REI Quarter Dome T3 Tent

Comments about REI Quarter Dome T3 Tent:

I went back and forth over whether to get the T2 or T3. I am really glad I got this even though it was a little longer in size when you are hauling it. When you hold the two tents in your hand, side by side, they feel like virtually the same weight and the extra room comes in handy.

I love the green rainfly that blends into the environment, unlike some obnoxiously-bright colored tents.

Even better than how quickly you can set it up, is how quickly you can break it down. Incredibly handy if you have to move quickly. You don't have to fold it up perfectly to put it back in its bag like a lot of other tents. The bag is oversized, with cinches on it that help you pull it tight once it is in the bag.

The only thing I really don't like is that the doors sort of just flop down with nowhere to tie them to that I could see. Most tents have little tie-downs so you can roll the doors up and keep them out of your way when you are loading it with stuff.

Definitely a hit with me though, and I am a highly critical person when it comes to gear.

Also, make sure to set this up at home in your living room first. It is quick and easy to set up ONCE YOU LEARN HOW, but it is a new kind of system I had never used before. You don't want to be fiddling around with it for the first time in the dark somewhere.

Oh ya, and make sure to get the footprint. The material is very thin on the floor, and if you camp on the granite floors of the Sierra Nevadas like I do, it is a good investment if you want the tent to last.

Comments about REI Quarter Dome T3 Tent:

I spent weeks researching my ideal tent. I backpack and try to keep weight down, but I want to be comfortable with gear and able to sit up and hang out/read in my tent. I wanted a tent roomy for two plus gear (anyone who says this tent is cramped does not understand that the #-person tent means the maxumum, shoulder to shoulder - that goes for almost all tents!) I have taken this to cold and strong winds in the Sierra Nevadas, to pouring thunderstorms and humidity in the Appalachians, and carried it for solo backpacking (I'm a 115 lb female). It's good for car camping too because of the height & spaciousness (for 1-2 + gear). It's been worth every penny, and when I compared the specs of this and MUCH more expensive tents, it still won out. Why? It keeps dirt/sand out with non-mesh wall bases, it stays drier than a hybrid or single-wall waterproof, it's stronger than all-mesh, the walls are high before curving in and therefore roomier, it gives you good width instead of too much length (check the length specs if you are super tall instead of complaining that you didn't know the fit!), and it's cake to set up. It's worth the few ounces more for these features. The poles are a bit long folded up in the pack if you have a lot of other gear, but they will fit in a small-medium pack. Get the footprint, as with any tent you want to protect. I rarely give glowing reviews but I can guarantee that I spent more hours researching all of the top-notch backpacking tents this past year than you hopefully will have to, and I believe I made the best choice!

Comments about REI Quarter Dome T3 Tent:

Just got thru setting this tent up in my living room.

I am very disappointed in the obvious overstatement of the specs about floor dimensions. The floor length dimension is stated to be 85 inches in the spec. I put my 76 inch thermorest inside and it barely fit. That is a 9 inch difference! Granted the tent does measure 85 inches corner pole to corner pole, but that is outside. At 6’3 I would need a cut-out for my feet in order to sleep comfortably.

As for the foot print – let me preface my statements by first saying that my faithful old tent let me down in the rain last year, so I have a pretty good idea about what will stay dry and what will not. There are no adjustments on the foot print meaning that it is not fixed to the tent except rather loosely. What that translates to is the very real possibility of the lip of the foot print being exposed which leads to a pool of water inside the tent.

Comments about REI Quarter Dome T3 Tent:

I had a third friend accept an invitation to a canoe trip in Canada. My existing tent only had room for two. After looking at everything, I decided to go with the Quarter Dome T3. I am very picky and went through three tents before making my final decision.
This tent is easy to set up, light (for a three person tent), and is comfortable, assuming no member of the group is above 6'4".
I especially love having an entry/exit on both sides and two vestibules. The way the doors easily stash into the ceiling is awesome. As always, pockets in all four corners are very convenient.
It is a very light and small three person tent Although the Agnus was smaller and lighter, I could not justify the difference is cost.
My wife and I will be leaving our old car camping tents at home. For convenience, we will be using this tent instead and sleeping comfortably with our two small children. Well, as comfortably as you can be with two kids rolling around.
And for backpacking adventures that require a tent, if I need a three person, I will be bringing this tent for sure. It is a three person tent, so it is bulkier than a two person of the same series or (by far) a minimalist bivy or tarp. In short, this tent will not be coming with me everywhere but rather everywhere I need it.
I have used it in the southern Nevada desert, and in the rains and downpours of Canada, California beaches to the high altitude lakes of Utah. It's even had a layer of ice cover the entirety of the rainfly and I never had one problem.
This is a phenomenal tent.

Comments about REI Quarter Dome T3 Tent:

Nice tent, nice price, easy to set up, etc. HOWEVER, my boyfriend is 6'1" and he is too tall for this tent. His head and feet were touching the tent sides. The only 3-person ultralite that seems to accommodate someone 6' or taller is the Big Agnes Copper Spur 3, coming in at a painful $499.95.

Comments about REI Quarter Dome T3 Tent:

I had a chance to set up this tent and do a quick hose test. Two things that stand out on this tent is the pole configuration and the tear drop shaped door. The pole configuration took me a while to figure out. The poles are set up in a way that has one main pole (silver) that goes across corner to corner and two 3/4 poles that goes from one corner each to the top of the door on both sides.

