Marmot Nutshell

Review Date
March 13, 2004

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: The Nut ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $250.00 at Campmor.com

Summary:
I am a nut for the nutshell. This tent has performed wonderfully for me. The nutshell is extremely durable. It is not the lightest tent in the world but will serve fine with the parts split between two people. I personally carry it alone and am only 15. It dries fast and is easy to clean. (Just pick it up and shake it out). The tent does slightly condensate on the fly. The inside, however, has never even been damp in my experience. The people who complain about the tent condensating where the tent touches the fly just need to set up the fly better. After I had set up the tent three times, I could set it up in under 5 minutes alone! The seams are sealed correctly, the tent and fly material are durable, and the poles are top of the line aluminum. The nutshell is not a four season tent nut could be used into early/late winter with the fly. The tent top is completely mesh making for excellent ventilation and star gazing. Do NOT leave the fly off if there is a chance of rain! The fly is a little small but is enough for a pack and pair of boots. (I keep my pack inside for a pillow anyway). I always research extensively before purchasing a product. I was always drawn back to the sleek design, weight, quality, and ultimately price of the Marmot Nutshell. This is a great tent for beginners and experts alike. I also own the marmot Neversummer. My review for it is just as good.

Customer Service:
I have never had any problem with any of my Marmot products and have not needed customer support. The tent arrived on time and in perfect condition.

Similar Products Used:
Marmot Neversummer, Mountain hut 4

Review Date
June 23, 2001

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Reviewed by: ed v(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from rockford, IL, usa

Price Paid:  $200.00 at campmor (sale)

Summary:
great tent, with two reservations. firstly, i have problems with the fly touching the tent on opposite sides of the tent. this impairs the ventilation of the tent. i tried Sierra Designs Grip Clips (4 for $10 at campmor) with fairly good success. the other problem is condensation. fortunately, because of the mesh roof, it is on the fly rather than the tent body and i keep fairly dry. however, where the fly touches, i have a slight drip. i get a mild condensation whenever it dews or rains. it is noticibly worse with 2 people in the tent. if you vent well, it is still fairly manageable.

this is still a really good tent, though. it has plenty of guy line attachments, which is nice. in thunderstorms where everyone elses tent around me (i was at a summer camp) got blown away and soaked, this tent stayed perfectly high and dry. it has a quick set up, which is really nice. the door design is excellent, too. it is designed so it cannot drag in the dirt. i love it. the floor is the best of any tent i have seen. i have never been soaked yet in it. i like the burrito stuff sack, too. it is very convinient and compresses the tent, groundsheet, and accesories well. one quibble- i have yet to figure out how to use it as a gear loft. will someone email me and explain?

i have used this tent quite a bit as a one person tent. it works quite well if you are willing to carry it. i have used it as a two person tent a bit, and it is small, but quite livable. might have problems stowing gear, though. the vestibule is small, but large enough for boots and a little more gear. not really a big drawback. i actually like the sizes of the tent, now. overall, this is a great dual use tent of excellent marmot quality which i would definitely consider in the unending quest for the perfect tent.

Similar Products Used:
Eureka Timberline 2-awful floor. the reason i got this tent.

Review Date
July 17, 2000

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: Lip Smacker(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from Washington, DC

Summary:
OK, here's a "practical experience" review, glean what you'd like from it:

A friend and I were in the smokies for a week. now we all know about smoky summers, right? ... if it isn't raining, then it's about to. our trip was no exception. with all of the humidity and rain (sometimes darn heavy)
not a drop of H2O made its way into the tent. there was some LIGHT condesation against one wall due to a sagging (tent-touching) fly in the area, but that was easily corrected by putting the fly on a bit better, nothing a homo sapien couldn't figure out. there wasn't much wind during the week, so ventilation was a no-go with the tent, but still no fly condensation and no "is this a tent or an oven?" heat buildup. with a nice breeze at least, this tent should be plenty comfortable in hot & humid conditions. As for space: solo --> palace (gear inside); pair --> nice, just be shorter than 6' and friendly (gear inside/outside, figure out the logistics). I wish the vestibule was bigger, this is my ONLY complaint.

so, in a nutshell (could this pun possibly be resisted?), i would say that this is a good tent for the money, great if you can get it on sale (I got it for $199 @ rei-outlet). A solid performer that was a backpacker mag 1996 editors choice award winner.

Customer Service:
no, but I hear that it is awesome.

Similar Products Used:
None

Review Date
February 10, 2000

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: dan leaverton(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from kentfield, ca, usa

Summary:
I purchased this tent because it was just about the lightest freestanding tent available. I use it primarily for solo bicycle touring where every ounce counts. The tent is just long enough for me at 6'1" and will comfortably hold all the gear that I don't want to leave outside. For two people the tent is cramped as elbows are always touching. To Marmot's credit I have used the tent over 100 days and it is in perfect condition! It sets up in 3 minutes and packs as quickly. It is stable in foul weather but needs to be properly staked to keep the fly from touching the tent. The see through mesh top makes a clear night the best part of the day.

Customer Service:
All Marmot experiences have been positive.

Review Date
February 2, 2000

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: Louie Escober(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from Berkeley, CA USA

Summary:
Good tent. Really great for a solo traveler. Not too heavy, and it vents fairly well. The mesh roof is great for star watching. There were a few problems, however. The fly is seam sealed, but I noticed leaks coming from where the velcro tabs are attached to the fly. A bit of seam sealer fixed that. I also noticed that the fly doesn't go all the way to the ground, so you do get splash up on to the sides of the tent. Not really a big deal.

Customer Service:
No problems with the tent, so no reason to check with customer service - which is the best customer service of all.

Similar Products Used:
Mtn. Hardwear Trango 2