Sierra Designs Meteor Lite 3 Person Tent

2022-11-26T19:00:00

I did a lot of shopping around for the perfect light weight tent for backpacking. I wanted to shed weight but keep a double wall free standing tent. I purchased all the big names and wasn't satisfied with any of them but then discovered the Sierra Designs Meteor Lite 3. It really is the perfect tent to balance weight and convenience. I love everything about it. ??

Sean

Originally posted at

2022-11-17T19:00:00

My old Sierra Designs Orion CD tent lasted *24 years* through extreme camping conditions including 3 Burning Mans (1998-2001) and countless other crazy adventures. I am very excited to battle test the new Meteor Lite 3. This is the overall same basic design with easy setup and good ventilation for desert environments but with more room, less weight, and two doors. I will post again after I've had a chance to use it. Very excited!

Ian K.

Originally posted at

2022-10-23T20:00:00

For years now I have used the Sweet Suite 3 - a very similar previous model to the Meteor Lite 3. It has been so pleased with it that I decided I wanted to have a duplicate on hand so that I'd never be without one. I will continue to buy Sierra Designs tents in the future. They are perfect in my opinion. This model has been my go-to for backpacking with my significant other. I have also used it for car camping, and it has never let me down. Highly recommended.

Andrew W.

Originally posted at

2021-06-29T20:00:00

I have had a chance to get this tent out a few times now. I have not been disappointed with my purchase and it was money well spent. It is light weight and packs well. It has plenty of room for two of us and gear. Ventilation seems to be adequate to keep out condensation. This is a tent that is well thought out in every aspect. I appreciate the attention to detail. I would highly recommend buying the footprint for it as well. I look forward to spending more time camping with my family and Sierra Designs products.

Mike

Originally posted at

2021-04-05T20:00:00

Fits 3 well. Great headroom

Daniel K.

Originally posted at

2021-02-28T19:00:00

Setup is simple. First setup without instructions was no problem. Color coding is logical and the the pole locks on the webbing. This keeps the poles in place avoiding that annoying pole pop out during setup issue. We didn't try, but that feature could make it so 1 person could do the entire setup. My packaged weight is a little more than advertised here at 4lbs 4oz. Stakes seems solid and include reflective cordage, which isn't mentioned, but was a nice extra. I could remove the cordage and save .05oz per stake (if you really need to save .5oz!). The bent poles and cross bar make this tent very large with mostly vertical walls. I could see 3 of us in this, but will likely use this as a 2p where I know there will be more tent time. We have a non-SD UL2, and its not fun for extended periods. Zippers work well, I had to use 2 hands to unzip the body door, but that's pretty standard. The fly zip is a 2 way zipper, so if needed, it could function as another way to vent the tent. We didn't need to do this, so I can't comment on how well it would work. We were able to get the fly zipper stuck in the fly flap, this is pretty standard in every tent I own, so open the fly with a some caution. Pockets on the right and left side are deep and pretty big, very useful for things like gloves, lights. The attic pocket is a little goofy to use as it points to the "toe" end. I guess if you have a person sleeping with head at the toe end it would be more useful for them. The materials seem solid - more solid than other UL's at this weight range, so that is very impressive. Love the enchilada bag, its super easy to get get the tent back away without having to destroy the bag getting it in. I would love it if SD would think about making a bag/footprint where the whole footrprint could be used to roll the tent up like the enchilada bag. My only concern it the tightness of the tent body to the poles. There are a couple clips that stretch the bug netting pretty tight, I hope these don't become rip points. The vestibules are big enough for 3 people's gear, but with 2 of us, everything (minus food), comes into the tent! The fly could be a little tighter, but the stake out points in the mid section of head/toe and the vestibule stakes take out all the slack. I only used these 4 stake points and the tent was solid with minimal flapping in some 5-10 mph winds. This is a 3 season tent and the fly doesn't go all the way to the ground, so you do get some breeze inside. Great for ventilation, but bad for colder temps or wind blown rain storms - definitely a 3 season tent, not a 4 season. No idea why this tent isn't in reviewers top 10, it should be. With solid materials for a UL tent, size and features, its hard to beat.

BRIAN N.

Originally posted at

2021-01-18T19:00:00

The ventilation is excellent and it is easy to open after a bit of practice. Very spacious for two persons. It is hard to fold back to the original size after its open and it may be too cold to use during Hong Kong winters. Overall I think it’s worth buying especially its a bargain during Black Friday.

Hau Y.

Originally posted at

2020-12-19T19:00:00

Super easy setup. So much room for the weight. Can’t wait to use it on the trail.

