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The North Face Minibus 33 Tent
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The North Face Minibus 33 Tent

Item # 779041

$429.00

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

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The only creature comforts missing from The North Face Minibus are the wheels and a sink! Otherwise, this lightweight tent for 3 has great interior space and thoughtful livability features.

  • This stable 3-season shelter features 2 doors, 2 vestibules and a comprehensive color-coded design that speeds setup
  • Several technically dialed elements improve the simplicity of pitching and help the tent remain taut and adjustable during use
  • Ball Cap clips solve brow-pole complexity problems and join the canopy and fly in 1 easy click
  • DAC Jake's Feet at tent floor corners keep the canopy taut and the structure sound, regardless of weather
  • H-Clips at pole crossings concentrate fabric tension at the strongest points in the tent's architecture and reduce weight; they lessen complexity, simplifying setup
  • C-Clips create significantly greater interior volume while maintaining a campsite-friendly footprint size
  • Twist-clips make pitching and disassembly easy and fast, and save weight
  • Color-coded DAC Featherlite® NSL poles and webbing clips match up for easy pitching; these poles use an anodization process that lessens environmental impact
  • Superlight siliconized nylon rainfly material is rugged and weatherproof; fully taped bathtub floor
  • 2 large vestibules match up with 2 large D-shaped doors; clever stash pockets in the vestibules can be accessed from inside or outside the tent
  • Large clear end window allows weather watching
  • High-low ventilation design harnesses convection and crossflow to help expel moisture vapor and prevent interior condensation
  • Convenient overhead pockets stow headlamps and fragile items; also features abundant gear loops; fits The North Face Gear Loft #2, sold separately
  • Reflective guyline loops, guylines and glow-in-the-dark zipper pulls make life easier at night
  • Includes compression stuff sack, stakes and guyline
  • 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 779041

The North Face Minibus 33 Tent Specs

Specification

Description

Season3-season
Design typeFree-standing tent
Sleeping capacity3
Fly / footprint pitch weightNot applicable
Average minimum weight6 lbs. 12 oz.
Average packaged weight7 lbs. 5 oz.
Average weight - metric3.3 kilograms
Floor dimensions92.5 x 65 inches
Floor dimensions - metric235 x 165 centimeters
Floor area42 square feet
Vestibule area14 + 14 square feet
Peak height48.5 inches
Peak height - metric123 centimeters
Doors2
Canopy fabricRipstop nylon
Floor fabricCoated nylon taffeta
Rainfly fabricCoated nylon
Number of poles4
Pole materialAluminum DAC Featherlite NSL
Pole diameter9.0 millimeters
Packed size7 x 24 inches

The North Face Minibus 33 Tent Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews
The North Face Minibus 33 Tent
 
4.7

(based on 3 reviews)

100%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

  • Comfortable (3)
  • Easy to set up (3)
  • Fly works well (3)
  • Sturdy (3)
  • Waterproof (3)

Cons

    Best Uses

    • Car camping (3)
    • What Is Your Gear Style:
    • Comfort driven (3)

    Reviewed by 3 customers

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    May

    27

    2009

    (5 of 5 customers found this review helpful)

     
    5.0

    Best Tent I've EVER owned

    By The General

    from San Diego

    About Me Casual Adventurer

    Site Member

    Pros

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

    Cons

      Best Uses

      • Car Camping
      • Hiking

      Comments about The North Face Minibus 33 Tent:

      This is by far the easiest tent I have ever assembled...it can easily be assembled by one person. It is roomy and more-than-comfortable for 2 people to sleep in. It's tall enough to sit up inside comfortably. The dual-entry doors make it very easy to get in and out. The dual vestibules give each person a small space to place their shoes or a bag.
      And, it looks like an actual Volkswagon bus when assembled!

      • Gift:
      • No
      • What Is Your Gear Style:
      • Comfort Driven

      Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

      Images shared by The General

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      Tags: Using Product

      (5 of 5 customers found this review helpful)

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      May

      22

      2009

      (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

       
      4.0

      Roomy and lightweight

      By Smorg

      from Saint Paul, MN

      About Me Outdoor Professional

      Pros

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

      Cons

        Best Uses

        • Backpacking
        • Beach
        • Car Camping
        • Hiking
        • Mountaineering
        • Sasquatch hunts

        Comments about The North Face Minibus 33 Tent:

        I'm generally a comfort driven car camper and this is my first foray into backpacking equipment. While not as big as a base camp tent (captain obvious), it has a respectable amount of room and features. The dual 14 sq. foot vestibules are impressive, and the volume of the tent is nice. I'm 6'4" and I had ample room to stretch out on the floor with room to spare. I would not call this a 3-person tent however. Two people would be comfortable, three would be a definite crowd. Construction is nice, weight is light and little features make it a great buy. Setup is super easy. The instructions included say you can use 'fly only' pitching, but there are no holes in the footprint to support the poles. Probably a misprint.

        • Gift:
        • No
        • What Is Your Gear Style:
        • Comfort Driven

        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:

        Jul

        16

        2009

        (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

         
        5.0

        Great Tent!

        By Gila Packer

        from New Mexico

        About Me Avid Adventurer

        Site Member

        Pros

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

        Cons

        • Heavy

        Best Uses

        • Backpacking
        • Beach
        • Car Camping

        Comments about The North Face Minibus 33 Tent:

        I bought the Minibus 33 specifically for Ride the Rockies, a 6 day supported bicycle tour through Colorado last June. To be clear, I did not carry it on my bicycle, trucks carry all the riders' gear. So weight was not a critical factor in my decision to buy the tent, it was all about quality, comfort and ease of assembly.

        I literally took the Minibus out of the plastic shipping bag for the first time and set it up the first night of this trip. Working alone I had it up in less than 15 minutes without once looking at the instructions. I put it up and took it down every afternoon and morning for the next 6 days and it only got easier each time. I don't claim to have any special ability, the Minibus 33 is just very easy and intuitive to pitch. We encountered all kinds of weather from sub-freezing temps, high winds, and all night rain storms. I stayed warm and dry the whole time and never once worried about not being so. Overall the attention to detail, including the operation of the zippers and clips is excellent.

        Key attributes of the Minibus are, ample vestibule space (both sides are the same); full entry on both sides; near vertical walls create plenty of interior space and head room; interior stow pockets are accessable via reach holes from the exterior; and glow in the dark zipper pulls.

        If there is anything that be pointed to as a negative about this tent it would be its weight. It does tend to be a little on the porky side. But given all the room, especially headroom, I would have to say its worth it and would not hesitate to take it on backpacking trip with 2 or 3 adults, especially if I thought there was any chance of having to spend a lot of time inside.

        If you are looking for a very comfortable 2 - 3 person tent, buy this one! This is also a very good tent for car camping.

        • Gift:
        • No
        • What Is Your Gear Style:
        • Comfort Driven

        Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

        (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

        Was this review helpful? Yes / No

         - You may also flag this review

        Please let us know what kind of issue this is:

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