Very roomy with enough space to comfortably fit 2 grown men and a small child. Have used through muggy nights, heavy rain, and below freezing temperatures and this tent performed has wonderfully. Other handy features are: stash pockets on each end; loops on ceiling for an attic/hanging line or tent light; mesh panels on ceiling for stargazing and ventilation; window on frontside of fly..Only 2 complaints-- 1. It needs to be staked or else the wind blows the tent in your face all night (and the fly touches the body of the tent creating a leak); 2. Too heavy for one man to carry in a pack. It's closer to 6 or 7 pounds (with complete tent + optional footprint). Split it up between 2 packs and it's wonderful (about 3 to 3 1/2 lbs. each)...So, if you expect to have help carrying it, I recommend it. If you're going to be carrying the whole thing alone, then I'd advise to look for something lighter.

Customer Service

N/A

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I''ve had this tent about 4 seasons and it''s been a reliable piece of gear. Nothing has broken yet and you can set it up with your eyes closed. The fly on mine does stretch in the rain, but it sounds like SD has fixed this. It is also nice that they are taping the seams since sealing them is a big hassle. A good dependable tent. I will consider getting another if mine wears out.

Customer Service

Haven''t needed any yet.

Bought it with 10% off coupon. It''s a great tent. It''s roomy, not heavy, and the color is attractive!! But, wonder why Sierra Designs didn''t include enought guy cord and stakes.. Just 1 more guy cord and 3 more stakes... I don''t think there way cost much...

Customer Service

Never use

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Walrus Terramoto

This is a very good 3 season tent with plenty of room. It is easy to setup and is free standing. I have both the 1997 version and the 2001 version with two doors. The later version is heavier by approx 11 ounces, but it offers the convenience of the second door, a window and the "fastpack" option of carrying just fly, footprint and poles/stakes to save about 3 lbs. The best difference between the two is the stash door feature which keeps the unzipped mesh doors out of your way (and their zippers out of the dirt) The ''01 fly seems to stay taut in the wet better then the ''97. Both are decent in moderate wind if carefully guyed out. As there is controversy over weight, I used a gram scale to measure the components of both the early and late versions. Total weights including stuff sack, footprint (an optional but essential piece), rain fly, tent body, stake bag, 10 SD stakes, pole bag and poles; 1997 ML =3664 gms (8lb 2oz). 2001 ML = 3840 gms (8lb 13oz) Differences between the ''97 and ''01 are as follows with the lighter one noted stuff sack, ''01, 66 vrs 70 gms footprint, ''97, 347 vrs 403 gms fly, ''97, 1024 vrs 1108 gms body, ''97, 1281 vrs 1386 gms stakes (10), bag, same 183 gms poles, pole bag, ''01, 694 vrs 760 gms The way you come up with 5lb 4oz is leave off the rain fly and forget the footprint. I save a couple ounces by substituting round easton stakes for the SD ones (3 gms ea savings and eliminate the stuff sacks. As others have noted the fastpack option, ''01, offers two people a very light, non bug-proof shelter that I think beats most bivy sack-tarp combinations.

Customer Service

had zipper sliders problem on ''97. SD replaced at NC

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other SD, TNF,

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I recently emailed Sierra Designs and requested a catalog and told them I was mainly interested in their tents. They sent me out one (the Fall 2001). Not one tent in it. I wrote them back and asking why no tents and that I was disappointed. The "answer lady @ sierra designes" wrote me back, she only told me that she would pass it along to their "marketing department".

Customer Service

Poor, I was hoping to experience all the good things you''ve written about their tents.

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Eureka tents. Was looking for a better tent.

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After much on-line review reading and consideration of our activities (sea kayak touring, backpacking), we got the Meteor Lite. No problem with zippers, and overall, not bad, but a serious concern with the design. Specifically, the fly panel that is positioned directly above the tent''s mesh ceiling panel is poorly supported (only 1 crossover pole). OK if dry conditions, but if wetted, that fly panel looses tautness and sags onto the roof. With direct fly/mesh roof contact at that location, you''ll get big fat drops of under-fly condensation dripping inside (on my last trip, a nice 3 AM alarm clock). Granted, this was 6 hours into an 11-hour soaking, but hey, look again at what this thing costs (NB: I paid canadian $, w/ tax)! Don''t think I didn''t try guy line tying or cinching up the fly clips. It is a design flaw. I called SD customer service and they recommended putting "pieces of sponge" between the fly and tent in any places of contact, but I have not tried that yet.

