I purchased this tent to camp with 2 children and 1 small dog. Plenty of room for us but it would be a bit crowded for 3 adults.

I got an older model on clearance and seam sealing took many hours but the tent is now tighter than a drum. First night out we set it up in a steady rain. It rained until 6 the next morning and we were dry as could be. The next night we had high winds with driving rain. Even with the vents open we stayed dry. The vestibule is roomy enough we were able to remove our raincoats before entering the tent so our sleeping bags stayed dry. We have yet to go camping in extremely hot, humid conditions but ventilation has been very good in moderate conditions.

We encountered high winds and rain on another trip and watched many tents blown down but our tent stood strong. That afternoon most campers had their sleeping bags and gear spread out on every picnic table or tree branch available but our gear stayed dry. Kudos to Dana Designs.

The only drawback I have found is in rain the awning has to be 'emptied' of the water that accumulated fairly often even when I had it sloped down. Not sure if I had not set it up properly or if I could adjust things to prevent that from happening. Instead of using trekking poles I rigged up some fiberglass replacement poles for $6 from walmart to hold the awning.

My rating of value is based on what I paid for the tent, not the MSRP. It would still be a great buy but it would have been priced right out of my league. I have quicky become spoiled with the Big Joe and look forward to many years of service from it.

Similar Products Used:

Sierra Designs Flashlight, Coleman 9x9 Dome

This tent is a palace for two people and a good shelter for three.

I bought the BJ from Mountain Gear in the winter as to give myself a lot of time to waterproof the seams. I was initially scared of this process, but I set it up in a spare room and took two days to do it right spending a couple hours each day and giving it a few days to dry. The 2001 model supposedly has sealed seams, although it's a good idea to seal the areas where the factory machines can't.

I took it on two treks in the Canadian Rockies and used it in very windy and sometimes rainy conditions. Although the venting is great, with no condensation in close to 100% humidity, it can get slightly breezy, nothing bad but if your sleeping bag is not up to the task you may notice a chill.

Rain-wise, this tent ROCKS; its oversized fly does a great job if it's sealed it well. The plastic window comes in handy, as usually when you buckle down in a tent your blind to what is going on outside.

Set up is awkward at first, but after a couple of set-ups it's quick and easy as is the tear down. The whole bundle stores easily into the sack. I've had problems with other tents, not this one.

My only real complaint, and it could be my own foolishness, are the tent pegs. Although they are sturdy, I noticed that they don't hold the straps too well. After my first trip I went to a camping store and bought aluminium stakes with a hook at the end for $7.50 for 15 pcs. The second time out it worked much better. Perhaps I was doing something wrong, no matter, it works great now.

Customer Service

I called them about the water repelant quality, and weight of the material. I spoke with some one on the phone who emailed me the specs. Here is what they sent me...

The close numbers are 2.1 for 190T and 2.3 for the 210T.
We hate using these numbers though because they really don't tell the story.

The other important number is the water column rating for PU finish. People
used to quantify that as oz. PU per sq./yd. That was always flawed since
the density of the weave effects the mechanical water resitance. We
currently are using 10K mm PU. In the past we used 20K, but rainflys are
using about 5K. The trade off is because the more PU you apply the less
capable the nylon is to absorb shock and floors don't get hit with the wind.

Similar Products Used:

None

I took this tent on a three week excursion on the Colorado Trail and it performed flawlessly.Set up and knock down are fast and easy.It also packed down incredibly small into a water proof stuff sack.During the trip we had many camp sites above 11,000ft and encountered every type of weather(snow,sleet,rain,hail)and high winds at almost all camp sites.This tent did not wimper,leak or show any signs of giving in.The mesh ceiling,along with the fantastic venting system,kept us cool at the lower altitudes.But was a little breezy at the higher sites.The front vestibule,which is huge,also pulls out into an awning when held up by treking poles.This came in handy on many rainy days.It makes a great place to cook or just to open the tent up on those less then perfect days.This is by far the best 3 season tent I have ever owned.
I would recomend this product to everyone who enjoys backing packing.Retail is a little steep but I have seen some pretty good sales on the internet lately.

Customer Service

When I first purchased the tent one of the zippers on the fly had been installed backwards.I took back to the place of purchase and they sent it back to Dana Design.I had the fly returned to me in about a week.Have not had a problem since.

Similar Products Used:

The North Face,Mountain Hardware

I used this tent on an 11 day backcountry trek, and it performed without fail. Sets up and comes down easily, with a minimum of fuss. One problem I noticed is that it is difficult to set up in rain, as the inside of the tent gets wet due to the mesh ceiling, even if you follow the manufacturers instructions to use the rian fly as a shield. Using the rain fly is inefficient and awkward. One nice feature: the eventual stretch of the poles has been accounted for by having two grommets at each end of the pole instead of one so the tent is always tight. Venting system is AMAZING, keeps warmth during cold nights and allows fresh air in on hot nights. Reflective zipper pulls and guyout points a real plus.

Similar Products Used:

Coleman 3 person, Camp Trails Cabin Creek, Eureka Apex XT