zephyr 2 with another adult unless I'm married to her, as things would be pretty cozy with two grown ups. This fits easily into my large daypack (32L), making it a great option for quick & light trips in addition to longer outings. There may be lighter tents out there but you pay big bucks for the relatively small weight difference - I'll take the few extra ounces and save the difference, thank you very much. The mesh design makes it most useful in fairly mild temperatures. Setup is easy with the color coded poles & clips, and the rain fly offers decent vestibule space given the size of the tent. All in all I give the Zephyr 2 a big thumbs up: quality to match the more expensive brands, light enough to use solo, easy set up. Great tent for the price.

- Doggymcnuggets

Hybrid CE 2

First impression: Tent well packaged, folded neatly with poles, stakes, guy lines and repair swatches all present and accounted for. Close inspection of the overall stitching revealed excellent uniformity throughout with only two errant threads dangling. The zippers have nylon runners as pull tabs and operate without a hitch. I laid out the tent And assembled the main pole sections. One thing that I was curious about before purchasing this tent was the structural integrity of the hubs. I couldn't get a close enough image of them on the internet to judge their durability. Looking at them now, I can see that there will be no worries. The pole hubs are machined from a solid billet of alloy and would positively be the last things to fail under stress. The tent went up quickly and the fit was perfect. Tight as a drum. The reason I went with the Hybrid over the Extreme model, is the more vertical end walls that make better use of interior space. I get claustrophobic in the middle of the night if my face is up against the tent fabric in any way, so having a more vertical wall is a must. The stressed interior corners that would be staked out are beefed up with double fabric and stitching - nice touch! I set up the tent indoors first and noticed the center pole that overlaps the main pole brought the sides of the tent up off the ground some, which is caused by the physical force of the strain put upon the fabric by the pole. Had the tent been staked out firsthand, this would not have been as noticeable if at all. Looking at the tent, I can honestly say that I'm glad I went with the 2-man model. It is very roomy and my 6' frame alongside another will fit just fine. I intend to use this tent on my solo bicycle tour across America beginning next week. In summary for this initial review, the fit and finish on this tent is as good as any I've ever seen. Easy to pitch, top quality materials, and roomy. The structure seems very sound and should take a thrashing without a whimper. The rain fly's color is most agreeable with me. I'm the kind of guy who likes to blend in when I'm in the wilderness. Who wants their vista interrupted by a brightly colored tent in the distance? Certainly not me. The sage color is exactly the same color as the sage in the desert where I spend a significant amount of time. Well done! * * * UPDATE * * * Gladstone, Michigan: Day 5 of my Great Lakes bicycle tour. I had originally planned for a western tour, but the heat on the plains has been relentlessly in the 100-105 degree range for the better part of a month, so I'm riding the Lakes instead. The Hybrid CE 2 has been a reliable performer for the 4 nights I have used it. Each night has been marked by high humidity and a little wind. Early this morning it rained steadily for 5 hours and the tent handled it with aplomb. It just started up again as I write this sentence. The air circulation is surprisingly good for a tent of this design. The interior walls and ceiling never showed condensation. The underside of the rainfly was damp, however, which is to be expected in high humidity. Entering and exiting is a little tricky in the rain. Unless you are careful, the rainfly will spill water into the tent when you unzip. I give the fly a couple of good raps with the back of my hand and then fold it outward and away as I open it fully. It goes without saying that you should use the leeward door when it's raining. I found the tent to be incredibly stable in design, even after the 3 times I tripped over the almost invisible guy lines. These could be made more visible, maybe an orange that would contrast against the green ground cover. This tent is made to shed the wind! Looking at it from the front, one can see the very gradual slope of the spacious vestibules. Everything that was in my bicycle trailer fits underneath the vestibules and is within easy reach from inside. The interior storage pockets are at thee sides where they belong, not at the front or back like other tents I've owned. Bravo on the fly zipper design! It zips from either top or bottom, which enables you to secure the velcro tabs after the bottom has been zipped for 100% water tight integrity.

- Scott E

Osage 2-Room

Our ALPS Osage 2 Room tent is so comfortable that it's found a second life as our guest room! We have a tiny house and a lot of early spring guests in the desert southwest, but thanks to our sturdy, roomy tent, we've been able to host them all in comfort. I can't wait to get it back out in the woods, but in the meantime, it's doing a great service.

