Marmot Tungsten 4 Tent Overview

Backside Line

The Marmot Tungsten 4 is an intriguing tent that straddles the road between automobile tenting and backpacking. Its main function is as a front-country automobile tenting tent, however its smaller packed measurement and comparatively low weight means it may possibly work as a backpacking possibility in a pinch. Though it felt a bit cramped for our household of 4, it’s a snug match for 2 campers. The Tungsten is easy to pitch, even for solo campers, and packs down simply for transport.

When it comes to climate resistance, it carried out admirably throughout testing in Colorado’s mountains, dealing with heavy rain and even early-season snow simply. Its dome-style design and low peak top additionally helped it maintain regular in reasonable winds.

Nonetheless, the tent has some drawbacks. Air flow is poor with the rainfly connected until the fly is absolutely guyed out, and sadly, not sufficient stakes are included for this setup. The inside storage, whereas purposeful with 4 aspect pockets and two ceiling “Lampshade” pockets, may benefit from a extra considerate design.

All in all, the Tungsten 4 is a strong, versatile possibility for campers in search of a crossover tent that balances automobile tenting consolation with some backpacking functionality. For those who’d wish to discover extra of our favourite tents, take a look at our full gear information on the Finest Tenting Tents of 2024.

Consolation

The Tungsten 4 is extra appropriate for 2 campers reasonably than 4, which is widespread for smaller crossover tents. That’s to not say it may possibly’t match 4 individuals—it may possibly—however you’ll haven’t any room for gear inside. As a substitute, you’ll must retailer your gear within the two exterior vestibules. We examined the tent with two adults and two young children, and whereas it labored, we’d have appreciated more room. Children may theoretically take up much less room, however if you issue of their collected knickknacks and treasures, they shortly occupy as a lot area as an grownup.

For backpacking, the tight match is probably not a major subject, however for front-country tenting, two campers will discover the Tungsten far more snug. The 2 vestibules, which add roughly 36 sq. toes of extra cupboard space, are useful, however you’ll must preserve a part of them clear for simple tent entry and exit.

The tent physique options loads of mesh, offering refreshing air flow on clear nights with the fly off. Nonetheless, with the rainfly deployed and the vestibule doorways absolutely zipped, air flow is noticeably diminished. Whereas the only kickstand vent and absolutely guyed-out fly enhance airflow considerably, the tent can nonetheless really feel stuffy in sure situations.

Sturdiness

After thorough testing, we will confidently say that the Tungsten 4 is a well-built and thoughtfully designed medium-duty tent. Whereas Marmot doesn’t present many specifics on the supplies used, our years of out of doors expertise and testing numerous tents lead us to consider this tent is made with strong, sturdy supplies. The poles are Velocity HD aluminum, which, whereas heavier than fiberglass, provide larger power and longevity. The cover and rainfly are fabricated from Ripstop Polyester, and the ground is crafted from Taffeta Polyester. Sadly, the denier ranking isn’t supplied.

Proper out of the field, the supplies really feel heavy-duty, and after our testing, we really feel assured this tent can face up to repeated use. With correct care and upkeep, it ought to final for years to come back.

Our predominant concern, if any, is the plastic clips that connect the fly to the tent physique. These clips are uncovered to the weather, which might probably be a weak level. Whereas we haven’t encountered any points throughout testing, it’s one thing to bear in mind for long-term sturdiness.

Climate Resistance

Marmot has been a trusted title within the out of doors trade for years, recognized for producing tents which might be each inexpensive and sturdy. We discovered the Tungsten 4 to carry out properly in difficult climate, together with prolonged and typically sideways driving rain. The rainfly has glorious protection, and the place it doesn’t absolutely lengthen, the massive bathtub flooring offers extra safety.

We examined the Tungsten within the Colorado mountains, the place we principally skilled basic bluebird days and chilly nights. Nonetheless, we did face a 36-hour stretch of heavy rain, which transitioned into graupel and ultimately snow, earlier than melting as soon as the solar hit the tent. Regardless of the extreme climate, we remained dry and didn’t expertise any leaks.

