How to Choose a Backpacking Tent
Big Agnes Salt Creek SL3 Tent
$399.95
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Ideal for backpacking and car camping, the 3-door Big Agnes Salt Creek SL3 tent has 2 side doors and vestibules plus a head-entry door with awning that transforms into a stargazing vantage point.
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- Front entry drop-down door with awning-style vestibule creates extra venting on hot summer nights, an additional exit route and extra storage space for pets and gear
- 2 side doors are covered by vestibules with storm flaps to ensure dry entry and storage
- Dual-zipper doors close smoothly and allow easy entry; you can use just one zipper for quick reach-through access
- Quick Stash door keepers on the tent body make stowing unzipped doors quick and easy
- Fly vent increases airflow and reduces condensation; low vents on the vestibule doors add airflow while still providing coverage
- Breathable ripstop polyester and mesh tent fabric offer durable tear strength
- 4-way DAC Pressfit hub creates vertical walls that maximize space for your head and shoulders
- 3D bin pocket in the foot provides off-the-floor storage; ceiling pocket and 2 mesh pockets add storage space; 2 media pockets provide clean earbud cord routing
- Multiple interior loops for attaching accessories, mtnGLO® tent and camp lights or a Large Trapezoid, Trapezoid, Square or Triangle gear loft (not included)
- Precut guylines and tensioners are attached to the fly; reflective guylines and webbing on tent corners make them easy to see at night
- Comes with 8 lightweight aluminum hook stakes and 2 awning guylines
- To extend the life of your tent floor, Big Agnes recommends using a matching footprint (not included); Fast Fly setup available with footprint
Imported.
View all Big Agnes Backpacking Tents| Best Use | Backpacking |
|---|---|
| Seasons | 3-season |
| Sleeping Capacity | 3-person |
| Minimum Trail Weight | 4 lbs. 11 oz. |
| Fly / Footprint Pitch Weight | 3 lbs. 11 oz. |
| Packaged Weight | 5 lbs. 2 oz. |
| Packed Size | 7 x 21.5 inches |
| Floor Dimensions | 86 x 70 inches |
| Floor Area | 42 square feet |
| Vestibule Area | 9 + 9 square feet |
| Peak Height | 47 inches |
| Number of Doors | 3 doors |
| Number of Poles | 2 |
| Pole Material | DAC Pressfit |
| Pole Diameter | 9 millimeters |
| Canopy Fabric | Polyester/mesh |
| Floor Fabric | Ripstop polyester |
| Rainfly Fabric | Ripstop polyester |
| Footprint Included | No |
| Ultralight | Yes |
| Design Type | Freestanding |
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Most Helpful Favorable Review
3 Person Tent I've been Yearning For!
hbldenali5 years ago
Just received the tent. Set it up on the grass in front of my house. First time set up took me about 15 minutes by myself without reading the instructions. When I was researching the tent I thought it would be more difficult to set up. But super easy, and of the 6 tents I currently own (yes, I'm a gear hound) This by far has the easiest rainfly set up. I love the awning, as well as the thoughtful layout such as the giant pocket inside the tent. There's also a long pocket on the outside of the tent above the largest door.
Being a lightweight tent it has lightweight material. The rainfly seems pretty solid as does the body of the tent. That being said I've never used a footprint before BUT will be using one for this tent. If you plan on bringing dogs I suggest making sure their nails are short!
My only concerns- The plastic "flicklock" (I'm not sure what they're called) and the plastic "ball joint" will need to be babied and don't look like they are field repairable. Who wants to have to send the tent in for repairs if they can fix it themselves? If these could be repaired in the field I'd give it 5 stars for sure!
Other than these 2 issues I can't wait to get this out on the trail soon!
hbldenali
Colorado Springs
30 people found this review helpful
Most Helpful Critical Review
Dye ran through fly
Backpacker Seattle3 years ago
A bit disappointed the the orange color on the fly tan through the rest of the grey part of the fly. Looks really bad and I’m not sure if the color bleeding through ruined the fly. Also, the tent stakes are really really cheap. Wouldn’t use them at all.
