Columbia Frosty Ridge II Backpacking Two-Person Tent

We purchased this tent to replace our old worn out hiking tent at the last minute. We set it up in the front yard as a test and to our horror it was 40" wide not 60" or 5 feet as advertised. Apparently in 2006 they changed the dimensions of the tent but called it the same thing. In any event we took it up to the Lake Superior shore and hiked the porcupine mountains on an extended weekend. It remained 100% dry on the inside while a 24 hour thunderstorm was taking place outside. At no time did we have to re-adjust the lines or make any changes, the bathtub floor works like a dream, our tent was in a puddle and we did not even notice.

The mere 3'4" of shoulder space left a lot to be desired, it seemed one person had to be on their back while the other was on their side, this proved especially true during the rain when it is important to keep bags and pillows off of the tent walls. Overall very neat design, lightweight, stormproof, but for sure a one person tent. We are both slim people and found of cuddling however space is needed in order to keep limbs from falling asleep. After the trip we had to return the tent unfortunately, the 40" could not be worked around. I am in search of the 2005 model if anyone out there has one.

I did a bicycle tour from Philadelphia to Maine this summer - 8 days on the bike - and used this tent as my night-time shelter.

I was looking for a light-weight tent that would pack up into a tight bundle, and this tent fit the bill.

The tent is light and easy to pack. It also will setup fairly quickly. I was able to sit up inside the tent, so I never felt very claustrophobic - but there is no way that this tent could hold 2 adults. I did a backyard test run of the tent before my trip - and slept in the tent with my 5 year old son - and there was not much room at all (I am 5'7", 180lbs).

While stealth camping one night during the tour, I was hit with a pretty heavy rain-storm, and this tent kept me dry (although it was like sleeping inside of a drum with all the rain pelting the tent) ;)

Generally I was happy with the tent, but if I had to re-do my purchase, I would buy a self-supporting tent - which this one is not.

overall we are pretty happy with our purchase for the money. we camp at the texas coast and it gets really windy and rain is usually a problem. after being soaked in a dome tent several times we thought these lower, more wind-resistant styles might hold up better. this tent, being such, did the trick. we went with a group with two brand new dome tents and recieved a good pour one night. the dome tent slumberers gave up and ran to sleep in the truck after fighting the tent blowing in their face and all of their blankets and such being soaked. we were nice and cozy dry. we hardly could tell it was raining and we had not a drop anywhere. of course, we joked in the morning that this was due to the fact that there was not any ROOM for anything else to get in. it is quite a small tent for two people. one person would be very nice. we just barely comfortably fit, and it was a little tricky getting in and out. the pictures showed the side entrance doors but it came with the front entrance. we could sleep with about less than an inch of space between us if we pushed against the sides. but it was by no means miserable (if you don't mind sleeping close). the raised roof by the head area makes the small space more bearable. there is of course no room for any gear other than your blankets and pillows. you do need a ground mat- "tent saver" as there is not a thicker fabric on the bottom like most dome tents have. this tent is of good quality and very quick & easy to set up/ take down. the bag it comes with is nice- no struggling to stuff the tent and stakes in. i wish it were just a tinsy bit bigger (too much bigger would take away the awesom wind resistance) but i think for the money with the other options i saw -this was a good choice. campin's not supposed to be lush anyway =)

There's simply no way two people could sleep in this tent. From the inside it measures about 4' at the shoulder, the widest point, and about 1.5' at the foot. The stakes are really cheap, and I bent half of them just setting the tent up in the back yard (I guess I have to mention on the plus side, they're easy to bend back too). I noticed another stake had bent after it had been set up a while in moderate wind. In the rain, water likes to pool on the top near the foot of the tent.

I give it two stars rather than one, because they could have done worse. It's not too bad as a one person tent. But if you want a one person tent, you probably want something smaller, if you want a two person tent, you definitely need something bigger. I'm 6'1 175lbs and have no issues with room in the tent on my own. But there's very little room for any more gear, my Redcloud 5600 doesn't comfortably fit in it with me, which is what I was hoping for.

First of all, this is a backpacking tent, not a regular camping tent. If you need a tent for regular camping, a dome style tent might better serve you. This tent requires that it be staked down in the dirt in order to stand-up properly. If you know that going in, you'll probably be happy with this tent. I shopped for quite a while to find the right backpacking tent that was in the under $100 range, because I only backpack once or twice a year. This tent fit the bill perfectly, and worked out very nicely on a recent 3 night trip. You should also keep in mind that a 2 person backpacking tent means you will be packed like sardines if you actually put 2 people in the tent, which might be ok if you're with someone you know very well. I slept in the tent with my dog, and it is a great size for 1 person a dog. Even without a dog I wouldn't downsize to a 1 person tent. The 2 person tent gives you a little wiggle room to change clothes and move around comfortably. Overall, I'm very happy with this purchase.