Reviews > Shelters > Tents > Sierra Designs Meteor Light > Owner Review Meteror Light CD Tent

OWNERS  REVIEW - METEOR LIGHT CD - 1993 MODEL TENT

Reviewer Information:
Name: Marge Prothman
E-mail: margeATprothmanDOTcom
Gender: Female
Height: 5'8" (1.72 m)
Weight: 152 lbs (69 kg)
Location: Hailey/Sun Valley, Idaho

Reviewer Biography:
For the past forty years I have either worked or lived in the mountains and the past fifteen years I have been in retirement (actually, this is one of the best times of my life). I delight in lightweight backpacking and do not like my pack to weigh over 25 lbs (11 kg) for a five day hike. Silnylon, new pack materials, and counting the ounces, along with a different mindset on what is really needed in my pack, are making this possible for me to stay out there and enjoy the mountains as I grow older. During the summer months I take numerous multi-day backpacking trips and when not on a backpack trip I enjoy day hikes. I love the winter months equally and I am an avid skier, both downhill and cross-country (skate ski). I have a marvelous life here in the Wood River Valley in Idaho.

Product Information ;
Meteor Light CD Tent
Year of Manufacture: 1993
Manufacturer: Sierra Designs http://www.sierradesigns.com/
Purchased: May 1993 from REI  
My weight: as weighed at the Post Office complete with Tent, Fly, Poles and stakes and the stuff bags: 7 lb 3 oz (3.31 kg)
Today's weight on the Sierra Designs Website: 6 lb 10 oz (2.76 kg)
I would hazard a guess, the difference in the weight of my 1993 Meteor Light CD and today's weight on the website, would be the fabric might be different. I do not know what fabric my tent is made from, also I am including 6 stakes in my total and the 3 stuff bags.

When the call came for an owner review of this Meteor Light CD Tent, I decided to bring mine in from the garage, the first thing I said was WOW what a big bundle. So, I stared at it for a few days before I took it down to the Post Office to weigh it. I was a little dismayed at not being able to find all the details on this tent, I must have thrown them away. However, I did start to pull things out of the Stuff Bag and I was overjoyed to find the following:

Instructions: for pitching your Sierra Designs Meteor Light CD (Computer-aided Design) tent is very easy to pitch and maintain.. This gave instructions for your First Pitch and also how to put on the Flysheet. Unlike today's Meteor Light CD, this tent has only one door and the vestibule is made with the Flysheet. On the back of this paper, we have 'Coping with the Unexpected' and 'how to care for your tent on the trail'. They talked about Animal Hazards even then and I quote: 'Animal damage to tents is all too common, but is usually easily avoidable. Never store food in your Tent!"

The Tent is quoted "as a three season tent and free-standing", not requiring the use of stakes in order to pitch the tent. "This is a matter of convenience, allowing quick set-up and easy moving and cleaning of the tent. No lightweight, backpacking style tent, whether rated as a 3-season or 4-season, is capable of withstanding strong wind gusts without damage unless anchored and guyed properly."

The only thing I can remember being a negative for this tent is erecting the poles; On two opposite corners of this tent the poles come through a sleeve and then cross over each other near the ground. For me, this was always very hard to bend these poles to put them in the correct grommet hole. My friend Mani had no problem, my daughter had no problem, so I am assuming this was a weakness in my hands, but I always thought it was a problem for me.

I have had this tent since 1993 and have used it every so often and it truly does have a place in my hiking and camping gear.

Usage: I used the tent for Car Camping for a number of years when I would take two small grandchildren camping for several days.

The first time it was used for backpacking was in 1994 by my daughter and I. We were on a five day hike in Hell's Canyon, Idaho.

Next, in 1997 the two of us used it again for a three day hike in the Sawtooth Mountains, in Idaho.

In 1998, my Nepali friend, Mani and I hiked on the Pacific Crest Trail. We hiked the State of Oregon, 500 miles in less than a month. It worked out well for both of us.

In these hikes we split the weight of the tent between us.

I remember this tent being a very roomy and comfortable tent. When Mani and I hiked we slept head to toe, Mani was a typical Nepali and was not very tall so I had ample room at my head end. We only put the fly up if it looked like rain, then the door for the fly was erected with two hiking poles to make an awning, which was great for cooking and storing anything outside. Even as we sat out a dreadful storm for three days at Rockpile Lake near Santiam Pass in Oregon we did not put the door awning down. It gave plenty of protection the way Mani put it up. In fact, he set it at such an angle we had water running of the awning and into our pot. I can not remember any condensation in this tent, and I am sure this was due to never having the tent buttoned down tight.

This is a picture of Mani cooking, please note the room inside this tent, my bed is set up against the far wall, and I sleep with my head up to the right side.  Mani will sleep next to the opening with his head at the left end.

The tent has served me well and I will continue to keep it in my Hiking and Camping gear.

Cheers,

Marge [The Old Gal]

http://www.prothman.org/marge

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