Second the tear drop door. Another thoughtful detail that you can tell the designers really spent some time on. Backpacker Magazine said in its review "the teardrop-shaped doors hang in the middle when open and can't be tied out of the way." I guess that must have been a demo model because the one I have has a pocket right on the ceiling where you can nicely put the door out of the way. In fact, it's the nicest "door pocket" I've ever seen in a tent. Most doors involve either 1.) rolling the door and attaching a tab from the inside of the tent with a connector on the outside or 2.) a tent door, but most of them will leave some of the door fabric hanging in a way which is not bothersome but "it's just there." The T3 completely eliminates that which is a big plus in my list. It's a case of "a problem you never knew really existed has been fixed."

It will fit 3 regular thermarests side by side and few small accessories such as lights, clothing and etc but if you are taller than 6'2" then this is not your tent.

Last, I water hosed this tent and there wasn't a single droplet of water. I don't know how it fares with ACTUAL rain and wind or condensation but I will figure it out as soon as I take this baby out. For the price and weight I think this is one of the best 3 person tents out there. I was never a big fan of REI gear but this has changed it all. The stitching is not the best but it's good. I've slept on the SD Asp 3, MSR Mutha Hubba, North Face Merlin 33 and other 3 men tents but for the PRICE and WEIGHT I think this is THE ONE.

Comments about REI Quarter Dome T3 Tent:

I love this tent in so many ways. It is easy to set up and it makes sense. The poles and the body are color coded, so after you do it the first time, it's really easy. I also love the compression bag, because it makes putting it away a breeze. It's light, and there are options like leaving the rain fly at home which makes it even lighter. With the fly off, it is great on a hot breezy night.

I love all camping, and tend to do it all somewhat equally. With that being said, it is great to go on a backpacking trip to a remote location. I think taken it on about 10 trips since I bought it this pring. The only complaint that I have (which I don't have a remedy for, it's just something to think about when thinking of what your primary use is going to be) is that with the fly off, there are no zip up windows, so if you are camping in a crowd, there is no privacy to change clothes inside the tent. (I took it to a music festival in the hot hot heat, and it was perfect for sleeping, but I had to borrow other people's tent for changing.)

The fly opening is a hassle too, because once it is open, there is no place to secure it open, so it's either zipped or hanging on the ground. it's not a big deal, and I guess it makes it (a little) lighter, but it's annoying at times.

The other downfall is that there is poor ventilation when the rain fly is on, which means that you have to decide if you think it is going to rain, and compromise your breeze for the sake of being dry.

Other than that, i don't have any complaints. The flip side would be having a tent that has these extra bells and whistles, but this is at the cost of adding additional weight. In the future, I will probably use my old tent with zippered windows for festivals or camping with a big group of friends, and use this on any back country trips.

Comments about REI Quarter Dome T3 Tent:

This is a great tent! We bought this tent for weekend camping trips and a Mt. Rainier summit climb. It performed wonderfully in the rain last weekend. We survived a downpour with no problems and it was super simple to set up! It's also very lightweight and compact, which makes it great for hiking and backpacking.

We were a bit concerned with the size (we are using it as a 2-person tent) due to my boyfriend's height (6'3"). But he had plenty of room and we couldn't understand the reviews saying it was not a good choice for tall folks.

We will definitely be using this for a long time to come!

Comments about REI Quarter Dome T3 Tent:

To previous reviews -

The fly grommets attach to the pole ends in the same way and locations as the tent body. They can be staked separately, but there's no obvious reason to do so.

You'll have trouble erecting the tent indoors or another confined spots, as the overall pole system is ~15' long. They should be completely fit together in a single line, then rotate the orange poles into place to align with the color-coded attachment points on the tent body. "Stretching out" the poles in line also makes them easy to break down, as the individual section break points are then aligned.

To secure the vestibule door, role up the non-staked side and use the grommet (outside) and interior nylon webbing loop.

Review.

If you're much over 6' tall, and use a long sleeping bag, you'll at least touch both ends of the tent. If you need longer at similar space and weight, try a Big Agnes.

Three people do fit with virtually no extra space.
For two people with gear in 3 season use, the T3 is superb.

Done once, the pitch is very intuitive. The poles, tent body, and fly attachment points are color-coded. It's also very easy/quick for one person. It's even easy to fold. You can erect the fly onto the pole structure, then install the tent underneath. It's a useful trick in the rain.

The pole system design is unique. The overall structure is very wind resistant. Unlike others with semi-full "spreader" poles, tension is distributed fairly evenly across the roof. The ceiling is high, and there's a lot of interior volume given the floor area.

Each vestibule is large enough to hold two large packs or several sets of boots. Ventilation / condensation is a non-issue in my experience. There are two large adjustable vents on the fly. The floor tub seems tall enough that dirt and sand accumulation aren't an issue.

The supplied round pin stakes should be switched out for something lighter with better grip on loose surfaces.

This tent deserves serious credit. It's lighter, less expensive, easier to setup, and has a better overall design than anything out there with the exception of the Mega-buck Big-A. Great product.

Comments about REI Quarter Dome T3 Tent:

Ok. Husband and I went on this trip to Lake Erie to camp and bass fish. First night there we had a major storm with lots of rain, lightening, 50+mph gusts. This thing was folding in half while we were in it and I really expected to find tears, bent poles, etc. We didn't stake it down, but did anchor it to trees with cheap paracord. Next morning, still very gusty, wet, cold...inspected tent. Looked brand new. Not a thing wrong with it. No damage whatsoever. I couldn't believe it. Few days later, another storm. Poured! But we were bone dry. What a beautiful thing!! Best 5 days, 4 nights I have ever spent in a tent!! If I could take this thing to Everest, I would!! This is the best tent I have ever owned - ever!! It will be the best money you ever spent. It was the best money I have ever spent. Wish I could say the same about my college degree...