How to Choose a Backpacking Tent

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Part of the award-winning mtnGLO® series, the 3-person, 3-season Big Agnes Manzanares HV SL 3 mtnGLO tent has steep walls for increased structure strength and livable space without extra weight.
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View all Big Agnes Backpacking TentsBest Use | Backpacking |
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Seasons | 3-season |
Sleeping Capacity | 3-person |
Minimum Trail Weight | 4 lbs. 7 oz. |
Fly / Footprint Pitch Weight | 3 lbs. 5 oz. |
Packaged Weight | 5 pounds |
Packed Size | 6 x 21 inches |
Floor Dimensions | 90 x 70/62 (L x W head/foot) inches |
Floor Area | 41 square feet |
Vestibule Area | 9 + 9 square feet |
Peak Height | 43 inches |
Number of Doors | 2 doors |
Number of Poles | 2 |
Pole Material | DAC Pressfit aluminum |
Pole Diameter | 8.7 millimeters |
Canopy Fabric | Breathable ripstop nylon/polyester mesh |
Floor Fabric | Polyester taffeta |
Rainfly Fabric | Ripstop nylon |
Footprint Included | No |
Design Type | Freestanding |
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I bought this tent on sale during the REI 20% off Outlet item sale. For the price it is awesome, could have spent twice the money and saved a pound. We Have Had It Out 3 times and I've been very happy with it. The vestibules on either side offers enough space for packs and the inside is spacious enough for my wife, myself and our dog. I agree with the other review that color code of zippers would be nice but for me I don't mind the two different zippers on the door. No problems with water pooling on the fly with the rain but I make sure to stake it out appropriately. There are little hooks to pull the fly with to get it on to the cross pole support and a vent that opens in the rain fly for ventilation. I thought the LED glow system would be gimmicky but it's actually helpful and removable if you are concerned about weight. All in all we are very pleased with our new tent!
Really liked the overall experience of the tent except our zippers snagged on the second night and finally broke after the third night. Will have to return. Not sure if other Big Agnes tents have this issue or not or just this super light version.
Three nights car camping including heavy rain and dew and so far this tent seems excellent. Plenty of room for two adults. It even fits a queen size air mattress. Good headroom for how small it packs. We'll take it backpacking soon and I'm sure it will be great. Nearly 2 feet wider at the head than the Marmot Tungsten or Big Agnes Tumble 2 (previous tents) but no more bulky or heavy. Light is nice. Quality tent.
Haven't gotten the chance to use the tent outside, but here's my impressions after opening it up and setting it up in the house. Pros: For 2 people, this is a huge tent (that's what I bought it for). Accurate Weight: Packaged weight was right at 5.0lbs. Lighter than some equally priced 2-person tents. mtnGLO simply clips in. Easy to remove if not needed to save a few ounces. The simple Shepard hooks were lighter weight than expected. Only a modest weight savings to replace with V stakes or MSR Mini-Ground Hogs. Easy to fold and roll for long term storage. Cons: The door consists of two sets of zippers rather than just one big "D". Ground sheet weight was NOT accurate. Advertised as 9oz, but mine was 9.7oz. The cross pole creates a high point that I fear might cause the rain fly to pool water on top of the tent. The rain fly was very difficult to stretch over the cross pole. Ventilation seems small for such a huge tent (will need to see how it performs in the field). General Notes: Zipper pulls are all the same color. Would have been nice if they were color coded to help make quick identification of which is which (especially at the door). Other reviews claim zippers snag easily. I didn't have any problems.
My wife, our dog, and I have been camping two weekends in a row and couldn’t be happier with the tent! Setup is extremely quick. We love all the interior pockets and the lights are a nice touch! Held up very well in extreme thunderstorms this weekend in northern Michigan.
We took our Big Agnes up to Desolation Wilderness for a 4-day trip. We camped near a lake and it was really windy at night. The tent did great! No zipper issues. Great number of storage pockets. Really light weight. The indoor lights provide a fair amount of lighting. I am very happy with this purchase.
What a concept! In a world of disposable goods, it's nice to see a brand that builds products that will last. On top of that, thoughtful design that is intuitive and lightweight makes this tent a piece of gear that I will never have to worry about. I love how quickly and easily I can set it up and break it down, plus it stands up to wind and rain, is spacious, good looking, and the MTN glow is just awesome. Much respect to the team at Big Agnes for continuing to be leaders amongst a sea of copy cats. 10/10
We bought this tent for our first family backpacking trip since we needed a second tent. Pros: My daughter (8) loved the lights, and honestly, so did I - it’s the perfect low light that is not too bright (like a headlamp can be), but also bright enough to read with. We ended up camping in the worst storm I’ve experienced on the Lake Superior shoreline in Porcupine mountains, and it stayed dry even with a run-off river running UNDERNEATH us for hours. Cons: the zippers are hard to use, and are impossible to use without two hands - the door and the fly, which annoyed me when we camped in our yard before our trip but was AWFUL in the rain storm. The flap of the fly got caught in the zipper almost every time, and my hair got caught in the Velcro nearly every time getting out. If not for Covid, I would have returned already.
The tent is great, we love it. However buy it somewhere else. REI was absolutely a nightmare to deal with. They forgot to process my order and it took almost a month to get the order processed. I needed the tent as soon as possible and they wouldn't cover the extra cost of express shipping that I had to cover due to their mistake. Big Agnes has fantastic products, I will just not spend my money at REI.
Lightweight,Easy set up,3 person tent for 2 peeps.