ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 2-Person Backpacking and Camping Tent

I bought this tent over 5 years ago and I thought I would come back to write a long term review. I have been backpacking for over 20 years and I've been through a lot of tents at all price ranges. I bought this one almost on a whim. I was looking for something at a lower price point, but that was functional for 2 people in most conditions and this tent fit the bill. It quickly became the tent of choice for me and my long time backpacking and camping partner. In the past 5 years we have taken it on dozens of backpacking and car camping trips and it has never failed us. It's exactly the right size for 2 adult men with a bit of space left over for clothes and the usual tent gear. The vestibules on both sides offer space for your backpack if the conditions are bad. Or just to protect your shoes overnight. It's extremely easy to setup. Just 2 poles that snap together easily. Coordinate with your partner to snap in the corners and lift while connecting the central point. Then hook the tent to the poles. All that's left is to throw over the rain cover and stake down. It truly couldn't get much easier. Is it the smallest and lightest tent in the world? No. Would I take it up Everest? No. But for the price point it more than gets the job done. We have used it in all sorts of conditions and it has only sustained the slightest signs of wear in 5 years. One big note for me is that often in tents at this price point protection for storms becomes a concern. I can happily say that this tent has protected me in some pretty gnarly storms and I never had to worry about a thing. Excellent rain protection and solid wind defense as well. Definitely would recommend. My only concern now is getting a backup before they inevitably stop producing this model.

Just got back from a backpacking trip with this tent, I really liked how easy it was to set up and the simplicity of the deign. It has two pockets on the inside for small items and a mesh "shelf" at the top for a small lantern and other items. Nice that it has two doors, though we didn't use this feature, I can imagine it'll come in handy in the future. I bought the matching footprint, and one great feature of this tent is the bag is roomy enough that there was space for the footprint to be packed with the tent in the same bag. Zippers all worked well, everything seems to be high quality and should last a long time. It came with nice heavy-duty tent posts. No rain or wind on this trip so I can't speak for the weatherproofing, but I liked that I was able to close the top vents in the rain cover without leaving the tent by unzipping at the top of the door and reaching a hand out. This tent fit me and my 12 year old son comfortably with our extra clothes. Packs and everything else stayed outside. We are both about 5 ft, so if you are taller, you would have less space for your stuff, but it is a true 2-person tent.

After twenty nights in this tent, I feel like I can finally give it an honest review. To start, I am not a backpacker; I end up camping out of the back of my car (or, sometimes, in it!). However, the lightweight, quick setup, and compact nature of the backpacking tent made it a priority, since many times I would have no extra space in my car. The tent is pretty generous in size. It is listed as a 2-person tent. It's definitely not a three-person tent, but it can and has comfortably slept two people, so it's not like many high-performance ultralight tools that have zero margin for error. I'd call it a "2.5 person tent" rather than a two person sent. Second, the tent goes up and comes down pretty quickly. If I'm just setting up the tent itself (no fly), I can get the tent up in about three minutes. The fly adds about two minutes, and if it's going to be windy or rainy, I do a much better job of securing it. Lately, I have been sleeping in the desert in as low as 15 deg F, so I've been using the fly to trap as much heat as possible, even though it was dry. I think the thing that truly makes this tent shine is the thought that went into it. On the top of the sleeping area is a mesh spot that functions as a bedside table - my headlamp and glasses end up there. On both ends, there is a small pouch for car keys, phones, and the like. The original tent bundle comes with two small blue ribbons that you use to tie the tent once it's rolled and ready to go back in its bag. When you buy something worth owning, you notice that the design is very, very much functional, and that's the feeling I get from this tent. I do have a couple of complaints, though, both of which stem from the lightweight nature of the tent. I managed to put a small rip in the corner of the floor while trying to set up this tent in the wind. It probably caught on something, so it's probably my fault, but I don't remember the actual rip. It must've been relatively small. Since the tent is obviously optimized for weight, it is a little less tough than it could be. The other complaint is the same thing, but from the fly - sometimes, it's hard to unzip the fly as the fabric doesn't have much give to it. Seriously though - my biggest complaint is that a backpacking tent is too light. Worth your money, and I would definitely buy it again. I believe there is a "revised" version of this tent that I imagine is even-better thought through.

Tent floor should be stronger material, lame to be honest.

Tested the tent and was easy to setup. The made quality looks fine. Yet to test in wet and windy weather.

Very nice and good quality It takes about 5 min to make it 2 person Very light wight Very Good quality vs price Good ventilation all overall the tent

Facile à monter / démonter / ranger pour un total débutant (les cordelettes jaunes peuvent être un peu plus "technique" ). Tente très spacieuse pour une personne avec ses affaires. Seul hic : sur mon matelas et dans mon sac de couchage, je touche l'un des deux boûts de la tente à moins d'être en diagonale (je fais 1m85). Les absides sont assez spacieuse pour y mettre un sac et des chaussures (dans chacune des absides).

Fantastic, budget option for a tall man. I’m 6’3 and took me a long time to find something spacious, relatively lightweight and not expensive. Highly recommended!