- Leigh M

Mystique 1.5

I've borrowed and used just about every brand name of pack you can think of, but the fit and value you get with your ALPS gear cannot be touched by the other makers. Thank you to all you folks at ALPS for providing great gear at even greater prices. Used my Mystique 1.5 tent on a backpacking trip a while back. We got hit with some pretty heavy rain overnight. By morning, me and two other guys were still completely dry. Everyone else ranged from damp to soaked. The other two dry guys? My older son and his buddy in his ALPS 2-man tent!

- Hugh W

Meramac 3

I bought your Meramac 3 tent a couple of weeks ago to take on a President's Weekend camp out in the Mojave Desert, 50 miles east of Barstow, CA. On Sunday wind speeds stayed at 35 mph from dawn til sunset with gusts in excess of 50 mph. Throughout the day the Meramac 3 stood its ground. I did an inspection when the wind finally died down and not a stake was out of place. Thanks for making an affordable quality product. Keep up the good work.

- Steve R

Vertex Tent

I have had the tent for about 4 years and use it at least 2 weekends a month, it lives in the bed of my truck, and has taken a beating. I have had it everywhere from a foot of overnight snow at 8 deg to 80mph winds in a desert monsoon, and have never had a drop of water, or fear that the tent would come down.

- Cris M

Chaos 2

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.

Meramac Tents

Just wanted to drop a note regarding how incredible the new Meramac tents we ordered for our troop are. We literally pulled them out of the box this past weekend and loaded them into the trailer. Over the weekend we experienced cold weather and almost constant rain. No leaks, no problems, no missing parts! The boys stayed warm and most importantly DRY! Staying dry in their tents is a new experience for our Scouts! We are very impressed with the quality of the tents and the exceptional customer service we received when ordering the new tents. Needless to say, Alps Mountaineering has made new lifelong customers of our adult leaders!

- Brian B

General Testimonial

Alps is great. Two trips to Philmont with nothing but ALPS gear. What a great time with no equipment failures.

- Timothy S

Taurus 4 OF

We just got back from riding our bicycles across Iowa for RAGBRAI. The pad was very comfortable to sleep on after riding as much as 80 miles in a day. Also, we had quite a wind & rainstorm one night. We were camped on the driving range of a golf course with the rest of our team. Many other campers with "inferior" brand X tents woke up with broken tent poles, but the aluminum poles of our ALPS Taurus 4 Outfitter performed perfectly. We stayed dry inside the tent, while some other campers got wet. We also go a lot of nice comments about the florescent yellow guy ropes on our tent. We end up camping in fairly close quarters some nights on bike tours, and people said when the got up in the middle of the night to visit the KYBO's for a nature call, our tent was easy to see and to navigate around. Thanks for such great and reliable products!

- Paul E.

Chaos 3

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.

Zephyr 2 and Zephyr 3

I must say these tents are awesome. They are comfortable, fast to put up, love the vestibules, love the snaps to hold it in place, love the fly and design, love the height inside (able to sit up and get gear from the foot area), love the color (natural with a slight hint of orange in case it is needed in an emergency), love the coordinating footprint (never saw this before until your website and mentioned in a class I took – I usually used 9 mil plastic), love the gold poles (my daughter – the avid outdoorswoman – I created a monster who drags me everywhere even high cliffs and makes the boys cringe in fear – calls them the gold standard since she thinks they are the best too), and I could go on and on. Oh, and LOVE that two people can get out on their own side with the separate zipper/entrance AND have their own separate vestibule – totally awesome. Everyone I meet loves the design! After all of my research after I purchased the tent, I cannot find anything better for my needs at any price (there is a comfort and since of “great job” in my heart on this purchase). THANKS! Thanks for helping me look cool at a great price! Thank you for offering such an awesome tent that I REALLY LOVE with all of the coolest features. My husband says I am too critical, hard to please, and don’t give compliments enough. It is rare that I am satisfied. I just wanted you to know that I am not only satisfied with these tents, but very happy.

- Christy P.

