The tent is a key part of mountaineering equipment and after counting the usage factors, you have to make the appropriate choice.
To buy a tent for our treks, we had to think about the number of people (3 people), the weight (because we have to carry it), the waterproofing and of course the price.
So, we present you the OUTWELL CLOUD 4 tent. Number 4 means that it can sleep 4 people. And the question is, why a 4 person tent? In a 4 person tent, 3 people can have a comfortable sleep, but 4 people are cramped. Similarly, the OUTWELL OUTWELL CLOUD 4CLOUD 3 can sleep 2 people comfortably. So we decided to sacrifice the extra weight, for comfort. Tent’s weight is 5.9 kilos and has 1kg difference from the 3-person model (4.9kg).
It is a 2 room dome tent (inner tent and a vestibule). It has three fiber-glass poles (two for the main body and one for the vestibule). The pitching is quick and easy. The outer tent first and then the inner tent. This kind of pitching is very useful in case of rain.
The inner tent is breathable and has a very easy and fast hanging system. The floor is from a double-coated polyester material and 10000mm waterproof and it is edge lifted for about 10cm. Floor and inner tent fabric are sealed together to prevent the entry of reptiles and insects.
The flysheet is made of OUTTEX 3000 technical fabric, with taped seams. It is 3000mm waterproof, fire-retardant and UV-protected. The pole sleeves are made of power-mesh fabric that prevents tearing and helps the air flow, outside the tent. Poles and sleeves are color coded on the edges. Also there are pre-attached luminous guylines. All these features are making pitching easier. The vestibule has its own detachable groundsheet, which rises a little on the edges and embraces the space (bathtub shape). So the stored gear is not on the ground and also there is no easy access for animals. We do not say that they can not enter; we say that they can not easily enter. Also, there are two toggle-up curtain windows and two ventilation points on top of them. The third ventilation point is at the back of the tent.
All the times that we have used it (once with light rain) we did not have any problems. Both, in the rain and in the cold, the tent’s behavior was very good. It’s a spacious tent for 3 people with plenty of room in the vestibule for our equipment. So there is no need to have backpacks and shoes in the sleeping area. Tent’s weight, is a bit of a problem, especially in long treks, but we always take care, to be carried by the one, who has the lightest backpack. Its price is quite affordable, compared to others in the same category. The price difference between the 3 and 4 person tent is small, so if you want more room and the weight is not a problem, you can choose to buy it. We bought ours from a Greek e-shop named hobbi.gr.
Technical Specifications and features
Flysheet: Outtex 3000mm waterproof breathable membrane with taped seams and UV protection.
Inner tent: 100% breathable polyester with double-coated floor, 100% polyethylene with 10000mm hydrostatic head.
Large vestibule, with detachable (bathtub shape) ground sheet, for greater security and absolute waterproofing.
Fiberglass poles 9.5 / 8.5mm.
All tent’s materials are made of fire retardant materials
Dimensions: Length 210 + 120 cm, Width inr. 240 cm out 260 cm, height 135 cm
Package dimension: 19x65cm
Weight: 5.9kg