Tent Testimonials

Taurus 4 - I'll be placing a combo order later today. I have to say, I have loved every product we've purchased from you so far (tents, pads, bags, and a day pack). I had a couple of your tents in the UP earlier this summer and it rained pretty much the whole week. I had three boys, with gear, in one of the Taurus 4 tents so their sleeping bags kept going up against the side walls. I had one bag get a little damp in one corner on one day and that was it for the whole week! I also spent 2.5 weeks in July sleeping on a couple layers of your foam pads and one of your "luxury air mattresses" and I slept better than I do in my own bed. I'm looking forward to getting one of your internal packs. Brian L.

Just thought I would drop you a note to tell you what a great line of products you have. Boy Scout Troop 110 from Hanover, Pa. just recently completed a two year hiking project of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. The tow path is 185 miles from Washington DC. To Cumberland, Md., through all kinds of weather your backpacks and tents preformed head and shoulders above the other packs and tents that started our trek. It seems that by the time we finished the canal the boys and dads that started with other brands of packs and tents have switched to ALPS packs and tents. We have never let the weather stop us and with your gear we can keep right on hiking and camping in the rain and snow. During our trek we have been blessed with many a rainy and a one or two snowy nights and as long as we were sleeping in our ALPS tents and sleeping bags we have stayed dried and warm.

We now have boys that only carry ALPS gear from day packs to carry school books in to the floor saver for their tents. The boys and adults of Troop 110 that have used your gear tell everyone they come in contact about what a great product you have. When our Troop heads to Philmont in June of 2007 ALPS gear will be going with us. If not for your Scout pricing some of our boys might not have had the opportunity to own such quality equipment. Thank you

Again thank you and your staff for offering a great product at a great price.
Yours in Scouting
Tim S.

Extreme 3 - I just spent 11 nights in your "extreme 3" tent at Philmont scout ranch. My tent partner is 6'3 and 245 lbs. and is all there. It was great. We had a lot of wind and 3 nights of heavy rain. We never had any problems. We also had the "footprint" that goes with it. I will never use another sheet of plastic for a groundtarp so long as I live. Keep up the good work. Ron T.

Osage - We purchased one Osage, and one Tetragon 5, and had the boys set them up at a troop meeting.  Also present was our board members and assistant scoutmasters, the latter were initially pulling for the Tetragon’s as the color’s match our standard camping tents, Tetragon 9’s.  The Osage went up in minutes. The Tetragon’s fly short rods were a source of confusion, and required scoutmaster guidance to complete the set up.  The leaders were impressed with the overall construction, from the zippers, to the thickness of the fly, stouter fiberglass poles, and sturdiness of the stuff sack.  Our tallest scouts and adults could stretch comfortably in the Osage, the extra 6 inches in length dramatically increased comfort.   Though you had us on set up and tent length, the sewn in directions, the weight is practically the same as the Tetragon, and the provision of a repair kit indicates you folks have a clue on practical tent design and use.  The board liked the price.  The adults and boys literally spent an hour evaluating both tents.  I asked the boys and the adults to stand behind their choice upon conclusion of the evaluation. There was not one vote for the Tetragon, twenty eight to zip.  Not bad. 
 
My assistant scoutmasters were so impressed,  we will replace Tetragon 9’s, which are all suffering from catastrophic zipper failure, with the larger Osage model…hence our tent stock will be complementary, which solves the matching problem.
Daniel J. B.

Extreme 2 AL - The Extreme 2 is a great tent. You make top quality products. Bruce D.

BaseCamp Awning - Our District held our week-long Day Camp for Cub Scouts, where I served as a Den Guide. I set up the awning for our den, which included 13 Webelos, a Den Chief and usually 2 adults. We all had plenty of room to get out of the hot sun!

