North Face Tadpole 23 Tent,

North Face Tadpole 23 Tent, A Reveiw.

I have had my Tadpole for 18 months now, using it year round in all weathers without any dramas. The tent is light weight 2.22kg packed. A two person back packing tent for three season use.

Size comparison packed, compared to VE-25 and compass (to guage size)

Originally purchased to carry when on mountain walking expeditions, due mainly to its weight (or lack of) and ease of pitching but recently used for a week long canoe trip in Scotland in which all my equipment was packed into one barrell and one dry bag.

The free-standing tent is fantasticaly easy to pitch, uses three DAC Featherlite aluminum poles to create a geo-hybrid configuration with excellent volume-to-weight ratio. It sleeps two people (if you are very familiar) but best as a comfortable one person shelter, also provides a gear vestibule area in front of the single D-shaped door. To save weight, a "Fusion Pitch" method combines pole sleeves and pole clips; the areas that support the most weight use sleeves but other non-critical areas use clips. Also, the semi-continuous sleeves promote extra venting. Mesh in the tent front and sides provides good air circulation although in humid conditions it is advisable to vent further by opening the door slightly from the top. For easy set-up, the nylon ripstop canopy and flysheet webbing are colour coded, for safety, the guyline ropes are reflective, and for convenience the zipper pulls are glow-in-the-dark. The floor is made of polyurethane-coated nylon taffeta. For minimal weight, the tent allows fly-only pitching; for example, the polyurethane-coated nylon fly and optional footprint can be pitched, without the main tent. There are internal mesh pockets and an optional gear loft can be added for extra storage although I have never really seen the need for further storage. A compression stuff sack is included which easily reduces the packed size. This is an excellent tent that is lightweight and rugged, and will provide secure shelter under adverse conditions.

The vestibule is suitable for basic kit stowage, although be aware not to block the D-shaped door, I would not suggest cooking inside the tent at all. The only irritations I have found are; 1. in wet weather when opening the outer door rain can drip into the main tent bidy through the mesh, however I have taken to shaking the tent from the inside before doing this. 2. condensation, the tent would benefit from a vent on the rear of the fly sheet to promote a through flow of air although as previously mentioned I zipped down the outer door partially, this helps. 3. As with all TNF tents you are supplied only with the minimum amount of pegs, however the store I bought it from sent me 2 more without charge.

The tent has been used in all weathers, a night in 3 foot of snow, on a hill top at minus 15 in Wales springs to mind, without fault, it certainly feels bomb proof in very strong winds when staked out belying the tag of only being a three season tent.

The customer service is second to none, only don't entertain the European Warranty Department, go straight to the USA any issues will get sorted out immediately.

In summary the tent has served me well in all conditions and would recommend any one to purchase one, A fantastic one person shelter and a two person shelter for occasional use.

This review was first posted on our forum so if you have any comments or questions post them HERE

Song of the Paddle; The Call of the Open Canoe