I bought this older model Night Watch, as it has one door and a blue non vented fly.
I had a yellow and blue newer vented fly model years ago and sold it.
I have been looking for another since.
For me I am 6'3" 312 lbs and do nothing but Motorcycle camp since my knee went south, in short no more BP-ing for me.
I have to say as others it feels big I have lived three days of rain in this tent up in Ouray,CO one year coming from Yellowstone.
Yes after day two it did have one small leak I missed a spot with the seam sealer.
It holds up to the wind with no problem and keeps you cool in summer warm in winter. The Vestibule is not the greatest but it works. My first one had the two sided zipper fly entrance so I could post it out with my hiking poles like an awning great for cooking and better venting.
Wish SD would redesign it and bring it back on the market.

Customer Service

All my Shock cords went limp, SD repaired them for free!

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Quest Praying Mantis S4, Quest Viper, Quest Starlight, Mountain Hardware, Eureka and other Sierra Designs models.

Owned the NightWatch for three years. The biggest test for it came spring of 2000 on a trip to the Outer Banks. 30-50 kts winds for 2 1/2 days, straight off the sound, this tent stood like a rock! Had it guyed with anything I found and buried in the sand. Some off the other tents in our group wouldn''t even stay up. The same year spent two weeks in the Brevard/Highlands area, the 2nd wettest place in the continental 48. NEVER LEAKED A DROP! Two problems with it though. The two vestibules are useless for anything other than boots or a very small pack. I have to keep my Gregory Whitney inside with me. The fly needs to be an inch or so longer for places that have a lot of rain to keep splashing under it. Compared to other tents by North Face, Mountain Hardware, etc., a good deal. It is a bombproof tent for my uses and I''m most happy. Recommend!

Customer Service

Had a problem with one of the zippers on the dual-zipper roof vent. Called SD, got the shipping info, sent just the tent body, had it back in 2 weeks. DON''T TRY TO CONTACT BY E-MAIL, DON''T EVEN THIN

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Kelty, Eureka, Coleman.

Recently took the night watch on its maiden voyage last june in the adirondacks.
Conditions and temperatures (rain and sun, w/temps ranging from the 20's to 70's) provided an ideal setting to test the tents "convertible" features.
Overall, was very impressed with the tents ability to adopt to the ever changing late spring adirondack weather.
On warm evenings, I opened up the night watch, allowing impressive cross- ventilation between the tents two main doors to occur. During cool/cold nights, the night watch ziped up tight, creating a warm and draft free environment.
The design of the night watch makes the tent seem roomier than its 35 sq ft of living space.
Quality and "bombproofness" appear to be top-notch, which is no surprise given Sierra Designs attention to detail and its use of superior materials.
The vestibules on the night watch, while certainly not large, provided enough space to store boots, backpack etc. without getting wet during heavy overnight rainstorm.
Overall, I was very pleased with the improvements Sierra Designs have made to this "classic tent".
I can't imagine a better tent for the serious year-round backpacker who demands performance, adequate living space, and unparalleled weather resistance from the four season tent that he or she owns.

Customer Service

I have had no personal experience w/ the manufacturers customer service, although I hear from friends that its excellent

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I own a 10 year old North Face Westwind.
While this tent has held up well to heavy usage and occasional severe winter weather, its design is now essentially obsolete.

I also own a sierra designs stretch dome w/expedition fly. That tent is excellent for severe winter conditions but is probably too much for average backpacking trips.

My Sierra tent saved me from a sneaky storm at 10,000' at Grand Teton. 50mph winds with rain and thunder and lightning...scary. The tent ruled. I only worried about the lightning making me and my buddy a human burrito. The wind and rain were no worries. It's a killer tent because you can use it year round for ANY temperature. Convertable is the way to go. Thanks Sierra D.

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None

Good tent. Really nice for those cool spring/fall nights that arn't really cold or hot. Works well in snow too. Did have a problem with a tunderstorm though; after a couple of hours of rain a few of the sems started to leak.

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None

Summer cool, yet winter warmth. Able to see the night sky with ""convertible"" top down. Plenty of head room to sit up - claustrophobia factor is low. As a minimalist, I find this tent a little large and heavy. I would much rather be in a bivy sac, but when you've got a canine and a female companion tagging along, this tent is almost perfect. I am disappointed that this tent is made in 3rd world countries like China. Those who do all the factory work usually get paid very little and tend to have poor working conditions. Occasionally, taken-for-granted human rights are also violated in such environments (Nike). If Sierra Designs is saving so much money by going overseas, one might wonder why their gear costs so much!