Extreme 3 OF

It has been a while since I have contacted you about gear performance updates, and I wanted to provide you with an update on both my status and on the gear I have. First, I want to once again say thank you very much for providing me with the opportunity to test some of your gear. I have been Greatly impressed with the performance of everything and still continue to discuss it with other campers I am teaching or leading. And for a quick update on the Extreme 3 OF tent. As part of the Adventure Guide Program, I go on many field trips. The most recent was to the San Rafeal Reef in Utah to learn canyoneering. Very similar skill sets to mountaineering, but in a very new environment for me. I took along the OF tent, and set it up next to the school's Keltys and North Faces. For two full days out of four, the wind blew. HARD. Gusting up to 30 MPH, according to the guages at Goblin Valley State Park. The three pole design of the Extreme made it sit there like a rock through the wind storm. The Kelty tents collapsed. Yes, collapsed. The North Face (4 Season, even) shook, twisted and made a lot of noise shaking in the wind. Every instructor and student commented on the quality of the design of the Extreme 3 OF and how it stood like a rock through all of the storms. As a result, I think the school may be looking into a single purchase of at least six of these tents for their gear closet. But mostly, I wanted to let you know about my updated status and the update on the incredible performance of this tent. Please let me know if you have any questions about this trip for clarification.

- Eric H.

Taurus 4 OF

This is just a note to update my tent review. I know I have completed the review, but until last weekend all my trips have been dry. Boy, did that ever change!! I don't know if you saw the news about Southern MN, but we got RAIN last weekend, enough that all of the groups I camped with decided to pack up because everything was wet. Out of 3 tents and a pop up trailer, my taurus outfitter 4 was the only tent that was dry. There was not a drop of water anywhere!!

- Jeff K.

Extreme 3

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.

Meramac 5 ZF AL

About a month ago, our family went on what turned out to be a very rainy weekend camping trip (1.5” of rain). It was the first trip I took with our Meramac 5 ZF AL, and I was very impressed with every aspect of it, but particularly that we stayed ABSOLUTELY DRY in our tent – I mean, not a single drop of water got in! The no-sag fly covered every inch of the tent that needed it…and the water just beaded up and slid right off. The flap over the door zipper not only didn’t get caught in the zipper, but it actually lay flat and kept the water out. I should also say that I didn’t do any seamsealing myself on the tent before I took it out – a testimony to the excellent sealing done at the factory! An AMAZING tent! I wish I could say the same thing for our kids’ tents (Eureka Backcountry 2s). These tents are similar in basic design to the Meramac – 2-pole freestanding dome tents with comparable fly. Unfortunately, they are not made nearly as well as ALPS tents. Our kids got totally soaked. It actually looked like the rainfly on their tents was absorbing the water! Water got in everywhere – corners, door, you name it. We actually abandoned our trip a day early just so they could get home and dry. This past weekend was also a rainy camping trip (gotta love this New England weather!). But this time I put a tarp over a large part of our kids’ Eureka tents. Unfortunately, given the layout of our campsite, I couldn’t completely cover them, but I’d say roughly 80-90% of each tent was protected. I thought that would be enough – but was I wrong! Again, they got soaked – water got in wherever the tent wasn’t covered, and also looked like it was getting in from the ground. When we were breaking camp and our son picked up his sleeping pad, it was dripping wet on the bottom! Needless to say, hubby and I stayed COMPLETELY DRY IN OUR MERAMAC!! HOORAY!! I have just gotten home and ordered Meramac tents for our kids. The Eureka Backcountrys are in the trash, where they belong. I should also say in closing that I’ve spent a good bit of time in the past couple of years searching for my ideal tent: 80-100 sq. ft., tall enough to stand in, relatively lightweight, 3-season weatherproof, aluminum poles. I’ve tried the TNF Trailhead 4, SD Nomad 6, and the Kelty Traildome 6. None of them can compare to the Meramac in design, features, quality or price! My quest is over!! Keep making these fantastic tents! Now I can’t wait to purchase some of your other products – I’m probably in danger of becoming an ALPSaholic!

- Deb B.

Extreme 5 AL

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.

Taurus 4 OF Tent

We just started a new school year, and I realized I hadn't sent pictures of your tents in action in Ethiopia...sorry! The tents and sleeping mats have been used a number of times now, and have received RAVE reviews - from rookie campers and vets alike! Thanks for a quality, affordable, easy to use product. Enjoying your tents in Africa!

- Bruce W.

