Mountainsmith Bear Creek 3 Person Dome Tent Review

When we created this review of the Bear Creek 3, we studied data from one hundred and seventy-seven three person dome tents, analyzing more than 60 different points. We also checked the total price including shipping & discounts at thirteen various suppliers shops, to source the best price for you.

The Bear Creek Fly Open
Mountainsmith's Bear Creek 3 With the Fly Open
In the report, we will present to you:
  • An outline of the customer reviews we found.
  • A thorough analysis of the features, materials and dimensions.
  • The Pros and Cons about the tent.
  • The Lowest Price that we Found!

At optimumtents.com our reports are created from our unique dataset of over one thousand shelters, that are for sale in America. Our aim is to give you an honest report and our own individual rating based on the statistics, along with the best value and lowest price we found.

Best Value & Low Price

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  • Mountainsmith Logo
  • Manufacturer: Mountainsmith
  • Model: Bear Creek
  • Year Introduced: 2016
  • MPN: 17-2043-39
  • Sleeping Capacity: 3 Persons
  • Designed For: 3 Seasons
  • Best Use: Backpacking
  • Type: Dome Tent
  • Available in: Other Sizes
  • MSRP: $159.95
  • Other Stores and Suppliers

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  • rei.com Logo Not found   
  • moosejaw.com Logo Not found   
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    Mountainsmith Logo Discontinued   


Bear Creek 3 Pictures and Videos

Click on an image or video to enlarge them!


The Bear Creek With the Fly Off

Mountainsmith Bear Creek 3 With the Fly Off
Fly Closed on the Bear Creek 3

Fly Closed Bear Creek 3

A video about the Bear Creek 3 tent.

Another video about Mountainsmith's tents.

QUICK OVERVIEW

Logo Representing the Features Section

Features


  • Freestanding: Yes
  • Color: Gray, Blue
  • Number of Rooms: 1
  • Number of Windows: None
  • Number of Doors: 1
  • Zippers: N/A
  • Storage Pockets & Gear Loft: Yes, N/A
  • Mesh Roof & Walls: Yes, No-See-Um
  • Footprint: Included
Logo Representing the Materials Section

Materials and Extras


  • Inner Walls: 68d X 185T Breathable Poly F/R
  • Half Fly: 68D X 185T Poly PU F/R
    Fly Waterproof Ratings: 2000 mm
  • Floor Materials: 68D X 190td Poly PU F/R
    Floor Waterproof Ratings: 5000 mm
  • Pole Material: 7000 Series Aluminum
  • Number Of Poles: 2
  • Pole Dimensions: N/A
  • Guy Lines & Guy Outs: Yes, Yes
  • Stakes: 7075 Aluminum
Logo Representing the Dimensions Section

Dimensions


  • Floor Area: 50 sq. ft.
  • Center Height: 4 foot. 0 inches.
  • Packed Weight: 6 Lbs 9 Oz
    Trail Weight: 5 Lbs. 4 Oz.
  • Packed Size: 7 x 18 inches.
  • Number of Vestibules: 1
    Total Vestibule Area: 9.00 sq. ft.
    (1 x 4.5 sq. ft.)
  • Screened Areas: None
  • Awnings: None

Tent Set Up

The tent is quick and easy to set up and includes 3 additional guy lines in case your trip will high wind/inclement weather.

Green Thumbs Up Logo

Summary: Favorable Reviews

People who bought the tent said: This is my all-around tent. Even beginners will not struggle to set it up. It is perfect for travel. It has a sound moisture barrier to the base of the tent. The connection point for poles has been designed with quality and function in mind. I also love how Mountainsmith sticks with the rectangular shape of the tent, unlike others. Because of that, it allows adults to stretch out while sleeping. Plus, this tent will give you functional quality zippers and shielded ventilation.


Teal Thumbs Down Logo

Summary: Unfavorable Reviews

Campers who experienced using this tent commented: This tent is pretty compact. Because of that, it does not give extra space for the gears. Tent stakes and poles are not fantastic. The fly a little small. Without the fly, anyone can probably see you from the outside. There is no privacy without it.


  • READ OTHER CUSTOMER REVIEWS

  • backcountry.com Logo No reviews found
  • rei.com Logo No reviews found
  • moosejaw.com Logo No reviews found
  • evo.com Logo No reviews found

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SPECS AND CONFIGURATIONS

The Bear Creek 3 has one door and a peak center height of 4' 0, which is a little bit smaller than the average height of the 158 other 3 person tents we have studied. With 50 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 all through the 3-seasons, this tent is approved for use in, smaller tents like this one often make an ideal choice for people who prefer spending heaps of hours outside exploring the great outdoors.

