I see that Marmot has discontinued the Swallow, too bad. The tent is a very good tent for the cost and has served me well in both overnight fishing trips and long use on hikes with others. I own several quality tents and rate this one right up there in construction and design with Hilleberg and such. I hope I can find another tent to fill this nech when this one gives out.

Customer Service

Never used it.

Similar Products Used:

Hilleberg Soulo, Armadillo Casa Verde (car camping), Bibler tents and bivey.

I bought this tent a couple of years ago on sale at REI. I have used many tents and this one has become my favorite. It is so versatile and ready for just about anything mother nature can throw at it. I have done alot of backpacking all over colorado and especially at altitude and this tent has kept me both warm and dry. Staked out this tent has survived some pretty windy assaults above the tree line. It is very roomy and has lots of places to stow gear away. The burrito stuff sack that clips and hangs and the inside is a nice touch for stowing gear. If you completely unzip the front door and roll it up and pop up the awning and you can just sit back inside and watch the beutiful colorado sunsets. The awning also works well for cooking meals. I have set up this tent alone in some pretty adverse weather and it is extremely easy to pitch single handed. Whether it was raining...(3 to 4 days at a time) or snowing and windy we had no problems staying dry. I have had this tent up to 12,300 feet and it performed perfectly. Very very little condensation on the inside due to the great ventilation. The ceiling height is just right so on rainy days or inclement weather you can easily sit up and plays cards or whatever to pass the time. On the downside it is a bit heavy but no worries at all as long as you have someone to split the weight with. The front awning also tends to snag when trying to open it from the inside. But this is a minor inconvenience. I was worried the the roof was a little flat and would catch snow but it has held up nicely through several big snow storms....one several feet deep. The windows on the front vestibule are fantastic for looking out and cheking the weather. The colors are soft and inviting to the eye when couped up in bad weather. The model I have has two doors which seems to be one of the big gripes here with earlier models made. I must say it does make it nicer not to have to climb over someone to get out so I have no gripes there. This tent has become my best friend. I would recommend this tent to anyone who is looking for a good all around tent and not afraid to spend the money for the best. This tent has been well worth every penny I spent for it!!! I also have a North Face Mountain 25....which can be a nightmare to pitch I might add....and a Mountain Hardware tent and this tent has become my favorite on trips all year round. Happy Camping.

Customer Service

Have not has to use it...but hear they are the best in the business

Similar Products Used:

North Face Mountain 25 Mountain Hardwear Trango 2

Just purchsed and very impressed without even setting it up. The burito bag is great. Will be out kayack camping in the spring and will write a full review.

Customer Service

not used yet

Similar Products Used:

This tent replaces the NF Talus 23 that was return because it does not vent well at all in the humidity of the midwest

We have used the Swallow as high as 10,600' on exposed mountain ridges for two seasons. On three occasions it survived winds that would have shredded a lesser tent (attach all four guy lines to the windward side of the tent). The only damage was a snap that pulled apart. The snap was easily repaired by me once I had access to tools at home. And then there was the day we decided to forego the summit and stay in the tent all day due to rain. We remained warm and dry and on that day appreciated the windows. But what I really love about the Swallow is using it without the fly for the hot approach, using it fully hunkered down for the freezing, wind-blown heights and using it for everything in between. Comfortable and easy versatility is what endears the Swallow. On the negative side, we never used the stakes that came with it but use larger stakes that are harder to pull out. The adjustable fly straps are made of a smooth fabric that slides too easily. We tied knots in the straps to fix that. Our plans for the next tent? We will probably go for the larger Swallow 3P when the kids get bigger, need more space, and can carry more weight.

Customer Service

Never used.

Similar Products Used:

REI Mountain Dome (too fragile).

I bought the Marmot Swallow a few months ago from REI using my year-end dividend check. I simply wanted a 3-4 season convertible tent that was bombproof to weather, reasonable in weight and had top notch ease of use and setup time. I found all of this in the Marmot Swallow. This past weekend, a friend and I went backpacking in the Smokies for the weekend and used this tent 2 nights in the snow at a pretty high elevation. The Swallow is fully functional and accomodates two adults very comfortably. The thing I love most about this tent is that it ventilates better than any other tent I've ever been in...and I've been in a lot of the major brand tents. There was no condensation at all and it was quite warm in the tent with the temperature around 10 degrees on the other side of the two doors. I have nothing but praise for this tent as it has keep me dry, warm and cool on hot summer nights. Whatever environment you're facing...the Swallow can easily adapt. This tent has two zip D-doors, 2 windows and a zip down ceiling panel for hot weather. In cold weather...it seals tight like Fort Knox. You can also adjust two vents in the rainfly to provide cross ventilation above the tent without getting wet if it's raining. Some say the tent is too expensive but I don't agree. Those who pay little and skimp get what they pay for sometimes. To me, the tent is your home away from home when in the backcountry...and when it rains for 8 hrs straight I don't want to have to worry about the tent leaking...do you?

Similar Products Used:

Sierra Designs Alpha CD Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight

Absolutely subperb tent, but a bit two small for 2 adults. Although larger than most 2 person tents, I found it a bit tight w/ 2 adult men. Because Marmot makes the same tent in a 3-person, the Hoot, that's what I'm going for. Quality and features are top-notch.

Customer Service

Altrec.com is excellent.

