The ideal tent is a work of art. The right tent is more than a safe space to stay for a night, as it can make or break your trip experience. Believe me, I’ve learned the hard way, mainly when I first started traveling, because I focused on stretching my investment as far as I could. But that meant that I was buying the cheapest made tent that was typically the hardest to setup. And yet, it lasted only a few trips, leaked, and ended up ruining one of my trips to Wyoming… But that’s another story for another time.
The right tent is subjective, of course, but there are a lot of universal wrong tents out there on the market, and if you do as I did, by buying the cheapest one in the store, then you will likely suffer the same discomforts and fails that I had long ago. Choosing the ideal tent depends heavily on your trip style, length, and environmental conditions, because if you’re a backpacker, you absolutely do not want some hulking hundred pound monstrosity, you want a lightweight, easy to setup tent which was created with love and creative craftsmanship. Otherwise, you may be making a mistake. By all means, if you’re camping one time a year, then go ahead and buy the cheaper tent, you may very well find that it fits your needs. But for travelers like myself, who spend a great deal of time outdoors, I need something that fits my needs and is generally a good fit for almost every style of trip I take.
I look for a quality build with quality materials, but even more than that, I want a lightweight tent made by someone who knows what they’re doing, not some obscure company who pays foreign factories to pump out as many as possible for as cheap as possible. And I want comfort, storage space, as well as plenty of space to stretch out, among other features like doors, lights, and environmental safety (you wouldn’t believe what some of the cheaper tents are made of these days). With all things considered, there’s no one perfect tent, but you can get damn close.
That’s where Big Agnes comes in. Not only are they one of the top names in the market, rightly so, but they’re also one of the best tent and outdoor gear producers in the world. Big Agnes has recently released a line called mtnGLO, which are tents that have integrated LED lights built into the seams, which allows you the ability to light up your entire tent at night with very little energy. No more bulky lanterns, requiring eight D-batteries, or uncomfortable headlamps. The LED light strands are bright enough to read a book, or to simply add a mystical and romantic vibe to your campsite.
Beyond their unique mtnGLO technology, Big Agnes has perfected the design of the tent, by adding double doors, and double vestibule areas which are perfect for storing camp chairs, packs, and more throughout the night. Why is this a nice feature? Because you can keep your gear dry, and your pack light as no additional tarp is required for such a useful perk. The SL4 is a four person tent, so having double doors is a godsend when you consider how often people have to get up to do their business in the middle of the night. Nothing is worse than a cramped tent and one door during such events. The floor space inside the tent ranges 96” by 86”, so four people in sleeping bags can find comfort, or if you’re a single person with a large dog, then you’re all set. But for me, I find the four person size ideal for camping with my significant other, as we have space to stretch out and be comfortable throughout the night, as well as have plenty of space for storing gear. Plus, I usually camp with my pooch; and since there’s so much free space, compared to a lot of comparable lightweight tents, she has plenty of space for her own bed as well.
The Rattlesnake SL4 mtnGLO tent by Big Agnes is fitted with a quality over, with storm flaps, and has media pockets inside, which make it possible to store phones and other devices, away from the possibility of rain, while also giving you a place to route your earbuds/headphones out through. The general design of the tent is perhaps the simplest aspect, yet it’s also one of the biggest selling points, because of its symmetrical pole structure and simplified setup. In the end, I came away very impressed with the quality of the tent and all of its features. Big Agnes is a superb tent producer, so investing in any one of their tents is far from a risk, with a high upside possibility of proving to be very satisfying, and long lasting.
If you would like to find out more about Big Agnes, click here.
Article written by Brandon Scott / Eye & Pen – Photos © Big Agnes.
I look for a quality build with quality materials, but even more than that, I want a lightweight tent made by someone who knows what they’re doing, not some obscure company who pays foreign factories to pump out as many as possible for as cheap as possible. And I want comfort, storage space, as well as plenty of space to stretch out, among other features like doors, lights, and environmental safety (you wouldn’t believe what some of the cheaper tents are made of these days). With all things considered, there’s no one perfect tent, but you can get damn close.
That’s where Big Agnes comes in. Not only are they one of the top names in the market, rightly so, but they’re also one of the best tent and outdoor gear producers in the world. Big Agnes has recently released a line called mtnGLO, which are tents that have integrated LED lights built into the seams, which allows you the ability to light up your entire tent at night with very little energy. No more bulky lanterns, requiring eight D-batteries, or uncomfortable headlamps. The LED light strands are bright enough to read a book, or to simply add a mystical and romantic vibe to your campsite.
Beyond their unique mtnGLO technology, Big Agnes has perfected the design of the tent, by adding double doors, and double vestibule areas which are perfect for storing camp chairs, packs, and more throughout the night. Why is this a nice feature? Because you can keep your gear dry, and your pack light as no additional tarp is required for such a useful perk. The SL4 is a four person tent, so having double doors is a godsend when you consider how often people have to get up to do their business in the middle of the night. Nothing is worse than a cramped tent and one door during such events. The floor space inside the tent ranges 96” by 86”, so four people in sleeping bags can find comfort, or if you’re a single person with a large dog, then you’re all set. But for me, I find the four person size ideal for camping with my significant other, as we have space to stretch out and be comfortable throughout the night, as well as have plenty of space for storing gear. Plus, I usually camp with my pooch; and since there’s so much free space, compared to a lot of comparable lightweight tents, she has plenty of space for her own bed as well.
The Rattlesnake SL4 mtnGLO tent by Big Agnes is fitted with a quality over, with storm flaps, and has media pockets inside, which make it possible to store phones and other devices, away from the possibility of rain, while also giving you a place to route your earbuds/headphones out through. The general design of the tent is perhaps the simplest aspect, yet it’s also one of the biggest selling points, because of its symmetrical pole structure and simplified setup. In the end, I came away very impressed with the quality of the tent and all of its features. Big Agnes is a superb tent producer, so investing in any one of their tents is far from a risk, with a high upside possibility of proving to be very satisfying, and long lasting.
If you would like to find out more about Big Agnes, click here.
Article written by Brandon Scott / Eye & Pen – Photos © Big Agnes.
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