Gear Review: Marmot Marmot Limelight 3P Tent
Value Rating: 9
Durability Rating: 10
Overall Rating: 9
Location of Test: Olallie Lake Wilderness
Duration of Test: 3 days 3 nights
Product Name: Limelight 3P Tent
Product Brand: Marmot
Best Use: Early Spring to Late Fall camping
The Full Review:
I took the Limelight 3P Backpacking tent on an amazing trip into the Olallie Lake Wilderness and I was pleasantly surprised with it. The trip took place in early October, so for some tents this is already past their "3 season" time period.
It’s a light tent already but was nice because I was able to split the weight with someone else who I was going to share it with. The first night I shared it with another guy in the group and we were immediately grateful for the 2 doors and 2 vestibules. These gave us the ability to get up in the middle of the night without having to crawl over each other and the vestibules gave us rooms to put out backpacks under cover. With only 2 people in the tent that evening we had plenty of space to spread out a bit.
Another thing I thought was awesome was the buckle system the attached the rain fly to the tent. Usually, these are small clips with no adjustability. I really liked the simple buckle system they designed. We did experience some forceful winds that first evening, but the tent held up great. The vestibules on either side kept the wind out well. I will say we found it best to tuck the rain fly in under the head and feet of the tent when windy. There were rain and snow and we stayed bone dry.
The second night our friend who had slept in his hammock the night before decided to join us in the Limelight 3P. With 3 people this tent was still incredibly comfortable. This just meant we had to leave our gear outside. We actually generated quite a bit of heat and usually, a tent would have begun to dampen with the moisture but because of the great ventilation, the tent walls stayed dry.
We pitched out limelight on a foot of snow the second night and some had melted away from our heat. I was surprised to find that even the melted snow did not get through the floor of the tent. All of the material on this tent is extremely water resistant. I can say that we used this tent in harsher conditions than it was designed for and we were extremely pleased with it.
This would make anyone a great all-around backpacking tent from early spring to late fall.
The Good
Light
Spacious
Waterproof
2 doors
2 vestibules
Rain fly buckle system
Durable
Stands up in Wind and Rain
Doesn't "sweat"
Good price
The Bad:
Lower vented mesh better for summer than fall
Not a full winter tent
The Bottom Line:
This is a great all around great backpacking tent. If I was to have just one, this would be it. Durable, light, simple to set up, this will have you feeling secure on my nights in the backcountry. With a trusted brand like Marmot you simple can't go wrong with this tent.
