Sierra Designs Meteor Light CD Review

"What Can I say about the Meteor Light CD? The best tent ever in its class. the elegant 3 pole design revolutionized the design of dome tents. I have hade mine for 7 years now the only other 2 person tent I would ever own is the 2001 meteor light cd."

"Great tent for recreational backpacking. Roomy, fits 2 people with no problem, 3 if you want to squeeze. I mostly use this tent when my friend and i go backpacking in the Appalachian Mtns., we take turns carrying it because we both sleep in it. It is rated for 3 seasons, but i use it for 4. Great venelation and a pretty slim weight considering the size of the tent. A great value. The only down side is stains don't come off of the screens that well, (i.e. mud stains)."

"After 9 days in the Bob Marshall Wilderness I can say that this is one of the best tents I have owned.
Absolutely water tight (I did seal the seams). Also can you say golfball size hail? We had our rain gear on ready for the tent to shred
but it held with no visible damage."

"This tent is great! Very roomy for 2 people, useful vestibule, packs well, and sets up easily. I am on my second, only because my first was "inherited" by a family member!

My first use of the second tent was in an extremely heavy rain storm, campsite was on very hard ground...we stayed bone-dry even though the fly was not staked out at all."

"EXCELLENT TENT FOR ALL SEASON USE, EVEN THOUGH IT IS RATED FOR 3 SEASON. JUST GOT BACK FROM A WEEKEND TRIP IN RED RIVER GORGE KY AND IT SNOWED HARD AND HEAVY ALL WEEKEND. TENT HELD UP LIKE CHAMP. IT WAS STRONG AND DURABLE LIKE A TENT THAT IS PRICEY SHOULD BE. WORTH EVERY CENT."

"I love my Sierra Designs Meteor Light CD tent except for one thing, which I'll explain at the end of this review.

Good points:

1. Easy to set up.

2. Big, mesh "windows" for great flow of air.

3. Ulta-large vestibule. Great for storing muddy boots, wet rain gear, and even your entire backpack.

4.Fits two adults quite comfortably.

5. You can add a neat tent attic with pockets for storing lighter items.

6. You can sit-up in the tent comfortably--lots of headroom.

7. The tent is standalone and stakable.

8. Giant horseshoe-shaped door. (The 2000 version has two doors: front and back.)

9. I and my stuff stayed totally dry in a driving rainstorm that lasted hours. (I seam sealed the tent.)

10. It even looks good, especially with the rain fly attached.

As I mentioned, I only have one negative: The tent weighs almost 7-8 pounds, which includes the tent, fly, poles, stuff sacks, and stakes. But for a two-man, superbly constructed tent, the extra weight is not unreasonable.

If I hike the AT in 2000, I may use the Meteor Light CD, which is luxurious but probably too heavy for one person on a 2,100 mile expedition. On the other hand, I may purchase a light tent but would of course lose many amenities. Still to decide. . .."

"Picked up the 2005 version of the tent along with the footprint. Very pleased with the easy setup of the tent. Noticed a few things the first time I took it out:

The tent holds heat fairly well. It was several degrees warmer in the tent than outside. I love the vestibule, lots of configurations it can be setup in. Took in a severe thunderstorm it's first night out (with hail!) and stayed completely dry. I had the extra guy points staked out and the tent was rock solid.

The only thing I would nitpick about this tent is the 2nd door, the included stakes, and the footprint.

The fly doesn't extend much over the rear door once you unzip it to enter the tent. If it's raining enter through the main door to keep everything dry. I also thought it was thoroughly ridiculous to pay $38 bucks for the footprint which isn't much more than a custom cut ground tarp with buckles. I also thought it would have been nice to include an extra stake or two out of the box like other manufacturers do. Not a big deal, but you may want to pick up a few spares to guy out extra points for stability.

I'm glad I bought it but I did have sticker shock when leaving REI with my tent purchase. This tent is a champ in all conditions!"

"Excellent tent, has held up through rain, mud, heat, etc. It does get hot inside when it is sunny out, and if you sleep in in the morning the heat can build up and become uncomfortable if you have the fly on. BUT it is an extraordinary tent, I have never had it leak, I love the vestibule and the windows/doors. Great buy. Get extra stakes though to guy it out when it is raining. Also, one of my poles mysteriously bent after a larger person fell while standing up inside the tent (it shook the tent and apparently permanently bent the pole)."

"I spent many hours researching the next tent that I would buy, and in the end I got sold on this model by Sierra Designs. I wanted a tent that can hold 2 people (including those above 6") comfortably, and this tent does not disapoint. It is sturdy and dry in heavy rain and wind. If you do not mind storing some stuff inside the tent, the one vestibule is adequate. The second (smaller) vestibule is essentially useless. The tent is a decent weight for two people, but I would recommend a better/smaller stuff sack in order to minimize the size when packed. Watch out for the zippers, as they easily get caught...I predict that I will tear mine in the future...."