Alps Mountaineering Zephyr 3 Person Dome Tent Review

While creating this review for the Zephyr 3, we examined data against one hundred and seventy-seven other 3 person dome tents, comparing more than sixty different points. We also looked at the total price including shipping & discounts at thirteen different suppliers sites, to find the best bargain for you.

The Zephyr Fly Open
Alps Mountaineering's Zephyr 3 With the Fly Open
In this report, we will cover for you:
  • A recap of the reviews we found.
  • A thorough overview of the features, materials and dimensions.
  • The Pros and Cons of the shelter.
  • Where you can save $10.00

At optimumtents.com our reviews are created from our unique dataset of more than one thousand shelters, that are found in the USA. Our goal is to provide you an objective review and our own exclusive rating based on the data, along with the lowest price and best value we found.

Best Value & Low Price

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  • Alps Mountaineering Logo
  • Manufacturer: Alps Mountaineering
  • Model: Zephyr
  • MPN: 5322650
  • Sleeping Capacity: 3 Persons
  • Designed For: 3 Seasons
  • Best Use: Backpacking
  • Type: Dome Tent
  • Available in: Other Sizes
  • MSRP: $199.99

Zephyr 3 Pictures and Videos

Click on an image or video to enlarge them!


The Zephyr With the Fly Off

Alps Mountaineering Zephyr 3 With the Fly Off
Fly Closed on the Zephyr 3

Fly Closed Zephyr 3

A video about the Zephyr 3 tent.

Another video about Alps Mountaineering's tents.

QUICK OVERVIEW

Logo Representing the Features Section

Features


  • Freestanding: Yes
  • Color: Grey Coal , Sage Rust
  • Number of Rooms: 1
  • Number of Windows: None
  • Number of Doors: 2
  • Zippers: #8
  • Storage Pockets & Gear Loft: Yes, Yes
  • Mesh Roof & Walls: Yes, Yes
  • Footprint: Not Included, Available Separately
  • Zephyr 3 floor saver
Logo Representing the Materials Section

Materials and Extras


  • Inner Walls: Half Mesh
  • Full Fly: 75D 185T Polyester
    Fly Waterproof Ratings: 1500 mm
  • Floor Materials: 75D 185T Poly Taffeta
    Floor Waterproof Ratings: 3000 mm
  • Pole Material: 7000 Series Aluminum
  • Number Of Poles: 2
  • Pole Dimensions: 8.5mm
  • Guy Lines & Guy Outs: Yes, Yes
  • Stakes: 7075 Aluminum
Logo Representing the Dimensions Section

Dimensions


  • Floor Area: 40 sq. ft.
  • Center Height: 3 foot. 5 inches.
  • Packed Weight: 6 Lbs 2 Oz
    Trail Weight: 5 Lbs. 5 Oz.
  • Packed Size: 8 x 21 inches.
  • Number of Vestibules: 2
    Total Vestibule Area: 17.00 sq. ft.
    (2 x 8.5 sq. ft.)
  • Screened Areas: None
  • Awnings: None

Tent Set Up

Easy to setup free-standing two-pole design with 7000 series aluminum poles

Green Thumbs Up Logo

Summary: Favorable Reviews

I used a timer the first time I set it up, and It took me about 6 minutes. Pretty fast when I compared it to tents I previously owned. The headroom also was pretty amazing.


Teal Thumbs Down Logo

Summary: Unfavorable Reviews

I don't know if its a factory defect or I set it up wrong. I experienced minor leaks. Causing damp inside of the tent. It wasn't that much of a big deal, considering that's the only flaw I've seen.


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SPECS AND CONFIGURATIONS

The Zephyr 3 has two doors and a peak center height of 3' 5, which is 13 inches less than the average height of the 139 different 3 person tents we have examined With 40 square feet of space inside, it is significantly smaller than some other 3-person tents, and it would be quite cramped for you and, up to two other campers during the 3-seasons, this tent is suggested for use in, smaller tents similar to this one often can make an excellent choice for people that prefer spending lots of time outside exploring the great outdoors.

Some of the great points about dome tents are, that they are generally speaking not too heavy, making them simple to carry around. In near all cases, tents used for backpacking are of the dome type. They are generally speaking, freestanding and very straightforward to set up. In good weather, you could do without guy lines and stakes, not that this is suggested.

Dome tents are the most common of all the other sorts of tents you will see when camping. They tend to fair better in the rain than other types, allowing water to easily slide off the slanted sides, unlike cabin tents that have flat roofs, resulting in the water pooling on the top. The most basic dome tent should have a rectangular floor, sloped sides a couple of poles which cross in the center of the roof. Because of the way they are made, it is typically considered that they are best for up to a maximum of 6 people.

