ALPS Mountaineering Zephyr 2 Backpacking Tent

by Alps

Product Features

• Free-standing 2-poledesign with 7000 Series aluminum poles
• Polyester fly resists UV damage and stays taut
• Factory sealed fly and floor seams give best weather protection
• 2 doors and 2 vestibules - great ventilation with entire mesh walls and adjustable fly vent
• Easy sssembly with pole clips that quickly snap over the tent poles

Product Description

Amazon.com

The Zephyr 2 is ideal for those hot, muggy nights when you want to feel a breeze in your tent. The walls are composed entirely of mesh, allowing maximum ventilation and fresh air intake. The unique two-pole design gives you more head room to sit up without feeling cramped. This tent from ALPS Mountaineering features strong and lightweight aircraft alloy aluminum poles and two doors on each side to make it easy to get in and out of the tent. Additionally, two vestibules over each door create a great place to store extra gear. The rainfly buckles to the tent, offering a secure attachment.

Features:

• Free-standing 2-pole design with 7000 series aluminum poles
• Easy Assembly with Pole Clips that quickly snap over the tent poles
• Factory-sealed fly and floor seams offer great weather protection
• 75D 185T taffeta Floor with 2000mm coating
• Extra Large zippers on door and vestibule
• Great ventilation with entire mesh walls
• Vestibule for gear storage and extra weather protection
• Weatherproof fly buckles on to tent for maximum adjustability and protection

Specifications:

• Base Size: 4 feet, 10 inches by 7 feet, 4 inches
• Center Height: 3 feet, 2 inches
• Vestibule Depth: 28 inches
• Tent Area: 31 square feet
• Vestibule Area: 17 square feet
• Tent and Fly Weight: 4 pounds, 8 ounces
• Total Weight: 4 pounds, 12 ounces
• Packed Size: 6 by 18 inches
• Pole Diameter: 8.5 mm
• Tent Style: Two-pole freestanding
• Use Rating: 3 Season
• Capacity: 2 adults
• Fly Material: 75D, 185T, poly taffeta, 1500mm multi-pass urethane coating
• Floor Material: 75D, 185T, poly taffeta, 2000mm multi-pass urethane coating
• Wall Material: Nylon no-see-um Mesh, 40D
• Frame Material: 8.5 mm 7000 Series Aluminum Poles

Product Description

ALPS Mountaineering Zephyr Lightweight 2 - Person Tent... weighs under 5 lbs.! Don't let your tent weigh you down! The Zephyr is a 2 door, 2 person Tent that keeps your pack light while also offering great protection against the bugs and weather. The walls are made entirely out of mesh for superior ventilation and a urethane-coated polyester fly with factory-sealed seams for cover in wet weather. Pack Light with the Zephyr: 2 aircraft aluminum poles are strong and lightweight; 2 doors with vestibules to store your gear; Easy assembly with tent clips that just snap in place over poles; Mesh storage pocket; Fly buckles to tent for secure attachment; Stakes and guy ropes included; Center height: 38"; Base dimensions: 58 x 88"; Vestibule area: 18 sq. ft. Order Today! ALPS Mountaineering Zephyr 2.0 AL Lightweight Tent

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 19.5 x 7.1 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000MAOEB4
• Item model number: 5222619
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,001 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good tent, July 26, 2009

By 

D. Lupton (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ALPS Mountaineering Zephyr 2 Backpacking Tent (Sports)

Took this tent out for the first time last weekend to do some hiking in the Daniel Boone Nat'l Forest with my girlfriend. Setup was very easy, it took maybe 5 minutes or so. Inside was a little cramped for two people, just make sure you're very close with whoever you're sharing the tent with, because you'll pretty much be sleeping elbow to elbow. We were both able to use a sleeping pad with a little bit of overlap in the middle. I'm about 6'1 or so and I did notice that when I laid down on my back my feet would graze the mesh at the end of the tent, not really a big deal though, at least not for me. There was plenty of headroom so I was able to sit up without my head touching mesh.

As far as rain protection goes, I was pretty impressed with this tent. We endured very heavy rain on and off throughout the evening and night. The tent kept us very dry. I only have one complaint, there was one spot where the poles crossed at the top of the tent where the fly seemed to leak a little. I think I may just need to seam seal the entire fly, even though ALPS says you don't have to. But other than that we had no water get in from the sides.

We had two weekend packs(3400 and 4000cu in) with us, with one in each vestibule. It covered these easily with room to spare for our shoes and did a good job of keeping our gear dry too.

