Sierra Designs Omega CD

Review Date
August 14, 2008

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Reviewed by: MJ(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $0.00 at gift

Summary:
Once it's up, it's a bomber tent. But I'm tired of having to use 8 stakes for a tent this size. The sides lift up and you get this weird ridge through the center of the floor unless you stake it down a certain way. The vestibule is hard to open from the inside because you have to stretch to reach the zipper. I don't have anything to compare to, but I think it's too heavy to hike with.

Customer Service:
Excellent.

Review Date
June 20, 2003

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
4.33 of 5, 3 votes

Reviewed by: divinity09(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from Tallahassee, FL

Price Paid:  $199.00 at Campmor

Summary:
It's actually behind me, pitched in my room to dry right now. Good tent! I bought it for a couple of reasons. For the weight, it was one of the biggest, most versitile tents avialable. And it's pretty. I didn't want to be sitting in a grey/green (sad) tent for days at a time. It has a good amount of room in it. I just lived in it for a week, and had plenty of room in it with myself, and three bags of gear. I didn't feel very crowded at all. It held up very well in the rain, with a very small bit of condensation.

As for cons, I wish it were a little better ventilated, that it didn't have these little "sleeve clips" that are used mostly for rolling things back (like the vestibule door, or the zip away panel). Also, the tent stakes are cheese. I mean, they are just tent stakes, but you have to baby them to keep from bending.

Sierra Designs, if you're reading this, I ask you if you've ever had to unroll the vestibule door with those stupid sleeve clips during a freak downpour, and they are wet? Really hard to pusth them just right. Maybe a loop and stick design? Not as fancy, but waaayy more practical. OK, this is done.

Um, I'd buy it again.

Customer Service:
I'm sure they are just fine people and outstanding citizens.

Similar Products Used:
Mountian Hardwear tents and that is all.

Review Date
March 18, 2002

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Reviewed by: Patrick - Missouri(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from Missouri

Price Paid:  $289.00 at REI

Summary:
Only used once, but very pleased so far. Used in 20 degree weather, with 25 to 40 MPH wind gusts, and am happy with the performance. Easy to set up. Lots of frost on rain fly, but next to none in the tent after a cold, windy night. Very roomy for one person and gear, as I plan to use it, would be fairly tight for two and gear. Got the gear attic as well, which is very handy. Seems to be a very well put together tent, but does have the one annoying quality which I've seen in many other reviews, regarding the sides of the tent coming off the ground because of the side poles design and placement. Wasn't a problem comfort wise though.

Customer Service:
Haven''t had to use yet.

Review Date
September 19, 2001

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 2 votes

Reviewed by: wacosta13(Unregistered User) ,  Mountaineer , from Denver, CO

Price Paid:  $289.00 at REI

Summary:
I am extremely happy with this tent. If you are like me and do many backcountry trips from early spring right on through to late fall, then you will love this tent. Also, it is fairly light compared to other tents in its price range.

I have taken it backpacking at above 10,000 ft. in the Colorado Rockies and it ahs kept us warm and dry and was roomy enough for two of us to hang out and wait out a few hail storms.

Because of its 3 pole design, it is not sturdy enough to handle winter or high altitude mountaineering trips (check out The North Face Mountain 25 or the Mountain Harwear Trango 2.0), but it deals with snow well enough to keep you comfortable in those surprise snow storms or the occasional trip out in January.

The things I don't like: it doesn't come with enough stakes to stake out the tent AND fully guy it out...so that means either bringing a few additional stakes, or using trees, ice axe, trekking poles to tie off the guy lines. Also, the stakes that come with the tent are somewhat flimsy and easilty bent.

Besides these few blemishes, it is a great tent. And at less than $300, it is a good buy if you don't need a full 4-season mountaineering tent.

Similar Products Used:
None

Review Date
August 16, 2001

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Visitors rate this review
3.67 of 5, 3 votes

Reviewed by: Ryan(Unregistered User) ,  Paddler , from Fairbanks, Alaska

Price Paid:  $289.00 at REI

Summary:
Pros: This is a pretty good tent for a 3/4 season convertible tent. It's really easy to set up, well ventilated, fits two comfortably, and is pretty bomber in rain and wind. (I haven't had it in a big snowstorm) The straight sided walls make it feel very big inside, with plenty of room for the gear loft. The see thru window's nice too. You can also remove two pole sections to shed some weight, but I have never bothered to because it really doesn't shed that much weight for the extra strength you get from the poles.

Cons: Just a couple of minor complaints 1) Small vestibule! Not really enough room to cook in; 2) the way the vestibule door is cut, when you open it, rain and snow can fall directly into the tent, often onto the top of your sleeping bags; 3) the clips and velcro attachments on the fly and the corners of the tent are very difficult to seam seal, so take your time and get directions from the Sierra Designs web page before you start; 4) the door zips to the ground, so you always have to roll it up or gets pretty dirty after a while.

This is a great tent for all around backpacking (despite the weight), but I'd be skeptical about using it heavily for mountaineering because it doesn't really shed snow very well, and has a really small vestibule. I probably wouldn't buy it again because of some of the "Cons" listed above.

Customer Service:
This tent's survived a pretty nasty windstorm (estimated 50-60mph winds) in the Talkeetna Mountains of Alaska with no problem. I guyed it out in four of the six(?) guy out points and it only shook a little bit. For comparison, in the same storm a Moss Stardome II that WASN'T guyed out didn't even flinch, a Kelty Windfoil's stakes pulled out but was otherwise OK, a Sierra Designs Astro CD survived, standing with a few bent poles, and a two pole REI backpacking tent bit the dust with bent poles.

Similar Products Used:
Mountain Hardware Room with a View (much better door design than the SD tents)