The North Face Bastion 4 Expedition Tent

2019-01-27T19:00:00

best tent that I have ever bought.....

gatekeeper

Originally posted at

2019-01-13T19:00:00

Very secure feeling in extreme conditions.Ventilation is great with minimal condensation. I have camped in 20 below weather and have had 10 inches of snow fall through the night and tent has held up well.Does very well in the wind.This was a worth while investment if you like to camp in cold and snow but not for warmer temps.

AJ

Originally posted at

2018-01-28T19:00:00

Live in the Oregon, Have used it in driving rain storms, cold high desert, Mt Hood, Mt, Washington and just about every other condition Oregon can throw at you. I chose it because I wanted a tent that would stay dry and warm. It has and then some. Easier to set up with 2 but can be done with 1. Would buy it again in a heart beat.

none

Originally posted at

2017-10-30T20:00:00

I needed a base camp on Kodiak Island for my mountian hunts. Something amazing. After reading reviews and research the bastion 4 Came home with me. On the second trip into the mountains we had winds in excess of 100mph, several of the guy lines snapped (need sturdier lines) and four of the poles bent in the three days storm. We had no rain just wind, but the tent stayed standing. The noise was deafening, my client got knocked flat by the wind when he went outside to stretch his legs. We ended up building a two foot rock wall around the upwind half of the tent to help disturb the wind current before they slammed the tent. The bent pole in the vestibule created a cup like effect that the wind grabbed on to. As a result it's almost impossible to zip the fly shut now. We splinted one of the other poles in the hopes that it would not snap and bust thru the fly. But. The tent stayed standing, several times when guy lines snapped the tent folded in on us, we added more guy lines and heavier rope and eliminated that problem. Will be contacting north face for pole warranty. I don't think any other tent this size would have made it thru. The extra guy lines we used came off a hilleberg tent that had been shredded by a storm and left on the mountian as someone's trash. Ended up being our treasure.

Mountian J.

Originally posted at

2017-08-31T12:09:37

So been living in this tent for a month. Great tent, the stitching is incredibly strong, the aluminum poles are surprisingly resistant to abuse from the stress of setting the tent up. It stays very dry inside, even when raining outside. Usually you get a weird wet feeling from other three season tents. But not this one. However minor gripes are the the floor. This is one feature I actually like on cheaper tents. The floor of this one is very thin, and sort of conforms to any bumps and tiny branches. So I carry a tarp to put under it. Even with the tent footprint that you can buy for it, is made of the same light thin fabric . A major concern for me, based on my climate, is that the fabric seems to be a magnet for chewing insects, mainly silkworms. They ate three small holes in the tent already. I would recommend very much that if you plan on using this tent for casual camping at treeline, make sure you keep an eye out for the fabric.

jamie h.

2016-11-14T19:00:00

I live in Kansas' "tornado alley". I needed a tent that could stand up to torrential rains and high wind. This tent fits the bill. I opted for the Bastion 4 because I like to have plenty of room for "stuff", an air mattress, and I like the headroom. It's nice to be able to sit in a camp chair without my head hitting the top while weathering out a storm. I've only had my B4 tent and footprint (sold separately) for less than a month and have weathered a massive storm with 50 - 60 MPH winds. I felt safe, was dry, and I slept like a baby in a tent that shrugged off that storm like it was nothing. I always stake down both the footprint and tent as well as use all support lines just in case. All I had to do was close the vents, which by the way do a pretty good job. I can see why expeditions and adverturers use this tent and why people have sworn by North Face tents for 20 years.

Tom

Originally posted at

2016-10-29T00:13:47

The North Face Bastion 4 is everything I've been looking for in a Expedition Tent!! Very durable and plenty of room! Well worth the money and I highly recommend it!!! Scott G.

scott g.

2016-10-10T18:18:08

Got a smoking deal from Sunny! $230 Les than anywhere I could find it. I am an REI co-op member and they could not compete even with the dividend. Just got back from a 9 day fishing adventure. Rain and snow and sun! Setup was a bit tougher than my old Marmot Limelight 3 which only needs four stakes. This tent needs 12 to properly guy out the rainfly. The rainfly hooks under the pole ends in grommets which sucks for the sides of the fly or it touches the tent. So I guyed the sides out away from the tent body for the fix and that was crucial during the two day down pours! The corners of the tent body did let some moister through where the 8 pole ends go into the tent body grommets and I will seam tape those this winter just because! It was only a minor thing but the droplets were there. We had access to power at tihis resort so we used a ceramic heater with thermostat. The tent was a sweat lodge at times loll. Ventilation was good. I have one bitch and that is the zipper operation at the large vestubule, it is scarry sounding and care was needed to open and close it most of the time. I am sure the heating did not help but I pray it never rips out. If the tent is in hot weather or heated up like ours it could be an issue. The small rear vestubule was fine so maybe it is the angular pole through the sleeve that may pull the fabric tight and making the zipper harder to operate. The front vestubule was awesome for stowing boots/rain gear and a place to stow my flyfishing gear bag. I also used it to hide my chargers for my fish finder and trolling batteries. The mesh pockets are EVERYWHERE and were awesome!! The tent seams to be of good quality. I really like it but like I said it could be a slight more challenging to set up solo unlike my old Marmot. I also have a Eureka Timberlite for motobiking and backpacking and I wore out a Sierra Designs Nomad 4 which I loved. This is my fourth tent and buy far the nicest. It is a heavy bag so backpacking it would to me be a chore. I give it a 4.5 because of the zipper and as mentioned, I hope this does not become an issue in the future so if you have kids or a person who is hard on equipment do not let them have free reign at it lol! Hope this helps you decide because I researched the hell out of 4 man tents, including the Poppa Hubba and Marmot Copper Spur which had too much mesh in the tent bodies I guess to reduce weight and the 3 season v. The North Face 4 season. Sharpy, Official Photographer of the Flyfishing website FlyBC. ca

Dale S.