The awnings were up all week, and I never had a problem with the Alps Mountaineering. We had some high wind come in one night, and several other canopies were blown over or down, and one was even damaged. The Alps awning survived without even a wrinkle! I've included photos of both the Alps awning and the others, which didn't handle the wind too well.
Even though this awning is large, I can set it up by myself in just a few minutes, if I need to. It is very easy to put up, and can be configured in a number of ways. This awning also provided tons more shade than the other typical awnings, which the Webelos greatly appreciated. View Photo

Meramac 4 ZF - Nothing could have prepared our troop for the chaos that ensued during a recent campout. If you look closely, you will see, on the right side of this picture the trunk of a tree that fell into the middle of our campsite. The tree fell during an extreme thunderstorm. Our troop evacuated the site until the storm passed and then returned to pickup the pieces. View Photo

What really surprised us was what happened to our tents. In the foreground you will see another company's tent that was flattened into a mess of nylon fabric. In the background is one of our Mermac 4 ZF tents. As is typical of our scouts, nobody staked down our tents or used the guy lines. In fact most did not zip up their tents as they evacuated the site until the storm passed. We found all of the Mermac tents upright and the only water that got into a few of the Alps tents was a few drops at the open zippers. Robert S.

Taurus 5 OF - Hi.  I'm the quartermaster for Trp 8 here is Naperville, IL and last fall we bought about 32 Taurus OF 5s from you. The troop loves them.  Recently we had one rip where the ceiling screening meets the tent wall.  Per your instructions 
I returned the tent body to you, and within about a week you had sent us back a brand new tent body, no questions asked.  
 
WOW!  Thanks for the great and quick service!!
 
Bob Z.

It's a pleasure doing business with you.  Your products are first-rate, your service has been terrific, and your prices are unbeatable.
 
Our troop will be hiking at the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico this summer, traveling in style with the Alps equipment we've ordered. Ken

The Taurus 2 tent is an example of simplicity and quality. Quick and easy to set up, I was comfortable and dry well before others were able to set up their far more complex tents. Again the quality of construction was impeccable. The tent stood up very well in rain and high winds. I’d highly recommend this product to those looking for a simple, reliable and high quality backpacking tent.

I’ve owned many pieces of backpacking gear from all the major name brands, but none have been as well constructed and offered at such a great price as Alps Mountaineering. I also wanted to say thanks for supporting scouting. Ron C.

Meramac 5 ZF AL - About a month ago, our family went on what turned out to be a very rainy weekend camping trip (1.5” of rain). It was the first trip I took with our Meramac 5 ZF AL, and I was very impressed with every aspect of it, but particularly that we stayed ABSOLUTELY DRY in our tent – I mean, not a single drop of water got in! The no-sag fly covered every inch of the tent that needed it…and the water just beaded up and slid right off. The flap over the door zipper not only didn’t get caught in the zipper, but it actually lay flat and kept the water out. I should also say that I didn’t do any seamsealing myself on the tent before I took it out – a testimony to the excellent sealing done at the factory! An AMAZING tent!

I wish I could say the same thing for our kids’ tents (Eureka Backcountry 2s). These tents are similar in basic design to the Meramac – 2-pole freestanding dome tents with comparable fly. Unfortunately, they are not made nearly as well as ALPS tents. Our kids got totally soaked. It actually looked like the rainfly on their tents was absorbing the water! Water got in everywhere – corners, door, you name it. We actually abandoned our trip a day early just so they could get home and dry.

This past weekend was also a rainy camping trip (gotta love this New England weather!). But this time I put a tarp over a large part of our kids’ Eureka tents. Unfortunately, given the layout of our campsite, I couldn’t completely cover them, but I’d say roughly 80-90% of each tent was protected. I thought that would be enough – but was I wrong! Again, they got soaked – water got in wherever the tent wasn’t covered, and also looked like it was getting in from the ground. When we were breaking camp and our son picked up his sleeping pad, it was dripping wet on the bottom! Needless to say, hubby and I stayed COMPLETELY DRY IN OUR MERAMAC!! HOORAY!!

I have just gotten home and ordered Meramac tents for our kids. The Eureka Backcountrys are in the trash, where they belong.

I should also say in closing that I’ve spent a good bit of time in the past couple of years searching for my ideal tent: 80-100 sq. ft., tall enough to stand in, relatively lightweight, 3-season weatherproof, aluminum poles. I’ve tried the TNF Trailhead 4, SD Nomad 6, and the Kelty Traildome 6. None of them can compare to the Meramac in design, features, quality or price! My quest is over!!