Beneath you can browse an account of the tent's pros and cons.

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PROS

  1. Freestanding. The Zephyr can support its own weight on any terrain. It does not even have to be staked down in most cases. But in case of strong winds, it is always best to secure it to the floor with the included steel stakes and guylines.
  2. Vestibules. Having two vestibules. Affords you somewhere to store shoes and other things that can get dirty, muddy, this is a huge plus.
  3. Has Gear Loft. It is good to see Alps Mountaineering adding a gear loft in the interior to store some of your things.
  4. More than one door. With 2 doors, it is simpler to get in and out of the tent, in the middle of the night if needed.
  5. Durable, water-resistant floor. The floor material is 75D 185T poly taffeta, which is a substantially thick and high-strength fabric. Meaning the base is not prone to rips and punctures. Also, the material has a 3000 mm waterproofing rating, which is pretty good for most circumstances.
  6. Breathable. The Zephyr's interior uses a mesh fabric on the inside of the tent, and this helps maximize the flow of air. With the extra ventilation, and this tent is great for use in the summer.
  7. The rainfly completely covers the tent body. The rainfly covers the whole body of the tent from the top to the bottom and has a waterproof rating of 1500mm. Meaning it will easily protect you against heavy rain.
  8. Tons of Positive Reviews The Zephyr 3 has Tons of fantastic Reviews
  9. Fantastic Ratings The Zephyr 3 has some of the best ratings of all the tents on optimumtents.com
  10. Other sizes are available. Alps Mountaineering has also made this model available in Other Sizes.
  11. Low price. It is a great deal for a 3 person dome tent that provides this much space. Not many tents available on the market provide this level of quality for only $189.99

CONS

  1. Not spacious. With a floor area of 40 square feet, the Zephyr 3 is smaller than quite a few of the 139 other 3 person tents we have looked at.
  2. Lacking in Headroom. With 13% less headroom than similar sized tents, one can see how this could be a negative thing for some people.
  3. Footprint not Included. There is no included footprint, there is one sold separately designed for the Zephyr 3 footprint Even though the floor may be made of 75D 185T poly taffeta, it is still best to protect it further with a footprint, especially on rough terrain.
  4. Sloping walls. Even though Dome tents have many attributes to rave about. The sloping walls do tend to make it all the more smaller inside.

CONCLUSION

5 Stars Logo

Our Ratings: 5.0 STARS

Alps Mountaineering's Zephyr 3 tent is ideal for backpacking. There are a few other things not already mentioned above which, we noticed and liked, while researching the model: The Zephyr model is ideal for those hot, muggy nights when you want to feel a breeze in your tent., Vestibule for gear storage and extra weather protection and Mesh storage pockets, gear loft, 7075 aluminum stakes, and guy ropes included.

With superb ratings, lots of reviews and a center height of 3' and 40 square feet of space to play with, this tent is like your own modest apartment. This will enable you to spend some really enjoyable time in the outdoors. We found a decent amount of positive points about the tent that you can look at above.

If you found this page looking for an endorsement on this actual tent, we consider, it should make for a very good purchase. If you simply happened to land on this page while browsing for a brand new tent having not heard of this brand or this tent model before, it is perhaps a good thing to check out a few more comparable tents.

Value for money: In so much as value for your dollar, this tent is unquestionably cheaper than the standard price of all the one hundred and ninety-three, three-person tents we have looked at, this just by itself does not make it good value for money. One should also take a look at other areas in-depth, as we do for every tent.

When we determine the ratings of a tent, we study tons of data points, looking for points where the tent could outshine other comparable tents and where it is lacking. In this case, with an overall rating of 5.0 and the price statistics above, It is simple to identify that with a ticket price of $189.99 The Zephyr 3 is a very good deal and astonishingly priced in comparison with comparable tents.

The ratings show that the quality and size the tent provides were not in any way compromised to get a price tag well beneath the average price for similar tents. It is also worth noting it is reduced by 5% from the manufactures suggested retail price. It could make a superb choice for nearly all campers searching for a comfy three-season backpacking tent to camp in, that will serve you well for years to come.

Best Value & Low Price

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On Full Priced Tents
$189.99
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COMPARE WITH OTHER SIMILAR TENTS

ALPS MOUNTAINEERING TENT MODELS

BACKPACKING TENTS || 4 PERSON TENTS

Other Sizes and Variations of the Alps Mountaineering Zephyr Model

Model Headroom Sleeping Area

Alps Mountaineering Zephyr 1
Zephyr 1

3' 0"23 sq ft

Alps Mountaineering Zephyr 2
Zephyr 2

3' 2"31 sq ft

Alps Mountaineering Zephyr 3
Zephyr 3

3' 5"40 sq ft
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