Let’s talk about your Cloudburst (3)

[dirtbag]

I’ve scoured the internet and read over BPL past forum posts discussions about Tarptent Cloudburst 3..  and alas..I would love to read some new reviews and current discussions about it. Some actual time tested and used reviews. I am not interested in first impressions or backyard setups or single use reviews. I am not interested in alternatives.  I am interested in the Cloudburst 3, not so much for backpacking but in a pinch could be packed and carried.. Mainly just for camping with others.. 3 season.. Light 4 season.. Nothing harsh but can withstand some nasty weather.. Ease of setup and breakdown.. Views..

So tell me.. Over time and use.. Do you still love it? More or less then when you first got it? What don’t you like about it?

[dirtbag]

Crickets huh??

[Brad Rogers]

I don’t own one, but I think it sounds perfect for what you want to do.  I think the Cloudburst is a interesting shelter as I think with a few mods (pole sleeve for the middle pole and more guyouts) it could be a fairly budget, lightweight bomber 4 season shelter.

[jake.]

The Cloudburst3 has been my go to tent for 3+ season use with 2/3 people for some years. After having tried many different shelters it’s hard to beat the space, weight and convenience of the cloudburst. The third pole and condensation liner come in handy in more inclement weather but it doesn’t replace my Hilleberg Nammatj3  in winter when it’s bitter cold and stormy. Spindrift will work it’s way in due to the mesh along the bottom and ends but it can be snugged up to the ground very well against most weather.

 

The vestibules on both sides are spacious for gear and make ingress and egress convenient when you have company. Being able to roll the vestibules completely out of the way for views and ventilation is a great feature. Pole tensioners and guy lines are well thought out and simple to adjust. The fabric and construction are quite robust and with proper pitching and campsite choice can definitely take some wind and weather. Not sure what else to say. I would not hesitate to buy this tent again, it’s been perfect!

-jake

[Bill in Roswell]

You may want to post a similar message on Reddit, Backpacking.net and/or Trailspace. I’m sure there are other places to post such discussions, too.

[Vladimir Kucherov]

I’ve used mine for a few years, mostly weekend 1-2 nights. It’s easy to pitch, and has a ton of room inside. I’ve only used it with 2 people, where we have the space to bring in our backpacks inside to keep them dry.

I think for any amount of wind and rain you will want the 3rd pole. The fabric simply doesn’t stretch tight enough through the middle and without the 3rd pole you will have flapping and misting in bad weather. However, the bathtub floor is well designed where condensation will generally run off on the sides past the bathtub, through the bugnet, and out of your tent.

I wish the vestibules were much longer. They’re not very large and they are a little too steep. I think longer vestibules would lead to tighter pitches and more usable space but it’s already a huge tent so I suppose that would make it even harder to find a campsite for.

Ultimately the 2 things that made me look for other tents were 1) I just can’t do front entry in wet/muddy weather, and 2) Packing up this much silnylon wet is a nightmare. I don’t see this discussed often but if you’re hiking northeast where things don’t dry, you’re usually hauling around a few extra pounds of water stuck in saturated silnylon on multiday hikes.

[dirtbag]

Thanks.

[jake.]

@Vladimir Kucherov

I’ve had a much different experience. Never had a problem getting into the tent during a downpour and keeping things dry. In lighter rains I’ve rolled the whole vestibule back for full views and ventilation with no problems.

 

Yes, big tents use more silnylon but it won’t hold pounds of water. A quick shake will get most of it off leaving only a few ounces, I’ve weighed it after to check. For a three person tent with bug protection, extra features and being quite storm worthy it’s hard to beat.

[Author]

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