Mountain Hardwear  Trango 2 Tent

Took this tent out on two separate occasions. The first time was just to test it out where the conditions were in the teens, 20 mph gusts of wind, and some snow (less than once inch). Setting up the tent took a lot longer than expected (around 10 minutes) in those conditions but once the tent was setup it was a tank. It held up against the wind and kept us warm. The interior was cavernous compared to similar 2-person tents (41 sq ft!!). You can definitely fit 3 people if each had a 20-inch wide sleeping pad. There are plenty of pockets around the sides and on the ceiling. The second time was a little tricky since now we had to carry it in our packs. We split it up as evenly as we could but at 11 lbs (including footprint) it was pretty burly. When we arrived at our campsite we knew setting up was going to be tough. 6 inches of snow, wind-chill temps near sub-zero, 20 mph gusts made it very difficult to stake down. Just like before, once it's set up there’s no problem since it holds its ground so well. I’m really torn with this tent because it weighs so much and time-consuming to assemble but it so strong against the elements. It truly is meant for expeditions where it can survive blizzards but not ideal for winter backpacking trips where lighter/smaller packs are used. I’ll be returning this tent for something lighter and easy to setup (I’m eyeing the North Face Assault 2).

We bought this tent for a 6 week canoe trip in Nunavut Canada in 2005. The terrain is entirely tundra and the winds can be quite bad. This is the only tent I've ever had that did not leak. We were in a 36 hour rain storm with 35 mph winds and did not take on any water inside the tent. It felt solid in the wind and I think it could have handled much higher wind velocities but I'm glad we didn't test it. It has plenty of room for extended stays. Its relatively easy to put up. Its kind of heavy so I'm glad I didn't have to carry it in my pack except for portaging. Most mountaineering tents are quite heavy. Mountain hardware has excellent customer service. I had the tent out 1.5 years ago for another trip and found that the tape used to seal the seams on the rain fly had deteriorated. I sent it back for repair. Since they couldn't repair it they sent a brand new tent.

I picked this tent up for a song so I've had the freedom to really put it through the wringer. Pros: Keeps you warm. Sets up fairly easy after you get used to it. The first few times were in -20* weather and were a challenge with gloves but now it's quick and quite easy. Keeps out weather like a pro. If you tether this puppy down and cinch it properly after set up, she won't go anywhere. I really do use the tethers because I've been in 30 mph sustained winds on Lake Superior in sub zero temps. If you aim in the right direction it's golden. Pockets galore. The vestibule is big enough to cook in and might I add, to urinate in on really cold nights (Just exit on the other side in the morning). The cons: Kind of heavy to hike in with. I guess most all 4 season tents are heavy. It is usually a non-issue because I usually pull a sled behind me when winter trail camping. I have had to pack it in on rough terrain several times. If you set up your tent in really cold weather, the poles can get iced together and you won't be able to disassemble and collapse them when taking the tent down. The corner stakes are too short to push into snow pack and not strong enough to pound into frozen ground.

In short, this is the best winter/expedition tent I could find. I absolutely love it! Here are the things I LIKE about it: • The Trangos have 5 interior gear loops to hang stuff on. This is plenty. • The Trangos have excellent interior pockets for storage both on the tent sides and ceiling. • Although I have not been a past fan of “bent-pole” tents, the thee bent brow-poles on this tent seem strong and just fine. • I love the ceiling and front vestibule windows. • The tent is a great color and has a classy design. • The tent materials feel and seem solid, durable, and of quality. The overall design and many little features of the tent are well thought-out (e.g., rain fly clips and tensioners are of high quality, reinforced guy points on fly and tent body, strategic clips and zippers, etc.). • Love the two door entries, which is common and standard amongst many expedition tents. • Mountain Hardwear is known for their stellar customer service. Here were my less favorite features (in order of severity), but some of these are super picky and none of these are “fatal” to what is an otherwise wonderful expedition tent: • My biggest complaint for the Trango 2, is that the interior height/clearance is just WAY too low for anyone of large stature to use. I am 6’-2” and nearly 200 pounds. I CANNOT sit up ANYWHERE in the tent without my head poking through the ceiling. The peak interior height of the Trango 2 is listed and measured as 38”. This is incredibly unfortunate as the other dimensions of the Trango 2 are just fine for two people. I would hate to spend more than 1 night in the Trango 2 unless you are a professional horse jockey. I noticed that other reviewers had made the same observation. The thought of somehow using a gear loft in a low ceiling such as this is laughable.This issue forced me to purchase the Trango 3 which is wonderfully spacious for 2 people and has an excellent specified interior height of 45” (although I measured 48” unstaked). The Trango 3 is only about a pound or so heavier than the Trango 2, so for a nice roomy winter/expedition tent of this type, I felt that this was acceptable. • The Trango tents are indeed a little heavy, but it is all part of a durable mountain tent, and they really are not that much heavier than any other comparable tent out there. Weight seems to be the chief complaint amongst other reviewers, but unless you are comparing to a totally different product that is less “bomber”, I think it just not that big of a deal. • The dimensions of the Trango are fine, but the length is measured at the corners and the middle of the tent tends to come in a bit and be somewhat shorter, especially when not staked out. For example, the length of the Trangos is specified to be 92”. But I measure between 83” and 88” in the middle. • The teardrop doors are nice, but a little different from other tents as they roll up and tuck away at the top as opposed to the side. The doors are a little cumbersome since the mesh and nylon doors are two separate/distinct zippered systems. So you have to open both usually. • It is not uncommon to feel that a 4-person tent is only for 3 people; a 3-person tent is really only for 2 people; and so on. Although the Trangos are a little more roomy than a similarly-rated summer tent, I would argue this rule of thumb still applies. The only way to get 3 sleeping pads in the Trango 3 is by using 20” wide pads (25” or larger will only fit 2 pads…see photograph). The Trango 3 is wonderful and nice for 2 people, but I suppose you could squeeze a third in there with narrow pads as I mentioned. The Trango 2 is fine for two 25-inch pads but nothing more. • The Trango tents are not perfectly square, which is probably fine as it affords a little extra storage room on the sides. Unless using a custom-cut footprint, the sides may be left unprotected. • The clips are strong and durable, but take a little work to operate and use. I like clips on the tent canopy/body better than the sleeves on TNF Mountain 25. • The bathtub floor is great and somewhat deep, especially on the Trango 3. Tends to catch your foot/boot as you are entering or existing. Not a big deal, just something to get accustom to. • About to head out into the weather with this tent. Everything I read and have observed seems that this tent is solid. I assume the exterior pole on the vestibule will not freeze up in cold/wet conditions. • The pole diameter increases as the tents get larger in the Trango series. The Trango 3 seems a little more sturdy/taught with its poles than the Trango 2 does. May have something to do with the pole angles. • The Trangos come with 21 total stake-out points (8 on the tent itself, 10 guy lines, and 3 fly). The tent only comes with 17 aluminum non-snow stakes. Not a big deal as four of the guy points are largely optional, the non-snow stakes may not even be used in snow, and many will want to do their own thing for stakes. • Based on the two new Trangos I purchased, the Trango main cross-poles are silver, not red as shown on the manufacturer website. • The instructions are good but not great. One of the images is backward from the real tent.

I use this tent in the desert. Big Bend National Park. It sleeps a bit on the warm side in those conditions, but with a tent fan it's very comfy. Will stand up to anything Mother Nature wants to throw at it! Worth every penny for a tent of this quality.