Backpacker Seattle
7 people found this review helpful
Customer Images
hbldenali
Colorado Springs
3 Person Tent I've been Yearning For!
5 years ago
Just received the tent. Set it up on the grass in front of my house. First time set up took me about 15 minutes by myself without reading the instructions. When I was researching the tent I thought it would be more difficult to set up. But super easy, and of the 6 tents I currently own (yes, I'm a gear hound) This by far has the easiest rainfly set up. I love the awning, as well as the thoughtful layout such as the giant pocket inside the tent. There's also a long pocket on the outside of the tent above the largest door. Being a lightweight tent it has lightweight material. The rainfly seems pretty solid as does the body of the tent. That being said I've never used a footprint before BUT will be using one for this tent. If you plan on bringing dogs I suggest making sure their nails are short! My only concerns- The plastic "flicklock" (I'm not sure what they're called) and the plastic "ball joint" will need to be babied and don't look like they are field repairable. Who wants to have to send the tent in for repairs if they can fix it themselves? If these could be repaired in the field I'd give it 5 stars for sure! Other than these 2 issues I can't wait to get this out on the trail soon!
Yes , I recommend this product
Luvselle
Virginia
Good tent but it wasn't perfect.
2 years ago
Purchased this tent for light backpacking and car camping. First tent purchased the orange dye had bled through on gray sections and it honestly looked terrible. Contacted Big Agnes directly as REI was out of stock to replace it. They paid return shipping and offered credit on their website for a different model or I could have them ship a replacement. I chose the replacement because I liked the features on this tent. The second tent also had the same dye bleed issue but was less noticable than the first and I could live with it. Big Agnes assured me that it was only a cosmetic issue and would not affect performance..I had a trip planned and didn't have time to deal with returning a second tent and finding another so we decided to give it a go. I've had this tent for almost a year now and I really do like it. The stuff sack is worthless and ripped on the first trip like others experienced. The tent has held up well but we do use a footprint. Setup is easy solo. Held up well in torrential storms..just make sure your guylines are set well. I love the large door. It makes setting up sleeping pads and bags super easy. I do like this tent and would recommend it with the caveat being..the dye issue seems to be a very common one and it seems unfair to pay full price for a cosmetically defective product.
Age:35–44
Height:5'9"
Andy Wood
St. Louis, MO
Rocky Mountain Fine
2 years ago
I bought this tent for me and a friend to spend 8 nights car camping and backpacking in Rocky Mountain National Park in mid Sept. During the car camping segment the weather was hot and clear. The big door was perfect for air flow, and views. The moon was full then. For backpacking the tent was light enough when split between the two of us. The weather turned cold and wet. We stayed dry, our stuff stayed dry. The tent got plenty muddy. The tent s a nice size for two stuck inside and quite versatile. I dried it out when I got home. It shows no wear at all. I noticed the price went up $50.00 right after I bought it. Definitely worth the money.
Height:5'10"
Age:65–74
Weight:150–175 lbs.
Yes , I recommend this product
NataVo
Brooklyn,NY
Great backpacking tent!
5 years ago
We bought this tent as backpacking/ car camping for 2 people with the dog. We already had Marmot limelight 3 tent and thought it will be more of the same. When we got the tent we fell in love. Definitely keeping it! Lightweight, easy to set up even in the dark. 3 doors and a lot of mesh. Easy to reach stuff you keep in the 2 side vestibules. And ventilation is excellent. 3 doors and vent on the top or the tent. Our first camping experience was awesome. Tent has 2 corner mesh pockets and one huge mesh loft at the head of the tent. I wish it was on the pictures. It’s awesome and you can fit a lot of stuff in it! Definitely recommend this tent! You will not be disappointed.
Age:35–44
Weight:Less than 100 lbs.
Height:5'6"
Yes , I recommend this product
Jesse
Mclean, VA
Flexible, Spacious, and Lightweight
5 years ago
I really like this tent. Lightweight, extremely spacious inside, and loads of storage with bin pocket. Camped about 25ft from a run and there was enough ventilation which prevented any humidity from building up inside the tent. Setup is really easy, even with one person. Rained overnight and in the morning, water drained very well with guylines keeping rainfly taut. Dried very quickly in the sun. Only complaints, poles are a bit annoying to pack compactly and stuff sacks aren't very rugged.
Yes , I recommend this product
kaibean
palmdale
portable hotel
1 year ago
I wanted to retire an old bent tent I had and instantly fell in love with Big Agnes. First off, love the color and it packs small! and who doesn’t love an easy tent setup?? I recently took it to Sequoia to test it out, and my gosh the third door was something I never knew I needed. I could just lay and stare out to gorgeous views!! but also the extra door was so handy at setting up our sleeping gear and getting in and out of the tent throughout the day. Glad I went with the 3p, for two humans and a dog :-) another thing I like is the gear loft and all the pockets inside!
