North face's Trail lite 2 tent review
The Trail Lite 2 tent from North Face is a 2-person backpacking tent, designed for 3-season backpacking. As part of North Face’s Trail Lite backpacking gear range, you can see the attention to detail. The features are designed with backpackers in mind.
It has a vestibule on both sides, giving storage space for packs and a space to keep outdoor gear dry. The easy set-up poles do exactly what they say on the tin, allowing for a quick one-person setup of the tent. The fly is simple to set up, and with attachment points for it on each corner allows for carrying fewer tent pegs. The guy ropes are well thought out, and make for a stable feeling tent, even in a large thunderstorm such as the one we encountered at Summit Lake this summer. The deep tub gives a dry floor, even under downpour conditions. The headroom is good, especially for a backpacking tent. The big doors are easy to get in and out of, which also means the views are good from them. We would have preferred slightly bigger vestibules, as a full 40l or larger pack takes up all of the space.
This is a true 2 adult tent, with enough space and well-thought-out storage to feel comfortable.
VerdictIf you’re looking for a simple, easy-to-set-up backpacking tent, but are not too worried about the weight, then we recommend the Trail Lite 2 tent from North Face. Although not an ultralight tent, its weight isn’t enough of a negative to stop us from recommending it as a backpacking tent
Pros- Spacious for two people
- Easy set up
- Solid build
- Real 3 season capability
- Good storage spaces
- A little heavy for backpacking
- Vestibules could be a little larger to accommodate backpacks
Specs
Capacity: 2
Floor:75D polyester, 5000 mm PU coating and non-PFC DWR finish
Total Weight:5 lbs 1.5 oz (2.31 kg)
Poles:9.5 mm aluminum pole set
Trail Weight:4 lbs 6.9 oz (2.01 kg)
Vestibule Area:29.75 ft² (2.8 m²)
Dimensions:48'' x 81''