Meramac 4 Outfitter Tent

We had opportunity to use/test the tent in the mountains of Colorado for two continuous weeks during which we packed up and relocated campsites four times. We travel heavy since we do not come out to re-supply. Three people, though not always the same ones, were assigned to the tent. The conditions ranged from clear and calm to powerful thunderstorms and heavy rain. Surprisingly we had only one short session of ice pellets even though in rainy conditions camped at 11,200 feet. Overall the tent performed wonderfully, we gave it a 90% rating. The final 10% rating shortfall resulted from several factors, one being purely a personal preference. The inside tent temperature was cooler then a six-person Eureka in use on the trip. The temperature difference results from the choice to have no closures for the large mesh areas on the Meramac. The Eureka has zipper flaps to cover the mesh. However, condensation covered the inner tent walls of the Eureka while the Meramac's walls remained dry, a large plus. The cooler air temperature was a minor bother to two people and no issue to the rest. Personally I did not find the temperature difference significant and the lack of condensation on inner walls a big plus. Tents are one of those pieces of gear to be used. One gives little thought to the tent other than to set it up and expect it to provide a secure place to escape the elements. Only when it fails is the focus narrowed to realize how important this piece of gear is to a safe and enjoyable trip. ALPS understands this and clearly put their thought, design, and testing into their tents, to make them highly reliable and functional. For tent users the joy of the trek stays the focus because an ALPS tent provides reliable support. That is what I wanted. That is what ALPS provided.

- Chris J.

Mystique 1.5 AL Tent

On initial set up, tent was extremely easy to assemble. Took me less than 5 minutes to get it out and up, and that was on the first attempt. After setting the tent up several more times I was able to easily erect the structure in virtually no time at all. I love this tent, and for less than 1/2 the price of competitors brands. Being summer I didn't get to try this tent out in cool weather, which is a shame as I feel it would perform even better in cool temperatures than it does in warm weather. I've had no problems with the tent on the first three months of use, very durable, definitely a great product. This tent will be replacing my Eureka 2 person tent on my next backpacking trip.

- Stacy J.

Extreme 2 AL Tent

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.

Mystique 1.0 Tent

The backpack to climb Blanca and Ellingwood was excellent. The gear stood up well. I backpacked in and setup camp. Then I got an early start the next morning with a successful climb in very low visibility of both Blanca and Ellingwood. When I got back to camp, the weather really changed. It started with a few hours of light rain, then sleet, then hail. Once that finished, it then poured rain for a solid four and a half hours. I was then inside the Mystique 1.0 for that duration. Wish I had brought a book. The tent stood up to the punishment very well. I had also selected a good camp site to not be in a drainage or run off location. Although the tent was wet when I packed it up and carried it out the next morning, that is to be expected. What is important is that everything inside was perfectly dry after such a deluge of rain. I was VERY impressed. And as I was walking down the trail in my dry gear on my way out, I noticed campers in the other sites had EVERYTHING they owned spread out on the rocks to dry before packing up and hiking out.

- Eric H.

Meramac 3 Tent

I am 59 years old and have camped since boy scouts, have used various styles of tents in my life thus far. Two years ago I aquired a Meramac 3 man tent and have used it about 5 times. It is easy to erect and strike, lightweight and seems to be well made. To date nothing has malfunctioned. I had not used it in wet weather until this weekend. Was dry when we pitched camp, placed a ground cloth down first, set up tent, put storm fly on for the sake of completeness even though the weather was fair. As luck would have it in the night it began raining and raining a total of about 2 inches fell in 6-8 hours. I am pleased to tell you it is the first time I had no wet gear from a storm. The tent did its job and I was bone dry when the storm quit. Thank you for a dry night.

- Gary F.

Extreme 2 AL

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.

Taurus 2 AL

I first began using Alps tents about ten years ago before I began teaching kayaking . Since then I have used them exclusively on trips I have led to Europe, Baja and the Bahamian Islands plus dozens of smaller expeditions here in the U.S. The tents have always performed beautifuly and the clients have been never had a complaint. The best tent on the market, in my estimation is the Taurus Two. You can spent alot more money for the same quality if you want to help the other brands pay their advertising bills. I choose not to.

- John H.

Taurus 1.5 AL

I am quite happy with my initial impressions with the tent (Taurus 1.5 AL). I was extremely impressed with the quality of construction, especially with the poles and stakes that were provided. Very top notch! . . . extremely happy with my purchase!

- Clayton B.

Mystique 1.5 AL

Mystique 1.5 is a very well made tent with great attention to detail. Much nicer, well made design than my REI Nitelite tent!

- Michael C.

Taurus 1 AL

I really like this tent (Taurus 1). It is exactly what I was looking for and I will be getting a lot of use out of it. It is the best tent that I have tried to date. Durable, easy to set up/take down, lots of user friendly features. Great job!

- Tom S.

