Black Diamond Vista 3 Tent

Comments about Black Diamond Vista 3 Tent:

I felt the need to write a review due to a recent experience I had with this tent....

I read the review online about how it attracts bugs, but I figured, how bad can it be? So I bought it because I love the hub pole system. So I set up the tent at night, sleep in it, and leave it up the next day because I'll be back at night. I come back and the tent sounds like a freakin' beehive. There's about 150 flies between the fly and the tent, and, because I clumsily left the tent zipper open like 3 inches, another 50 or so inside. Not exaggerating. So anyways, I was not happy and going to return it, but I decided to call Black Diamond and see what they had to say about it. Apparently what attracts the bugs is the material of the tent. Once it has been used a few times and aired out, they get bored with it. I took the guy's advice and aired it out over the weekend. The next time I used it, presto! No bugs! Well some, but not an abnormal amount. So I totally recommend this tent. It rocks. Just air it out before you actually want to use it! Set it up over the weekend and just leave it outside.

Comments about Black Diamond Vista 3 Tent:

Of my 5 tents, this is now my favorite after purchasing a couple of months ago. We fit three 6'+ guys in this tent for several days in a row. Problem though was there was only enough room for 1 pack at each door entrance (under the rain fly). We did however fit 2 guys plus large packs in the tent for a two week mountaineering trip. It performed perfectly in every way imaginable.

The tent is actually not a perfect square, but rather angles in a little on one end. There are color coded straps on the ground cover, tent body and rain fly to prevent confusion with this. It is worth setting it up a couple of times before going. Once you have it down, a setup should only take ~3 minutes.

We took this threw a major storm with high winds and a torrential downpour that lasted for around 6 hours. Not a drop of water got in the tent. The next morning, even with standing water everywhere, there wasn't any in the tent and not even condensation on the walls.

The tent, as many others have noticed, does attract bugs. However, that is really only in the beginning. After a few uses the tent no longer draws them anymore.

The tent is surprisingly tall in the middle. It has hooks inside near the top for threading through a rope. It is worth bringing a thin rope to hang socks and other items above while you sleep.

This tent is about a pound or so heavier compared to some of its competition. However, the much larger floor space compared to the competition more than makes up for it. The fact that 3 tall men can actually sleep in a “3 person tent” speaks for itself. (Would probably fit someone comfortably up to 6' 6”).

Nothing else to say other than it is a great tent.

Comments about Black Diamond Vista 3 Tent:

A sturdy yet spacious tent that sheds rain and wind very well. At 6'3" I appreciated both the length and the height of the interior. Excellent construction and materials, much better than most other brands.

Unfortunately I returned the tent, though, because of one recurring problem: bugs! I'm not just talking about a few mosquitoes sneaking in, but clusters of flies of all shapes and sizes gathering between the top of the tent body and fly, as well as tons of small flies penetrating the mesh on the upper part of the tent and infesting the interior of the tent itself. This happened on several occasions in Rocky Mountain areas that are otherwise not buggy and where other tents in our party had zero bug issues.

I should note that I have extensive experience using a variety of tarps, tents, and shelters, and never before have I seen a problem like this. Very bizarre. It certainly wasn't an issue every time I used the tent, but it occurred enough to make me choose another shelter.

Hopefully Black Diamond will address the fly color or whatever design issue attracts flies to this thing, because otherwise it is a fantastic tent.

Comments about Black Diamond Vista 3 Tent:

All the good things people have said about this tent are spot on and it was the primary reason I purchased the Vista 3. Overall, I love the tent; large floor space, two doors w/ vestibules, and simple center hub pole design. The problem is with the fly and the two small velcro straps sewn into the fly to attach to the poles. When I pulled on the velcro to attach it to the pole near the vestibule, it ripped the single layer of fly material. This was the 2nd use ever! The fly has another layer of material above it so there is no chance water would have leaked but it was quite disappointing to see my new tent rip. I'm very careful with my equipment but do expect it to hold up under normal to moderately severe conditions. Especially this time out at Joshua Tree with desert winds blowing the tent around. There are several great reviews so maybe I just got a lemon???[...] when I examined the new one for an exchange, it looked like it was going to tear again from the thread pulling on slightly larger sewing holes. The problem with the design is that it's stitched into a single layer of fly material. If they had used two layers of material (the size of credit card) in the same spot, it probably would not rip. The velcro tabs located on the corners for the legs are stitched into what appears to be three layers of material so it's strong.Just to give BlackDiamond due credit, there are a couple of things that could have caused my tent to rip. I could have pulled harder than I should have so it's my fault. However, that doesn't give me comfort when I know my three boys are going to help me set it up as well as other adults. Maybe I just got a defective one and all the other tents hold up just fine w/ a single layer. Considering that I'm the only one that has written about this problem, that could be the case. However, you should check for yourself at REI.I ended up getting my money back and have not decided on what to get next. I'll check out Marmot and Big Agnes but I still like the Vista 3. If I get the Vista 3 again, I may not use the velcro tabs at all. They are there to help keep the fly properly aligned but once you tighten it down at the corners and steak out the vestibules, I don't think the velcro fasteners are really needed.I would recommend this to a friend with the following caveats.1) Good overall tent.2) Fly design and possible tearing. Just be very careful or don't use the vestibule tabs at all.3) minor but annoying - the tent door opens into the side of the fly that is staked down so you really have to reach to unzip the door. I knew this before buying the tent and thought another person's complaint about this issue was trivial but after several times entering and exiting, I do have to agree that it's annoying. Since I was planning on keeping the tent for years to come, it would be nice to not have to unzip the entire door to get in and out. But still, it wasn't bad enough to return the tent.

