ALPS Mountaineering Chaos 3 Tent: 3-Person 3-Season

by ALPS Mountaineering

• Free Standing Pole System with 7000 Series Aluminum Poles; Easy Assembly with Pole Clips that quickly snap over the tent poles
• 75D 185T Taffeta Floor with 3000mm Coating
• 2 Vestibules for gear storage and extra weather protection; Weatherproof Fly Buckles to tent for maximum adjustability and protection
• Mesh Roof Vents increase ventilation and improve star gazing
• 75D 185T Polyester Fly resists UV damage and stays taut; Factory Sealed Fly & Floor Seams give best weather protection

Product Description

Whether you're flying solo and want a roomy home or are bringing along some friends to enjoy a night under the stars, the ALPS Mountaineering Chaos 3 Tent is all the tent you need and then some. Made with a continuous-pole design for added stability, the freestanding backpacking tent is storm-ready and eager to help you push your limits.

Product Features

• Material: [floor] 75D 185T polyester taffeta, 3000mm urethane coating; [fly] 75D 185T polyester taffeta, 2000mm urethane coating; [canopy] 75D 185T polyester taffeta, 40D nylon no-see-um mesh
• Freestanding: yes
• Doors: 2
• Number of Vestibules: 2
• Poles: One continuous pole
• Pole Material: 7000-series aluminum
• Pole Attachment:
• Floor Space: 41 sq ft
• Floor Dimensions: 66 x 90 in
• Interior Height: 44 in
• Vestibule Space: 22 sq ft
• Packed Size: 7 x 24 in
• Seams: (fly and floor) sealed
• Ventilation: mesh walls
• Fast-pitch Option:
• Trail Weight: 6 lb 10 oz
• Recommended Use: backpacking, camping
• Manufacturer Warranty: lifetime

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 22 x 7 x 7 inches ; 7.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B003NP3LK0
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,177 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)
  • #62 in Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Camping & Hiking > Tents

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 61 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars First new tent in 15 years. Dry during 8 hour down pour! September 27, 2010

By Steven J. Harper

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. Read more ›

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Chaos 3 Tent Review June 11, 2011

By David Stam

Amazon Verified Purchase

I recently took a trip to the Boundary Waters up past Ely, MN for a few days and bought this tent to replace my old one. This review will be to the point, so here we go:

Description:

My gripe with this tent as well as with all other tents is that they always list size wrong. Im 6'00 200 lbs and this "three man" tent is only big enough for two adults. I'm sure whoever reads this review as well as all other avid campers know about this common problem the different companies make. With only a NeoAir matress and a cheap foam mattress my friend brought with, I don't know where the third person would go. That's all the gear we had in the tent, so this is the only reason I gave the tent a 4/5.

Set-up:

There are two poles that come with the tent. The main pole has two three way connectors attached to them which makes set-up a snap. The second pole is what goes across the tent width-wise which makes the tent wider. To set up the tent just set up the poles the way you'd do any other tent, insert the ends into the grommets and then just connect the plasic hooks to the poles. The clips are a great improvement rather than the traditional sleeves many other cheaper tents use and you dont really have to bend the poles to fit right. Set up was literally a snap (bad pun I know).

The rain fly that comes with the tent makes use of plastic clips which can be tightened rather than having, say, a bungee cord stretched taught. I like the clips better because its just easier for me in my opinion.

Comfort:

As stated before the sizes all tent manufactoring companies use is not accurate at all, but this three man tent had enough room for two adults.... The lenght of the tent was good enough for me and was also another reason I bought this tent (Since I'm 6'). I really dont remember the spec's of the two man version but I'm glad I bought the three man tent instead.

Another benefit of this tent is that its mostly made of mesh rather than nylon. This prevents condensation building up and made the few nights I slept in it comfortable and enjoyable. Granted at times there was a breeze through the tent that snuck under the rain fly, but since it was pretty windy to begin with and I was cozy in my mummy bag it didnt affect me at all.

The few nights I slept in it we had some rain all night long over two days. We didn't have any leakage whatsoever, so kudos to Alps for that.

Other:

A positive of this tent is that it has not one but two doors to get in and out. This also means the tent has two vestibules (If I spelled that right). I kepy my backpack in a thick plastic bag leaned up against a tree rather than store it under the vestibule, but there was enough room for shoes and my pack if need be (I have an old REI New Star 5400 cubic inch pack).

Summary:

Im sure I missed something but to recap:

Set up was fast and easy (Not to mention the instructions are sewn into the tent bag if you forget how to set it up)

The tent held up to decent winds (Making the trees sway pretty good to describe how strong) as well as not leaking in continuous rain for two nights

No condensation buildup inside the tent made it nice and comfy

I would definitely recommend this tent to someone. Read more ›

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended Backpacking Tent April 4, 2011

By James H. Crawford

Color Name:Sage/Rust| Size Name:5-Feet6-Inch x 7-Feet6-Inch|Amazon Verified Purchase

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.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Chaos 3 - All-Around Great Value December 3, 2010

By fizzacyst

Color Name:Sage/Rust| Size Name:5-Feet6-Inch x 7-Feet6-Inch|Amazon Verified Purchase

Folks lets face it, you can drop a lot of coin on a tent especially when you want to save weight. Since buying this we've slept in it two nights in very cold weather and are very happy with the purchase.

The Chaos 3 represents an excellent compromise between price, weight, size, and quality.

Setup is a complete no-brainer. The one-piece support rod is pretty large and unwieldy, but once you've got one corner inserted there's nothing to it. My 10-year-old can do it himself after only one practice round in the living room.

This is not an ultralight tent, but again a wise middle ground between light enough to carry and solid materials & workmanship. You likely don't want active toddlers and pets running in and out of it, but with care I can see this lasting a long time. Zippers are large and feel well-made -- a key difference between an Alps product and the big box store offerings. The size is quite comfortable for 3 young'uns or two adults, with the vestibules created by the fly outside either door sheltering your gear.

The design has quite a lot of mesh, but with 2 fabric walls and the fly giving as much buttoning-up as you like, I believe you can use this in nearly any kind of weather short of blizzards and hurricanes.

Highly recommended.