Black Diamond Vista 3 Person Dome Tent Review

While preparing this review of the Vista 3, we studied data from one hundred and seventy-seven other 3 person dome tents, evaluating more than 60 different facts. We also checked the cost including shipping & discounts from thirteen different retailers shops, to source the best price for you.

The Vista Fly Open
Black Diamond's Vista 3 With the Fly Open
In this report, we will show you:
  • A recap of the reviews we read.
  • A comprehensive overview of the features, materials and dimensions.
  • The Pros and Cons about the tent.
  • The Best Value that we Found!

Here at optimumtents.com our reviews are built from our unique database of over 1,000 tents and shelters, that are for sale in America. Our goal is to give you an honest report and our own unique rating based on the data, along with the best value and lowest price we could find.

Best Value & Low Price

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  • Black Diamond Logo
  • Manufacturer: Black Diamond
  • Model: Vista
  • Year Introduced: 2014
  • MPN: BD810195MARIALL1
  • Sleeping Capacity: 3 Persons
  • Designed For: 3 Seasons
  • Best Use: Backpacking
  • Type: Dome Tent
  • MSRP: $439.95
  • Other Stores and Suppliers

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    Black Diamond Logo Discontinued   


Vista 3 Pictures and Videos

Click on an image or video to enlarge them!


The Vista With the Fly Off

Black Diamond Vista 3 With the Fly Off
Fly Closed on the Vista 3

Fly Closed Vista 3

A video about the Vista 3 tent.

Another video about Black Diamond's tents.

QUICK OVERVIEW

Logo Representing the Features Section

Features


  • Freestanding: Yes
  • Color: Marigold, Gray
  • Number of Rooms: 1
  • Number of Windows: 1
  • Number of Doors: 2
  • Zippers: N/A
  • Storage Pockets & Gear Loft: Yes, Yes
  • Mesh Roof & Walls: Yes, Half
  • Footprint: Not Included, Available Separately
  • Vista 3 floor saver
Logo Representing the Materials Section

Materials and Extras


  • Inner Walls: Nylon/mesh
  • Fly: Coated Polyester
    Fly Waterproof Ratings: 1500 mm
  • Floor Materials: Coated Taffeta
    Floor Waterproof Ratings: 2000 mm
  • Pole Material: Aluminum DAC Featherlite Reverse-combi
  • Number Of Poles: 1
  • Pole Dimensions: 9.5mm
  • Guy Lines & Guy Outs: Yes, Yes
  • Stakes: Yes
Logo Representing the Dimensions Section

Dimensions


  • Floor Area: 51 sq. ft.
  • Center Height: 3 foot. 10 inches.
  • Packed Weight: 6 Lbs 8 Oz
    Trail Weight: 5 Lbs. 15 Oz.
  • Packed Size: 8 x 19 inches.
  • Number of Vestibules: 2
    Total Vestibule Area: 18.00 sq. ft.
    (9 and 9 ft.)
  • Screened Areas: None
  • Awnings: None

Tent Set Up

For an light-and-fast setup, it can also be pitched using just the fly, poles and optional footprint

Green Thumbs Up Logo

Summary: Favorable Reviews

Hikers who used this tent said: One of the most comfortable tents out there considering its price range. The headroom is perfect for tall guys- about 6 feet. During warm conditions, the ventilation worked its wonders. You can remove the fly to appreciate it more. The materials used are also not that thick, which makes it easy to carry. Most importantly, the setup was not a hassle. It only took about 5-10 minutes.


Teal Thumbs Down Logo

Summary: Unfavorable Reviews

People who utilized the tent said: The construction of the design is kind of complicated. The fly door is relatively small, but the tent door is fairly wide; thus, you must reach the vestibule to open or close the tent entrance. Vestibules also are placed a little backward, so a little practice is necessary. Other than those I mentioned, it would pass as a decent tent.


  • READ OTHER CUSTOMER REVIEWS

  • backcountry.com Logo No reviews found
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  • moosejaw.com Logo No reviews found
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SPECS AND CONFIGURATIONS

The Vista 3 has one window and two doors and a peak center height of 3' 10, which is a tiny bit smaller than the average height of the 168 other 3 person tents we have examined With 51 square feet of space inside, it is a tiny bit larger than some other 3-person tents, and it should accommodate you and, up to two other campers during the 3-seasons, this tent is suggested for use in, smaller tents like this one often can make a superb choice for people that love spending lots of hours outside their tent getting some air.