Chad E.

Originally posted at

2020-11-23T19:00:00

This tent is everything mentioned in the review header. It is extremely easy to set up, with poles connected to a x-shaped centerpiece. The material is lightweight and durable and small enough to easily be packed in and out. Can't wait to get more use out of it and see how it stands the test of time.

Josh A.

Originally posted at

2020-10-04T20:00:00

I just purchased this tent in preparation for the John Muir Trail next year. I am taking my two teenage boys along and wanted one tent so that we could divide the weight. We looked at many tents and even purchased/returned a few that were just too small for three people. This was the first tent that would fit three 21 inch air mattresses. It is huge and light. The set up was super easy and looks quite durable. I have not had a chance to use it yet but I have 20 years of tent buying experience (we spend 6 weeks each summer camping) and this looks like a good one. I can't wait to try it out.

JASON C.

Originally posted at

2020-08-28T20:00:00

I chose this tent for the weight - usability - price ratio. My biggest fear with every new tent is that it wouldn't perform well in bad weather. Fear which was ungrounded. We went on a 10 days hiking trip with the Meteor Lite 3. Already the first night it withstood several thunderstorms. We stayed dry and comfy throughout the whole trip. It's easy to set-up, stable, sturdy and spacious. We appreciated the little pockets and hooks. Well done Sierradesigns!

Yue W.

Originally posted at

2020-08-17T20:00:00

Very light and compact on the pack. Set up is fast and intuitive. Poles and stakes very solid. Breathability is good - but you need to pay close attention to getting the rain fly/vestibules properly tensioned for air space against the tent. Haven't yet been through a rain storm so I will have to let you know on that one. So far very pleased.

Greg N.

Originally posted at

2020-06-08T20:00:00

This is a great tent for comfortable backpacking with 2 persons. While there are lighter structures out there they are either not free standing, made of dyneema (at 2x the cost), or both. While not ultralight compared to the latest stuff from the Dyneema producers, I consider a 2.25 lb structure per person (using as 2 person) an acceptable compromise giving us each about 30 inches of space. My tent did weigh exactly 4.5lbs when fully packaged (stakes & all stuff sacks) on 2 separate scales. The materials seem to be of good quality, time will tell, I've only used the tent for 3 nights. It stayed water tight through it's first rainstorm, about 1" of rain over 8 hours. I have a similar cost / weight 3 man tent from Big Agnes and I much prefer the Sierra Designs. I highly recommend Sierra Designs for this price point and would only say consider something else if you are paying significantly more for Dyneema, which I personally have no experience with. This 3 man size provides a great nights sleep for 2 larger adults. I use a 25" wide air mattress and most 2 person tents will not actually accommodate 2 mattress of this width (usually they provide ~45inch total width). Even with my wife I find that 24 inches of width is too narrow to sleep well, forget dude to dude, and that this provides the extra room we want. I usually hike 1-2 nights only and am currently trying to go lighter without sacrificing comfort.

Trey

Originally posted at

2020-06-02T20:00:00

Took it out for first trip over Memorial Day weekend—and loved it. First time I’ve owned a Sierra Designs tent and wish I’d done it sooner. Thoughtful design allowed us to set it up in record time and quality materials made a couple of nights below freezing as comfortable as we could have wanted. Zipper and overlapping flap will take some getting used to—but isn’t that true with any tent zipper. With light weight, will be easy to justify a little extra space when out on trips with just two of us. Look forward to years of nights under the stars.

Jay G.

Originally posted at

2020-06-01T20:00:00

So light and so easy to put up. This is definitely a keeper!

Gary G.

Originally posted at

2020-03-29T20:00:00

This is an amazing tent. Perfect balance of weight, strength, and space. Was looking at big Agnes tents because of how light they are but they are all paper thin nylon. I go backpacking often with my dog and partner and wanted something that can put up with years of use. Never been disappointed with any Sierra Designs product. I also use their down jacket that’s about 6 years old it’s dirty and patched but still warm and useful. If you want a quality tent from a solid company that is lightweight and strong, look no further. I also recently bought the footprint to go along with it just for the extra protection and it’s built like a tank. Still under 5lbs. With extra stakes and footprint. If your splitting the weight with a hiking partner that’s just over 2lbs. It’s a mansion for 2 and a dog. Would work just fine for 3 with gear in the large vestibules. Lots of headroom and fair amount of storage space and pockets. Don’t over pay for a paper thin big Agnes that if a fly lands on it too hard it will rip.

Ryan L.

Originally posted at