Customer Reviews

Sierra Designs Sirius 3 Person Three-Season Tent

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
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I purchased this tents for backpacking about three years ago. I've used the tent on multiple backpacking trips and have never had any problems. The tent is one of the best deals I've ever found. It's inexpensive, yet it is light, made from quality materials, and handles heavy wind and rain with ease. On two of the trips I went on, it rained heavily, yet the Sirius 3 kept me and my tentmate dry as a bone. Other people in other tents had problems.

My only beef is that if you have to put it up in the rain, it can be a bit tricky to put it up without getting the inside of the tent wet. But it can be done. Practice makes perfect! Be sure that you're staking out the guidelines for the rainfly.

I think this makes a great tent for two people, especially if you're taller or larger. Remember that when most tents say that they fit 3 or 4 people, they mean that you're in there like sardines and your gear is all outside underneath the rainfly. If you want a little bit more space or comfort, go to the next size up. You might sacrifice some weight, but if you're not an ultralight backpacker, you won't mind.

I bought this tent, along with a bunch of other new backpacking gear as a treat to myself 4 years ago. If you value room, protection from the elements, sturdiness in bad storms, ease of use, and light weight, this is tent is hard to beat. The christening trip for this tent was summer 2005 to Crater Lake. Not a backpacking trip, but I had to fly to Oregon with all the gear I would use... On our first night at the camp ground, it snowed, HARD... the taut pitch of this tent shed the snow like a politician sheds accusations...

The next trip was later that summer on the Lake Somerville trailway in Texas. More hard weather, this time rain, and wind. A hard blow that had me stuck solo in this tent for 2 out of 4 days. I mean literally cooking, eating, etc... in the tent. (By the way, that is a REALLY bad idea in bear country!). I was able to sprawl out and read, invite a friend in for some Gin (the card game, not the alcohol), and generally speaking, was quite comfortable. The various pitch options allowed me to pitch the fly plenty away from the tent body and afforded generous breezes, that made the humid, rainy Texas summer weather almost pleasant...

I am NOT your typical backpacker, as I am a large middle aged man that tends to toss and turn in his sleep. If you need the additional room than the 2 man model affords, or want to cram 3 people into a tent, this is the tent to beat. A 3 season tent that will put up with what will flatten some 4 season tents...