REI Cirque ASL 2 Tent

Comments about REI Cirque ASL 2 Tent:

It has 2 large doors, one on each side. Half of each door is mesh window, with cover zipped from either end. I go to the great outdoors to SEE the great outdoors, so I like to see out of my tent. You really get to know a place when you sleep there and see it. While lying down (as I usually do when preparing to sleep, which I try to do every day. What decadence!) you look out to the SIDE, either side in this tent. The doors and windows on the sides mean you can go to sleep watching the sunset, or keeping watch on and photographing the interesting attempts local wildlife make on your bear cannister, or checking what is making that rustling sound in the leaves, all while cuddling inside the sleeping bag. Although the bottoms of the mesh windows are a little high for this, (if the bugs are low, you can unzip the the doors instead) a good, medium-thick air mattress and pillow gets you high enougn to see the ground or horizon.

Or just lie on your back and look up at the stars, from inside the tent!

With all that, it is quite quick and easy to close up for privacy when needed.

With the rain fly on in a straight down rain or pitched so the view is on the lee side of a predictable wind, it is possible to open it enough to still get the view and stay dry too. If the wind direction changes, just close one side and open the other. The very top of the arc can still be left open on both sides to ventilate and view in all but the highest windy rain. For an even wider view with the rainfly, on the leeward side open the rainfly zipper and stake it down near the corner of the tent at your foot end. If the rain or wind gets bad, you can easily move the stake to center, from inside.

The cross-ventilation system is superb, even with the rain fly, even in heavy rain.

The zippers, including on the rainfly, are all arranged in the same arc that is convenient to reach with one sweep of the arm, with the rest of you still in your nice, cozy bag. Where needed, zippers have sliders from both ends, and can also be operated from either side. And they do indeed work effortlessly due to the tension.

It really can be pitched with the rainfly on, so that when raining it is possible to pitch it without getting the inner tent wet. However, it is a little more difficult to push the poles in when the fly is on.

I have never before used bungee-corded poles. These are great. You can actually throw a bundle up in the air with a hefty twirl, and down comes an almost fully assembled pole!

Only 4 tent stakes are necessary (6 are included) when using the rainfly, one for each side and one for each end. They hold everything else down tautly. So far the simple aluminum wire hook stakes provided have been sufficient for me, but in hard ground they may deform if hammered hard.

I agree with a previous writer that white cords are better seen at night. I replaced the two end ones on the rainfly with white parachute cord, which can be seen well in the dark. The colored ones, even the most "fluorescent" ones, all look black at night. And the "reflective" specks are useless if using your eyes' night vision.

The 2 vestibules look small from the outside, but they are plenty roomy from the inside. Each will hold boots, plus a full sized pack if attention is paid to keeping the hip belts folded under.

It can indeed be pitched or taken down in ten minutes or so, once you're used to it. And it is quick and easy to stuff into the pack, which is recommended instead of folding it.

I have used this tent solo this year on almost a dozen test overnighters in high winds and rain, cold and hot. I plan to keep on using it for years and years.

May God bless you.

Comments about REI Cirque ASL 2 Tent:

Camped on 6 feet of snow and rained all night. Stayed completely dry. Solid tent. Vestibules could be larger.

Comments about REI Cirque ASL 2 Tent:

I've been searching for quite sometime for a great backpacking tent that was spacious for me, light, durable and liviable through the 9/10 range of conditions that i come across. Being in the Pacific NW, I need a tent that can enable me to get out in fall and even winter. So i needed a true 4 season, but single walled. I finally settled on the Cirque vs the Arete. I was also looking at tents like Bibler, MH Spire, MSR Fury (2x walled).

I chose the Cirque over the Arete because of a little weight diff and the dual entries and vestibules, and thus the seemingly better airflow.

I did set up on before any trips, which you should do. One knock against this tent is the poles take some wooing to get all the way thru, could be me though so it doesn't warrant me taking off a star. Once in, thought tent is solid. Ingenious system to hold down fly and footprint. Says it comes with 8 stakes, but only got 6, which is fine as the extra 2 would only serve as extra guy points. Btw, this tent has tons of extra guy points.

Ventilation system is superb in the day. At night when temp drops, just seal it up. I spent a very wet night in Trapper Creek Wilderness, WA and the tent was bone dry DESPITE several wet articles of clothing in the tent with me.

I spent another cold night on Mt. Adams, about 6000ft with decent winds. Tent was toasty and did not budge. I bet this tent is great in high winds simply because there's really not much by was of squared edges. With the fly, it takes on a pretty round shape.

Interior pockets and gear loft are a nice touch. Tent is SUPER easy to roll up and store. I leave the fly attached for a "fast pitch" option. Seems ok, but like I said poles seem kind of tough to get past the high mid-point/crossing point. There is no fly/footprint only option as pole sleeves are on the tent. However, the fly and footprint could be set up if you have some utility cord.

Only other thing is that the doors don't open all the way. The picture shows the top of the tent door as far as it will go (bottom zips open, obviously). This cuts down on weight tho (less zipper), makes for less heat loss (cold weather tent). I'm short (5'7) so I don't have issues getting in and out.

I am SO happy with this tent and really need nothing else. If I'm camping in a desert in summer or hiking Everest, then I suppose I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!

Comments about REI Cirque ASL 2 Tent:

This tent survived 14 consecutive days backpacking in Patagonia during February 2010. I bought it on the strong recommendation of REI sales staff, and their description was right on.