Meramac 5 ZF FG

Labor Day weekend was my second motorcycle camping trip with my new tent (Meramac 5 ZF FG). This weekend would prove to be the worst weather I have encountered while camping in several years. Saturday we awoke to heavy overcast skies after a low temp of 47 degrees during the night. I tethered the tent down, prior to leaving for a ride. Upon our return that afternoon, we were told to get our motorcycles under cover as a large storm with damaging hail was approaching the rally grounds. As I parked my bike, I heard the National Weather Service broadcasting a Tornado Warning about 40 miles from where we were located that was headed in our direction. As the Storm approached us, the winds increased with 25 - 40 mph gusts. Hail the size of marbles began pounding down, accompanied by rain which was driven horizontal from wind. The storm lasted the better part of an hour. All the while several of us were huddled under a large fabric screen enclosure attempting to hold it down. The tent was several feet from me at this point and, as I watched it, I was thinking "my new tent is going to get trashed". To my delight, not a drop of water was inside the tent and it stayed upright with no damage. Several hours later a tornado touched down a mere 13 miles from us. This time, however, we were ordered into a tornado shelter; upon returning back to our camp area once again I was happy to see no water inside my tent. This is the best testimony I can give as to the durability and construction of this tent. PS: Between the two storms we received in excess of 4.5" of rain. Many tents around the campsite were destroyed in these storms. Mine was dry and in great shape.

- Tim S.

Taurus 4 AL

I don't know if I've said it enough, but this tent is awesome. We used this tent for 14 days of intense cross country fun and it held up in every situation. It didn't matter if it was the hot and humid climate of the northeast or the cold, windy, rainy climate of Badlands, South Dakota - THIS TENT ROCKED!!!

- Spencer M.

Taurus 4 AL

This tent surpassed my expectations. During the storm others were running around trying to shore up their tents. Still others were hanging onto theirs to hold them down while standing in the wind and rain. As tornadoes passed us by the Taurus never flinched - Awesome.

- Daniel B.

Mystique 1 AL

Overall tent is a very good product. I can't wait to use it again! Extremely light weight and portable. With other brands I would have to buy better quality stakes, ropes, and sliders, but with ALPS it already comes with excellent quality accessories.

- James F.

Taurus 4 OF

With 20-plus years experience as a backwoods camper and BWCA/Superior National Forest paddler, the ALPS Taurus 4 Outfitter is -- by far and away -- the best tent I’ve found for camping out in the sticks. I expected it to be much like the Eureka I’ve been using, with nearly the same amount of room inside and vestibules over both doors. What I expected turned out to be true, but comparisons between the ALPS and Eureka end there, with the ALPS the clear and unquestioned leader.

- Pete T.

Mystique 1.0 AL

It is more solid than MSR/Northface/Mountain Hardware tents which were on the same trip. Performance, quality construction, price - this tent has it all. Others on same trip were cold and wet after night's snowstorm. I was dry and warm. This is the first serious lightweight tent that I will recommend to others. It's packed size is also small, allowing more space in my pack for other gear.

- E. Hunter

Meramac 6 ZF

Last year, I purchased a Meramac 6 ZF, and have used it on a number of occasions. I purchased the tent based on its specs as well as the testimonials on your web site. We use it for car camping in the sierras and California and Nevada desert. Having worn out several previous tents, I was very impressed with the materials and workmanship in your product. This workmanship has been proven out through several trips involving wind and rain. Our most recent trip to Death valley was particularly stressful in this regard, with winds of approx 20 to 30 mph and gusts easily over 50 mph. The winds were a benefit to us in that they cleared the campground of many tent campers by leveling and in some cases ripping their tents. We had our pick of sites! I honestly expected our tent to be damaged, but set up anyway because of limited options. With full guyouts and the van as a wind block, the tent survived the winds without a problem, despite being partially flattend by the strongest gusts. I fully expected to have to repair guyout and pole clip points after the wind, but upon close inspection, I couldn't even find signs of stress. Thanks for a truly superior product!

- Mark H.

Taurus 2 FG

I recently purchased 10 Taurus 2 FG tents for our Sea Kayaking program on the coast on North Carolina for the 2004 season. While your testimonial page is full of the success of your tents in backpacking and hiking the AT and such, I thought I would offer up another alternative. For a 7 week period these tents were exposed to 150 people, salt water spray, sand, high wind 15knots +, heavy storms, and being put up and taken down 5 nights in a row. Well, they performed great!!!!! Not many if any tent manufactures advertise for expedition camping on the beach. The elements there are much different than one will find on the AT. My congratulations to ALPS for making such a well built and cost affordable tent. I look forward in purchasing 10 more for the 2005 season to replace some Eureka tents.

