easy to put up, roomy for two and equipment, easy to pack for hiking. Id like the rainfly to have more overhang to cover my pack but then again my gear is better inside away from critters.

no weaknesses at all

Have used for years. Its best test was over the last week when I used it at Oceti Sakowin Camp at Standing Rock, North Dakota, the weekend that the season turned to full-on Winter. Three days steady snow with steady 30 mph wind gusting to 45. Held up. With my similarly old Marmot Snow Goose Down Bag and upper body layers, I was good to go. Night after night.

I am a nut for the nutshell. This tent has performed wonderfully for me. The nutshell is extremely durable. It is not the lightest tent in the world but will serve fine with the parts split between two people. I personally carry it alone and am only 15. It dries fast and is easy to clean. (Just pick it up and shake it out). The tent does slightly condensate on the fly. The inside, however, has never even been damp in my experience. The people who complain about the tent condensating where the tent touches the fly just need to set up the fly better. After I had set up the tent three times, I could set it up in under 5 minutes alone! The seams are sealed correctly, the tent and fly material are durable, and the poles are top of the line aluminum. The nutshell is not a four season tent nut could be used into early/late winter with the fly. The tent top is completely mesh making for excellent ventilation and star gazing. Do NOT leave the fly off if there is a chance of rain! The fly is a little small but is enough for a pack and pair of boots. (I keep my pack inside for a pillow anyway). I always research extensively before purchasing a product. I was always drawn back to the sleek design, weight, quality, and ultimately price of the Marmot Nutshell. This is a great tent for beginners and experts alike. I also own the marmot Neversummer. My review for it is just as good.

Customer Service

I have never had any problem with any of my Marmot products and have not needed customer support. The tent arrived on time and in perfect condition.

Similar Products Used:

Marmot Neversummer, Mountain hut 4

great tent, with two reservations. firstly, i have problems with the fly touching the tent on opposite sides of the tent. this impairs the ventilation of the tent. i tried Sierra Designs Grip Clips (4 for $10 at campmor) with fairly good success. the other problem is condensation. fortunately, because of the mesh roof, it is on the fly rather than the tent body and i keep fairly dry. however, where the fly touches, i have a slight drip. i get a mild condensation whenever it dews or rains. it is noticibly worse with 2 people in the tent. if you vent well, it is still fairly manageable.

this is still a really good tent, though. it has plenty of guy line attachments, which is nice. in thunderstorms where everyone elses tent around me (i was at a summer camp) got blown away and soaked, this tent stayed perfectly high and dry. it has a quick set up, which is really nice. the door design is excellent, too. it is designed so it cannot drag in the dirt. i love it. the floor is the best of any tent i have seen. i have never been soaked yet in it. i like the burrito stuff sack, too. it is very convinient and compresses the tent, groundsheet, and accesories well. one quibble- i have yet to figure out how to use it as a gear loft. will someone email me and explain?

i have used this tent quite a bit as a one person tent. it works quite well if you are willing to carry it. i have used it as a two person tent a bit, and it is small, but quite livable. might have problems stowing gear, though. the vestibule is small, but large enough for boots and a little more gear. not really a big drawback. i actually like the sizes of the tent, now. overall, this is a great dual use tent of excellent marmot quality which i would definitely consider in the unending quest for the perfect tent.

Similar Products Used:

Eureka Timberline 2-awful floor. the reason i got this tent.

OK, here's a "practical experience" review, glean what you'd like from it:

A friend and I were in the smokies for a week. now we all know about smoky summers, right? ... if it isn't raining, then it's about to. our trip was no exception. with all of the humidity and rain (sometimes darn heavy)
not a drop of H2O made its way into the tent. there was some LIGHT condesation against one wall due to a sagging (tent-touching) fly in the area, but that was easily corrected by putting the fly on a bit better, nothing a homo sapien couldn't figure out. there wasn't much wind during the week, so ventilation was a no-go with the tent, but still no fly condensation and no "is this a tent or an oven?" heat buildup. with a nice breeze at least, this tent should be plenty comfortable in hot & humid conditions. As for space: solo --> palace (gear inside); pair --> nice, just be shorter than 6' and friendly (gear inside/outside, figure out the logistics). I wish the vestibule was bigger, this is my ONLY complaint.

so, in a nutshell (could this pun possibly be resisted?), i would say that this is a good tent for the money, great if you can get it on sale (I got it for $199 @ rei-outlet). A solid performer that was a backpacker mag 1996 editors choice award winner.

Customer Service

no, but I hear that it is awesome.

Similar Products Used:

None

Just went to a sale where this unit was 30% off. It would be a very comfortable enclosure, but I am amazed that anyone would consider this ""Lighweight"". Similarily, I don't understand other reviewers that call it a one person tent. They must spend too much time in the city. Any mountaineer would consider this much space a palace for two. Nice, but just too heavy for us.

Similar Products Used:

Marmot Pinnacle 775 down Bag, real nice.

The Nutshell is a great 3 season, one and a half person tent. Marmot claims that the nutshell is a 2 person tent...maybe two small children. In reality it is a one man tent with enough room for a pack or a medium sized dog. The tent weighs next to nothing and is exceptionally strong considering its weight and three pole design. Last year I was camping in Western South Dakota during what seemed like a week of non-stop driving rain and wind. The tent stood up well, no leaks or other problems. This is a great tent for those who want something larger than a bilvy sack but less than a traditional two man tent.

Customer Service

Customer service is great. Last year during the 4th of July, the roof of my tent was damaged by sparks from a firework. I sent the tent back to Marmot, they repaired the top for a small charge and got it back to in just over a week. The repair was like new, and they even threw in about 2 yards of accessory cord.

Similar Products Used:

None

This is a great tent for a solo backpacker. It is also a two-man tent, and I have used it alone and with a friend. This past summer camped at the boulder field with a friend on Long's peak and the small design helped us stay warm, and gave us just enough room for our gear. Any backpacker knows every ounce counts, and this tent is a great lightweight! It withstood the winds (it has many loops for tie downs) and rain well, and packs up small enough for any lady (or man :)-) to climb solo to the top of any 14er!!!!

Customer Service

I will buy more Marmot gear!!! I recommend this tent to solo backpackers for the lightweight design, or any backpacker who watches their weight.

I purchased this tent because it was just about the lightest freestanding tent available. I use it primarily for solo bicycle touring where every ounce counts. The tent is just long enough for me at 6'1" and will comfortably hold all the gear that I don't want to leave outside. For two people the tent is cramped as elbows are always touching. To Marmot's credit I have used the tent over 100 days and it is in perfect condition! It sets up in 3 minutes and packs as quickly. It is stable in foul weather but needs to be properly staked to keep the fly from touching the tent. The see through mesh top makes a clear night the best part of the day.

Customer Service

All Marmot experiences have been positive.

A very good tent for general backpacking use. I use it for myself, and am able to store whatever gear I want to inside. I would not consider this to be a 2 man tent, unless the users are small in size or very friendly.

Customer Service

Marmot rocks!

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None