Many of the fantastic points about dome tents are, that they are generally speaking not too heavy, making them easy to carry around. In nearly all instances, tents used for backpacking are of the dome type. They are generally speaking, freestanding and very straightforward to set up. In calm weather, you can do without securing the tent with stakes and ropes, not that this is recommended.

Dome tents are easily the most commonly seen of all the different types of tents you will see when camping. They tend to fair better in bad weather than other types, allowing rain to easily slide off the sloped walls, unlike cabin tents that have flat tops, resulting in the water pooling on the top. The simplest dome tent will have a rectangular floor, sloped sides a couple of poles which cross in the middle of the roof. Due to their construction, it is typically thought of that they are best suited for up to a maximum of 6 people.

Below you can see an account of the tent's strongest and weakest points.

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PROS

  1. Freestanding. The Bear Creek can support its own weight on any terrain. It does not need 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. Vestibule. Having one vestibule. Offers you a place to store shoes and other items that can get dirty, muddy, this is a huge plus.
  3. Internal storage. It is good to see Mountainsmith has added a gear loft and pockets in the interior to store some of your stuff.
  4. Durable, water-resistant floor. The floor material is 68D x 190td Poly PU F/R, which is a substantially thick and high-strength fabric. Meaning the base is not prone to rips and punctures. Also, the material has a 5000 mm waterproofing rating, which is very good for most circumstances.
  5. Includes FootPrint. It is not often we see a footprint included with a tent. It is strongly suggested to always use a footprint, so not having to pay extra for one is a plus.
  6. Breathable. The Bear Creek'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. Available in other sizes. Mountainsmith has also made this model available in Other Sizes.
  8. Low price. It is a great purchase for a 3 person dome tent that provides this much space. Not a lot of tents available on the market give this level of quality for only $159.95

CONS

  1. Rainfly does not wholly cover the tent. The rainfly only covers the ceiling and part of the tent body from the top. Meaning it may not protect against heavy rain.
  2. Discontinued: Unfortunately this particular tent has been discontinued on the manufactures site and is not available elsewhere, that we are aware of.
  3. A little heavy for backpacking. Even though the Bear Creek 3, looks like a small tent, it is not probably the best choice for backpacking as it weighs 6 pounds. This is quite a lot more than many other backpacking tents
  4. Sloping walls. Even though Dome tents have lots of qualities to be positive about. The sloping sides do tend to make it all the more smaller inside.

CONCLUSION

4.6 Stars Logo

Our Ratings: 4.6 STARS

Mountainsmith's Bear Creek 3 tent is suitable for backpacking. There are a couple of other nice points not already mentioned above which, we noticed and liked, while reviewing the model: It offers best-in-class waterproof coatings on the floor and fly., It has a lifetime warranty against manufacturer's defects and It contains clip-pole attachment for lighter weight and better breathability.

With very good ratings, a couple of reviews and a peak height of 4' and 50 square feet of space to play with, this tent is like your very own small home away from home. It will enable you together with 2 other campers to enjoy some real quality moments exploring the great outdoors. We found a decent amount of pros about the tent that you can check out above.

If you found this page looking for an endorsement on this specific tent, our view is, it should make for a very good purchase. If you just happened to arrive on this page while looking for a new tent having not heard of this manufacture or this tent previously, it is possibly a good idea to check out a few more comparable tents.

Value for money: When contemplating value for your dollar, this tent is without a doubt cheaper than the standard cost of all the one hundred and fifty-eight, three-person tents we have looked at, this itself does not make it excellent value for money. One should also take a look at other areas in detail, as we do with each tent.

When we tally up the valuation of a single tent, we examine plenty of stuff, finding points where the tent could outshine other comparable tents and where it is coming up short. On this occasion, with a total score of 4.6 and the price statistics above, one can spot that with a cost of $159.95 The Bear Creek 3 is a perfect bargain and astonishingly competitively priced when compared with similar tents.

Its ratings show that the quality and dimensions the tent offers were not in any way compromised to get a price tag undoubtedly beneath the average price for similar tents. It could make a fantastic choice for most people searching for a comfy three-season dome tent to camp with, that should serve you well for years to come.

Best Value & Low Price

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COMPARE WITH OTHER SIMILAR TENTS

MOUNTAINSMITH TENT MODELS

DOME TENTS || 4 PERSON TENTS

Other Sizes and Variations of the Mountainsmith Bear Creek Model

Model Headroom Sleeping Area

Mountainsmith Bear Creek 2
Bear Creek 2

4' 0"30 sq ft

Mountainsmith Bear Creek 3
Bear Creek 3

4' 0"50 sq ft

Mountainsmith Bear Creek 4
Bear Creek 4

4' 8"70 sq ft
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