Pros:
Stood up to rain, extreme wind, and some snow. The description "light four season" is accurate. Careful campsite selection is always important, but this tent didn't blow around even when we were in exposed areas in bad weather.

Setup and take-down were easy. Strongly recommend the footprint or an equivalent tarp.

Cons:
Two adults, with full gear (trekking packs, cold weather clothing, 14 days food, climbing accessories) FIT inside, but it was tight. The small rainfly overhangs on each side were just large enough to cover a 72-litre pack, but not large enough to cover a 90-litre pack with boots next to it. We had to improvise another way to keep the packs dry overnight. If we were in a warmer climate (and required less bulky clothing, or no climbing gear) it wouldn't have been so tight.

If there was a way for this tent to have a proper vestibule, it would solve the problem immediately.

Condensation was a significant problem, but keeping wet gear inside a tent when it's cold outside always brings some of that...

Overall, a great value. It served well on our trek last year, but we will be investing in a larger tent before our next 7+ day outing.

Comments about REI Cirque ASL 2 Tent:

I've owned this this tent for a full 4 seasons and camped them all. I prefer cold weather camping over the other 3 seasons. For spring through fall, this tent sets up quick. Winter is a bit difficult. I am 6 ft at 178lbs. and consider myself fairly strong. When the temps drop below 25-20 deg F. the material wont budge. And I mean sweating at 20f. trying to get the 2 poles into the eye-loops. All in all it is a great tent...no leaks, no breaks. Ive camped out for 3-6 nights with this tent when the high was 15f.

Comments about REI Cirque ASL 2 Tent:

I wanted to wait to write a review until I had plenty of time with this tent to check it out. I'm well into my third season and can honestly say that I doubt if you can find a better product for this kind of money, or at this kind of weight. Set it up a time, or two at home and you'll get the hang of it. After that it's a snap! I have never had any condensation in the tent and condensation under the fly is very minimal and can usually be addressed by using the vents. It could be a little tight for two people, but for solo with a large dog, it's perfect. The vestibules are ample for solo storage and cooking in nasty weather. The top zips open for great star gazing in good weather, and it buttons up good and tight in cold weather. My dog has never damaged the floor with her claws and we are hard on our equipment. After over two complete winter seasons of camping, we are well into our
third winter and the only wear to be seen is some slight fraying in stress spots around the zippers, but even that is minimal and doesn't appear to be serious. Bottom line: short of Antartica, or dead winter in Alaska, and a good 3 to 5 lbs. lighter than most of the alternative products, this tent performs as advertised and I couldn't be more satisfied. I am looking forward to many more winters of warm, dry, and comfortable camping with this great value from REI. Great 4 season option

Comments about REI Cirque ASL 2 Tent:

We just returned from trekking the Torres del Paine circuit in Chile. It's a demanding climate with lots of potential wind and rain, so we needed the right tent at the right weight. After trying several tents, reading endless reviews and blogs, we purchased the Cirque ASL 2. Excellent choice! Plenty of room inside (a tall person might find it a bit short), vestibules had ample space to pack in the rain and keep stuff dry, the fast set-up with the "attached fly" was amazing and very efficient. We stayed dry, our gear stayed dry and the wind barely even phased this tent. Perfect for backpacking in those conditions.

Comments about REI Cirque ASL 2 Tent:

I am a solo backpacker and this tent is my choice for cold weather camping. I have owned it for 4 seasons and have used this tent in every imaginable type of weather with the exception of total artic. When properly staked out it is up to any challenge you might encounter. It is large enough for me, my dog, and all our equipment. The vestibules are a little tight but with two of them, I have more than adequate space. I would think it to be a little tight for two people, but with a 60 lb. Lab, it is just right for us. Condensation is a non-issue due to the innovative vent design. The entire tent is a work of genius! Hard wind just creates lift that makes the tent more stable. I like the idea that the harder the wind blows, the more stable the tent becomes.

I inherited a small amount of money last year and splurged on a Black Diamond I-Tent, but I much prefer this REI at less than half the money. I fear that I wasted the money on another tent, but at least I have a very expensive back up to this fabulous piece of gear. Maybe one day I'll climb Mt. Everest, but until then, I always pack this tent. Thanks REI!

Comments about REI Cirque ASL 2 Tent:

Survived many nights in the Sierra / Mendocino wilderness areas and a week in the Black Rock Desert. It's easy to set up, packs small, is surprisingly roomy, and has room for gear in the vestibules. I've been in windy / cold / hot / sandy conditions, but not torrential downpours or blizzards. It makes my friends jealous and I'm going to buy a footprint for it this afternoon. Sweet.

Comments about REI Cirque ASL 2 Tent:

Bought this to replace my broke down-beat up quarter dome (old style with not so much netting). Loved the quater dome, and I'd be hard pressed for anyone to show me a better tent for 3+ season, light weight, small, free standing and price...all things I was hoping for in this tent. Got most of them.

It's a hard thing to find, and I do like this tent, but it seems a little heavy to me (as compared to the quarter dome). I will love the zip up doors for when I get caught in a snow storm on a glacier in July, for which I moved away from the quarter dome, and have come to accept the extra weight. It seems a little big to me as well...which is not a complaint, but might pose a problem on some ledges. Overall, I think it is going to work well for me on late season/ winter trips and I'm really leaning towards taking it to Denali...I think...