Reviews & Ratings for ALPS Mountaineering Zephyr 2 - Two Person Tent — 1 review — Page 1

All-in-all, a good entry-level tent. While some of its bells and whistles may complicate a good pitch, you get better with practice. I've owned this tent for three seasons now and through perhaps a dozen trips, it's still stable and waterproof. Some of the noseeum mesh has 'crimped' but hasn't torn, and nothing but dust can get in. The fly gets pretty close to the ground, providing good ventilation, but with wind breaks (like snow) it maintains some heat from an UCO candle lantern. The ventilation system is an articulated rod with velcro. In the open position, there's about a three inch opening for air to pass. Undo the velcro and lay it flat to close. One thing I'm not crazy about; the amount of horizontal surface space. Two areas in particular are the top with a triangular area, and another triangle over the head vent. The head vent can be closed, but if it's snowing, it's cold enough for condensation to coat the inside of the tent. This poses another small issue; my 800 FP, 0* sleeping bag, on top of my CCF pad, and insulated sleeping pad cause me to sometimes make contact with the inside of the fly. So, the '3+' I give it is for cold, dry weather.
Pros: Reasonably lightweight, Lots of vestibule space (x2), 2 side-entry doors, well-ventilated, gear loft included, tall enough for me to sit
Cons: Can be tricky to get fly taut, a bit short for high-loft winter bags, accumulates snow