Keep making these fantastic tents! Now I can’t wait to purchase some of your other products – I’m probably in danger of becoming an ALPSaholic!

Best regards,
Deb B.

I have done a lot of backpacking this summer and all your products I tried worked great. I am a boy scout from troop 169 out of Unionville NC. This summer I went to Philmont with Troop 448 out of Salisbury NC. Troop 448 bought three Extreme 3 outfitter tents to use for troop trips. At Philmont we used them for the first time. They kept us dry from the rain and our vented great. And after ten days the three of us could set it up with all the guy lines in less than three minutes. They allowed for the perfect sleeping temperature even on the cooler nights. Another scout in our troop used your Mystic 2 at Philmont. It worked great too. After Philmont our troop went to Mount Mitchell for a five day backpacking trip. I used my Zephyr 2 and my dad broke in his new Cascade pack. Every time we go to mount Mitchell we get pelted with rain. The rain cover pocket in the cascade was great because we were constantly frantically looking for our pack covers to throw on before it started to rain. The pack and cover kept everything nice and dry and fit great during our hikes. My Zephyr 2 kept us dry even in a 14 hour shower that dropped close to three inches of rain. Even after the long shower we were bone dry while some of our other troop members sat around to dry out there tents. The Zephyr worked better than the 160 dollar Rei tents the rest of our troop had(plus it weighs a half pound less). I really appreciate your customer service and your great products. Your gear is the quality of brands twice the price. Stuart P.
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Mystique 1.5 - Just wanted to say thanks for your good service and great products.  The Synergy day pack I ordered was used daily at scout camp for a week without a hitch.  Then I used it for an overnighter (not it's design intent) and it worked fine carrying about 25-30 pounds.  The Mystique 1.5 tent fit inside with my summer sleeping bag compressed in your cyclone stuff sack along with my cook kit & stove, clothing, food, etc.  The Mystique 1.5 tent kept me dry during the all night rain and I slept soundly with plenty of room for me and the Synergy pack inside.  I'm looking forward to more simple and lightweight overnight backpacking trips with your gear. Bryce L.

Taurus 2 and BaseCamp Awning - I’ve been buying Alps gear for quite a while now in anticipation of my Webelos moving up to start our own new Scout Troop.  Well, that has finally happened.  Last weekend the boys camped in their Taurus 2 tents for the first time ever.  We had a “shakedown” overnight campout behind our meeting place just to get the boys used to setting up the tents and sleeping in them. Everything went absolutely great.  The boys, all 10 ½ or 11 year old brand new Boy Scouts, had no trouble setting up the tents.  We also set up the Base Camp awning with our kitchen gear underneath. 

Next weekend the troop will be participating in our first camporee with other troops.  The boys will surely be comfortable in their Alps tents-  and I am pretty confident that our little six boy troop will have one of the most “squared away” looking campsites in the District! Kenneth O.

Taurus 2 - I wanted to pass on to you how pleased I was with my new Taurus 2 tent and Cascade Internal Frame pack. As a Scout Master I stress to my scouts that quality gear does not have to cost an arm and a leg. The Taurus 2 is the model of practicality; easy to set up in wind/rain, comfortable, dry, extremely breathable and easy to get in and out of, the fly is a perfect size to cover packs. I’m equally pleased with my Cascade pack. The internal reservoir pocket, zip out main pocket and comfortable harness system are all stand out features ... this pack is outstanding! Ron C.