In reasonable winds, the Tungsten held up properly. With the tent absolutely guyed out, it did seem to bend in on itself a couple of times, nevertheless it by no means felt like a severe subject. General, the Tungsten 4’s climate resistance proved to be strong, providing peace of thoughts even in unpredictable situations.

Ease of Setup

We discovered the Marmot Tungsten 4 to be extremely straightforward to arrange. Even when pitching it solo, we had the tent absolutely assembled in below eight minutes. The colour-coded poles and webbing make the setup course of simple and hassle-free. The design is trendy and environment friendly, just like many backpacking tents, utilizing hooks to connect the poles to the tent physique as an alternative of the standard pole sleeves. We choose this technique, because it eliminates the frustration of snagging the poles contained in the sleeves throughout setup.

The decrease peak top additionally contributes to the benefit of meeting, as you don’t must be notably tall to connect the final clip within the middle of the tent. It is a characteristic we actually appreciated, because it avoids pointless stretching or awkward maneuvers.

Attaching the rainfly can be easy. The colour-coded webbing and plastic clips guarantee a safe match with minimal effort, making the method fast and intuitive. General, the Marmot Tungsten 4 affords a user-friendly setup expertise. iIt is a superb selection for each novice and skilled campers who desire a tent that’s straightforward to pitch and may be executed shortly, even and not using a second particular person.

Options

The Tungsten 4 is comparatively middle-of-the-road in terms of options. We recognize the color-coded poles and webbing for simple setup, and we love that the footprint is included with the tent. The 2 vestibules are an awesome addition for additional gear storage. Nonetheless, we discovered the interior storage to be missing.

It’s not that the Tungsten doesn’t provide any inside storage—it does—however total, we discovered it much less purposeful than it may very well be. If we had been backpacking the inside pockets would probably suffice. Nonetheless, when tenting with a household, we’d wish to see bigger, extra helpful pockets. The present ones are likely to sag when loaded with something greater than a headlamp and aren’t massive sufficient to retailer gadgets {that a} household may want, like child wipes, diapers, or tablets.

That mentioned, the 2 overhead “Lampshade” pockets are a pleasant contact for headlamps, as they diffuse gentle, however they don’t have a lot capability for the rest. We’re high quality utilizing the vestibules for gear, however some campers could choose extra inside storage choices.

Ought to You Purchase the Marmot Tungsten 4 Tent?

The Marmot Tungsten 4P Tent is a superb crossover-style possibility at an inexpensive value. It’s preferrred for many who want a tent for front-country automobile tenting but in addition need the flexibleness for brief, much less intense backpacking journeys with out buying two separate tents. Whereas it’s massive sufficient to sleep a household of 4, it could really feel cramped, and for those who plan to backpack, you might wish to distribute the load amongst a few hikers.

With its storm-worthy construct and high quality supplies, the Tungsten 4P is a dependable possibility for these unsure about how they’ll use their tent. For those who’re particularly in search of a devoted car-camping tent or solely plan to backpack, there are higher choices obtainable. Nonetheless, for these searching for a flexible possibility that bridges each wants, the Marmot Tungsten 4P is a strong selection price contemplating.

What Different Tenting Tents Ought to You Take into account?

For extra choices, please see our full information to the greatest tenting tents.

REI Half Dome SL 3+ – The REI Half Dome SL 3+ is one other crossover-style tent price contemplating for those who plan to camp with a gaggle of two or three, particularly if one in all them is a baby. The SL 3+ leans extra towards the backpacking aspect of issues. It’s $50 dearer however considerably lighter. Nonetheless, the inside is smaller than that of the Tungsten 4, so don’t anticipate lots of additional room.

Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3 – Once more, leaning extra towards the backpacking aspect, the Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3 is a light-weight, rock-solid possibility for teams of two seeking to do extra backpacking than front-country automobile tenting.

Kelty Wi-fi 6 – If automobile tenting is extra your factor and also you desire a bigger tent that also affords nice climate safety on the identical value level, the Kelty Wi-fi 6 is a incredible possibility. It comfortably sleeps a household of 4 with loads of room to spare.