Alpine Design One Person Portable Tent

Comments about Alpine Design One Person Portable Tent:

I am 6' tall and own a Therm-a-Rest luxury-lite low profile backpacking cot. Although the HBII bag lists the tent as 2m (6.7') long, that measurement includes the rainfly's small vestibule area. The inner dimension of the tent is no more than 6' long. As it is tapered toward the feet, the 6' cot will not fit inside (as it cannot go all the way down to the foot of the tent). The length is okay for youth or smaller adults, but anywone 6' or taller will be uncomfortable at best.

This tent is plenty wide for it's size, and elbow room / gear stowing space is not an issue.

Still, at this price I bought two of these for our Boy Scout troop as emergency backup tents for backpacking trips -- though with the thin poles and flimsy construction I would not recommend this tent for regular troop usage.

I have not had a chance yet to test this tent in the rain, though examining its design and construction, it looks like it should hold up to normal rain conditions well.

One final observation: this tent is not free-standing, you MUST stake down the base of the tent for it to remain upright. If you're the type who likes to "get away with" not staking down your tent whenever possible, this is not the tent for you.

BOTTOM LINE: I would recommend this tent for smaller folk (youth or small adults) who plan for only light usage. I would NOT recommend this tent for 'serious' campers who tent camp frequently.

Comments about Alpine Design One Person Portable Tent:

Wanted a small light tent for a backpacking trip. Set it up in the yard to try it. Felt like the poles would snap ant any moment. Not free standing - if you encounter hard ground or slick rock you would be out of luck. Put my sleeping bag in and got inside... Not enough room. I'm only 5'8" and it was not long enough for me. If you are taller or are claustrophobic you will have a problem.

Comments about Alpine Design One Person Portable Tent:

I set the tent up 3 times and both poles snapped the third time.

Before it broke, it did get me through a rainstorm with just a little condensation.

Overall, I'd suggest investing in a more sturdy tent that will last more than one season. But if you are short on money this tent can work well in the short term.

Comments about Alpine Design One Person Portable Tent:

Use this as a spare tent for short-distance bike tours like weekend camping trips, etc. I've been in a few steady rains but the HB has keeped 100% dry with no additional seam-sealing or water-proofing. It needs a foot print, but you'll be forced to use your imagination if you want a custom one. example: a tarp, scissors and a grommet maker.

It was a cheap price and overall it exceeds in value. Don't expect the lightest and most sturdy tent available but with proper care this tent can last a few seasons or perhaps even longer. Excellent for bike camping and for the hiker who doesn't mind a few extra grams. My only real complaint is the poles, they're the one thing you must be mindful of when setting up and taking down, can in-vision some gentleman snapping them.

Buy this if you're on a tight budget and want a true waterproof tent out-of-the-box or if you like to have a nice spare the keep your high dollar tent in good shape. Choice is Yours.

Comments about Alpine Design One Person Portable Tent:

It was a very light tent easy to carry and set up.
The pole broke after the third trip. I taped it together and was able to camp. It did stay dry in two days of rain. It was to cramped for rain season , but would be a good tent for dry weather.

Comments about Alpine Design One Person Portable Tent:

Used this on a Boy Scout backpacking trip on the AP Trail. What a great little tent for backpacking. With such a cheap price I wasn't sure what to expect but this thing works just as well as the expensive ones.
Cons: If you are over 5'8" then this tent isn't for you. I did invest in some aluminum stakes to replace the steel ones. The poles are fiberglass and aren't the best. I could see them breaking if you aren't carefull. It may be worth the investment to get aluminum or titanium ones that are better and lighter.

Comments about Alpine Design One Person Portable Tent:

We really liked the compact size of this tent. We can easily pack 2 tents, sleeping bags and mattresses in one backpack and still have room. The tent goes up easy. We have used it in temperatures ranging from 18 to 100 and had no problem. Fits one person and some minimal gear. Fly provides a lot of room to store things in front of the tent and keeps them dry. Removing the fly gives you a nice open tent for air circulation. Condensation is a problem and in cold weather results in a lot of ice build up in the tent. We have snapped one of the poles already after less than a year use. Haven't been able to find a replacement for the pole. Really hate to have to buy a new tent just because of that.

Comments about Alpine Design One Person Portable Tent:

This is not a bad tent, for the money. My first recommendation though is to seam seal and water proof it. My second recommendation is to replace the stakes. The tent is more a bivy than a tent, so don't expect a lot of room. If you're over 5'8" you will not be comfortable and I just can't see this as a two person tent. I have have used the Hiker Biker on two outings so far and it has been more than up to the task. One of those outing was during an on again off again rain storm and other than setting this up during a light rain the tent stayed dry in side. Although there is a window, there just is not enough ventilation to prevent condensation from forming on the rain fly. On my second outing there was a bit of condensation on the inside of the fly, but my gear was dry. I did experience some issues with the zippers getting snagged while opening and closing, which can be annoying when you need to get out in the middle of the night. The vestibule was large enough for my boots and not much more. There are two mesh pockets inside for storing small items. I also recommend a ground cloth of some sort. Again with the proper preparation and keeping in mind that this more of a bivy and not tent, I would recommend this for weekend hiking trips

Comments about Alpine Design One Person Portable Tent:

I purchased this tent after using one my dad has, so knew it was what I wanted. (I believe his is an earlier model though, as it is different colors - grey and orange vs grey and blue - and mine seems much less spacious than his, which could conceivably fit two people). Mine definitely only fits one - it is the perfect size for me (5'8"), but would probably be short for anyone taller. I also can't see fitting a pack or much gear inside. However, for my size and purposes, it's just right. It's small and lightweight - good for backpacking, and easy and quick for one person to set up. The structure of the tent relies entirely on it being staked down though, so soft ground is somewhat a necessity. The poles don't seem too flimsy, and although I know people have had problems with them, it seems that if you don't treat them too roughly they'll be okay. (Also, for a [$] tent, it doesn't seem like a big deal to have to replace a few poles.) The only problem I had was condensation when camping in a somewhat chilly (upper 30s) environment. I kept very toasty, but woke up to a small rain storm in the tent. Because the tent is primarily mesh, the condensation collected on the interior of the fly and dripped back down through the mesh. The fly has a built-in vent at the back, which should take care of this, but did not. (I had the tent backed up to a rock wall too though, so maybe in a more open place with better air flow it wouldn't have been a problem.) Otherwise, I really enjoyed my new tent and thought it was perfect for a single person wanting to travel light and self-sufficiently. And for the price it was ideal.

Comments about Alpine Design One Person Portable Tent:

I have had two of these tents now and I am recommending one to my friend. The first tent is still going strong and the poles have never broken.

Second tent, poles broke on the second outing. The tent itself is not that flimsy, only the poles are. Carry some duct tape with you at all times and you will be ok. I'm still using the tent with the taped up poles and it works fine. See the pic of the orange one down there? We'll be using that this weekend.

I wish that Alpine had an 800 number to call so that you could have them send you new poles, they must be aware of this by now.

There is plenty of space for two in this tent. I've shared it with my adult daughter, and I've shared it with my young son. Even using my big fat thermarest. Even with both packs inside. My daughter and her husband have one of these tents and have no problem fitting both of them inside.

Never had any problems with leakage. The windiest conditions at Joshua Tree could not tear this tent down, although I did use four large tent stakes in the corners.