Well we (Troop 99 in Washington, NC) went to Camp Bonner this weekend, Oct 7th and 8th, 2005 and in typical Boy Scout fashion, we ignored all weather forecasts pertaining to rain and decided to stick with our plans for the trip. We received 12 inches of rain in about 18 hours courtesy of Tropical Storm Tammy. There were two permanent shelters at the site we selected and we had the boys pitch their tents under on of these to afford them some protection. I was busy cooking lunch under the other permanent shelter when another leader informed me that one side of my tent had water rising up appx 3" by the outside of the door. Water had also created rivulets under the boys shelter and had gotten inside some of these tents. The rain was coming down so hard that I decided to take my chances with the tent staying dry on the inside. I had used this tent in the rain before with no problems. After the rain slowed enough for me venture out (appx 2 hours of steady downpour) and assess the situation. I was pleasently surprised to find that my tent only had a few splatters of water near the windows. After further inspection I determined that the water had come in through the side window where the rain had hit the ground so hard that it actually splashed in above the window. Folks I am talking about some SERIOUS rain here. My boots were under the vestibule that was slightly submerged and they were dry also, however they were in a different place than I left them due to floating around under the vestibule.***** This was remarkable******

12" of rain from the remnants of a tropical storm and all I had was a few drops by the window! Thanks for supporting scouting with a great, value priced, quality product!

In Scouting,
Kevin M.

Extreme - The tent performed like a true champion through all of the Philmont weather. Probably the best tent I have owned in 30+ years of camping. Dan K.

Outfitter - We've also had great success with tents. We use Outfitter 4s as our normal tents, and have found after a couple of years now that they hold up very well. If properly pitched they'll withstand some extremely severe weather including the high winds and driving rain that sometimes accompany thunderstorms here in Texas. We also used Mystique 2s for our two Philmont crews this summer with excellent results. We appreciated the light weight, but they're quite easy to set up and roomy for their weight and we had no problems despite rain several evenings and one afternoon with 1/2" hail.
T.W. Cook

I do want to thank you for having such a great product. I have been scouting for 25 year and these are the first tents that keep the boys dry even in an all week rain. Benno L.

I'm a Scoutmaster for a Troop in Roswell, GA and had the privilege to be a Scoutmaster for one of the Atlanta Area Council Troops for National Jamboree this year. In all, there were about 240 Scouts and leaders (6 troops) from AAC, and we all used the Taurus 4AL. That's roughly 125 ALPS tents just in our contingent!The first comment I'd like to make is about the quality. I personally own 2 REI Half Domes, 2 Walrus's and 2 Eureka 2 man tents. The quality of your tents was most impressive. The oversized zippers operated smoothly and never snagged. The tents were easy to pitch, and there is obvious attention to detail. The locking mechanism for the ends of the poles to the pins in the corners of the tents made it easy for all of the scouts to pitch their tents without the normal " darn, the pole slipped off of that pin again" syndrome. The rainflys secured snugly and the corner clips (buckles) from the rainfly to the tents made for a very well integrated package.As you may have heard, this year's jamboree had it's share of weather. On Wednesday night, we experienced high velocity circular winds and had an inch of rain fall in about 20 minutes. Once the storm passed, evry tent was still standing tall, and everyone was completely dry. I wish I could say the same for some our neighbors in wall tents.We received another rainstorm later in the week with about another inch of rain in an hour, and once again, everyone stayed bone dry.As we walked around Jamboree, we saw many troop with ALPS tents and their comments were all the same. High Quality and excellent protection from the rain.I've been looking for standard tents for my troop back in Georgia, and after our experience with the Taurus's I'm recommending we invest in a number of 2-man Taurus' for the troop and have recommended to many of our scouts that they would be a great investment for their personal gear.

Thanks for helping make our Jamboree experience so enjoyable! Guy K.

Just wanted to drop you a line and let you know about how well your products did at this year's National Scout Jamboree. I can't tell you how happy I was to find out that our Jambo Contingent had decided to go with ALPS tents for our scouts. They performed exceptionally well!!! The excellent ventilation made sleeping in those 90 degree nights bearable. And when the skies opened up and the wind howled on Wednesday, well, let's just say our scouts were cozy and dry in their tents.

I decided to outfit my son with all ALPS gear in preparation for the Jamboree and it really paid off. He took the Summer sleeping bag, and the regular air pad, along with several compression stuff sacks to hold his other gear. We "tested" the summer bag at summer camp a week before Jamboree and it worked great. We had 3 striaght days of rain, but it provided just the right amount of warmth. At the Jamboree, the combination of the summer bag and the regular air pad made sleeping as comfortable as it could be. The compression stuff sacks helped to minimize packing sizes and keep clothes and gear organized.

