I have the original Purple and Gray model as well, I love this tent that I have two.
This tent is too easy to set up trick is, set the Y hub on the back first and then the spine pole cross poll next than the goofy front lower pole.

The Mesh is great the fly holds back water, Quest had a design they incorporated a type of thread material that supposedly would swell when it got wet and sealed the stitch holes off from water penetration,but never the less i seam sealed the whole tent just to be safe. With the sharp spine design I can see how it would repel and shed Snow.
I never had it in the snow I don't intend to, this is defiantly an early fall late spring to summer tent due to full mesh design.

It has plenty of points to tie it off and handles wind superbly.
Condensation is no issue vents well.
Vestibule well is a boot cover at best but I have fired up a small Snow Peak Giga lantern under it to get some heat in the tent when the temp dropped one night up in the Pecos Wilderness late last fall.
As far as two person, I am 6'3" 300 lbs and this is a one man for me I use it for motorcycle camping and packs down well.

I did own the Fiberglass pole version once but it was bulky and the mesh was like made of some cheap heavy fish net material you find on cheap Wall-mart tents, I think this was made after Quest went belly up and sold out to the money hording sharks.
I recommend this tent highly as well as any original Quest tent, I am a Quest freak I own the Preying Mantis 4S, the Viper (Two another Great tent's) and the Shasta all four season base camp Bombers. Most of the time you can find them used for a great price under $100.00,the Preying Mantis 4 and 4S still tends to fetch $150.00 + on the used market due to it's huge front Vestibule. But note look them over well as the Polyurethane on some started peeling off the floors, the stitching on the material tends to start pulling apart on some of the plastic clip holder legs, this is mainly due to age these tents are now over 15 years old and get dry.

Remember never store your tent damp or dirty, it will kill them within days.

Customer Service

Out of Business

Similar Products Used:

N/A

I purchased this tent back 1989. Mine is the original purple and gray Starlight with the aluminum poles. I use this tent all the time and at more then 20 years old it has been awesome, held up well and I will put it up against any 2 man tent in the price range paid. All in all it is a great tent.

Great price, nice fully meshed stargazer. little heavy- weighed in a over 6 pounds. Very annoying set up. Dinky and short with a small vestibule. Door system on fly is funky. 5 poles! with a hub! gimme a break. 1 strange pole across the front of the tent. But for the price you can't beat it.

Customer Service

probably nil for a 50 dollar backpacking tent.

Similar Products Used:

I've never used a tent with this style of set up. I've used domes and hoop tents. This is some kind of strange. I hybrid. Seirra Design clip flashlight and my long lost best tent: the Kelty Windfoil ultralight 2 both beat this little time consumer. I can pitch the windfoil in 20 seconds and sleep with all my gear and a girl -2 pounds!

I bought the Starlight the day before a backpacking trip this March in northern Wisconsin. During the first night we reicieved a foot of snow and temps down in the teens, not a pole cracked not a flake in. While my other friends with larger tents fought to keep snow off their roofs mine rolled right off. The second time I used it was early this summer in the same area and the first night we recieved a downpour. Not a drop of water or condesation was inside my tent that morning. Friends with Eureka and Northface tents spent most of the day drying their gear. All and all for the price I didn't expect much but after two trails by fire the Starlight held up just as good and some cases better than high name brand tents.

I have owned this tent for 3 years. I have had it in some extremely rainy weather on the Washington coast, as well as warm weather in Northern California. It kept me dry with the rainfly, and comfy in warm weather with the HUGE mesh. Recently I climbed Mt. Shasta and used it for snow camping at 10,400 feet. With trekking poles as anchors, and creative tie downs, it held up to some good winds at night, although I was a little chilly inside. Of course, that would be the '4th' season it wasn't designed for.

My girlfriend and I fit will in it, but wish that it either had two doors, or one that was centrally located. My other complaint would be that it tends to 'warp' if on uneven ground. That is, the ground plane does not seem even, and the middle poles will protrude farther than the end, which will stick up in the air. Usually with some anchoring down it evens out.

I like the small weight of the tent, which is closer to 5 lbs than what this review summarizes it at. The small vestibule was questionable in the beginning, but is just right for a pair of boots. Essentially this has turned out to be a remarkable tent that has withstood some good tests. Overall it has been a good value and provided some reliable shelter in some harsher-than-I-thought-I-would-be-in conditions

Similar Products Used:

None

First this review is for the RUBICON which is simmilar to the Starlight.

This is a 3 season tent I use as my Winter tent. Not as warm as a full 4 season tent because of mesh panels. I do get much less condensation. With 34 Sq Ft floor, the tent has adequate room for 2 people of average size with some limited room for gear. The foot is just wide enough for 2 self-inflating pads (Thermarest LE 2"). This provides extra usable room at the sides and head.

Easy to erect with a combination of sleeves and clips. The Fly also attaches to the poles with velcro tabs.

The weight at 7lb 1oz can be reduced by replacing the very heavy steel pegs with aluminium, or nylon bags as snow deadmen.


The profile sheds snow well, and has held up to significant wind in the White Mountains. The Fly is more robust than many other tents and comes with 6 additional tie down points.

The peg out Vestibule, 6ft is large enough to store plastic boots, gaitors, etc for 2 with room to get in and out. Easy to use from inside with 2 zippers with inside & outside tabs, and velcro seam flaps. There is also a v/small area under the fly at the foot of the tent. This is accessible from the outside and can be used to store rope etc.

The tent has 3 reinforced fibreglass poles. Fibre is supposed to be fragile in the cold, but I have had this out to -15F for 2 Winters in the NY Adirondaks and NH Whites and not had a problem. Aluminium poles have split on these trips.

Purchased as a closeout for $100 this has been a great buy. 5 stars.

Customer Service

none. Quest is out of business. Tents are available at closeouts (Gear.com)

Similar Products Used:

Eureka: Backcountry, Glacier Bay, Timberline.