Sierra Designs Flash 3FL Tent

The Flash 3FL's durable design and tough fabrics make it a desirable purchase for those interested in a no-nonsense tent. A 20 denier fly keeps the rain out while the 15 denier canopy saves some weight. The 30 denier floor takes abuse as it should, but I would still recommend purchasing the drop sheet for an additional $49.94US as it’s 70D Nylon further improved the tents robustness in harsh environments and increases its longevity. At only 0.30 kg / 10.6 oz.  it’s a minimal weight penalty for the protection it provides.

While some may balk at the $498  price tag of the Sierra Designs Flash 3FL, you can pick up the non-FL version for just $395CAN but you will sacrifice some of the FL’s weight savings, but gain much beefier materials at the same time. The DAC aluminum poles remain the same, one thing Sierra Designs doesn’t do is skimp on quality materials, have a look over the list below to see what I mean.

Light and compact enough to take SUP camping.

• Tent Floor: 30D Nylon Ripstop, WR/3000mm PE, FR
• Poles: 4 x DAC NSL (2 poles hubbed together + 2 hoop poles)
• Canopy: 15D Nylon No-See-Um Ultralight Mesh
• Fly: 20D Nylon Ripstop, Silicone/1500mm PE, FR
• 12 DAC J-Stakes
• 4 9.6 / 9.0 mm diameter DAC NSL Poles (2 hubbed together + 2 hooped)

• Free standing
• 2 doors for entry
• Mesh interior pockets for storage
• Integrated retractable rain fly
• Waterproof window panels on doors
• Gear storage out of door entry by the foot or head – zippered access from inside the tent
• Awning coverage over the doors
• Colour coded grommet system for easy match-up with footprint 

Plenty of interior space for three full sized people to sleep comfortably.

While the Sierra Designs Flash 3 FL isn’t the lightest backpacking tent on the market it’s still a respectable sub 2 kg tent, especially when you consider the interior space it provides. Most ultra light tents are so flimsy and small inside that it’s hardly worth saving the weight for the cramped interior living space unless of course, you’re on a long-distance trek that will see you spending minimal time in the tent. The Flash 3 FL provides a very roomy interior with the ability to sleep three big guys shoulder to shoulder and have adequate head height for sitting up. 

The integrated rain fly works well for setting up in soggy conditions, but it also takes longer to dry out since the entire tent has to be aired out as one. It’s a very innovative design which is carried over from the Sierra Designs Lightening 2 UL Tent, which by the way won our Gear of the Year Award in 2014.

The weight of the tent is neither heavy nor ultralight, making for an all-around dependable tent best suited to weekend warriors and those who like to camp in comfort. The dual vestibules are ideally placed out of the way of the main entrance so access is not an issue. The built in pass-throughs in the mesh wall of the tent allows access to the vestibules and your gear contained within. This ensures you don’t have to go outside to retrieve items in the middle of the night or when the weather is inclement. From the exterior of the tent, you can easily unpeg the vestibule fly and retrieve your entire backpack with ease. I can’t say enough good things about this tent design and how livable it is thanks to how roomie it is and the friendly bright colours used for the materials. Note that the revised version for this season is now blue instead of yellow and also heavier at 5 lbs 6 oz. / 2.44 kg. All else seems to be relatively unchanged.

I tested the Flash 3 FL on several overnight camping trips, the most memorable being a SUP camping trip where light and compact was the name of the game. With gear strapped to the deck of two SUP’s we rogue camped along Kootenay Lake for two nights. While there was no rain on this trip the views were magical thanks to the big D doors and the cross ventilation was a welcome reprieve from the heat of the day.