Sierra Designs LT Strike 2 Ultralight Tent: Gear you want but don't need

Now based in Boulder, Sierra Designs was on the front end of the ultralight tent category before it had a name. Evolving from classic 1980s models like the Meteor Light, this year's latest and greatest, weighing in at 3 pounds, 6 ounces, the LT Strike 2 features 29 square feet of sleeping space plus a pair of 9-square-foot vestibules on either side.

I set up a demo in my yard last night and didn't even need the directions. The poles -- their are only two -- feature an intuitive, patent-pending design that saves weight while increasing space. And not a drop of the red rain that drifted in from Utah overnight made it into the inner sanctum.

With a 37-inch headroom, this is a functional but simple tent that looks like a perfect mobile home for backpacking in most any climate. I especially like the dual door and vestibule setup -- two people plus a one-door tent equals little sleep in my experience. And it's fairly rugged: The tent's floor is 70-denier nylon, while the body is 20-denier and the rain fly 40-denier.

The MSRP is $379. The tent's page on the Sierra Designs' website is here.

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