I have always used a single person backpacking tent but needed to upgrade for some of the trips where I would be taking someone along. I did my normal research and decided n the Marmot Tungsten for a variety of reasons. The company is solid, the features were great and the size was good. Also most importantly – it had 2 doors. Below are the basic stats for the tent.
- Seasons -3-season
- Sleeping Capacity – 2-person
- Minimum Trail Weight – 4 lbs. 13 oz.
- Packaged Weight – 5 lbs. 4 oz.
- Packed Size – 7 x 21 inches
- Floor Dimensions – 88 x 54/46 (L x W head/foot) inches
- Vestibule Area – 9.8 + 7.8 square feet
- Peak Height – 42 inches
- Number of Doors – 2 doors
The tent is 7×21 when packed up, that is a little long but can be mitigated in a few ways. You are not supposed to use compression sacks on tents due to the possibility of tearing, but if you wrap the tent tight or fold it up you can reduce the carry size a good amount. The option I like best is since the tent is a two person tent its nice to split the load a it. You can keep the poles and tent separate which allows for the tent to be folded down smaller. The poles are what really stop it from being compact. So one person can strap the poles to their bag and I can wrap the tent up and sling it under my pack to save room, as you can see by the pack on the left.
The foot print for the tent is included – a feature not found with all tents. That is very nice so your not trying to find the correct size tarp, or a footprint that actually fits. I have in th east had to make my own for tents out of harbor freight tarps I cut to size and sealed the cut end. They are always heavier and thicker than needed – but cheaper than buying some over priced footprint.
I have been using an Amari Pass Solo tent for a few years now and love it https://hooksandammo.com/eureka-solo/, but I needed a two person tent for backpacking with a partner. I did a ton of research and comparisons and narrowed it down for a while ad finally pulled the trigger on the Marmot Tungste 2P. The main reason I bought this tent was the 2 doors. There are a few companies that make tents with two doors but the price / reviews / reputation lead me to the Marmot. I own a bunch of Marmot gear and it always is great so I figured the tent would be as well – and I am not disappointed.
The ability to exit the tent without crawling over your partner is priceless. How many times have you been woken up with a knee in your stomach or whacked in the head by your backpacking partner trying to get out to pee in the middle of the night? Or if your the one who is on the inside away from the door and your bladder is full, how long have you waited trying to fall back asleep so you don’t have to be the one to wake your partner up? With this tent that issue is alleviated. It is a fantastic feature and one that more companies should embrace. Especially when you camp with some one with a tiny bladder.
This tent also offers a little more privacy than most other tents when not utilizing the rainfly. The side of the tent have fabric that runs at an angle up the sides – you can see below.
This allows for you to turn the tent in different directions when setting it up blocking other campers views into the tent. I like this for group camping, if you want to leave the fly off you can without giving everyone a peep show when your getting ready for bed, or getting dressed in the morning you can.
Its also nice for tight camp sites so when you wake up your not staring your snoring, drooling backpacking buddy directly in the face to start your day.
This tent is very easy to set up. When I get home from trips I set the tent up and brush out any dirt and sand that may have been left behind when I packed it up at my camp site. This also lets me to roll it up the way I prefer and lets me roll it up tighter than I can at camp so that it is ready to grab and go on the next trip. Here is a time-lapse of the basic set up.
My referred method of rolling is to lay the footprint down and then put the tent on top of it, the rainfly is folded a little and placed on top of them both. Then I use the tent poles to roll the whole thing up tightly to save space. This allows me to get to camp and just unroll the tent, throw the poles together and set the whole thing up in a minute or two. A few adjustments and stakes later and I am good to go. Its much easier than folding it up like I have seen some campers do to get it in their bag better. When they arrive and its time to set up they are trying to figure out what corner goes where on the footprint and rainfly. I also sling my tents under my pack rolled up to save space inside the bag, for for me the rolled up method is better.
This tent is a solid buy and I have recommended it to a few people. I really like the 2 door feature and the privacy side panels. It has become my go to tent for two person camping and I will probably use it when I am backpacking and want a roomier tent when I am hauling photography gear. It is worth the price for me.
-Review and Pictures by Scott