Overall, this is a pretty good tent, especially for the price. And I would definitely recommend it, but I would also recommend that you seam seal the fly before taking it out.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great value; high quality, July 11, 2009

By 

Mbirds (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ALPS Mountaineering Zephyr 2 Backpacking Tent (Sports)

At the price, this is a great tent. The quality is there and it compares well to tents twice the price for a weight penalty of only a few ounces. I set mine up side-by-side with my friend's $250 REI quarter dome T2. He was impressed, and the only differences I noted on his were reflective guy lines, an included pole splint ($5) and a lighter fly. Plus more footroom on his. However, his fly lacked the little windows on the Alps: I actually used mine to check on another camper who was near my bike in the morning.

Here are the only downsides I can find so far with the Zephyr:

1) The footprint is hard to find. Search for "floor saver."

2) There are partial sleeves so you cannot pitch the footprint/fly and then be sheltered to pitch the rest of the tent. However, you can pitch just footprint (not included) and fly for a light shelter.

3) With the fly door unzipped all the way, water can enter the tent. Just don't unzip all the way if it is raining.

4) The tapered design would leave things tight in the foot area if a second person were present. I plan to just use it solo or with one of my kids.

EDIT: I have now decided that #3 is not bad, as it allows a nice view straight up at the stars when you are laying down with the fly open.

All in all, I was very pleased. I found a deal on a Zephyr 3 and snatched it up without hesitation for the rest of the family, or if I need a tent for two adults.

UPDATE 05 JAN 2012

I still love this tent. It has been through some extreme wind and rain and held up great. On a windy beach I was thankful that ALPS included the 4 guylines which worked perfectly in the wind. My son sat in the tent to keep it from flying away wile I buried sticks in the sand and anchored the tent to them. We were also in an absolute torrential downpour for three hours and stayed nice and dry.

I do plan to add one guyout to the middle of the rainfly at the foot of the tent-- it touches the tent body at the foot and could allow moisture in. You can sort of see this in my customer photo which shows me using it on a bike camping trip. I also own a Zephyr 3 which allows a lot more room for two people for a pound more. I took it on a 5 day trip in the cascades with a friend who is pretty big. On an upcoming trip to Dolly Sods with my wife, I will take the 2 for the weight savings, and it is true, if you keep your pads toward the head of the tent two sleeping pads fit fine and there is room for gear at the foot. Love my Zephyrs. They have been canoing on the James River, VA, also Umbagog Lake, Maine. Backpacking in WA state, Virginia, and Assateague Island. I spent 15 nights split between my 1 and 2 last year without a single complaint. Great price for the value and superb construction. Good ventilation with no condensation. One example is the stakes... nothing fancy but they are lightweight aluminum and strong-- they do not bend like many other less expensive tents' stakes and keep you from having to spend more money.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well thought out, great value, high quality tent, October 14, 2008

By 

M. Hester (Tuscumbia, Alabama USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: ALPS Mountaineering Zephyr 2 Backpacking Tent (Sports)

I have not camped in this tent yet. I will give my first impressions and hopefully update the review after using the tent.
This tent has all the features of tents costing twice as much. It is a great value. The quality appears to be top notch. The aluminum poles are small and lightweight but fit together perfectly and are strong.
I did a lot of research before purchasing this tent. I liked that it has two doors and two vestibules. Also, I am very weight conscious and the 4.7 lbs is pretty good for this size tent. From my research I would have only saved maybe 3 ounces for a higher priced tent and would have had to settle for one door, one vestibule.
Overall, great value for the money. I am very impressed with the quality of Alps Mountaineering.
UPDATE 11/17/2008 - I finally had the chance to camp in the Zephyr 2. My 5 year old son and I hiked and camped with a friend and his boys. It was getting dark and starting to rain when we got to the camp site. The Zephyr went up very quick, kept us dry all night through some pretty heavy rain. I love the two doors and vestibules - lots of room for gear and you don't have to worry about brushing up against the side and getting wet from condensation. I slept well with no worries about the wind and rain.
I love the tent! I can't imagine a higher price tent being any better quality than this. Good balance between price, weight, and features.
UPDATE 1/3/2012 - I have had this tent for 3 years now. It is my goto tent. The tent did leak once during an all-night fairly heavy rain. It leaked at the top around the zipper track. Another coat of seam sealer and all is well (I recommend seam sealing any tent).