Sierra Designs Alpha CD

Review Date
March 31, 2008

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Reviewed by: gear-guru ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $100.00 at REI

Summary:
Just got the tent...all seems well, but I mainly wanted to comment on SD's customer service......(below)

Customer Service:
I just purchased this tent and don't have much to say yet, but I wanted to comment on Sierra Designs customer service since some people here seem disappointed in it. I have a Beduin Family tent by SD and I had to send it in for repairs once. I was shocked at how fast they returned my tent! 10 later and my tent was on my doorstep. That is mostly why I bought an SD again. I once had to send a Bora 80 in for repairs and it tooks MONTHS....like 2.5 or 3 months...so much for that backpacking season. Sierra Designs has AWESOME customer service according to my experince.

Review Date
May 14, 2005

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Reviewed by: GW@outdoors ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $550.00 at Base Camp

Summary:
Pros: Light for such a versatile tent, especially if split between 2 or 3 people. Great ventilation for summer and winter use, and plenty of room for me(6') and two budies(6' each).
Cons: Nylon fly sags when wet and requires constant tightening in wet weather, otherwise lowspots where water can accumulate start to form on the fly. Vestibule zipper hard to reach without touchin fly and getting soaked. Floor not as waterproof as many other companies.
All in all a better winter tent than summer due to the poor performance in wet weather. Sierra-designs use lighter material(nylon) and lower PU coatings on the floors to get the weight down. This cost them in water resistance. However the overall design of this tent is nice and solid which is why I would trust it even the worst fo winter conditions

Customer Service:
None yet

Review Date
November 16, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: Russ Cameron(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $340.00 at Eb's Sail 'n' Sport

Summary:
I have had this tent out in the bald prairies where the wind was howling at over 110 km/h and it was absolutely solid. The guylines help out a lot due to the fact that they are connected directly to the tent frame so the fly fabric is not the one being pulled on. I have had it out in the winter when it was -20C and ice formation was not a problem due to the large roll back ceiling panel. Unfortunatly, I find that the vesitbule is not larger enough for three large packs. The stash door is great, not having any water soaking it. I am 6'7' and I find this tent to have able head room. This tent will fit three people, I have gone with two of my buddies, but they are 5'10".

Similar Products Used:
North Face Road Runner
North Face Peregrine

Review Date
October 22, 2002

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Reviewed by: kayak54(Unregistered User) ,  Paddler , from Mansfield, TX

Price Paid:  $239.00 at Campmor

Summary:
This is a great tent if you don't mind carring an extra 2-3 lbs. and 5 minutes extra in set-up time. Extremly durable and able to withstand rain and wind while keeping you nice and dry. Two big guys and back packs works well in this tent. My son is 6'3" and I am 6'+ . We have sat out rainstorms in both coastal areas and Arkansas that have crushed other tents around us. One day we sat out a storm w/60+ winds and over 8" of rain in 24 hrs. It was enough wind to move our kayaks, luckely I had tied them off. I have a 2000' model w/o the screen door pocket, a small inconvience for the quality at the price. Breates well also. Mark

Review Date
May 16, 2002

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Reviewed by: bsturgen(Unregistered User) ,  Car Camper , from WI, USA

Price Paid:  $340.00 at REI

Summary:
Great small family tent. Me, my daughter, and our gear fit fine in this tent. When the wife comes with, the gear goes in the vestibule just fine. I also got the attic and the footprint, well worth the money. The instructions are not very good. The tent is a little heavy to lug around, but should be fine for canoeing.

Customer Service:
Have not dealt with Sierra Design customer service. I must say, however, that the instructions were bad.

Similar Products Used:
40 year old heavy cloth tarp tent that smelled like mothballs and must have weighed about 150 pounds.