2016-03-02T19:00:00

First off, this tent is well made. The fabric is so much better than the cheaper tents that I have purchased in the past. Those tents served me well in warmer weather, but I needed a tent for the colder seasons, and the Bastion fits the bill. I have set this tent up by myself many times, first time was not the easiest, because of the weight of the material itself, not a bad thing to keep the cold out, just made it more difficult to set up by myself. Two people or more would not be a problem. I did put difficult to setup, because it is not the easiest to set up. I have been around tents all my life, this being my first North Face, so those of you that use North Face tents should have no problem. The only downfall I would say is the weight. During a backpacking trip, you would want to distribute the weight between the hikers using the tent, each one carrying either the fly, the poles, or the tent. You would not want to carry this yourself.

Justin B.

Originally posted at

2015-12-11T19:00:00

Don't know that "best use" is backpacking. That's what we use it for. Bought knowing that my bride has no interest in winter camping; but the kids do. So I shopped specifically for a 4-season model. Given the choice, you can have the snow cave, I'll keep my Bastion4. I've used it less than a year and have about 20 nights in it. I've stayed above treeline in the Rockies in wind; rain; also in heavy, wet snowfall. It hasn't disappointed, yet. More than half of the time, I set it up myself. It's definitely quicker with two people, but is easily doable by oneself. The only word of caution I offer is make sure you set this up once or twice at home before you actually go to use it. This was my first NorthFace, and I had a few ah-ha moments.

Trying r.

Originally posted at

2015-09-14T20:00:00

This is the best tent I have ever owned. Well worth the money!! Reliable, easy to set up and for its size it's not too heavy !

The F.

Originally posted at

2015-08-26T20:00:00

This is the 1st TNF tent I purchased on my own without it being a gift. I own 2 other TNF tents 1 being the Assault 2 which I pair with my Assault bivy & I love it! This tent however is a true BOMB SHELTER in any elements wether it be wind, rain, snow, sleet, hail, anything imaginable. I've used this bad boy in the worst of the worst summer storms while fishing and Myself & my GEAR MOST IMPORTANTLY always stayed dry & COMFORTABLE! You can truly see that TNF just continues to evolve with products like these. The North Face is the ONLY brand of tents I own and will continue too I refuse to switch!

Phildo

Originally posted at

2015-08-25T20:00:00

My husband and I just used this for the first tIme and were very happy with it. It was 90 and humid during our trip and without the wind cover it was breathable and comfortable (I haven't used the cover yet). It is light weight and I had no problem carrying it by myself, along with a full 40L pack, on a 2 mile long hike to the campsite. I haven't found a tent, ever, that would be comfortable with the number of people it is rated for, but it was way more than enough space for the two of us to move around, change, etc... My husband is 6'1" and did not feel cramped when laying down. The only thing I had a hard time finding in a tent, was one as durable and light weight as this that also has a vestibule without the wind cover attached. I liked how breathable the tent was without the cover but the vestibule would have been handy. As far the pros/cons, I wasn't able to test the waterproof or wind proof features. I wouldn't say it's difficult to set up, but you definitely need two people to do it.

Penny043

Originally posted at

2015-06-10T20:00:00

I have owed a lot of North face gear over the decades and this product truly showcases what TNF has learned over the years in tent building. I can take it into any situation in any weather and never once have to worry or think about the tent failing. It is a little heavy but incredibly stable incredibly waterproof while all at the same time super breathable and functional.

Drifter B.

Originally posted at

2015-01-28T19:00:00

Since last fall I have spent roughly 35 days in this tent. I have seen thunderstorms, wind, rain, sleet and both warm and cold. It is absolutely terrific and I believe the reports that it may be bullet proof. As the old saying goes when you buy quality you only cry once. This tent even at what seems a lot of money is a bargain. It is not light but I use it mostly for car camping in the back country.

John727

Originally posted at

2014-03-25T20:00:00

my wife and i aren't great mountain climbers or anything like that. we just like to camp out in really bad weather. the more wind, rain or snow the better we like it. we are both 70 years old and have been married for 51 years. we have done a lot of camping in all sorts of places here in the states and have gone through a lot of equipment. our bastion 4 is the most solid, strongest tent we have ever owned. i can't think of any weather that it could not hold up well in for us. the bastion 4 makes you feel so safe in the worst of weather. we never go to camp grounds or such. we always camp primitive. as i said we look for really bad weather to camp in. sounds weird huh? but to us it's all fun..give it a try.you'll never regret getting a bastion 4. it really gives you a lot of security and protection.

jimjim

Originally posted at