Mountain Trails South Bend Tent Review

With this tent you’re going to get a standard form and enough space for up to 4 people to take a trip and enjoy themselves with a great price and even better weight. This tent has a great footprint as well as easy installation method to get you to the fun part of your next camping trip.

Features

• 4’ 3” maximum height in center
• 7 pound weight for easy movement
• Steel poles for durability
• Pin and ring setup
• 9’ x 7’ footprint for 63 sq. ft. area
• All poles and stakes unroll with tent
• Large roof vents and windows for ventilation
• Mat for keeping out dirt and dust

Pros

Mountain Trails South Bend Tent is made entirely of polyester on the outside to make sure that you don’t have to worry about water or moisture getting through. It’s coated to ensure that even in heavier temperatures you’ll have no problem at all keeping dry on the inside with the rain fly as well.

Not only that but the entire thing is able to withstand a great deal of wind without suffering any problems at all and will continue to work great with just about anything.

The size is decent with enough that you can easily sleep along with 4 people and that you’ll definitely be able to get a good nights’ sleep as well. You’ll also be able to move around a bit to make sure that you’re enjoying yourself when the weather gets too bad to go outside. You can play games or participate in other activities from inside the tent. Not only that but you’ll be able to store all of your stuff in as well.

Setting up this tent is one of the biggest benefits because it really does go up quite fast. It’s simple to install and you’ll have no problem getting it anywhere you might want. You don’t have to worry about the pieces needed because everything fits together easily and you can get the entire thing set up fast enough that you’ll still be able to enjoy most of your day after without feeling like you’ve spent the entire day on just getting your camp ready.

Cons

Some people have found that this tent is a little less than desirable for windy weather as it is made extremely light. This is done on purpose to ensure the tent is easy to carry but it can translate to the tent moving slightly under windier conditions. This has not resulted in tearing of the tent structure but does cause movement and can cause a little wind cutting through the fabric of the tent to make it a little cooler inside.

Another downside that some have experienced is that there is not a lot of headspace in this tent. In some tents you are able to stand up but this tent does not allow for that type of space and instead you must crouch or bend over in order to get anywhere in the tent or use anything in particular within the tent. There’s still enough room to get to your belongings and use anything you need as well as having some fun however.

Verdict

Even though the space inside this tent is large it does have a little bit of problem with headroom. Still, if you’re looking for a tent that’s going to be comfortable enough for you and your friends or family and your main goal is something to sleep in and easily transport, this is going to be a great option.

When the weather conditions get a little strong you may want to find a location backed up against a rock wall or trees to cut some of the wind but overall you’ll be happy with this tent and what it’s going to provide for you and the entire family.

Comparison

Coming in with a similar price is the Pop Up Camping Tent by TSWA. This tent is an automatic style so it pops into shape quickly and easily with little to no work involved. It’s extremely lightweight, lighter than the Mountain Trails South Bend Tent, but it is somewhat smaller. It’s actually rated for only 3 full-grown adults or 2 adults and 2 children, which means it’s not as good for the same things as the Mountain Trails one.

The ALPS Mountaineering Lynx Tent is designed to hold up to 4 people and has a simple to use system that allows you to easily get the tent up and definitely to get plenty of ventilation throughout the entire thing.

It is about the same size and provides all the same features but on the other hand it is more expensive than the Mountain Trails Tent. This one has a lot of great features however and is made by a highly rated tent company. The key is how much you’re willing to spend for moderate upgrades.