Sierra Designs Orion AST

Review Date
February 23, 2008

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Reviewed by: mkmhusr ,  Mountaineer

Price Paid:  $120.00 at Sierra Trading Post

Summary:
I bought this tent because it was on sale. I did not need it, but it has always appealed to me because of its great ratings. I also thought that it could become my "loaner" tent instead of my other more expensive tents. After taking it on several trips, I enjoy it too much to place less value on it. It is roomy for 2 people. The vestibule is small, but just enough for packs and boots. It is very stable in high winds. I have not had to guy it out yet, but the option is nice to have when above tree-line. It seems to be a very strong and durable 3-season tent. There are other much lighter 3-season tents, but this gives me extra confidence when confronted with adverse conditions. I would definitely recommend it, especially if it is on sale.

Customer Service:
Have not needed.

Similar Products Used:
MH Nightview, MH Alcove 3, BD Firstlight, BD Skylight, & Kelty Ridgeway 4-man

Review Date
April 15, 2005

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Reviewed by: trail ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $85.00 at R.E.I.

Summary:
i bought this tent on a whim- it was on the used rack here at our local R.E.I., and i thought, "wow, a tent for $85? i'll buy it just on principle alone." i'm not one to pass up a good deal, no matter what kind of tent it is, and i knew from a previous tent, my old clip flashlight, that SD makes a quality product. when i set it up in-store to check out what was wrong with it- tears? holes? missing poles? nope. the brainiac former owner had the buckles on the stake out loops threaded backwards- no matter how much he/she tugged on those straps, the buckles weren't going to tighten. oh well, their loss. so i bought it and took it, and the accompanying footprint that was already buckled to the tent, off to my home, and pretty much didn't use it for a few months, since i already had a Marmot area 51 and a north face coriolis tent. but then i went on a 36 mile hike in september, mostly above treeline, here in AK, and decided to take my new little tent with me instead of the marmot, and boy oh boy, this tent rocks. simple set-up, lightweight and rock-solid, and perfectly sized for 1 person, but it will easily accomodate 2 people and gear. the mostly-mesh canopy breathes superbly, and the standard Sierra Designs white canopy makes everything seem that much more light and airy. the fly attaches to the body with 6 side-release plastic buckles, making for a stay-put pitch, and it sucks to the tent itself if you use the velcro straps sewed to the underside of the fly to wrap the poles. the pole clips are easy to use, and the unique wrapping devices at the pole junctions keeps everything in it's place. my one qualm with the tent is the vestibule. it is very versatile- it opens 3 different ways, and i really liked being able to unzip both sides and support the door with my trekking poles, making a large covered front porch. but the zipper snags in the raingutter flaps almost everytime, making it a pain in the ass. plus, when zipped up tight, you have to do some major yoga stretches just to reach the zippers, owing to the steep angle of the pitch and the distance the vestibule stakes out, and when the vestibule is full of packs and boots and dog, it makes it even more of an ordeal. of course, i exaggerate- it is doable, but it is more awkward than it should be, considering how well designed everything else on this tent is. i also really do like the fly/footprint-only pitch, very weatherproof, roomy and light. and i must also recommend the optional gear loft- it was very handy, it strengthens the tent and the clotheslines were a blessing after a crazy downpour that only AK could muster up. and it even sports a hook for my Sierra Designs coffee sling! wow, i never realized how much SD crap i have. all in all, this is a rockin' tent for 3 seasons and i have even taken it into the 4th season, and being here in Alaska, that's saying something. well built, good craftsmanship, and besides the origami contortions getting the vestibule unzipped, flawless.

Customer Service:
haven't dealt with them yet, but i plan on taking them to task for the vestibule design- maybe some seam tape on the raingutter flaps to stiffen them up a bit would help the snagging.

Similar Products Used:
marmot area 51, the north face coriolis, sierra designs clip flashlight, MSR trekker tent

Review Date
March 27, 2004

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Reviewed by: trisjones ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $225.00 at Moosjaw.com

Summary:
To be perfectly frank, this tent is the best tent I have ever used. Whether I was in a mountain thunderstorm in Utah, hail storm in Colorado, or blizzard in Wyoming, I NEVER had a single problem with this tent. The design of this tent is perfect. It can't get any more stable, and even in the blizzard, I was still perfectly comfortable. There is no such thing as a leak with this tent, either.

As far as design is concerned, the inner zipper zips all the way around - a full circle - and then you can tuck the door up out of the way for easy loading or emptying of your gear. That is a great feature. When I was inside, I did have a couple of problems with the zipper getting caught in the zipper flap on the vestibule though. It never got stuck though... always easy to get undone.

Overall, I love this tent.

Customer Service:
While this tent has survived a five week excursion out west, unfortunatley, it lost a battle with my cats while drying in the back yard. I checked with Sierra Designs to see how much they charged to repair the torn screen (two little tears about 4 inches in length)and I was agast at their prices! To do both tears, they quoted me $40.00 per tear, plus shipping and handling! I went to the store and bought some material to patch it myself. Haven't used it yet, but the way the tent is designed, there shouldn't be any stablity problems.

Similar Products Used:
Eureka, Coleman

Review Date
July 8, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: Flagpole1(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Price Paid:  $189.00 at Inukshuk Close Out S

Summary:
Great Tent!!!! Sets up in less then 5 and gives you the shelter you need in all 3 season wheather. You'll need 20x72 (max size) matresses though. It has all the features a BP tent should have. I've been using it for 1 year and a half and it is still my favorite BP tent. I simply love it. I find it better then most of it's light weight counterparts even though it has more weight. The minimal extra weight is negligeable when you consider the quality and strenght it has.

It is free standing, has good ventilation, has enough space for two (with some gear inside and some in the vestibule), it pitches down in less then 5, and has a small enough footprint to be set up most anywhere.

I don't consider this tent a roomy regular camping tent but, for BP purposes it is perfect in every aspect. I'm 6'2", 215 lbs, and I regularly BP with a partner who's almost the same size and we don't feel cramped. We both feel the same way about it. We've been through major wind stoms, rain fall and the likes, and the tent has always been there to make us confident we would be sheltered from those elements.

Greatest buy ever!!!

Customer Service:
Never needed their customer service

Similar Products Used:
Sierra Designs Orion 3 AST, Coleman, NF Tadpole 23, others

Review Date
June 19, 2003

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: marcusl(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $0.00 at REI

Summary:
With two years of use after my initial review (below, 7/01), I remain very happy with the Orion AST. This tent handles 3-season weather well and is quick to set up even with cold hands. I’ve camped in 3” snows and in torrential downpours without any leakage (I sealed the seams according to the instructions). During a winter trip to Rocky Mountain National Park, the tent was stable in high winds (35-45 mph with gusts to 60 mph, according to the National Weather Service) with just the usual stakes at the bottom of the tent and fly. Flapping noise was minimal and didn’t interfere with sleeping. Had I used the guy points midway up the fly, flapping would probably have been eliminated. The tent is a little cozy for two with gear, but you get light weight in return.

Pros: Compact, light, easy to set up. Strong and weathertight. Door stows out of way overhead. Good value.
Cons: Nylon rain fly sags when wet, polyester fly would be better. No usable window ventilation during rain.

Customer Service:
SD was unhelpful when my previous Orion CD tent leaked in 4 different places. REI was wonderful, though, and exchanged it for this new Orion AST.

Similar Products Used:
Marmot Sanctum 4-season.