U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- When backpacking, you want to cut all the weight that you can. I know that. But I still don’t like sleeping in what I call a rinky-dink little bicycling tent. Sleeping in a mummy sleeping bag is bad enough but sleeping in a mummy tent freaks me out. I feel like a bear taco.
Alps Mountaineering Taurus 2-Person Tent
One year my daughter woke me up at 1:30 and told me something was rubbing against our tent. Dang bear. Then a month later I was up archery elk hunting by myself and a bear walked right beside my tent. I know that in all reality I’m not anymore protected in a bigger tent if a bear wants me but in my mind, I have a barrier and more time to react.
I say all of the above to say, I may cut all the weight I can when backpacking but when it comes to my tent, I’m going to splurge a bit and am willing to pack an extra pound or two. So with that said last week my daughter and I went backpacking. She used an Alps Mountaineering Taurus 2-Person Tent. It is a nice tent and I’ll tell you why I say this.
The Taurus 2-person tent has many nice features. One thing I that at first, I wondered about was why it had two doors. Then it hit me. That also meant that it was able to have two vestibules. This is a big deal. It rained on us the second evening and on the third day. That meant we had wet boots and clothes. No big deal, we left them on the outside of the tent so it didn’t get everything in the tent wet. And yet under the vestibule, the items were protected from getting soaked all night long in the rain.
You can only put so much under one vestibule and especially without blocking your exit. But add in the 2nd vestibule and now you can also protect your backpack. Now everything is protected. This is a big benefit and a great feature.
I’m speaking from my perspective of how two doors benefit a single camper. Really the two doors were included to make it possible to actually be a 2-person functional tent. This allows each person to come and go without crawling over the top of the other person which is hard in a lot of the smaller 2-man tents
It also has a piece of cloth that you can clip on the peak of the roof so you can store items. Such as a safe place to set your glasses where they won’t get broken. Not a huge deal but one more item that enhances the overall review of the tent.
On my first two dome tents back decades ago the tent poles slid into a sleeve on top of the tent body. Over time the sleeves became worn and frayed and dropped away from the poles. I love that the Taurus has pole clips. To set up just lay out the tent, stake it down and slap on the poles. Lift up the tent and attach the tent pole clips. Then throw on the rainfly. I like that the rainfly buckles on. Buckles are so much easier/faster to tie it down than the ones that you have to stretch a cord and clip it at each corner. Tie out the side strings and it will help hold the rainfly plus, it pulls the fly out slightly for better ventilation so condensation doesn’t form as badly and drip inside the tent.
So as we come to a close, I like the Alps Mountaineering Taurus 2-Person Tent. The only bad deal, I think my youngest daughter has stolen it and now claims ownership! The MSRP on the Alps Mountaineering 2-Person Tent is $159.99 and as is usual, we will close with the specs.
FEATURES
- Free-standing two-pole System with 7000 series aluminum poles
- Easy assembly with pole clips that quickly snap over the tent poles
- 75D 185T polyester fly resists UV damage and stays taut
- Factory-sealed fly and floor seams give best weather protection
- 75D 185T taffeta floor with 2000mm coating
- Extra-large #8 zippers on doors and vestibules
- Easy entry and great ventilation with two doors (both with zippered mesh windows)
- Two vestibules for gear storage and extra weather protection
- Weatherproof fly buckles on for maximum adjustability and protection
- Mesh roof vents increase ventilation and improve star gazing
- 2-person floor saver available
SPECS
- Base size: 5′ x 7’6
- Center height: 46″
- Vestibule depth: 32″
- Tent area: 37 ft²
- Vestibule area: 20 ft²
- Total weight: 6 lbs. 7 oz.
- Packed size: 6″ x 22″
- Pole diameter: 8.5 mm
About Tom Claycomb
Tom Claycomb has been an avid hunter/fisherman throughout his life as well as an outdoors writer with outdoor columns in the magazine Hunt Alaska, Bass Pro Shops, Bowhunter.net, and freelances for numerous magazines and newspapers. “To properly skin your animal, you will need a sharp knife. I have an e-article on Amazon Kindle titled Knife Sharpening for $.99 if you’re having trouble.”
That is a nice feature