A few of the cool points about dome tents are, that they are generally speaking lightweight, making them simple to carry around. In near all instances, tents used for backpacking are of the dome type. They are usually, freestanding and very simple to set up. In calm weather, you could do without guy lines and stakes, not that this is recommended.

Dome tents are without a doubt the most common of all the different sorts of tents you will see when camping. They tend to fair better in the rain than other types, allowing rain to roll off the sloped walls, unlike cabin tents that have flat tops, resulting in the water pooling on the top of the tent. The simplest dome tent should have a square footprint, slanted walls a couple of poles which cross in the center of the roof. Due to their construction, it is generally thought of that they are best suited for up to a maximum of 6 people.

Down below, you can browse a list of the tent's pros and cons.

Click or Tap on the Tab you Want to See!

PROS

  1. Freestanding. The Vista 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 ground with the included steel stakes and guylines.
  2. Vestibules. Having two vestibules. Affords you somewhere to store shoes and other items that can get dirty, muddy, this is a big plus.
  3. Has Gear Loft. It is nice to see Black Diamond adding a gear loft in the interior to store some of your things.
  4. More than one door. With 2 doors, it is easier 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 Coated 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 2000 mm waterproofing rating, which is pretty good for most circumstances.
  6. Breathable. The Vista'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 warmer months.
  7. Low price. It is a great purchase for a 3 person dome tent providing this much room. Not a lot of tents available on the market give this level of quality for only $439.95

CONS

  1. Lacking in Headroom. With 5% less headroom than similar sized tents, one can see how this could be a negative factor for some people.
  2. Footprint not Included. There is no included footprint, there is one available separately designed for the Vista 3 footprint Even though the floor may be made of Coated taffeta, it is still best to protect it further with a footprint, especially on rough terrain.
  3. Discontinued: Unfortunately this particular tent has been discontinued on the manufactures site and is not available elsewhere, that we know of.
  4. A little heavy for backpacking. Even though the Vista 3, looks like a small tent, it is not ideal for backpacking as it weighs 6 pounds. This is quite a lot more than many other backpacking tents
  5. Sloping walls. Even though Dome tents have lots of attributes to be positive about. The sloping sides do tend to make it all the more smaller inside.

CONCLUSION

4.4 Stars Logo

Our Ratings: 4.4 STARS

Black Diamond's Vista 3 tent is really good for backpacking. Here are a couple of other nice points not mentioned above which, we noticed and liked, while researching the model: 360 degrees mesh provides unobstructed views, Fast-pitch hub, variable-diameter DAC Featherlite poles create an efficient living space and Double doors with integrated vestibules.

With fantastic ratings, a couple of reviews and a center height of 3' and 51 square feet of area to sleep, this tent is like your own small home away from home. This allows you and up to 2 other people to spend some delightful time camping together. We found more pros than cons about the tent that you can look at above.

If you found this website looking for an endorsement on this particular tent, we think, it should make for a very good purchase. In case you just happened to arrive on this website while browsing for a new tent having never heard of this brand or this tent previously, it is possibly a good thing to check out a few more comparable tents.

Value for money: As far as value for your dollar, this tent is cheaper than the usual price of all the one hundred and sixty-eight, three-person tents we have studied, this itself does not make it good value for money. One should also look at other factors in-depth, as we do for every tent.

When we measure the valuation of an individual tent, we examine plenty of things, searching for things where the tent could perform well against other very similar tents and where it is coming up short. On this occasion, with a total rating of 4.4 and the price statistics above, one can spot that with a ticket price of $439.95 The Vista 3 is a superb deal and competitively priced when compared with comparable tents.

Its overall score shows that the quality and space the tent offers were not in any way compromised to get a price tag undoubtedly beneath the average price for similar tents. It will make a fantastic choice for most campers searching for an appropriate three-season dome tent to go camping with, that will serve you well for years to come.

Best Value & Low Price

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Fast 2 Day Shipping Available to Most Locations
$449.95 info_outline
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COMPARE WITH OTHER SIMILAR TENTS

BLACK DIAMOND TENT MODELS

DOME TENTS || 4 PERSON TENTS

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