REI Roadster Review

"I used this solo tent for an 11 trek at Philmont as well as a number of training hikes. It sets up fast and packs tight. I pleasure to use. All the people I have talk to that have used have been about my size (5'8"). It might be tight for a taller hiker.
We had about 6 days of rain. Tent was dry and design allowed for easy and clean in/out."

"After three extended trips with this tent I give it a vote of no confidence. My biggest problem with the tent? Condensation. In anything but the driest conditions there seems to be an inordinant amount of condensation on the fly which ultimately drips into the tent as the main main canopy is primarily mesh. When it rains this problem is exacerbated by the exceptionally humid conditons. I've also found that no matter how taut you pitch it tends to relax at night to the point where it sags on you and you either live with it or get up and retighten. It's a great tent in fair weather - otherwise leave it at home."

"I've taken this tent on 3 extended trips, and a bunch of 1 or 2 overnighters. I really enjoy this tent. It is easy to set up, keeps me dry in wet conditions, lots of room inside (because it has walls), lots of headroom (for a 5'10" person). Only problem is that it tends to stretch out, so it will sag a bit by morning. A few quick adjustments to correct are no big deal, though. For people with condensation problems, try venting the rain fly if you can. This worked well for me."

"Just spent six days bike touring with this tent and liked it. Advertised as packing down to 20 x 6 but I measured it about 2 inches shorter, and it fit into my rear pannier with room to spare. Plenty of room inside, and I'm 6'1". Not much room to sit up, but it was possible with some slouching. Stayed dry during a night of steady rain, as did my gear in the vestibule.

Once I got used to setting it up it was easy. Only complaint is about the the stakes. The "dull" end is almost as pointy as the "sharp" end, which made sinking the stake into hard-packed dirt difficult. So I had to pound on it with a rock, and proceeded to bend two of them. But hey -- stakes are cheap, and all in all it's a great little tent. No regrets."

"Small, Light, Convienent are the first three words that come to mind when reviewing this tent. It has the size and weight of a typical one person tent, but the feel and headroom of a much larger backpacking tent. In addition, it sets up and breaks down in no time. I only have a few complaints with the Roadster. First, its quite narrow, which is fine for sleeping, but my elbows hit the sides when I am trying to read. Second, as a couple other reviewers have noted, the tent does sag during the night. Granted most of the times I have slept in it, 40mph winds were raging outside, so I can't really complain. Also to comment one some other reviewers claims that there isn't enough ventilation: There is a vent in the fly that does a pretty good job keeping airflow. All in all the Roadster is a great tent. I would strongly recomend it for anyone who likes a light pack, and doesn't want to spend an arm and a leg."

"I have several expensive "bombproof" tents for winter camping, so I had to chuckle the first time i set up the Roadster on a recent Joshua Tree backpacking trip. The simplicity and functionality of this tent is impressive. I have to believe the folks that created this model are slapping themselves on the back everyday. I'm only 5'9'' tall so I had room at the bottom for my boots and the top for my loose gear. I could sit upright without touching the ceiling. It is a very clever design. The full side zipper is very convenient for entry and exit. It would have been one of my favorite peices of gear if I had paid $200. Surprisingly, I paid $69 on sale. If there was a complaint, it might be that it is not self standing, but then I'd be complaining about weight and ventilation. Look no further, buy two!"

"I took this tent on a multi-day trip into the Rockies last August. I'm 5'8" so there was enough interior gear space and headroom for me. No problems with rain or moisture. The stakes are light and fragile, so they almost becomes a disposable item in rocky terrain. Set up was fast and easy. However, the instructions indicate you can leave the fly attached to the tent but I found it difficult to feed the pole through the sleeve with the fly attached. I found it faster to set up with the fly off. All things considered it's good tent and a great value for the price."

"I shopped and shopped for an high quality, well respected, 1 man ultralight tent. Reviews and Reviews later and a few trips to local outdoor stores to consult w/ the experts, I bought the Roadster. After a few backcountry trips with this tent, I can't express my happiness enough. I hike with a 50 lb Dog, and I'm 5'6". This tent, although it is small, is large enough to sleep myself and some of my gear that I like to keep handy at night, along with my Dog (somewhat cramped though) if need be (raining, etc..). I've spent two nights with her in the tent and while we wake each other frequently, it's no big deal. The vestibule is large enough that it fits my 3600 ci bag and boots perfectly. Condensation is a small problem with both my dog and I blowing hot air, even with the fly-vents open, but nothing that causes problems. I am somewhat short, so head room is obviously not a problem. While I continue to shop for tents for fun, I truly believe I will never find a better comprimise between packed weight & utility in a one-man tent. All in all the only reason I gave it a 4 instead of 5 is because it doesn't come with a hot blonde."

"I paid $129 (plus $15 for the footprint) for my first solo tent, and (so far) I think it was a bargain. I was a bit weary of the fact that it was not self-supporting, but in my first trip (a 3-day hike in the Ozarks) I've found it fairly easy to set up, and at 3lb 3oz, very easy to carry. I haven't had much opportunity to test its durability, but it seems well-constructed. The large door is easy to get in and out of, and lying down, there's more than enough room inside. Plus, it's not near as ugly as it looks in the product photos. The weather in my trip was very dry, so I can't comment on the condensation issues others are having, but the ventilation does seem rather minimal. There was little wind, so I didn't experience the sagging issues others have reported.

Negatives: I wish the vestibule area were larger, I wish it were a few inches taller, and I wish there were more than just one pocket inside. Even at 5'6", I had trouble sitting up, and my pack didn't really fit under the fly unless I blocked the door.

FYI, there's no fly/footprint setup option, but I can't really imagine sleeping without a screen between me and the bugs, so I'm not bothered by that.

Basically, this is a no-frills tent at a no-frills price. But on balance, I think it's worth well more than I paid."

"Love it. I wanted to be self-sufficient on a backpacking trip to Havasupai with a group of friends, and was pretty excited about how lightweight it was. Very easy to set up, too--even if it does slightly resemble a little pinewood derby box car --or, as my guy friends said, an x-wing fighter--when the fly is attached. No condensation problems, but I had a hard time getting a good airflow; I eventually had to just roll the fly up and away from the mesh vents (good thing it didn't rain). Very "roomy" inside for sleeping, but not so much for changing clothes. Very much worth the $49 sale price, though!"