Height:5'1"
Yes , I recommend this product
Atlas
New Mexico
One of my favorite tents I've ever had
3 years ago
I've had this tent for about a year and a half and have used it for ~50 nights. I primarily use it with me and my girlfriend, and have used it in all types of weather from windy dust storms to 3+ inches of snow overnight. To start with the things I like, the third door is the most obvious and the most unique feature. I don't typically use the door for getting in and out of the tent, but it makes the process of setting up and taking down camp much easier. We open up the third door and use that to load pads, sleeping bags, backpacks, etc into the tent. It's much easier this way than it is to crouch under the vestibule to load things in. The setup is also very easy, especially with two people. We've never had any issues. It takes maybe 5 minutes. One of my other favorite features is what I call the shelf. It's basically a big mesh pocket at the foot of the tent, maybe 1 foot off the bottom and maybe 1.5-2 feet deep. It is supported in the middle by a piece of cord that extends to a loop on the tent ceiling. It forms more of a shelf than a pocket, and extends the full width of the foot of the tent. We use this shelf extensively. It is a great place to put clothes and jackets overnight. It is also where the tent and sleeping bag stuff sacks live when at camp, so they are out of the way. It is especially nice in the winter when we have more clothes and layers. There are a few things that I don't like about the tent. It's pretty heavy, so probably not a great choice for big backpacking trips. Also, the tent stuff sack is way too small and fragile, and I ripped it beyond repair trying to get the tent in it, so I ordered a different more durable one. Also, there is a single vent near the top of the tent that is supported by a little stick. It provides decent ventilation, but when the tent gets wet, the material sags a little and the stick presses the fly into contact with the tent mesh. Sometimes, particularly after really cold nights, the condensations will collect at this point and then drip into the tent when the sun hits the fly and melts the frost. Overall, I give the tent 4.5 stars, and it has been a fantastic tent for car camping and some light backpacking with 2 people. It has some innovative features that I'd like to see on more tents, particularly the inner shelf.
Height:6'3"
Yes , I recommend this product
HBLDENALI
Colorado Springs
3 Person Tent I’ve been Yearning for!! LOL
5 years ago
My first BA tent. (I have a sleeping pad to) Just received the tent. Set it up on the grass in front of my house. First time set up, took me about 15 minutes by myself without reading the instructions. When I was researching the tent I thought it would be more difficult to set up. But super easy, and of the 6 tents I currently own (yes, I'm a gear hound) This by far has the easiest, best fitting rainfly. I love the awning, as well as the thoughtful layout, such as the giant pocket inside the tent. There's also a long pocket on the outside of the tent above the largest door. Being a lightweight tent it has lightweight material. The rainfly seems pretty solid as does the body of the tent. That being said I've never used a footprint before BUT will be using one for this tent. If you plan on bringing dogs I suggest making sure their nails are short! My only concerns- The plastic "flicklock" (I'm not sure what they're called) and the plastic "ball joint" will need to be babied and don't look like they are field repairable. Who wants to have to send the tent in for repairs if they can fix it themselves? Being a former US Marine I need my gear "Marine Proof! LOLOL!!! If these could be repaired in the field I'd give it 5 stars for sure! Other than these 2 issues I can't wait to get this out on the trail soon. Solid!
Yes , I recommend this product
Lolnope
Poor quality & customer service
2 years ago
The first night I got this I set it up in my living room to test it out which went fine but when I tried to put the tent back into the bag it came with the Stuff sack ripped open making it completely unusable. I wrote to big Agnes and they told me they don’t have any in stock and then I could buy some thing from another retailer-after I already spent $350 on a brand new tent. I’ll be returning it to REI, thank goodness, I will be purchasing a brand that actually honors their warranty and stands behind their products Instead of waiting for the tent itself to also rip open.
No, I do not recommend this product
nothing is perfect
Joshua tree, CA
great tent, terrible tent stakes
1 year ago
My only complaint is the tent stakes that come with the tent, they are heavy and basic. They should really just give you the nice ones or at least give you the option to upgrade.
Yes , I recommend this product
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