SIERRA DESIGNS METEOR 3000
Despite their outstanding design and obvious quality, American tents tend not to be as popular on this side of the Atlantic as they are at home. And one of the main reasons is that the needs of campers in Europe – and specifically the UK – are poles apart (excuse the pun). That’s thanks in large part to the differing weather conditions.
In a hot, dry Californian summer, an inner tent made primarily of mesh would make perfect sense for keeping cool. In the north of Scotland it would be guaranteeing you nights of shivering.
So you can understand why US outdoor specialist, Sierra Designs, decided to make an updated version of the popular Meteor tent range specifically created for the vagaries of the northern European climate.
That means enhanced waterproofing with an increased hydrostatic head rating on the flysheet and added wind protection, with the introduction of 15D nylon walls on the inner, instead of mesh. It’s all designed to make it more robust and better suited to camping in rougher conditions.
Another Europe-specific design feature is the green ‘earth-tone’ flysheet, specifically chosen to blend in with the countryside for wild camping.
The tent is also free from PFCs and instead uses a specifically developed durable waterrepellent coating that is much kinder to the planet. Sierra Designs says the fabrics used throughout the Meteor 3000 now come from recycled sources as well.
With its semi-geodesic style, pitching the tent is a straightforward affair, with the inner tent clipping onto the frame and then the flysheet going over the top.
Like all inner-first tents, pitching in the rain is not ideal so you need to get that flysheet attached as quickly as you can.
Two spacious vestibules provide plenty of space for gear storage and inside there are mesh pockets for keeping smaller items like phones, wallets and keys organised. Another nice feature is the way that the flysheet can be rolled up for added ventilation in warmer weather – and quickly returned to its original position if the rain starts (or more accurately, when the rain starts).
I was really impressed by the amount of internal space – it’s wide enough for two campers to share the space and having doors on both sides makes access easier. The inner tent’s steep walls means there is plenty of room to sit up inside.
Overall, the Sierra Designs Meteor 3000 is an excellent and reliable lightweight tent that won’t cost the earth – in either sense.