Gear Review: Marmot Tungsten UL 2P Tent

The tent utilizes a simple, connected two-pole design with color coding plus a brow pole for extra headroom. A unique touch in pole design are pre-bent segments near the ends, which add water-shedding verticality when the fly is attached, and also create extra interior room near the floor. Marmot advertises a bit more floor space in the Tungsten than most other ultralights on the market (32 square feet), and I actually did notice the difference. It felt roomier than I expected when sharing with a tent mate.

The fly has simple plastic clips that attach to nylon loops on the tent base. Most other tents utilize buckles instead, which you may prefer for ease of use, but I find the Tungsten's system better. Buckles may break by being stepped on or becoming brittle over time, but the cord loops are simpler and easier to replace if needed.

Other features include: Quick clips on the underside of the fly that secure to either end of the brow pole, exterior loops to attach guylines for stability in high winds (lines not included), and mesh storage pockets in the sides and overhead. The tent does not come with a footprint; it is sold separately.

This tent is not the lightest or most feature-rich of the ultralight tents out there, but the modest price makes it an excellent choice for your average backpacker. In fact, this is probably one of the best ultralight tents for the price on the market.