Customer Service

Quick reply (early am), offered advice. Said that "tolerances" in the fly panelling for the tents were such that every ML tent fly would be identical, and therefore, my getting a replacement fly from

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old Vaude - don''t know the model (gift from German friend)

This is quite simply the best three-season, two-person, general use tent on the market. Unlike many other brands, Sierra Designs is accurate when they list how many their tents sleep (ever try a North Face two-person tent? More like one person and gear). I have been using mine for about 7 years now, and it has never let me down. It sleeps two adults plus gear and my 50 lb. dog very comfortably. The vestibule is a bit small, but adequate for boots, etc.

As for weight, it is not the lightest tent of its type on the market. But it isn't the heaviest either. I'm not sure if that guy who complained that his Meteor Light weighed in at 10 lbs. had a properly working scale. Mine weighs a tad over 5 lbs. Big deal--split the fly, poles, tent, and stakes into two groups and give them to two people.

When this tent eventually reaches its retirement age, I will definitely get another Sierra Designs tent.

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Four years ago, I bought this tent on blind faith for Boy Scout camping on a recommendation from a friend who had good luck with it. I did a little shopping, but the Meteor Light had a large vestibule so it seemed like a good tent to a 14 year old. The first year it was used once or twice a month and I never had a problem with leakage, drips sealing etc. I took it to Pecos Wilderness that summer and after that trip, I was still extremely happy with the tent. Anything that survives a year of abuse by an adolescent Boy Scout is a great buy. I didn’t know anything about weight, CAD or wind shear, all I knew was that when I woke up, I was dry and comfortable.

Well, the years have passed and my Meteor Light has been there the whole way. During my time with the Boy Scouts, I took my Meteor Light on over 10 week long expeditions and one 20-day 275-mile journey. It was strapped on the bottom of my Osprey the whole way. Never has a thread loosened, a seam stretched, or any other quality issues faced me. The worst that is happening is that the corners are beginning to show some stretch marks (no performance effects). I figure I can get at least 5 more years out of my baby. For 300+ nights and more pitches than that, I cannot think of a better value.

The Meteor Light is not the only tent I have, I have a SD Night Watch, a Marmot Area 51, REI GeoDome4, SD Mondo 5, Eureka Timberline, REI NiteLite (Crap) and a tarp. (I work at the REI I got my Meteor Light from, so I collect tents) The Meteor Light is the oldest tent in my quiver but it is also the most heavily used. I usually lend my other tents to friends so they get used.

Other reviews have told about SD’s out of country manufacturing and their lies in marketing. It makes me sad that SD has chosen to use non-American worker and they publish lower weights than reality, but that’s life. If you are not going to be an aware consumer, that is your own fault for finding out about an issue after the fact. As for the non-US manufacturing, can you find one piece of gear in your pack that doesn’t have imported parts on it? Look on your driveway, Is that really truly American? Look at Dana Designs, they moved their production out of country so they didn’t have to shut down. I feel certain that any knowledgeable backpacker would admit that Dana is still on top of their game. Sierra Designs still put out a quality product, don’t think that China = Low quality. China, if you look at it, is actually the best choice of Asian producers. It could be worse, they aren’t chaining children to their sewing machines (I hate Nike)

This really is an essay, but I feel strongly about this tent and Company. Feel free to email (jmboehm22@yahoo.com)me with any questions about tents or you opinion on this review. If you live in Dallas, I work at REI on Monday and Wednesday nights in the bike shop. I will be happy to talk tents or whatever with you.

So that’s my two cents.

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See my review

Good overall construction EXCEPT for the zippers. Both the main zippers are ruined after four years of use, otherwise the tent is in perfect condition. Tried to check SD's website for repair info, but they don't have any. Would also be nice to have the big door on both sides, as one person needs to climb over the other to get out.

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I mostly use this tent for car camping, although it has been light enough for the occational mtn. bike camp trip. For the most part it has been great (very dry once I sealed it). BUT, I have had in the past a hell of a time with getting the zippers on the rain fly stuck in the fabric. Opening it slowly and using my fingers to keep the material out of the zipper has helped, but it can be a pain. Maybe this problem has been eliminated in the newer model (mine's a '97. I think).

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