Customer Reviews

Wind Ridge Instant Tent

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have to believe the person responsible for the design of the tent must be an avid camper. Plenty of detail is in the structure including operation of the windows, multiple organization compartments, air flow , ect.
I chose the tent based on strict criteria. The tent must be less than 10 pounds to fit on the luggage rack on a motorcycle. The tent must be free standing and easy to erect under minimal light conditions. Another friend purchased the same tent. Both of us conducted pre-test to know how to erect the tents once in the field. My tent did not set up correctly in pre-test. One of the legs wanted to twist out preventing the complete erection (In the field the same situation occurred). The other tent had no erection difficulties in pre-test.
We conducted our field tested at the Thunder in the Mountains motorcycle rally. The area we were in was rock under the about an inch of soil. We were unable to use the stakes that came with the tents since they were not heavy duty enough for the conditions. Likewise, gusting winds up to 30 mph posed a problem with the tent setup. Under heavy winds the tents became airborne since the staking step follows erecting. We were able to use field procedures and secure the tents by tying to large rocks as a solution to staking. There are no instructions with the tent on the use of the rain fly. An experienced camper will be able intuitively attach the rain fly, however, my friend had to ask during pre-test what the purpose of the extra pole not being experienced in the realm of camping. With simple handling the stitching came out of the bottom of the stake bag. It may not seem like any big deal but an unsecured stake loose in the carrying bag could lead to a paint rub when attached to the motorcycle.
Part of my tent did collapse under the high winds. When re-erecting one of the poles split length wise however remained serviceable. The bath tub floor is a pro and con. I did encounter a puncture so I would recommend carrying a roll of duct tape. With the floor as the foot print, under muddy conditions you will be packing up the mess with the tent and soiling the top nylon portion. Both of us were able to pack up the tents and secure them back to the condition they were shipped. While cleaning the tent after the rally I noticed additional poles fracture at joints where the pole connects to the hinge.

Update: Tent went into the field during one of the worst and wet rallies. Pretty much eveything remained dry. The rain fly adequately covers the tent. Seams held tight. additionally cleaning of the tent is easy since it can be free standing. Nothing like cleaning dries horse manuer! I have used the tent for right at a year now and it's preformance has held up. I have change the star rating from 3 to 4. I continue to challege the equipment I take motorcycling and so far this is the best tent at the pricing point. There are now three of us using the tent on rallies. I think I have had the most difficulties. The split/fractures poles are still holding up. When the one I own wears out I plan on buying another one.

Length:: 1:00 Mins

This tent is amazing! really lives up to its name. I had it fully set up in under a minute the first time I tried it out. Definitely a great buy at the price. I hate setting up tents, and now I'm excited to go camping!
This tent really has to bee seen to be believed. Check out this video from their website:

The tent is easy to set up. We did arrive at night, so I appreciated this. Folding up properly so that it fits easily back in the carrying bag..not so quick or easy. Nice windows and storage compartments, including the vestibules. The tent is barely large enough for two twin mattresses. The mattresses push against the tent walls, causing the zipper to be pulled tight. The zipper is low quality, and one of the zipper pulls separated from the zipper. So we only had one working zipper to open and close the tent. In summary - I think the tent is ok for what it is. But I will likely buy a larger tent with stronger materials next time.

I bought this tent after having multiple conversations with the company owner. He was incredibly nice and helped me understand every little detail about the tent. After getting all the info I was sure: this is possibly the most well thought out tent ever designed.

You've read all about the integrated poles and quick setup, which are all true, so I'll skip those and get to the stuff people don't mention. Like the gear vestibules next to the door that can be accessed from inside or outside, perfect for dirty shoes or as a 'laundry basket.' Genius. Or the unbelievably high number of storage pockets inside (the usual small keys/wallet pocket on one side, the loooong pocked for jackets, hats, gloves, etc. on the other side AND the small 'basket' up top that is perfect for placing a flashlight or glowstick for light. Most other companies even charge for that top basket as an accessory, ridiculous!

I will agree that the bathtub floor can get messy in less than dry weather. I usually lay down a super cheap tarp or something just to separate the ground in that case, you can get packs of them for a couple bucks.

