a Tent. I had been doing a lot of comparison shopping, checking out all the websites wondering which model to get and finally one came on sale at a reasonable price. So I made the big leap and bought it. I purchased a ground sheet a couple of years ago so I layed it out so I could see how easy it is to set up this Marmot Traillight 2p 3-season tent. It comes with its own ground sheet, fly and DAC aluminum poles. It is very light weighing under 5 lbs
I unpack the contents, spread out the tent, connect the cord locked poles and put the ends into the grommets at each corner
so far it seems too easy. The tent hangs on the outside frame and all I have to do is to clip the plastic tabs onto the aluminum poles. There is a larger ring for the one in the middle where they intersect
I notice there are a lot of mesh panels for air circulation. Now I unwrap the fly and drape it over the tent. The pole tethers at the front have colour-coded ribbons (RED) sewn in so you know which way to attach the fly. Otherwise the doors won't line up with the fly
I decided to try out the tent, I climb inside and find it is too short. My head is hitting the side of the tent and I can't get my feet inside.
Notice that the fly forms a vestible where you can put your riding gear out of the elements. I decided to turn myself lengthwise and finally I could fit fully inside. This is a 2 person model and it would be a bit tight for two, unless you were on your honeymoon, but for one it would be sufficient
It doesn't hurt to do a dry run, to test that it works and also to make sure you have all the pieces. Now it was time to dismantle and try to pack it back into its carrying pouch
I unclip all the plastic fasteners, collapse the poles and start folding everything
I carefully fold the ground sheet, the fly and the tent trying to minimize its bulk. The aluminum DAC poles and J-pegs are in separate bags which I place in the middle and I gently roll the set back up to be able to fit inside the original pouch
Mission accomplished. I managed to get the roll small enough to fit back into its tubular package, including the poles and J-pegs
I plan to strap it onto my rear seat between my side cases as an emergency measure, along with an old sleeping bag which may be packed inside of a waterproof dry bag
It's like packing an umbrella with the hope that it never rains
