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The North Face Mica 12 Tent
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The North Face Mica 12 Tent

Item # 779026

$229.00

Item qualifies for annual
REI Member Refund (typically 10%)

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The Mica 12 is a solo tent that approaches the weight of a pole-supported bivy sack, but offers the comfort, utility and vestibule convenience of a tent.

  • Mesh canopy facilitates warm-weather comfort and breathability; Mica features a D-shaped door and a large vestibule
  • Brow pole and unique kickstand pole add interior volume to tent and structural support; asymmetric floor adds extra width at one end for your head and shoulders
  • Twist-clips make pitching and disassembly easy and fast, and save weight
  • DAC Jake's Feet at tent floor corners keep the canopy taut and the structure sound, regardless of weather
  • Lightweight and strong DAC Featherlite® NSL poles with press-fit connectors use an anodization process that lessens environmental impact
  • High-low ventilation design harnesses convection and crossflow to help expel moisture vapor and prevent interior condensation
  • Superlight sliiconized nylon rainfly material is rugged and weatherproof; fully taped bathtub floor prevents leaks through seams
  • Large, clear end window allows weather watching
  • Convenient overhead pockets stow headlamps and fragile items; also features abundant gear loops
  • Reflective guyline loops, guylines and glow-in-the-dark zipper pulls make life easier at night
  • Includes compression stuff sack, stakes and guyline/tighteners
  • Average minimum weight specification is based on tent, rainfly and poles only

Please note: The North Face products can only be shipped to U.S. addresses.

Imported.

Item 779026

The North Face Mica 12 Tent Specs

Specification

Description

Seasons3-season
Design typeFreestanding tent
Sleeping capacity1
Average minimum weight2 lbs. 12 oz.
Average packaged weight3 lbs. 2 oz.
Average weight - metric1.4 kilograms
Floor dimensions86 x 37.5 inches
Floor dimensions - metric218 x 95 centimeters
Floor area18 square feet
Vestibule area6 square feet
Peak height37.5 inches
Peak height - metric95 centimeters
Doors1
Canopy fabricRipstop nylon
Floor fabricCoated nylon taffeta
Rainfly fabricCoated nylon
Number of poles2
Pole materialAluminum DAC Featherlite NSL
Pole diameter9.0 millimeters
Packed size6 x 18 inches
Fast pack weightNot applicable

The North Face Mica 12 Tent Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews
The North Face Mica 12 Tent
 
3.6

(based on 7 reviews)

71%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

  • Lightweight (6)
  • Easy to set up (5)
  • Comfortable (4)

Cons

    Best Uses

    • Backpacking (5)
    • Reviewer Profile:
    • Avid adventurer (4)
    • What Is Your Gear Style:
    • Survivalist / minimalist (7)

    Reviewed by 7 customers

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    Displaying reviews 1-7

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    Mar

    27

    2009

    (5 of 7 customers found this review helpful)

     
    1.0

    Sorry, No dice

    By CascadeBob

    from Eastern Cascades, Washington

    About Me Avid Adventurer

    Pros

    • Lightweight

    Cons

    • Difficult To Setup
    • Flimsy Construction
    • Poor Fly Design
    • Too Cramped

    Best Uses

    • Backpacking

    Comments about The North Face Mica 12 Tent:

    My Mica never made it to the woods, so take this review with a grain of salt if you want. It didn't make it to the woods 'cause it failed the "living room test." I've returned it but here's the deal:

    Before I set out with new gear I check it out out at home. In this case I set up the Mica in the living room and found the following:

    a) It is not free standing. You have to peg the corners or it folds up on itself. Figure at least two more stakes for the fly.
    b) It is surprisingly bulky for it's weight. The 6" by 18" packaged size is a charitable estimation of the real bulk.
    c) WAY too many finicky, plastic snaps and swivels for me and those Jake's Feet thingies need some serious re-thinking. Metal ball-end poles repeatedly pushed into plastic receiving cups just doesn't look very durable to me.
    d) Once set up, it was flimsy, even in the living room. Hate to try it in spring gales at 7,000 feet.
    e) I'm 5' 11" and the Mica was cramped for me.
    f) The fly is clumsy to put on at the corners and doesn't snug up tight over the poles. The fly offers no more area over the door than minimal cover to get in and out of the tent (you could probably park your boots under it to keep them out of the rain at least).
    g) I'm usually not picky about non-functional items on backpacking gear, but this tent is a particularly ugly lime green and I don't need 8" high printing plastered across the fly advising the world to "never stop exploring." Come on people!
    h) I can't vouch for the weather tightness of the tent since it never went to the woods.

    If you're a minimalist geek looking for an alternative to a bivy sack, you might look at the Mica (since you CAN sit up in it to get dressed). But, if you're looking for a lightweight backpacking tent, forget it.

    • Gift:
    • No
    • What Is Your Gear Style:
    • Minimalist

    Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend

    (5 of 7 customers found this review helpful)

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    Mar

    28

    2009

    (3 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

     
    2.0

    Difficult at best

    By jimerie

    from Erie, PA

    About Me Casual Adventurer

    Site Member

    Pros

    • Lightweight
    • Waterproof

    Cons

    • Difficult To Setup
    • Poor Fly Design

    Best Uses

      Comments about The North Face Mica 12 Tent:

      Unless you can solidly stake out this tent you will have trouble with intruding walls. The pole design makes it very inappropriate for desert or slick rock use as it leaves one corner of the tent entirely untensioned. It's also fairly convoluted in it's pole design. It would be very unpleasant to have to set this up in bad weather. One of the more unpleasant desert or mountain tents I've looked at. It has possibilities if you can stake it out solidly in good weather.

