ALPS Mountaineering 5024617 Lynx: 1-Person Tent Review
Whenever I select something as a “Best Value” top choice, I try to keep both quality and price in mind. It wouldn’t do to simply bring you the least expensive tent I can find. If I were to suggest that you purchase an extremely inexpensive tent I would be condemning you to a terrible camping experience filled with rain puddles and shivers.
Instead of bringing you the cheapest tent on the market and telling you it has the best value, I decided to bring you the Alps Mountaineering Lynx – a good quality tent at an affordable price. There is no need to break the bank to purchase this tent. Its affordable price will meet most budgetary restrictions without making you compromise quality for the sake of affordability.
Alps Mountaineering is a trusted name in the camping and backpacking industry. This award-winning company has built its entire brand on its reputation for quality. It is no surprise that their Lynx one person tent lives up to that standard despite its affordable price.
The Specifications
Before we get too far into the details of how this tent will impact your camping or backpacking experience, I want to give you an overview of the things we will be discussing in this article.
This tent’s shell measures 7 feet, 6 inches in length and features three feet of clearance at its highest point. Despite its large size when assembled, this tent only measures 6-inches by 17.5-inches when packed into its accompanying carrying bag.
Its walls are about one-third polyester taffeta and two-thirds mesh. It also features a full fly which comes down to cover the entire tent while simultaneously creating a spacious vestibule. The entrances to both the vestibule and the shell are located on one of the tent’s long sides for easy access.
A Comfortable Size
Measuring a long 7 feet 6 inches, this Alps tent allows you to bring your pack inside with you as you rest in the evening. Plenty of room at your head or your feet will allow you to store your belongings throughout the night as you sleep. You won’t need to worry that a neighboring raccoon has found his way into your things or that the rain will soak its way through your pack on stormy nights.
Its three feet of head room allows you to sit up straight inside this tent and opens even more floor space for your desired activities. You can easily use this extra space sort through your things, prepare your meals or entertain yourself with whatever books or games you bring along on your trip.
Easy to Transport
Despite its roomy interior, this tent quickly folds up into a tiny 6-inch by 17.5-inch carrying bag weighing a minimal 3lbs 5oz. Whether attaching this tent to your pack on a backpacking trip or simply trying to stuff it into a small vehicle for a stationary camping trip, its small size will help free up more space for your other belongings.
This tent’s packed weight equates to that of many higher-priced lightweight single person tents and shouldn’t add too much to the weight of your backpack if you are camping as you travel about.
Weather Friendly
If you find yourself under a sea of stars too beautiful to pass up, simply leave the rainfly off for the night and hunker into your own personal stargazing dome. Stars or no stars, the two-thirds mesh walls will allow even the fainted breeze to make its way through your tent, cooling you off after a long day of hiking or participating in recreational activities.
When the clouds roll in and rain begins to fall, simply slide the fly over the shell and secure it in place. Buckles on the corners of the shell’s shorter sides allow you to quickly snap the fly in place. Two stakes help you secure the fly after pulling it out over the ground in front of the shell’s entrance. This extra space becomes a large vestibule area.
Oversized Vestibule
With an overall area of 10 square feet and a height of three feet, this tent’s fully enclosed vestibule is one of the largest I have seen on a single person tent. You should have no problem disrobing wet or muddy clothing in this fully private space. It is also large enough to house your shoes, boots, and many other belongings you may choose not to bring inside your tent.
Instead of a semicircular entrance like those featured on the vestibules of many other single person tents, this vestibule’s entrance features a single, horizontal zipper. Though this may be a little more difficult to get in and out of than a semicircular opening, it does allow you to completely open the vestibule to your tent’s inner entrance.
Simply unzip the vestibule entrance and secure each of the side flaps onto the attachments on the fly’s exterior. Now you have all the rain protection you need during a light shower while allowing fresh air and conversation to effortlessly make their way into your tent.
Easy Access
Whereas many other single occupancy tents have entrances on their short sides, the Lynx’s entrance is on one of the long sides of the tent.
This not only brings you in where there is optimal head clearance, it also allows you to enter and exit effortlessly without having to climb over any of the belongings you have dragged into your tent with you.
Great For Recreational Campers and Hikers
Though I cannot tell you this would be your top choice for an extremely long and harsh backpacking adventure, I can confidently say that this Alps Mountaineering tent should meet your needs on any recreational camping or backpacking trip.
Let me say it clearly – this is not the tent you want to purchase if you are planning to climb Mount Everest. It is, however, a very affordable, high-quality tent which will serve you well on weeklong trips throughout spring, summer, and autumn.
