January 4, 2001


What's a good three-season, family-sized tent?

I've been shopping around for a nice three-season tent that will hold a family of four. Our children are five and nine, and my wife and I don't take up too much room. I've looked at the Walrus Zia and Tri-star. Will they allow for growth (hopefully just the kids)? A vestibule is a must. We plan on being in the northern Rockies for about four to six weeks this summer.

— Mark Orange City, Florida

Well, good for you, Mark -— my dad took us kids camping when we were that age, and I've always had fond memories of it.

Walrus tents would be a good choice for this endeavor. They're high quality tents, and well designed, but very reasonably priced. The Zia ($349), for instance, is an enlarged version of the popular Starstreme tent. It has 53 square feet of floor space, and uses it very efficiently with a square floor plan that doesn't have odd crannies that waste space and weight. It's tall (52 inches), which makes it easier to get dressed or move around. And it has a pole-supported vestibule, a great place to stash muddy boots. The only down side is that it's a bit heavy at 10 pounds, although the fact it sleeps four justifies that weight. Walrus no longer makes the Tri-Star; the Zia replaces it.

Backpacking tents that sleep four or more aren't real common, but there are alternatives. One good one: Sierra Designs' Mondo 5 CD ($449). This is even a little larger than the Zia, with 62 square feet of interior space. The vestibule is staked-out, not pole-supported, which makes it a little less roomy. But it's still more than adequate. The Mondo weighs even a bit more than the Zia — almost 11 pounds — but that's the way it goes when you get a big tent. The alternative is to get a pair of two-person tents, but then the cost is likely to enter the $600 range, and with most two-person tents weighing at least five pounds, you're looking at a similar per-person load.

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