Comments about Black Diamond Vista 3 Tent:

I've used this tent about 8 times since I bought it. I live in Colorado but also took it on a road trip and camped in Utah, Wyoming and eastern Oregon.

I am 6'3" and length was a major issue when shopping for tents. Not only is this tent plenty long, it has great headroom and lots of space for two tall men (plus gear) to sleep comfortably.

The tent sets up more quickly and easily than anything I've seen before. The hub system for the poles makes it difficult to get confused during setup, and the tent is very sturdy. The fly is very easy and sets up fast for emergency rain protection in the middle of the night.

My friend and I used it during a rainstorm that lasted through the night and into the next morning, and didn't have a drop of water inside the tent. The rain fly guys out and there was enough room for both of our packs and our boots outside the tent, and they were completely dry in the morning, too.

When I was looking at the other reviews, I was concerned about the bug issue (since the fly is neon orange). Most of the time, where there are bugs, I haven't had to worry about rain and haven't used the fly. I stayed in one camp where the bugs were almost unbearable, and in the morning there were a few between the tent and the fly (not as many as I expected). I'm going backpacking again this week, and I sprayed the fly with Off. We'll see how that works. It is unfortunate that the color of the fly is such an issue, but to me, the excellent engineering and benefits of this tent FAR outweigh the bug concerns.

Comments about Black Diamond Vista 3 Tent:

I bought this based on Backpacker Magazine's recommendation and was not disappointed. It is easy to set up and really roomy. I think it would be a little cozy for 3 adults, but I think that is true with most 3 person tents.

I took this to Joshua Tree and it was roomy enough for me and all my gear (I was the only person in the tent.) It was an awesome tent and quick to set up and take down. The only negative I saw was it took up a lot of space in my pack but I had no one to share the wealth with. Great purchase!

Comments about Black Diamond Vista 3 Tent:

I do weekend mountain bike adventures and needed a base tent; this crib is awesome for one or two. With only a single drill under my belt, I sat this up in the dark the first time. The vestibule has enough space to cook in during the rains too. I also own a BD Lighthouse and I am impressed w/ these two products; they do what they are suppost to. Well done....

Comments about Black Diamond Vista 3 Tent:

I'm a longtime backpacker & REI member.[...] I've used a lot of tents over the years. I recently needed to replace & upgrade my primary backpacking tent. I'm very impressed with the BD VISTA. It is what it is...a great 2 person 3 season backpacking tent. It's well made and well thought out. It's worth the price and performs as advertised. The ground sheet is a must have item. The two wall system works very well. Great ventilation is the key.

Comments about Black Diamond Vista 3 Tent:

A bought this tent after going through the single wall Northface Vario 23 and the REI Quarter Dome 3 tent. The Vario 23 tent built up too much condensation with two people. Woke up in Bryce with my head and feet wet. The poles on the REI QD3 snapped while setting up, was able to repair with the included repair tube...

I am so glad I did...this is a breeze to setup and very sturdy. The fly goes on real tight and snug and allows for folding back to stargaze at night. The tent is also very roomy inside, it fit two people easily with gear and room to spare.

Great tent!

Service and delivery comments:

The service at the REI store was good as usual. However I did have to drive from the Arcadia store to Santa Monica to pick it up. Product was a little dirty and scuffed up on the exterior case but acceptable.

Customer service was helpful but had to wait behind a customer for 15 minutes.

Comments about Black Diamond Vista 3 Tent:

I buy gear for a combination of uses - light weight/minimalist when I'll be out on backpacking trips, and comfort and ease of use for the less rugged trips with my wife. This tent combines the best of all worlds as well as any other. Rock solid in the wind, SUPER easy to set up and very roomy inside. It's a bit heavier than some other tents of its size - but the extra space is worth it, especially the length. This tent is ROOMY. I originally bought the REI Quarter Dome T3 - which I really loved but was just too short for me. This gives you the extra 6 inches you need if you're tall and the set up is just as easy (one-piece pole set). I have ZERO COMPLAINTS about this tent and would recommend it without hesitation to all but the most weight conscious - while it isn't super light, it's still not bad if you're splitting the load.