REI Taj 3 Review

"I got my Taj for $180 at the REI year end sale. It has kept me dry through Montana hailstorms and early season blizzards in the Wind River range. It's light for the size and I can fit Myself (6'3" 240lbs) with my dog as well as my girlfriend and her dog. It breathes well and stands up to high winds even when guyed out on a big flat rock. The only shortcoming is the small vestibules, but I'd spent well over 200 nights outdoors before vestibules were popularized anyhow. For the money, the best tent I've owned. With the money I saved by not getting a Bibler or other such high end tent I bought a new Kelty 50th anniversary pack, a primus stove and a thermarest 3/4 LE pad. Once you get the hang of it, setup cantake under 5 min. solo, 3 min with help. You get a great view of the stars with the fly off and the "attic" has more than enough room for whatever you need to keep handy. I'd reccomend this tent to anyone who doesn't mind a 6-7 lb load that provides all the room of a real backcountry Taj Mahal."

"I agree with the previous post. Got last year's model for $165 and after three trips, I am certain I got a great deal. Features are great, and space is plentiful. Only one night of rain so far with pleasing results."

"Used my Taj for a year now. Never been wet inside even with driving rain. Used on a one week Bighorns trip and lots of weekenders. A little on the heavy side for packing- but what a great space when raining and you can store everything inside. Keep the top vent open and no condensation- A little noisy in Wyoming wind but withstands 50-60 MPH gusts without all the anchors in place. I usually just put out 2-3 of them. EXTRA_ROOMY"

"I rented this tent from REI for a weekend hiking/camping trip.
I wanted a smaller tent as I was sleep alone in the tent but this is the smallest they rent.
Tent was a little confusing as to which way to setup as it has an odd footprint. Removable rain cover is nice and so was the gear attic. The spec on the weight of this tent is 7 lbs 10oz or so. I weighted it and it was closer to 10lbs packed. Much to heavy for backpacking in my opinion.
If you were camping with 3 other people you could lighten your own load by spreading out the supplies i'd imagin as this tent sleeps 3."

"I have only praise. It is 8 lbs. but it is roomier with 3 people than my Sierra Design Clip is for 2 and that is only 2.67 lbs. per person.

I have used it with 3 and also use it for base camping with my wife. The extra room allows us to have everything inside (easily) which is quite nice in rainy weather. It is also a tent where if you must break camp during a rain storm, you can take the tent down from inside and then do the fly last.

One criticism is stakes and guys. They short you several but this is minimal cost. Other is that fastening the velcro on the under side of the fly is awkward which adds to the set up time."

"I've got to agree with the positive reviews for this tent - it's the bomb!

Took it into the backcountry at Glacier Nat'l Park and loved every minute of it - well worth the extra weight. Actually had another camper tease us about the size but after a night of wind and rain, where we stayed warm and dry, he was suggesting he share our tent (he was in a bivy).

Set up is a breeze. Lots of room for everything. Love the "windows." Footprint is great. Got it for a screaming price (used our dividend to boot). Very comfortable! Love my "backcountry palace.""

"I've had this tent for a few years now. Unfortunately my last trip to Iceland destroyed it. The winds were a sustained 70mph with horizontal rain. The poles bent in several times, although it did stay watertight. A 4 season tent would have been smarter. This is a great 3 season tent. Roomy, waterproof and the double doors and dual vestibules are great convenience. I never had a bad condensation problem. My next purchase will be a Hilleberg considering those were the only tents we saw that did not budge in the windstorms."

"Not sure what scale the other guy was using, but my Taj doesn't weigh 10 pounds packed! Closer to 7. (Tip: Don't take any of the bags that the tent comes in! Use your pack for its intended design!) I've used this tent on solos and kept my pack light enough to almost run down the trail. It's got enormous space for 1, great space for 2, and adequate space for 3. The headroom is great! I'm 6'2" and I can sit up straight, or even stand up hunched over! Haven't seen any trouble from ventilation, probably because of the big size and high ceiling. Yeah, the vestibules are a little small, but how much gear do you have anyway? Plus, you could cook inside if you are careful, so no need to have a big vestibule anyway. The construction is very sturdy - I can't see myself wearing this tent out anytime soon. This is probably my favorite tent, but I might start leaving it at home on solo trips once I get a solo UL tent."

"I love this tent! I typically use it for 2 people and it's got enough space that we can bring all our gear inside, just leaving our boots in the vestibule. We think that the extra space (and all the nice pockets & gear loft) are well worth the extra pound or two.
I've used the fly & footprint without the tent when there are no mosquitos and it's worked great - even in mild rain (as long as it's staked out). I also like that you can hook the fly on halfway, so it only covers the back half of the tent. Then it's easy to flip it on if it starts raining during the night. This is especially nice when you go without the tent so you can sleep under the stars but are prepared when the rain starts."

"Unfortunately the ex got the tent in the split and I have missed it. I took it beach camping and it sustained 40-50mph winds with horizontal rain. It didn't get wet at on the inside and has more room than I have ever known what to do with!! Great for car camping or short backpacking trips. It's pretty heavy for anything longer than a few miles in to camp, unless you share the weight with partners."

"I love this tent! I use it on my son's Boy Scout Outings and when I camp with my wife. I am a big guy and this tent is a palace for me. When my wife is with me, there is still enough room for our gear to be kept inside the tent. Last weekend was spent in rain. Not a drop came inside. The top vent allows moisture to easily vent without allowing rain in. Set up is easy (as long as you read the instructions the first time). My 12 year son set up the tent by himself in under 5 minutes. When the fly is staked, the vestibules are adequate for some additional storage. The poles are light weight high quaality DAC aluminum. The clear triangular window allows me to take a peak at the weather. The plastic window also folds easily when I take the tent down.

This tent is a little heavy to pack long distances. But the space and design more than make up for it.

Overall, this is a great tent and I strongly recommend it at its normal price of $229. I got for a steal at $80 when REI was closing out the 2005 model.

REI makes and sells good gear. They have even better customer service. I took back a different tent that I purchased from REI after I had used it for a week at Boy Scout Camp and a couple of other events. REI took back the used tent, went to the shelf and got a new tent and handed it to me. No questions asked. Now I think that is great customer service!"

"I love this tent! I use it on my son's Boy Scout outings and when I camp with my wife. I am a big guy and this tent is a palace for me. When my wife is with me, there is still enough room for all of our gear to be kept inside the tent. Last weekend was spent in rain and 40 degrees. Not a drop came inside and the tent stayed cozy warm. The top vent allows moisture to easily vent without allowing rain in. Set up is easy (as long as you read the instructions the first time). My 12 year son set up the tent by himself in under 5 minutes. When the fly is staked, the vestibules are adequate for some additional storage. The poles are light weight high quality DAC aluminum. The clear triangular window allows me to take a peak at the weather. The plastic window also folds easily when I take the tent down.

This tent is a little heavy to pack long distances. But the weight can be divided among 2 people. The space and design more than make up for the tent weighing more than 7 pounds.

Overall, this is a great tent and I strongly recommend it at its normal price of $229. I got the Taj for a steal at $80 when REI was closing out the 2005 model.

REI makes and sells good gear. They have even better customer service. I took back a different tent that I purchased from REI after I had used it for a week at Boy Scout Camp and a couple of other events. REI took back the used tent, went to the shelf and got a new tent and handed it to me. No questions asked. I think that is great customer service!"