Rectangular vs. Tapered Tents (2026)

^Got to test out the new Tungsten UL 2P. When I press down on the top of the frame there is definitely that reassuring strength you expect from an X-braced frame. Marmot does a great job on the toggles and stretchy loops that hold the vestibule flaps open. It’s easier to tie them back than on any other tent I’ve used. It really increases the aesthetic experience as well as the ventilation. The mesh canopy didn’t bother me even though it went down to 37F the first night, but it wasn’t very windy.

^I had no trouble getting a tight pitch using the adjusters to make the rainfly fit snugly. Though on the inner tent I did utilize a guyline with carabiners and a line lock adjuster at two of the corners to add sufficient length to sink a stake without rocks getting in the way. Here you can see the asymmetric vestibules. They didn’t bother me. I used the large vestibule to store my pack and chair overnight. And on the small vestibule side – there was a southern exposure so I setup a tarp over half the tent. Got nice sun shade during the day and then in the evening it rained a while as I started to cook dinner. So I was able to move my stick stove, chair, table, and wood pile under the tarp and cook and eat my dinner in comfort.

I was very pleased with the tent. I look forward to using it in all seasons. In winter, I’ll try leaving the inner at home to save weight. And during mid summer, I’ll leave the fly at home and bring a 10×10, or 12×12 tarp to save weight and improve ventilation – while also creating a covered porch area. With the all mesh canopy and easy to tie back rainflaps, this tent is well optimized for enjoying the scenery while inside it.

Dan – Thanks for the explanation. If the PU’s degredation from water/moisture is true, then your explanation of the residual moisture within the Nylon fibers makes perfect sense. I guess that answers my other question – the coatings don’t prevent moisture from reaching the fibers themselves, but rather only stop penetration through the opposite side of the fabric . (At least until max HH is surpassed anyway…)

You comment is making me think more seriously about airing-out my nylon tents more, rather than just “trusting” it’s dry based on touch feel. I really appreciate your reply.

Roger – I guess “information” is always a catch-22 in that regard. Geeks like myself want to know ALL of the technical info, and then deep-dive on the topic to get the best understanding. I’d say the average consumer doesn’t give two-rips, so I can’t blame them for keeping things as vague as possible. They say that a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing, and that is most certainly the case for people like me. If manufacturers leak out just a tiny bit more information, then people like me become curious – too curious for their own darn good really… LOL

Volker – Thank you for sharing those pictures, and your experience with using then tent.

The first thing that jumped out at me, was that HUGE flat side panel, before any of the tapered-corners. I bet that tent feels extra spacious with head room, and arm & shoulder-room.

The other interesting thing is the roof vent. Once again, Marmot’s “responses” on their website in the Q&A section was wrong… They responded that the tent has two roof vents. Your photo does make that one roof vent look fairly large though – does it seem sizeable in real life?

Another thing I noticed, is that there’s no mid-panel guy-out point on the ends of the rainfly. I half-way expected there to be one there, if perhaps for no other reason, than to allow just a touch more airflow under the rain fly. Based on your photos though, it looks like it’s totally unnecessary for achieving a taut pitch. Your photos look like the rain fly has almost perfect tension. Very nice.

Your positive experiences only make my “delima” (first world problem) of choosing a 2p tent even worse. I’m tempted to share with your positive experiences, (and save a bit of money) and get the Tungsten UL like you did. The nerdy, other half of me is tempted to get the MH Aspect tent for comparison. LOL

The Marmot Limelight UL2p is out for me. Seeing as I want my 2P tent acquisition to be on the lighter/simpler end of things, especially for solo use, the Limelight’s “gear cubbies” add a little more complexity for the use-case that I’m after here. I was checking it out again the other day, lamenting that it isn’t truly free-standing, needing the corners of those gear-cubbies to be staked out for a full pitch. (Silly, minor quibble, yes I know…) It then kind of hit me thought, that if one replaced the angled brow-pole, with a full-length pole, and perhaps a bit of pre-bend, that you could extend a full length pole across the top, and all the way down to the corners of the “gear-cubbies” for a full free-standing pitch. While the 2p isn’t of interest for my use-case, I could see the 3p being attractive. Having all of that space – especially the massive headroom – would be really nice for two adults, and/or two adults and a kid if going on a one-tent trip.