Marmot's Limestone 6 is an ideal three season tent that's perfect for families and pure luxury for couples and singles. First off, this tent is gorgeous. The designers made something that not only functions like a dream, but looks like one too. Though it comes in a dark green if you prefer to blend in with your surroundings, I think orange is the ideal color for a tent. It glows from within at night and looks amazing at twilight against a natural backdrop. The orange also serves to give you a cozy energized feeling, perfect for more overcast or rainy weather.
The Limestone is a piece of cake to set up and takes well under ten minutes. Color coded webbing and poles help you assemble the tent quickly and efficiently. The whole thing is made in such a way that is incredibly manageable despite its size, which is huge. I'm 5'5 and though I can stand up in this tent, I can almost set it up by myself, I need some help with the fly and erecting the poles. If you're car camping in warm weather, why not have a large tent you can stand up and maneuver well in in?
For rainy and stormy weather, the full coverage fly and taped seams make the tent virtually bombproof. A storm during the night isn't going to send everyone fleeing for the car. Color coded tabs to help you see where the fly clips to the ground sheet help to make set up even easier. The guy attachments are beefy and substantial, but unless you are going to be in some strong winds, I wouldn't bother to guy it out. Nevertheless, it's nice to know they're there when you need them.
There are multiple fly vents for ventilation on hot nights and moisture dissipation. I love that they used reflective material for the guy points and logo to help you spot the tent easily at night. The zipper pulls are not metal and won't jingle around in the wind which can be annoying while you're trying to sleep and the non-snag zippers are easy to operate and good for kids.
Extra large vestibules on either end are great for stowing gear. The vestibules have little windows so you can peek out and see what's going on outside, and there's a door mat to help keep it clean inside. You could fit a smaller camp chair in the vestibules.
This is a major luxury tent for two, but the fact that it has two separate doors makes it really nice for more people. That way you aren't climbing over each other to get in and out.The floor is heavy duty and can withstand camp furniture like cots and chairs. A Marmot rep told me he wouldn't bother with a footprint with this particular tent because the floor is so ultra durable, however I got one anyway because a) the Limestone is magnificent and I want to take the best possible care of it, b) the footprint allows for easier setup when picking out a spot, you don't have to drag the tent around, you just maneuver the footprint until you find the ideal place, and c) if you are camping in rainy weather, when you go to take down the tent, the bottom will be clean and it will be easy to fold up the footprint and hose that off when you get home.
Even if you are new to camping, a good tent can really make the experience, it's worth the investment to get something of quality, and once you have it you are good to go on many adventures. The Limestone will last through years and years of camping trips. It's good looks and attention to every last detail really make it stand out amongst other tents. This is also a tent that, even if it rains the whole time (hello Pacific Northwesterners), you'll still have fun. Can't recommend it highly enough, find it HERE.