- Reggie C.

Meramac 5 ZF

I was looking to step up to a quality 5 person tent that I could have for a few years and not just a one season throw away tent. Yours was just a little more expensive than the throw away tents. I got the ZF model because I figured that I would need the extra heft with my family. I was blown away at how heavy duty it is. The poles are twice as thick as my last tent and the zipper is industrial grade. The rain fly is a real rain fly that covers the whole tent. Even the stuff bag was heavy duty. I was really impressed with the quality and workmanship of your tent. I would recommend the Meramac 5 ZF to anyone looking for a real heavy duty family tent.

- Michael B.

Taurus 2 AL

Rained from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. Camped with people that had REI and North Face tents. They had leaks and wind collapses with their tents. The ALPS tent had NO leaks. Room for 2 people inside and both backpacks inside vestibules, along with shoes and cookware. They also stayed dry. Other hikers were impressed with the ALPS tent.

- Chris H.

Mystique 2 AL

May I once again commend you on your product! I had the oppotunity to put your tents to a severe test again on the weekend of the 15th. I took a group of 5 folks backpacking on the A/T in Virginia. The weather was less then good. It rained the entire time we were there, and the temps were hi 30's to low 40's with the wind screaming. The tents we used are the Mystique 2, they withstood the wind and never once leaked. This is the fifth or sixth time I have used the tent in the rain and it has always stayed dry.

- Jan H.

Taurus 4 OF

We give this tent 3 thumbs up. It is by far the best tent we've owned for our needs. Between the 3 of us we own 8 other tents - from Walrus, Eureka, Cabela's, & REI - and in every category your tent rates higher. I can't wait for winter camping season...

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Taurus 2 OF

I know this is kind of a long letter, but it's one of the best we've received talking about our tents ... 13 hours of heavy rain and not a drop inside his tent! This is Jeff from the Northern region of the great State of Wisconsin. I just had to email you on this. I am waiting for the pictures to develop and will send you the evaluation form with the pics soon. Anyway, the Taurus 2 Outfitter tent handled the rugged camping I do in the Northern Nicolet Forest superbly I might add. The first night was good weather and a mild 40F at night. However, the second day started off raining buckets of cold rain for 13 hours straight. Then it would let up maybe for an hour and start raining again. This continued until we had to leave late Sunday night. Needless to say, the Taurus 2 OF held up very well. Absolutely not a drop was let inside. I was somewhat surprised. Keep in mind that over the course of the last 10 years back country camping deep in the Forest, far off the Forest roads, far off the old logging roads, far off narrow mud, rock, stump, fallen trees, pot holes that swallow some trucks, is where my friends and I enjoy mother nature. This is were I camp. I have spent more on tents that have not survived a single weekend. I am not joking. Some more well known tents have been beat up beyond recognition because of Mother Nature's abuse. Broken zippers, tree roots or sharp rocks that protrude through the floor, broken poles, rainfly buckles that break off leaving sections of the tent body exposed. Just to name a few calamities I have seen in more expensive but lesser quality tents. I eventually had to purchase a $600.00 four season tent just to handle the camping I do. Don't get me wrong. My four season tent has now been time tested. I've owned it for about 6 yrs and I only have had to replace the zippers. I went with over sized ones similar to the ones that come stock on the Taurus OF. Very impressive indeed. No need either for a floor protector with the Taurus OF. The floor material is thicker, heavier, and more abrasion resistant than my much more expensive 4-season. Again, I was very impressed. One less piece of equipment I need to include with this tent. And the polyester rain fly is a great addition to the Taurus OF. Guess what? Polyester rain flies do not sag when wet. Stake it out once and you are done. No need to restake because of the stretching effect of nylon in the rain. Wow, my $600 tent does not have a poly rainfly. I must restake it often in the rain. Other things I really enjoyed on the Taurus OF are the double doors and vestibules. Very easy to enter and exit. I will only own a tent with double doors and vestibules because of the convenience factor. Although in the rain it would have been nice to have a slightly larger vestibule for cooking purposes. However it was manageable and I am spoiled with a large 14 sq. ft. arch poled vestibule on my 4 season tent. Hey, my $600 tent has to have at least one feature over the Taurus OF. But in real world situations it wasn't that big of deal. I had plenty of space for a duffel bag, boots, and misc. items that I didn't want inside the tent. Set up was simple. About 10 minutes from start to finish by myself. Once properly staked out, the tent sat quietly. No flapping. However there was not a great deal of wind. My next trip will be on a known spot for strong gusts of wind. I will be looking forward to testing its endurance in high wind conditions. It is on a narrow peninsula over looking a large lake. For some reason it is always very windy and exposed. I have seen lesser tents literally blow over even though they have been tightly guyed out. I have never had a problem with my 4 season tent and will report back as to how well the Taurus OF may handle. All in all the Taurus 2 Outfitter handled my rugged style of deep Forest camping very well its first time. Ultimately, time will tell but from the quality that I can see in it, I feel I will be using it and enjoying many adventurous outings over the years.

