Lightweight, minimalist tent

The North Face Mountain Marathon Bivy

The North Face Mountain Marathon Bivy

Rating for this product: 4 May 2, 2003

This is an excellent tent for lightweight backpacking. About a half of a pound more than a bivy, this tent has many unique advantages over a bivy. You have the ability to sit up in it. The small vestibule outside the door is perfect for your pack, boots, and other equipment. Although it is only a 3 season tent, I have used it during the winter (just be sure to brush off any snow/freezing rain before going to sleep). During severe weather, the interior stays bone dry, despite the fact that I have not seam-sealed it. The entire tent compresses down small enough to fit into your pack. The tent has two downsides. One is the lack of interior space. There is very little room to move around inside the tent, and forget about spending a rainy day in there (reiterating the fact that a backpacking tent is just for sleeping). The second downside is that it takes a little time to set up. You must become familiar with the tent before you take it on a trip. I made the mistake of only setting it up once in my backyard during the day, then taking it camping, setting it up during the night in the rain. Although I was able to figure it out, it took me a lot longer than I wanted to, especially during the rain. Other than these two problems, this is an excellent tent. It carries the North Face quality, and I would much rather carry a light one person tent than have to share a larger tent with someone.

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