The North Face Tadpole 23 Tent

Comments about The North Face Tadpole 23 Tent:

I like things well made, simple, utilitarian, and worth the money. The North Face tadpole 23 is all of those.

In good weather you get maximum ventilation without the rainfly. No bugs. In wind and rain, you get total protection with the rainfly on, sufficient ventilation and vestibule storage (for a lightweight tent).

It is quick to pitch and taken down, making it a great choice when you arrive late to a trailhead and want to sleep in the tent to get an early start on a hike (2008 Two Pan camp - Eagle Cap Wilderness).

I own The North Face "Mountain 24"; "Cirrus"; and now the "Tadpole 23". For three seasons backpacking the Tadpole 23 is my clear favorite for all the attibutes discussed.

I have used it in excellent weather, high winds, and hard rain storms - - all with positive results.

Comments about The North Face Tadpole 23 Tent:

The tent survived an Idaho wind gust of around 30km/h well but the aftermath of it is i have poles that are now slightly curved.

During a late-afternoon to evening shower in Yellowstone I did not feel any drops of water fall on me but that may be to the benefit of my Marmot 15 degree sleeping bag. Otherwise, the tent did not leak. The next morning i saw water droplets condensed on the insides of the rain fly. Some of the condensed water did drip onto the inner mesh but the mesh absorbs the droplets to let it evaporate faster and prevent too large a drop from forming.
I had cold feet that morning. Turns out the bottom of my sleeping bag was pushing against the mesh at the back of the tent which caused the mesh to touch the fly and water to condense on the insides of my sleeping bag.

The tent is supplied with 8 stakes. This is enough for the vestibule and the 6 pole anchoring points. This number of stakes is however not enough for an additional 3 guylines(provided with the tent) needed to pull the fly away from the mesh completely at the lower 3 corners of the back of the tent. Without the guylines, the fly will touch the mesh no matter how taut the fly is. Condensation on the mesh is rife in those places.

The tent survived a sub-zero overnight temperature freeze in Yellowstone.

After a little research on TNF websites, for this latest incarnation of Tadpole 23 "BX" (yam-orange color) compared with the 'blue' version or EU version, TNF has, i) reduced the floor coating from 8000nm to 5000nm. ii) changed the rainfly from Nylon-silicon to coated-polyesther, iii) used full mesh for the canopy.
Effects of i) and ii) would mean a weaker tent. Especially for ii), that means the "BX" version is more vulnerable to UV damage. Specifically meaning that under prolong UV exposure, the coating will peel which is considered wear n tear under TNF's lifetime(of product) warranty. For iii) its nice to be able to see the milky-way when camped in the open desert ruled by mosquitoes and grazing cattle. The wind would however blow through the tent almost unhindered.

This tent is spacious for a soloist with gear or just 2 human bodies. I estimate the vestibule has just enough space for 2 large backpacks. At 5' 11"(1.81m), the tent feels like it barely fits me when i lie down in my sleeping bag. I attribute this feeling to the inward sloping walls which i must point out is systemic to all tents. In the case of the tadpole the walls have a steep inward slope. Weight wise, the tent is 5.5 lbs(2.5kg) including the foot print. When packed, the tent took up half the top-space of my 65l HS Sentinel backpack. There are lighter alternatives with better quality materials like the Mountain Hardware Spire but that would cost a lot more.

Note that TNF homepage advertises the tent being supplied with "DAC featherlite SL" poles but REI sells it with "DAC Pressfit"

Comments about The North Face Tadpole 23 Tent:

This tent is a great choice for those of you who like a light tent that is also rock solid in the weather!

I don't understand the people who say that the tent doesn't fit two people it fits me (6'2) and my girlfriend (5'7) with room to spare!

The vestibule is huge also, this thing fit a day pack and a 65 liter pack on one side with plenty of room to get in and out with no problem!

Over all I think the people who are complaining about being cramped and uncomfortable are car campers who are used to big roomy tents and that fine, but this tent isn't designed for car camping, its a backpacking tent through and through!

Comments about The North Face Tadpole 23 Tent:

I have used this tent in the Grand Canyon for years with great success. It's easy to set up, solid in high winds, has a nice vestibule and is relatively light. The single door design does require your tent mate to use caution to not step on your head when exiting with the fly on, and space inside is a little cramped. The full mesh design is great for summer camping, but during high winds dirt and sand can blow under the fly and inside the tent. A future tadpole with solid fabric higher up the sides and on the door would be a nice improvement. All in all a solid tent.

