Armadillo Ocotillo Tents
Armadillo Ocotillo Tents
USER REVIEWS
[Apr 19, 2003]
John
Paddler
We've had this tent out twice, once for a short 4 day trip and once for two weeks in the BWCA. All in all it is a great tent. Easy for one person to set up and quite roomy. We were in several severe storms with high winds and heavy rain and all tent features worked quite well. We ended up with a small amount of water in the tent after 3 days of rain (4 to 6 inches) from areas where the fly ended up touching the tent side (due to uneven ground at set up time). I'm sure with practice we can eliminate that problem with better set up but actually I was impressed that we had so few water problems after that much rain. The two vestibules were very welcome and allowed us to shelter shoes, maps, packs, etc. during all the harsh weather. The mostly vertical sides were nice as we sat and played cards and such during the worst of the weather and had plenty of room for 4 people to sit comfortable and even stretch out a bit. The high winds didn't even bother the tent or fly as we had it guyed out with all available lines. It was stable and at no time did we feel it could take off. Don't have any official wind speeds but they were quite high, at least 30 to 40 MPH and probably higher. Customer Service Haven't needed customer service. Would have liked to have footprint included in purchase price. Did buy it as it is an essential ingredient, especially if setting up in rocky environments like BWCA. Similar Products Used: Had a Eureka Octagon that was OK but not as good as this one and have had many other tents over the years - none this well thought out or well designed. |
[Sep 02, 2002]
Michelle
Car Camper
We are very happy with our tent. We have camped in it about ten times. It kept us pretty warm during a late spring snow. It survived hellacious winds on the great plains. The double doors really help for ventilation during afternoon naps. We fit four across with an adult at each door. It is just slightly longer than it is wide, so you can't sleep four and have heads at the door. We have trouble remembering which way the poles go, because the poles seem a little too long and there are three gold poles. I am claustrophobic, so the light gray top lets just enough light in that I always know where I am. |
[Sep 02, 2002]
Michelle
Car Camper
We are very happy with our tent. We have camped in it about ten times. It kept us pretty warm during a late spring snow. It survived hellacious winds on the great plains. The double doors really help for ventilation during afternoon naps. We fit four across with an adult at each door. It is just slightly longer than it is wide, so you can't sleep four and have heads at the door. We have trouble remembering which way the poles go, because the poles seem a little too long and there are three gold poles. I am claustrophobic, so the light gray top lets just enough light in that I always know where I am. |
[May 23, 2001]
Jeajay
Backpacker
Well, we needed a tent large enough for our family to sleep in, but small enough that we could still hike with it. We looked at all the "backpacking" tents, but even the large ones did not seem like enough space. And all the "family" tents looked like they would blow over or leak like a seive. But then we found the Ocotillo. The pole setup is much like the boojum, but it is a little lower profile (4'10"). Setup is easy, thanks to color coded ploes and sleeves, clips for final tensioning. Once standing it looks and feels much like a smaller backpacking tent, but with room for four. The pole supported vestibule is large enough for two pack without blocking the entrance or touching any tent fabric. BATHTUB construction rules any "sealed" seam. The top vent closes, making it suitable for colder weather. We havn't had it in a big wind yet, but if it is properly guyed out I am confident in its ability to withstand very rough wind and weather. At eleven to twelve pounds it is kinda weighty, but in all reality it is only 2 lbs heavier than my 2 man winter tent.If you are like us, a backpacking family that doesn't believe they should have to stop doing what they love just because there are children in the picture, buy this tent. Customer Service My only complaint is that the footprint is not included. $35 extra for something every tent in the world sould come with. Similar Products Used: Eureka Polar Storm XT |