As for the storage bag, I completely agree its too small, like every other tent bag in existence (how come no one's figured this out yet?) But the answer I came up with that works great is a compression sack! I had to look hard but finally found one that has horizontal cinch straps (as opposed to the usual vertical) so I can stuff everything in there and cinch it down afterward.

My only real gripe about the tent that can't be fixed is the size. I'm 6'1" and with the tall sleeping bag and air pad I use my feet and head hit the walls. When I'm alone I sleep at an angle but with my wife it gets too snug for my liking. And don't even get me started about my 8 month old; tent hog! ;)
However I just discovered El Dorado now makes a bigger version which I am literally about to buy so I figured I'd review this tent before I retired it.

That's it, all in all pretty much the best tent I've ever owned.

As a avid motorcyclist but a novice camper, I wanted something light, easy to pack and easy to set up. This tent met my criteria. It would be nice if the stakes were a little stronger and could be used in hard ground.

I agree with the other review that in wind it was difficult to get it to stay in place. Tying the tent to large rocks helped hold the tent in place.

I plan to use this tent a lot this summer, it will be interesting to see how it holds up after a summer of many camping trips.

Maybe I will provide an additonal review at season's end.

When I first got the tent it took me 4 minutes to set up and about 20 minutes to take down. However, once I got the hang of it, 2 minutes to set up and less than 5 minutes to take down. I love it and so do the kids. Their are enough window vents that it doesn't get too hot like some of the pop up tents. There's only 2 things I would change . . . 1) how the door zips open. . . should be to the side instead of the up and down so it doesn't get stepped on and 2) make the carrying case bigger . . . things never fit back in the way they did when you first got them (they seem to grow). It would be nice if the case was at least one inch longer and wider.

I purchased this tent for myself to accompany my son on Boy Scout Camping trips. First, I am not a camper, having done very little of it. On our first trip I used a Coleman tent which was fine, but setup was somewhat annoying, often taking 2 people for some steps. This tent eliminated any setup issues. It literally erects in 5 minutes including attaching the rain fly. On our second night we had a massive thunder storm. The tent did well, with very little moisture intrusion.

Some minor negatives: The instructions could be better. There are no instructions for attaching the rain fly, and if you have never set up a tent before this could cause trouble. I wish the door had a zipper across the bottom.

I could not get the tent back in the bag, but for me that is nothing new.

This tent was absolutely everything that I would have hoped for. My husband and I purchased this tent in anticipation for our 19 day anniversary road trip around the west coast. We spent many rainy nights in Oregon as well as sandy and windy nights in California, but this tent kept the elements out! I was so amazed when we first set it up in literally less than a minute. The take down was quick as well. When we were in a different national forest every other night we did not want to waste the majority of our trip setting up and taking down tents... this Instant Tent was absolutely perfect. I would and do recommend this tent to anyone!!

This is a great tent, well designed and sturdy. It sets up EASY , even in the dark!! So far this tent has gone thru hail , freezing rain , high winds and snow. The full fly is a big plus. Any dirt that is on the bottom of the tent will make the tent walls dirty , because of the way the tent fold up. The bath tub floor to the tent is great , but still bring a tarp. This tent has made it much easier to enjoy camping!!!

My son ordered this tent for his scout campouts which happen frequently. I have done more camping in the last year with my son than I have in my entire life. We have had to deal with all sorts of tent styles and sizes while setting up our own equipment and helping the other scouts in a large troop. This tent is by far the easist thing that we have had to set up. Quality seems to be equal to the others and the layout is great.
As far as the comments about putting it back into the bag, it is really simple. One of the many helpful things that I have learned from the other scout leaders is to observe how a tent is rolled up when you get it out. This seems to be the trick with any tent you by and this one is no exception. My son and I put this tent away in less than 2 minutes and it fit in the back with room to spare.
I noticed that the other common complaint is size. Plan ahead for the type of camping you will be doing. This tent is great for our quick short trips and we know that we will not be spending a huge amount of time in a 7x7 tent. Long trips we take the TajMahal (the troop gave our big tent that nickname due to it's enormous size). It has room for three cots and a seating area. Not recommended for short trips. We will be using this quick tent in a couple of weeks in the outdoors and hopefully give more feedback.