      • Gift:
      • No
      • What Is Your Gear Style:
      • Minimalist

      Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend

      (3 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

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      Mar

      6

      2009

      (3 of 5 customers found this review helpful)

       
      3.0

      Good if you're under 5'11"

      By steve123

      from FL

      About Me Casual Adventurer

      Pros

      • Easy To Set Up
      • Lightweight

      Cons

      • Too Cramped

      Best Uses

        Comments about The North Face Mica 12 Tent:

        This is not for tall people at all.
        available floor space is more like 72".
        sure looks nice and sturdy when staked, just doesn't fit me.

        My girlfriend that's 5'11" got in it and fit perfectly.

        • Gift:
        • No
        • What Is Your Gear Style:
        • Minimalist

        Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

        (3 of 5 customers found this review helpful)

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        Aug

        12

        2009

        (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

         
        5.0

        Great tent.

        By jtothek

        from Austin, TX

        Site Member

        Pros

        • Comfortable
        • Easy To Set Up
        • Lightweight

        Cons

          Best Uses

          • Backpacking

          Comments about The North Face Mica 12 Tent:

          Yes, the poles are strange. But they work to give you the room where you need it--up by your head and shoulders. A great floorplan for me at 6' and 165lbs.

          You're not going to get much lighter than this unless you go for a tarp or a single-wall. The vestibule seems adequate, though I don't use it for much. The profile might be a little awkward in high winds, though I haven't experienced that first hand.

          So far, so (really) good.

          • What Is Your Gear Style:
          • Minimalist

          Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

          (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

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          Please let us know what kind of issue this is:

          Aug

          3

          2009

          (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

           
          5.0

          Fantastic Tent

          By Nick A.

          from Seattle, WA

          About Me Avid Adventurer

          Site Member

          Pros

          • Comfortable
          • Easy To Set Up
          • Fly Works Well
          • Sturdy

          Cons

            Best Uses

            • Backpacking

            Comments about The North Face Mica 12 Tent:

            I used this tent just recently for a 4 day outing. I don't know about the other reviewers, but I found this tent extremely easy to set up and break down. Each of the poles is a different color and corresponds with the snaps and the pole holders at each corner. I don't understand how this tent could be any easier to set up.

            When staked, it's extremely sturdy and I even balanced some of my weight on it when balancing on one foot to put some shoes on.

            It's a tad bit tall when packed (something like 19"), but overall it packs down pretty small. I absolutely love the fact that the entire tent is see-through mesh: it was fantastic for the hot weather camping that I did.

            It was well worth the value.

            • Gift:
            • No
            • What Is Your Gear Style:
            • Minimalist

            Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

            (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

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            Jul

            26

            2009

            (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

             
            4.0

            These reviewers are way too hard

            By Dan in Silverthorne, CO

            from Keystone, CO

            About Me Avid Adventurer

            Pros

            • Comfortable
            • Easy To Set Up
            • Lightweight

            Cons

              Best Uses

              • Backpacking
              • Hiking
              • Mountaineering

              Comments about The North Face Mica 12 Tent:

              I read the reviews on this and just jad to say something. I am 6/3 and 215. I have 4 different tents and a bivy sack and another ultralight solo and camp in crazy conditions sometimes.

              So far I have been really happy with this tent. I have only slept in it maybe 4 times, but even on the dunes of White Sands it was light and easy to setup. I think it has the same basic foundation as a Hubba and the guys who mentioned that they did not think it is freestanding are crazy. I am sure if it is out in strong winds and not staked it will have problems just like all the other freestanding solos. I am 6'3 215 lbs. and I fit in there absolutely fine. I had a small pack with me a few times and there is so much headroom when laying down that I went ahead and kept the pack inside instead of leaving it covered in the vestibule. I was worried about the headroom when sitting up and thought I might have to go up to the Hubba or Hubba HP because they do have larger headroom when sitting up, but this one is just fine for me and I can change clothes pretty easy in there while it is closed. I have no complaints yet, but I have not been caught out in a storm yet either and that is the only reason I can give it a stronger review. It has been good enough that I am taking it on the Colorado Trail next week and I will try to post results after that. If I ever do a solo car camp somewhere and I have a choice between this or an easy 2 man tent and they are both in the car, this is absolutely fine. I am a big guy and so far and am glad I did not go with the Hubba or Hubba HP, but again I have not been out in a serious storm in it yet.

              • Gift:
              • No
              • What Is Your Gear Style:
              • Minimalist

              Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

              (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

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               - You may also flag this review

              Please let us know what kind of issue this is:

              Jun

              7

              2009

              (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

               
              5.0

              Great 1 man Shelter

              By Klettern

              from Salt Lake City, UT

              About Me Avid Adventurer

              Site Member

              Pros

              • Comfortable
              • Easy To Set Up
              • Fly Works Well
              • Lightweight
              • Sturdy
              • Waterproof

              Cons

                Best Uses

                • Backpacking
                • Hiking

                Comments about The North Face Mica 12 Tent:

                This tent is an amazing value. Easy to set up, very comfortable and very sturdy. Although not intended for the taller person (6'1" and up). For the money I think it would be very hard to find a lighter, better solo tent. On a recent trip to Escalante Utah I had zero condensation problems and really appreciated the light weight design. This tent does need to be staked out so plan on finding semi-soft ground when setting up. Highly recommended.

                • Gift:
                • Yes
                • What Is Your Gear Style:
                • Minimalist

                Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

                (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

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                Please let us know what kind of issue this is:

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