How to Choose a Backpacking Tent

Durable, dry, comfortable and easy-to-assemble, the Mountain Hardwear Trango 3 tent is designed to shelter 3 climbers (or 2 plus gear) in unrelenting alpine conditions.
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Imported.
View all Mountain Hardwear Backpacking TentsBest Use | Mountaineering |
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Seasons | 4-season |
Sleeping Capacity | 3-person |
Minimum Trail Weight | 10 lbs. 3.9 oz. |
Packaged Weight | 11 lbs. 5.1 oz. |
Packed Size | 9 x 24 inches |
Floor Dimensions | 92 x 82 inches |
Floor Area | 48 square feet |
Vestibule Area | 15 square feet |
Peak Height | 45 inches |
Number of Doors | 2 doors |
Number of Poles | 5 |
Pole Material | DAC Featherlite aluminum |
Pole Diameter | 9.6 millimeters |
Canopy Fabric | 40-denier ripstop nylon |
Floor Fabric | 70-denier nylon taffeta, rated 10,000 mm waterproof |
Rainfly Fabric | 70-denier nylon taffeta, rated 10,000 mm waterproof |
Footprint Included | No |
Design Type | Freestanding |
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It is with genuine sadness that I report the venerable Trango tent is no longer a durable lifetime tent. If you use this tent in a dusty environment the zipper pulls will fail and the warranty repair will take 5 months. I wouldn't have complained about the long turnaround if the work had actually been done - the zipper pull was clearly marked with tape... the repair acknowledgement stated that all zippers were replaced.... It doesn't make sense to pay to send the tent back again. I hope this review inspires Mtn. Hardware to care about quality again - These tent's weren't always so fragile and the warranty department wasn't so sloppy.
I use the Trango 3 for Himalayan expeditions, camping at crags here in USA, and for winter trips to backcountry ski and ice climb. I like a tent that does it all. If you're looking for one tent that can do that, go for the Trango line. Durable and built to last. My oldest Trango tent is 21 years old and still performing.
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I bought my first Trango 3.1 in the late 1990's, not sure the year but after 100's and 100's of trips it still was in excellent condition and performed perfect. It was bomb proof in snow load, wind and rain etc. There were of course improvements made on subsequent editions on this tent like the upper zipper vent, the exterior vestibule pole as opposed to the pole inside the vestibule and a few other minor design changes. So, with a few extra bucks I had this season I pulled the plug and got the 2018 edition Trango 3. I'm so stoked to get the new model. Just pumped beyond words. Heading out and up above Kings next week, Yew!! This tent I highly recommend.
I love this tent so far, its been through some PNW rainstorms and a couple nasty river trips. No snow time yet. The quality is great, the interior organization gives you more than enough pockets and cords to store and hang gear. The vestibule and outside storage area is pretty large and I had a mountain of drybags and gear stored out there. A couple gripes, I come from a Mountain 25 (North Face) and I really liked the ventilation offered by that tent. It has 2 openings at the apex and you can even open the rainfly at those points to really move air in the tent. The Trango only has one side that opens, and you're limited to under-fly ventilation. Maybe it/s better in really extreme environments, but I'd much rather carry the tiny extra weight for that one feature, esp for the price. I also wish the stuff bag had compression straps, its bulky and you have to use your own webbing to pack it nicely. Overall its excellent quality, size is great and I love it, just those griped I mentioned. If I were to do it again, I'd look closer at the 2 person North Face because of the superior ventilation and lower price.
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Has never let me down on any expedition. Great at altitude and in high winds. I use 3 person for 2 for added comfort.
I bought this for winter backpacking with my two daughters. It’s a bit heavier than I what I would normally carry, but to be fair, this tent isn’t advertised as a backpacking tent. For a three person, legitimate winter tent, I just resigned myself to the fact that I was going to have to accept the extra weight. For the first trip, we spent three nights in well below freezing temperatures with snow, ice, and wind. This tent held up great, was surprisingly easy to pitch, and kept us warm. For fun, I brought along an indoor/outdoor thermometer and found it to be anywhere from 10 to 15 degrees (Fahrenheit) warmer inside the tent. There was a bit of condensation, but that’s to be expected. Keeping the top window open helped a lot.
The new Trango 3 tent is a great all around mountaineering tent that has worked very well for me on big peaks. I'm very happy with the structural design, this tent has held up much better than other 4 season tents I've used, the tent can withstand high winds well. It's lightweight considering how strong it is, which is very important in a big storm. Also, for tall people it's got plenty of room to stretch out full, which many other 4 season tents fall short on.
Excellent mountaineering tent - used on Rainier and Denali. It is intuitive and less complicated than North Face equivalent. But, if you are used to North Face then it will take few times to get used to. But once you do, it is awesome tent - quality, water proofing, pitching in cold and blizzard condition with gloves..
Lightweight enough to take on long treks, but study enough for windy mountain passes. It packs down small enough to take up minimal space in my 105L long-distance ruck, and assembles quickly and easily even in the dark. I'm a huge fan of the simplicity and the build quality.
Best tent in its category. This thing is very strong and reliable. It anchors super well with all the different guyline attachment points and the fly performs great in extreme weather. Used on K2.