Backpacker 4/06 Aeolos 2P

Sure, we get pretty worked up over ultralight tents. But the truly rare find is a traditional double-wall that cuts weight without slashing features or stability. Enter the Aeolos. We slept in it through deluges in the Olympics, sandblasting winds in Utah, and dripping humidity in the Catskills, and we’re still looking for something bad to say about it.

Marmot’s design acumen comes through in details like the Aeolos’s pole clips. Not only are these the strongest clips we’ve seen, but they also combine with smooth-sliding pole sleeves for an easy, secure pitch. One editor had it up in minutes – by headlamp – her first time out. Other stuff we like: the dual-diameter poles, which are thicker in the middle (where strength is crucial) and thinner at the ends (where weight-shaving makes sense). The large doors and vent that eliminate condensation even on soggy nights. The door design that keeps rain from dripping inside when we get in and out. The huge vestibules, which fit two big, drooly dogs, plus gear. And the rainfly-only pitch (with $40 optional footprint), which shaves nearly 2 pounds.

But this tent’s most impressive feature is its awesome space-to-weight ratio. With Marmot’s unique knee-pole design – the main crossing poles are prebent to create steeper sidewalls – and two short bridge poles across the roof, even our tallest testers were happy with the headroom. Four people can play cards here in a rainstorm, and two 6-footers could think they’re sleeping alone. Yet the weight comes in under 5-1/2 pounds. OK, one nitpick: instead of standard stake loops, the tent has strips of webbing whose slots aren’t big enough for T or Y stakes, only Marmot’s flexy needle stakes.