L.L. Bean Vector Dome

Review Date
May 27, 2002

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: Denise98(Unregistered User) ,  Car Camper , from Brooklyn,NY USA

Price Paid:  $297.00 at LL Bean

Summary:
GREAT CHOICE DANNY BOY !
Great tent, easy setup and light

Review Date
October 6, 2001

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: Gunter(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from Toronto, ON Canada

Price Paid:  $300.00 at LL Bean

Summary:
I have the Vector Dome that is for 3 to 4 people. I got the tent as a gift and was very happy to get it. I did not like the weight of the tent but it was still nice. I find it best to do backcountry with 3 people to pack this tent. It makes it much easier to spread out the weight. I lived out of the tent over 2 1/2 weeks with 2 others and the tent was great. On cool nights we were all nice and warm and plenty of storage for all of us. We were backcountry in Canada and the bugs were out in force. Therefore we had to spend alot of time in the tent an it was great. But we were lucky. WE DID NOT GET RAIN!!! I just got back from a trip in Ontario and it rained and rained and the temps were in the upper 30's. We set up and put the rain fly on. You must stake out every point of the fly if you want it to be nice and tight. And yes the tape job on the inside of the thet is of the main floor seems only,, YOU MUST SEAL THE REST!! That said,, I did seal the tent and it is sealed well. But after the rain started and we went to sleep by daylight there was was mositure in the tent.. Enough to get the sleeping pads and bags wet.. NOT COOL!! That day it rained and we hiked on.. That night,, yes rain all night.. This night was not any better.. The tent already wet just became saturated with water. The floor seemed and the sidewall of the floor just seemed to let water pass right through the material.. The seems looked fine,, it was the material that was letting the water in. So the sleep was bad and cold,, PLUS WET!!!!!! So I have a hard time saying how nice or how well if it works. If you are lucky to have to rain,, you are good to go,, if it rains,, wear a wetsuit...

Similar Products Used:
None

Review Date
July 11, 2001

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: Jerry G(Unregistered User) ,  Paddler , from Dekalb, IL USA

Price Paid:  $379.00 at LL Bean

Summary:
I have the 6 person version of the tent. I have used it several times now and find it a great car camping tent. It is sturdy, windproof, waterproof, and roomy. The tent has two huge doors and a huge vestibule. For a 6 person tent it is not much heavier, if at all, than other 6 person tents on the market. It has aluminum poles, and with
a 3 pole design, feels stable in wind.

Some drawbacks. The fly is large and a bit unwieldy. You need 2
persons to set this tent up properly. Also, the fly needs to be staked out in several places to remain taunt. Another matter is seam sealing. LL Bean does the basic seam sealing but does not seem the corners where the tent pole grommets pull on the material. This has to be done by hand. My hunch is that the person who experienced so much inside leaking did not seam the tent sufficiently in the right places. This is easy to do and the manufacturer should do this. As for ventilation, the tent vents well
if you can open all the doors and fly. In rainy weather the tent can be a bit muggy.

The bottom line is that this is a very solid, large tent that is hard to find on the market. I feel it is a niche tent. Again, for the square footage, weight, and construction you will find very few similar kinds of tents. So, I like my vector dome but do not think it is the right
tent for everyone or for every situation.

Customer Service:
Some and it has always been helpful and useful.

Similar Products Used:
Eureka timberline, Moss astraldome,
Eureka mountain pass, coleman 5 person
dome.

Review Date
July 10, 2001

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 1 of 5

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: Monika(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from MD, USA

Price Paid:  $279.00 at L.L. Bean

Summary:
Sheesh...wish I had a decent experience with the Vector Dome (for 2). Maybe my tent hunt would finally end after such a long hunt. I thought I finally found the right tent without too much compromise...two doors that opened to the side, zip out panels in the canopy for ventilation (therefore being able to drop the weight on summer trips by leaving the rainfly behind),two vestibules,ripstop nylon material, and it was roomy...not a bad price either.
Here we go: It was described as such and the photos backed up the despcription...NOT! Out of the list I described, the only thing I got was the two doors and spaciousness within the tent! What a huge disappointment. The real topper is that I was in a moderate storm and the dag on thing leaked in several places! Bags, pillow, clothes....WET. Probably because of the nylon taffeta it was actually made of. I'll give a 4 out of 5 stars on the front vestibule for actual space but a three-way entry on the 2-man..uh uh. A small child could fit through either of the side entries. By the way..no rear vestibule. Boo Hiss on this years Vector dome tent. The zippers stuck easily too. If you are considering this tent...read on..

Customer Service:
I called L.L. Bean right after I set it up and asked them "where are the zippers on both the roof vents and on the bottom of either of the doors?" "They should be there..must be defective...and by the way you know that it is made of nylon tafetta and not ripstop...we'll send you another right away!" True to their word, a couple of days later, another arrived. I pulled it out and it was the same thing I already had.
After many back and forth calls to L.L. Bean it was determined that this is how they now are. They even agreed with me that the advertising of this tent was a gross misrepresentation of the product. Mind you...I ordered this tent out of their most recent gear catalog.
The story doesn't end here...a pick-up was scheduled and guess what?...I still have both tents and the footprint waiting for a pick-up.
In L.L. Bean's behalf, they were very concerned and curteous throught this experience and I trust I will receive a prompt refund. I did buy their best down sleeping bag (Summit 775+) and am VERY pleased with it. I only caution those shopping at L.L. Bean to ask every question you can think of to ensure you will be receving what you think you are.

Similar Products Used:
I have an old Coleman 2-man Timberline A-Frame tent that stood up tried and true for many, many years. Unfortunately it is now worn and irreplaceable.

Review Date
August 3, 2000

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: Stephen Middlekauff(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from Fort Mill, SC, USA

Summary:
I have the 6-man version, which I bought this spring for a 2-week trip to Yellowstone for my family of 5 (three kids aged 9-14). I compared and compared before I settled on this tent, concluding I would get the highest quality and most real estate for the money.

We camped in snow, gusting winds, and heavy downpours throughout our trip, and the tent performed incredibly throughout all of them. I was VERY impressed, after being used to getting wet in my older 25+ year old Coleman cabin tent. The tent held up well under very heavy wind, the only weak spot was the vestibule stakes would come loose under heavy winds, but was more a function of soft soil.

Setup is complicated, but after a practice run it is amazingly logical and straightforward. Difficult for one person, much easier with some help. Don't understand a previous comment about the need for color coded poles - there are only 4 poles and 3 are identical. Rainfly is wonderful, the vestibule is gargantuan and even kept all of our gear dry during the downpour. The rainfly requires many stakes to be set up properly and be effective, but that's the breaks for such a big tent.

Rated for 6 people, as usual we found that it slept four people VERY comfortably, and five was somewhat awkward, due to the odd shape of the tent (it is not a perfect square). Six people may be achievable if all were using bed rolls instead of big air mattresses. Can't complain about the size though - at 6'3" I can stand up straight in it as well. With two BIG doors it is very easy to get in and out of.

Overall - love the tent, no regrets! Very lightweight and compact, and watertight right out of the package.

Customer Service:
No experience with customer service, but LLBean has a great reputation.

Similar Products Used:
A big 25+ y.o. canvas Coleman Cabin tent, no comparison to the Vector Dome.