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Meramac

I just had to write and tell you how pleased i am with my new meramac tent! this thing is awesome. your packaging told me about all of the cool extra features you include (2 doors, larger zippers, gussets, etc) and then i found even more info when i visited your web site. i just got back from a weekend trip with my friends and they're all really jealous. we were in a wicked rain saturday night and i was the only happy camper sunday morning because i stayed dry while everyone else got soaked! thanks for making such a great tent.

- Drew

Taurus 2 OF

Just a note to let you know that we gave one of the Taurus outfitter series 2 tents a good workout recently. We were camped out just outside St. Louis, when the weather turned sour. We had rain, severe thunderstorms and a wind gust of 60 mph was recorded at the local airport.The weather was so bad that many of our other tents were damaged during the night. In fact, the tent in which I slept, decided to collapse as I was attempting to get dressed. However, the Taurus 2 held fast. It pitched about some, as we had 35 mile per hour gusts, but, stayed in place with the extra guyout points lashed down. In addition to the wind, we had substantial rain fall. The other tents we had were soaked. The area we had camped in was now a low swampy lake. The Taurus 2 was the only dry one in the bunch. All in all, we are impressed with the performance. Thanks and regards.

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Taurus 3 AL

WOW! Our troop bought (4) of the Taurus Aluminum pole (3) person tents. We compared them before hand by the specifications to other tents of other manufacturers and they seemed to be a good deal. We bought some and compared them face to face against our current tents (a nationally recognized brand) and what can I say but WOW!!! From the operation of the aluminum poles to the emergency repair sleeve to the quality tent pegs and guy lines to simple things like 'real' cord on all of the bags with good spring clips. We are well pleased. They will be making their debut this weekend on the AT. We'll keep you posted.

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Extreme 3 OF

This tent rocks! Along with the initial evaluation, wanted to send some photos. We've used the tent on three different trips - a kayak outing to Algonquin Provincial park, kayaking in the Apostle Islands, and a family and dogs short pack in trip along the Lake Michigan shore. Setup is a breeze - far easier than either my Marmot Sanctum or older Kelty Typhoon. Space is more of a concern than weight in the kayaks, and it packed beautifully. The tent shed gusts coming off the lake in all cases without a whimper and stayed quiet in the wind with minimum guys outs. Please see the photo Horizontal Rain.jpg. This was taken from the only dry vantage point on this smooth granite campsite, inside the tent. Windspeed measured by an Environment Canada weather station close by showed gusts exceeding 100 km/hour as the squall passed through. We stayed snug and dry. Kayak camping on rocky islands like this has been hard on tent floors, so even with heavy oxford Outfitter, we're using an Extreme 3 footprint. The heavy floor and oversize zippers got put to the test on our Lake Michigan trip. We opted to take our Labrador retrievers for a pack in trip to the Lakeshore. The Outfitter model made sense because we camp with our dogs in the backcountry while bird hunting. This trip, it really got put to the test. Our young, constantly hungry dog got into our food and ate a quarter pound of coffee. You can imagine the impact of caffeine on an already wired lab. Needless to say, she got little sleep that night, spending a good deal of time bouncing off the tent walls and pacing the floor. I was seriously concerned about her damaging the tent, but am happy to report that it survived the coffee hound perfectly. Extreme conditions like these are dramatic, but where this tent really shines compared to my older models is under more common conditions - warm, humid nights with little breeze. The ventilation is superb. The tent stayed has stayed comfortable with not a drop of condensation on the inside despite 2-3 person and dog load. That's certainly not been the case with our older models which were often hot and stuffy.We are looking forward to some late Fall/Early Winter camping to really ring this baby out with some riverbank kayak overnights and potentially some birdhunting trips to Michigan's UP with possibility of light snow.