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I think this is NOW a storm-worthy tent, but initially it was not. A primary problem was that the fly did not come seam sealed (I've read on the '99 it does). Multiple coats of of the good stuff, Seam Grip or something like that. Still, in your first 24 hour downpour in this tent -- as with any tents I've seam sealed in the past -- you will realize the spots you missed. Secondly, and more painstakingly, is sealing the edges of the floor. The lap-felled seams make it hard to really get anything gooey like Seam Grip(?) in to where the stitches are (can you tell I'm used to bathtub floors?). My advice is go for something a little more runny, like a water-based fly and floor recoat. AquaSeal makes a pretty nice one, so does Kenyon. USE IT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TENT! Use the whole damn bottle if need be and cover everything in copious quantities. Pay special attention to the corners (where the fly doesn't fully cover) and to where the pole and stake gromets attach to the tent. The same goes for the fly. Watch the guy out loops. There's extra stitching in all these areas and they need to be completely soaked. After about a dozen uses, here observations: Vestibule is too small for serious gear, but you can cook under it, put your rain gear, boots, etc. under there and keep them pretty dry. Packs are relegated to outside with a rain cover or tarp. On the whole, the tent is sturdy as all get out (haven't even used the internal guy system and I've been through 65 mph recorded winds) but make sure that if you are going to encounter serious weather you guy it out in all the extra points around the edge of the fly(will require about 6 extra stakes)and stake this mother down! After all that, it'll boogey through a hurricane. Inside is pretty roomy, a gear loft might make a nice addition. My girlfriend, our 45 lb pit bull and I all sleep cozzily inside. There is not much room for extraneous gear. Backpacks are out of the question. Easy set-up, break-down and it's pretty light for a 4-season (prolly on accounty of the puny vestibule). For $230 on sale, it was the best deal on the market, hands down.

Customer Service

Nothing negative to report.

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Eureka! for the past 20 years.

Would have to agree w/J. Newcom below about the sealing. But this is a great tent. Vestibule is small, and floor space is tight with two bigger people - definitely no packs inside unless you're alone. Ventilation is good if you can open the fly a bit, otherwise it can be stuffy on a rainy, warmer night.

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None

I have a 2000 model. After carefully weighing the trade-offs--price, weight, durability, space--I chose the Nightwatch over more expensive Mtn. Hardwear and Marmot products. I have taken it on three trips this year so far and experienced varied conditions, including high winds and rain on Longs Pass. I definitely recommend the Nightwatch for general mountaineering and high-country backpacking. For two people it offers enough room for comfortable sleeping and a limited amount of gear. The double doors are very convenient and make the tent's fairly small floor plan seem less cramped (no crawling over your partner.) The vestibules are small and are not suitable for stacking a lot of gear immediately outside the door, which is probably the biggest drawback from a mountaineering standpoint. On the other hand, it is light, and I found that with only a single guy and proper orientation to the wind, it held up with no problems under a strong wind. Additionally, it ventilates well and makes for comfortable sleeping even on warmer nights, which distinguishes it from the Mtn. Hardwear Trango and Marmot Sanctum. (A note: I seam sealed the perimeter of the floor, but otherwise everything is factory direct.)
I have some experience around the country, not just in the Cascades, and I believe that "overtenting" is a common mistake. If it works on Rainier, and it has, it will work anywhere in the lower 48 unless you're deliberately setting out to do winter meteorological research on Mt. Washington. On the whole, I am very pleased with the purchase: the tent's value proposition for the cost-conscious adventurer is compelling. And it's a good tent for any two people looking for reliable high-country shelter no matter the budget.

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None

I have a 2000 model. After carefully weighing the trade-offs--price, weight, durability, space--I chose the Nightwatch over more expensive Mtn. Hardwear and Marmot products. I have taken it on three trips this year so far and experienced varied conditions, including high winds and rain on Longs Pass. I definitely recommend the Nightwatch for general mountaineering and high-country backpacking. For two people it offers enough room for comfortable sleeping and a limited amount of gear. The double doors are very convenient and make the tent's fairly small floor plan seem less cramped (no crawling over your partner.) The vestibules are small, and so are not suitable for stacking tons of gear immediately outside the door, which is probably the biggest drawback from a mountaineering standpoint. On the other hand, it is light, and I found that with only a single guy and proper orientation to the wind, it held up with no problems under a strong wind. Additionally, it ventilates well and makes for comfortable sleeping even on warmer nights. (A note: I seam sealed the perimeter of the floor, but otherwise everything is factory direct.) I have some experience around the country, not just in the Cascades, and I believe that "overtenting" is a common mistake. If it works on Rainier, and it has, it'll work anywhere in the lower 48 unless you're deliberately setting out for winter meteorological research on Mt. Washington. On the whole, I am very pleased with the purchase: the tent's value proposition for the cost-conscious adventurer is compelling. And it's a good tent for any two people looking for reliable high-country shelter no matter the budget.

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None