I am attaching a number of pictures from the Jamboree. It was amazing how many ALPS tents we saw. I made it a point to talk to a number of the troops using ALPS tents, just to see how they were doing, and didn't hear anything but praise from everyone I spoke to.

Thanks again for your commitment to scouting and providing quality products at reasonable prices. We used to be a Kelty family, but after our experiences with ALPS, we are hooked. Being able to completely outfit a scout with gear without having to take out a loan is truly appreciated. Jim K.

Taurus Outfitter - For the campout this past weekend at Old Rag Mountain, I purchased a tent, the Taurus Outfitter. The tent is excellent. Read the description on the website. I decided to get the "Outfitter" variation of the Taurus because it has a more durable floor and oversized zippers. Experience has taught me that a less durable floor will eventually tear and the smaller zippers (standard size) will eventually snag on the fabric along the zipper and tear, as well. This tent has neither problem. Also, the tent has clips that connect the tent to the poles. Many tents have fabric sleeves that the poles go through. On many of these "sleeved" tents, I have seen these sleeves tear, which is a problem that is very difficult, if not impossible, to remedy. Justin T.

This was just one spot where we were dumped on by Mother Nature yet stayed warm and dry thanks to the quality of our tents! On our last afternoon in the backcountry we spent about 2 hours inside our tents at 9,800' waiting for a huge thunder/lightning/downpour/hail storm to end! This storm was right on TOP of us for about 15 minutes as we assumed the lightning position inside our tents and prayed! Let me tell you that we stayed completely dry and it is due to the quality of your product. The rain was pouring down and there was a torrent of water rushing all around our tents during the storm. What an experience! When it was over, we came out and spent the rest of the afternoon and into the evening building a fire and helping to dry out another crew who was not fortunate enough to have your tents. The tents survived this storm as well as others, the pre-Philmont shakedowns, and we look forward to using them in our Troop for a long time to come. I don't need to tell you whose products we recommend to other Scout units! Keep up the good work! Michael O.

Mystique 2 - I just wanted to drop you a note regarding the tent I purchased from ScoutDirect/Alps in April. My intent was to use it on a Philmont Trek from 6-20 August. I purchased the Mystique 2 and the footprint. The tent performed quite well for the entire trek. We were exposed to some significant rain, but not much wind, during the trek. I was very happy with the size (one person, 2 man tent) and the security I felt with the significant rain fly and the nice sized vestibules. I was also very happy with the interior height, being able to sit up in my tent is always something I appreciate. Ventilation inside the tent was excellent. Joe T.

Taurus 2 - I just got back from a 10 day High Adventure outing at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimmaron, NM. I took the Taurus 2 AL, which I had only put up once before, with me on the trek. Let me tell you, after 10 days of rain day and night and temps in the 40’s this tent never leaked one drop of rain. While all the other leaders with other “big name” tents complained that everything was wet, wet sleeping bags and wet tents, while I stayed nice and dry. I HIGHLY recommend this tent to anyone who is looking for a weekend getaway tent or an expedition grade tent. Brian C.

Wilderness 10x10 - I recently purchased a salesman sample tent (Wilderness 10X10) and what a deal it was! I set the tent up in my backyard for the purpose of applying seam sealer. No sooner that I had the tent up, I was invited to go on a 3-4 hour canoeing trip on a river near my house. Of course, I jumped at the chance to get some paddling in. The weather was sunny and warm so I figured I would just apply the seam sealer when I returned. Once I was on the river, the skies turned suddenly became very ominous looking......yep you guessed it....the rain began pouring with the wind blowing the rain almost horizontal. A typical TN summer thunderstorm dropping nearly 2 inches of rain in about 20 minutes. With some minor flooding this made for some exciting paddling, but all I could think about was my poor tent w/ no seam sealer or ground cloth. I didn't even have all the stakes in or the door & windows zipped up entirely. To my amazement the tent was still standing and the interior was bone dry! Truly a outstanding product at an extreme value-----you can expect my share of repeat business for me and my fellow Scouters. Terry M.

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