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ALPS Tents

I am compelled to write and thank you all for these wonderful tents. I have just returned from a 4 day vision quest on the Washington Coast (Strait of Juan de Fuca). January on the Strait is not a very hospitable time of year, I have to admit that most people would not choose to do this, but there I was. I was sleeping in one of your camping tents, 5 person, 6 foot center height. Not meant for winter or severe weather camps. Anyway, while I was there a huge wind storm came up, about 30 degrees with 50 mph winds. I finally had to abandon my tent in the middle of the night because my sleeping pad was actually floating on the wind blowing under the floor of my tent, and the rain fly had blown off leaving me completely exposed to the elements, and the top of the tent was blown over on top of me. I was concerned about getting blown over the bluff inside my tent which seemed like it would be a bad thing, so I retreated into my car. When I woke in the morning, I anticipated having to find my tent over the bluff, off in the woods, shredded, poles broken -- I could find it at all. Much to my surprise, there was my tent completely intact, still blown over, but no tears, no broken poles, and the stakes had held. A box of 20 compressed logs I had placed inside to hold it down had blown over and 5 gallons of water had been picked up and blown into the center of the tent, but it was there waiting for me! I stayed for 3 more days. I LOVE that tent! If I had the money I would buy 100 of them. I'm telling everyone I know who camps to buy these tents.

- Barbara L.

Mystique 1.5 AL

I was a Pro Tester about 3 years ago with the Mystique 1.5. It was a great tent, traveling with me to Yellowstone, Tetons, Wind Rivers Range, Grand Canyon, several location in MO and even more places in Arkansas. The latest adventure was about 3 weeks ago in central Arkansas. In March, Arkansas received a record amount of rain, and my group was right in the middle of it. 10 inches of rain in 1 night. I actually listened to rain running underneath and beside the tent. But inside, I was very dry and comfortable. The only thing I was worried about was lightning strikes and falling trees, not leaks. The Mystique 1.5 has never leaked and has been impressive in every situation. My Ozark Highland Trail Association group has been impressed with the tent every time, especially in 10" of rain. If you ever need another tester for any of your products, let me know. Your product is terrific.

- Chris A.

Zephyr 1 AL

I bought a Zephyr 1 from the West Bend WI Sportsman's Warehouse on Saturday Feb 9, 2008. I set it up same day using parachutes instead of stakes because of the snow depth (16+"). At 8:30 am, sustained winds 25+ mph, with gusts to 45 mph. It has been blowing like this since Saturday night. The Zephyr has not had any problem standing up the winds and snow. This is my second Alps Mountaineering tent. The first was an Extreme 3 that I have used in Mountaineering classes for the past several years. It has performed very well and is a very sturdy tent not only from high winds but has handled snow loads of up to 10" with no problem. I also own an Alps sunshade we use in the summer and for a dining fly. All of them are excellent products.

- Tim T.

Zephyr 1 AL

I just had to write and tell you how much I love my new tent; I believe it to be nearly the perfect tent. I have posted a lengthy review of it at Trailspace.com and I hope it encourages others to try this great product. Here is a link to my review. I look forward to purchasing other products from ALPS as the opportunity permits. Thank you for making top-quality outdoor gear at such reasonable prices.

- Douglas J.

Taurus 2

I just spent Memorial Weekend in my Taurus Two that we purchased for a Philmont Expedition three years ago. I love the tent!!!! We had lots of rain and LOTS of wind. While other campers were blowing away, I had my tent staked down and also the rain fly staked down (because of previous wind experience at this particular place). My tall Eureka tent has not been able to withstand the winds there....one year all my poles were broken. I have found the Taurus Two to be a great tent at a great price. The only conditions I have not tested it in are the torrential rain storms on rocky ground like the ones we have experienced in Ouray, Colorado. By taking care to have the tent tightly staked and roped down, I have never taken on water. By the way, many of our crew at Philmont had your backpacks. They are a great deal. I love the attached rain cover feature.

- Nancy H.

Mystique 1.0

Because of the great quality of the pack (previously purchased), I felt confident purchasing the tent and the sleeping pad which also exceeded my expectations. I used the tent on a trip I took to New Zealand in several nights of below freezing weather and another night of rain. The tent was vented well and also kept me dry in the rain. I would have easily paid much more for this tent. The sleeping pad replaced a Slumber Jack sleeping pad I have been using for the past 10 years.

- Austin N.