Comments about The North Face Tadpole 23 Tent:

Ive camped with this tent a couple of times and the vestibule has a lot of space. it has great easy access pockets on both sides of the tent. it is also free standing.

the only things that bothered me was that it collects condensation very easy because of no vents. also it says two man tent well its not its just a big one man tent.

but other than that it is a pretty good tent and i look foward to see how it will do a philmont

Comments about The North Face Tadpole 23 Tent:

Dont be fooled by any comments saying that this is not a two man tent or it vents poorly. This tent is great and I use it all the time. It holds well in strong winds, rain, and even sleet.

To solve the condensation issue, you have to pull the rain fly away from the tent. It is a two wall tent, so it doesn't have vents. The inner wall is almost entirely mesh. Pulling the fly out, allowing air to get in is not only the solution, but how you should be stteing the tent up in the first place.

Second off, yes, it is cozy, but 90% of lightweight tents will be. There is plenty of floorspace for two people, as long as your gear is in the vestibule.

I have taken this on a 9 day trek, and plan on going on a 14 day trek with it this summer.

Comments about The North Face Tadpole 23 Tent:

I love this tent. I've used it in extreme wind, rain and beautiful star lit nights. This tent is so sturdy it's almost bullet proof. The three pole design allows it to stand up to the worst conditions - also makes it just a bit heavy when packing for several days.

Comments about The North Face Tadpole 23 Tent:

The tent is fantastic for the money! I can set the thing up including the fly in less than 5 minutes. I'm in AZ so I very much enjoy the full mesh canopy, but the tent is toasty with the fly up on those cold nights! The poles are super light, and easy to assemble, and the snag-less design makes one person setup a breeze. Lots of pockets inside for easy storage. Fast and snag free zippers. I very much like the fact that all walls of the tent are taut when set up, and the fly and strap design allow it to be buttoned down tight for a incredibly sturdy shelter given its weight. All-in-all I love this tent!

That said, this tent is not perfect. I do have a couple VERY SMALL complaints. One is that the the fly itself is not taut without staking down the sides. This has only been a problem in extremely rocky areas where I could not get the stakes all the way in the ground. If there is nothing to tie the sides of the fly to it hangs on to the tent and causes some condensation issues. The other, which is not so much a complaint but rather a sacrifice in the name of comfort and air flow: Condensation tends to collect on the inside of the fly and when shaken drips through the mesh rather heavily. This has only really been a problem on cold, wet, and windy nights. Also, as others mentioned can be a bit cramped, the shape makes it awkward getting your gear in the tent or the vestibule. However this a worthy trade-off in my opinion, for a sturdiness and lite weight. None of these complaints should deter you from buying this if you are in need of a excellent backpacking tent.

I have gone through a LOT of tents in my day. And I did a ton of research before I settled on the Tadpole 23. There are lighter (and more expensive) tents out there, and I certainly wouldn't buy this as an expedition tent, but as a 3-season backpacking tent it doesn't get any better than this at this price point. This tent is very nearly perfect.

Comments about The North Face Tadpole 23 Tent:

I lead trips every summer backpacking and canoeing for weeks at a time. On occasion I'll use my tent mid fall, mid spring canoeing.

This tent packs down small and is very light. I've been in it in some great storms and I have always been dry during rain. The vestibule is enormous.

One small issue that I have with it is the size- I am a tiny girl but when sharing the tent with people taller than 5'9" neither of us is comfortable. It is also too short for them.

The big problem is the poles-- when I first received it a year and a half ago, the mid-pole split while I was sleeping in it. The connector tore- on a brand new tent pole. So I brought it back to REI thinking it was the one pole and they replaced the whole tent for free (I LOVE REI). After storing it properly all winter, I used it for the first time this summer and now the poles are once again broken.

I am going to return it as soon as my laundry is done for a completely new brand of tent, because frankly in the back country I can't be waiting for my poles to snap again.

I would not buy this tent for myself, and the quality of the North Face poles makes me hesistant to buy any other tent made by them.

Comments about The North Face Tadpole 23 Tent:

I have owned a North Face Tadpole for 15 years now. I still use it to this day. I am extremely happy to see that TNF is still making it, although slightly different, it is still a winner. Of my 7 tents, this is my favorite. It is a great shelter for backpacking, offering plenty of room, great ventilation, superior protection from the elements and of course, it is lightweight.