None

Good, not great, tent. Strong materials, design that is long on wind shunt but short on rain handling, disappointing usable space and finish (i.e., waterproofing). Opinions vary on "best" tent color, but I really like the orange and yellow combo. Excellent venting just about eliminates that pesky condensation (I HATE a wet tent); venting flexibility makes the tent useful for 4-season (East Coast) conditions. Pitches fairly easily; entirely doable one-person setup. Vestibule is reasonably sized, and can be configured as either awning or side-door opening, which is more useful than I expected. "Front" door is very nice; big, backed with bot solid panel and mesh, dummy-proof zippers. Handles high winds as well as any tent I''ve used. BUT: That floor may be 40 sq ft at ground level (I don''t think it is, actually), but at about 12 inches from ground, the slope of the ends make this puppy about 6 1/2 ft max, which means that an average height person has to be careful on bag placement to keep head and foot from canopy contact. Two 25-inch pads fill the supposedly 60 inch width of the floor. With all that mesh, you have to twist around in the tent to get a good look at the night sky due to the placement of the panels. Most frustrating, the rainfly leaks despite mfg claim of factory sealing, and it manages to most do so right where the two side roof vents are located, so you get a slight but steady drip on head and foot. Finally, the fly vents have a long duckbill, which sag when they get wet, which leads to the bills adhering to the fly body, which leads to no venting. The only way to fix this is to fully extend the little velcro props that hold the vents open, which pushes the fly body onto the canopy, which facilitates moisture transfer to the canopy, which is bad. As I said, good tent, but I expected better from Marmot. Worth $300? I guess, but that fly leakage is sooo irritating when you shell out 3 bills...

Customer Service

Tried twice to contact via email about the leaking problem. No response either time. Guess I''ll have to break down and call...

Similar Products Used:

Timberline A-frame; Eureka family camping monster; REI Taj.

None

I had researched many tents before I obtained the Marmot Swallow (Sierra Designs Omega, Northface Roadrunner and some designs by Walrus to name a few) This was my first real backcountry tent and I have little to no complaints. The price is hefty (but I can''t complain about that since I got the tent as a engagement gift...thanks mom & dad) but since I do have other products from Marmot I know the quality is worth every penny. Second, as everyone has stated before me....it''s a little heavy. However I always split it up anyway (I wouldn''t use this for a solo). Third, I would have liked a rear door (I believe the new model has that) but that is not a huge deal especially since there are almost no tents out there with rear doors that the rain fly will have a rear door too. The burriro sack is a good idea, but not inside a pack, if you like to keep your tent on the outside of your pack it''s just fine (also feature of how it doubles as a gear loft is very cool). Last complaint...the front awning tends to give an attitude but thats about it. Now for the raves.... This tent is the most adaptable tent I''ve ever been in or seen. (get''s all my hiking buds green with envy). The airflow control is the best I''ve dealt with....gives great control over the climate. The tent color is very pleasing when you wake up, it''s a warm color. And if you have to be spending alot of time in it due to the weather it keeps it quite cheery inside. This tent is damn water proof. I was stuck inside for twodays of monsoonish weather with only few drops (I applied a little seam seal and now this baby could be submerged) I spoke to a marmot rep about that and was advised that even they apply some sealer to the areas where there are overlapping stitching - can''t hurt and only takes a half hour that is well worth it. Next great feature is how the footprint and rainfly put together makes a great fastpack shelter (very nice in rainy seasons) last....tons of room inside with more pockets than you have gear to fillem with This tent is sturdy in wind and snow....can''t be beat

Customer Service

Never had to use Met a rep in Vermont, very helpful and knowledgable

Similar Products Used:

Rei 3-person - can''t even touch the Marmot

None

since our first review we''ve had the tent down to the Dusky Sound, NZ, up in the Bugaboos, a couple yak trips, and a couple desert backpack trips. The tent can be heavy and has to be split with your partner (or perfect kayak camping), the tent truly didn''t leak (about 8 inches of rain in one day in NZ!), and is well ventilated, and can be used as a fly and ground sheet w/o the tent. It''s also tough: 40-60 mph winds in the desert w/o zippers or seams failing (tied down with extra lines). All it needs is a second door!

Customer Service

Marmot folks have been terrific in the past...

Similar Products Used:

quite a few. Hey, whatever you do, don''t ever screw with those single-pole North Face POS (piece of...) tents...

None

None

This tent is amazing! I spent lots of time researching 3+ season tents before I actually purchased this one. I got very lucky and found the tent on sale at REI for about $100 less than the suggested price. The tent is insanely waterproof. I have taken it on a weeklong trip through the northeast, where it rained/poured 6 full days out of the 7, and never got even so much as dripped on. At a music festival in Missouri this summer, a friend and I got there late and found slim pickin''s in the campground, and were forced to camp in a low-lying area next to a dried creek bed. By the time the downpour had finished, my tent was staked into the ground that was about 3 inches beneath the water surface. However, it was nothing that the bathtub-style floors couldn''t handle. I was amazed. Nothing that was inside the tent was even the least bit damp. The Swallow is incredibly easy to set up (under a minute), and has no problems with condensation buildup inside the tent when set up correctly. A great feature is the pop-out awning on the back window of the rainfly. One problem with the tent if you are not a 3 season camper might be the weight. It weighs quite a bit more than an average weight summer-style tent, but I generally split the weight with whoever is camping with me. I would highly recommend this tent to anyone who wouldn''t mind the extra weight for a quality 3+ season tent.

Customer Service

Never had to use.

Similar Products Used:

This was my first tent purchase.