
For your reference, this page contains historical product information.
Imported.
Item 747799
Specification | Description |
| Season | 3-season |
| Design type | Non-freestanding tent |
| Sleeping capacity | 1 |
| Average minimum weight | 2 lbs. 2 oz. |
| Average packaged weight | 2 lbs. 8 oz. |
| Average weight - metric | 1.13 kilograms |
| Floor dimensions | 84 x 35 inches |
| Floor dimensions - metric | 213 x 89 centimeters |
| Floor area | 18 square feet |
| Vestibule area | Not applicable |
| Peak height | 35 inches |
| Peak height - metric | 89 centimeters |
| Doors | 1 |
| Canopy fabric | Nylon |
| Floor fabric | Coated nylon taffeta |
| Number of poles | 2 |
| Pole material | Aluminum DAC Featherlite |
| Pole diameter | 8.8 millimeters |
| Packed size | 5 x 23 inches |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
Cons
Best Uses
Reviewed by 12 customers
Sort by
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about The North Face Solo 12 Tent:
I have been using solo tents for 25 years and thought that the North Face Solo 12 would be the answer. It is lightweight and packs really small. I am 5'3", 125 pounds so I found the tent roomy for me and my pack, and "seemed" to have great ventilation. However, I used this tent in a snowstorm, rainstorm and good weather, on a 3 night backpack, and it condensed each night. When my head hit the sides, my hair got soaked. I had to wake and dry the tent with a towel during the night. In bad weather, when you open the door, rain or snow comes in. I was very disappointed and reluctantly returned it.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about The North Face Solo 12 Tent:
So the bottom line is...great featherweight gear for anybody under 5'11".
Well constructed, good design, could be fairly weatherproof with good seam sealing, but If you're a big person, buyer beware. This tent features a single wall design, making it a good half lb. lighter than the nearest competitor. Unfortunately, this also means that any point of contact between you and the tent wall will, in colder/high alt. conditions, produce a fair amount of condensation.
Bear in mind, this is a great product. I'm only rating it a 3 because it is NOT suited for taller individuals.
Incidentally, I traded mine for a Big Agnes Seedhouse, and am loving it.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about The North Face Solo 12 Tent:
Easy to set up, and you can't beat the weight. BUT, with all the vents fully open the condensation resulted in my head and the perimeter of my bag getting wet. The tents of the the others in my group were nice and dry. I returned this tent. I wish I had read the reviews before I bought it.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about The North Face Solo 12 Tent:
Just used this tent on a 3 day/2 night raft trip. Cramped for my 6'1" frame, but better than the bivy bag it replaced. Shorter hoop so tight, it is difficult to stretch the tent to fit, took a long time to get everything stretched just right to get the pole into the grommet. Still OK until a cold rainy night. The condensation/leakage was so great, it looked like someone put the hose sprayer on mist and sprayed the entire inside of the tent. Everything inside was wet, my bag, me, my stuffsac/pillow, my clothes inside the tent, everything! Previous night was a dry night and the vents/door were open and I still had enough condensation to dampen my sleeping bag. This tent a loser if you like to be dry!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about The North Face Solo 12 Tent:
I slept in this tent about 15 nights in climate ranging from calm to thunderstorm, with lows from the low 40's (F) to the high 70's (F).
This tent is well built and will stand up to very high winds. It is a snap to set up, and at 2 lb.-4 oz. (without stake & pole bags & compression sack), is light as a feather. It employs a 2-hoop design and is more like a bivy than a tent in shape and function. The coffin footprint is very efficient, but still allows plenty of room to move around horizonally. The head clearance at the peak is lacking and the overall volume is minimalist, like a bivy. I am a male at 5'-5" and 155 lbs. and found it to be roomy horizontally, but a challenge while sitting up or changing cloths.
I was caught in a Sierra thunderstorm and had a small river hit the tent broadside in the middle of the night but I stayed completely dry, which is remarkable considering the extensive ventilation. It has a double vent at the peak, and another at the foot, which is the air intake and must be facing the prevailing wind. The head is surrounded by vents at ground level on three sides. This extensive venting is meant to overcome the non-breathable, single-wall construction. I pointed it into the wind, left the door partially unzipped, and even rigged up a computer fan in the peak, but always had significant condensation upon waking in the morning. In a double-wall tent, this would not be a problem, but the minimal volume of this tent would not allow me to get out of my bag and get dressed in the morning without getting drenched. I ended up using a towel to dry off the interior surfaces before rising, but this turned out to be too much of a hastle and the fabric was still very damp after the mop-down.
In conclusion, this ingenious, well built tent could not overcome the condensation problem inherent in a waterproof, non-breathable, single-wall design.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about The North Face Solo 12 Tent:
This tent is very light and it is easy to set up. It has one problem, it gets a lot of condensation on the inside of the tent. Other than that it is a great tent.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about The North Face Solo 12 Tent:
Went on a three day hike in the Washington Olympic Mountains with 2 other friends, and knew there would be rain (rain forest duh). This was our first real hike in wet weather, so all 3 of us bought new tents, all different. It rained all night the first night, I was the only one to wake up in the morning with no water in my tent. This tent was lighter than both of theirs, and easier to setup in the rain due to no fly.
If I was camping where it would be warm and dry at night, this would not be the tent to take because I did have some condensation problems, but nothing a hike towel couldn't handle. Of course then i would sleep outside anyway.
For wet weather camping this tent worked like a champ.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about The North Face Solo 12 Tent:
I thought this tent was the perfect size, I had plenty of room to stretch out and sit up. I just returned from Joshua Tree and had no condensation problems.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about The North Face Solo 12 Tent:
As with most single wall tents, you need to get the air flow right so there is no condensation. This tent has performed well in all temps.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about The North Face Solo 12 Tent:
Tried this tent but took it back. Heavy for its size, compared to Big Agnes SL1. Felt cramped for my 5' 10" height.
How are we doing? Give us feedback on this page.
Shopping Cart
Find REI on:
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
MySpace
Flickr