Orion AST

 

Orion AST
Page Type Gear Review
Object Title Orion AST
Manufacturer Sierra Designs
Page By Alan Ellis
Page Type Dec 3, 2002 / Jan 20, 2007
Object ID 576
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Sierra Designs lightest freestanding tent, the Orion weighs only five pounds, but its steep side walls, rectangular floor plan and mesh ceiling give it an exceptionally airy and non-claustrophobic
feel. A large vestibule at the front-end entry stores gear well out of the way, and mesh side slash windows keep air circulating. The easy-to-pitch Orion also has a Clip-Loc at the intersection of its two large poles, making it incredibly stable for its weight.

KEY FEATURES:
- Full coverage Fly
- UV Resistant, seam, taped clear window in vestibule
- No See Um window in the door, plus a No See Um panel in the roof for excellent ventilation.
- Shock corded Easton Aircraft-grade, 7075 T9 aluminum
- Locking pole tips hold pole in place and won't slip out of the grommets
- Factory taped main floor seam
- Swift Clips™™ allow you to stake out your tent, then clip the body of the tent to the poles for quick easy set up
- Clip Loc™™ clips dynamically lock poles together at the point of intersection improving strength 60 per cent
- Computer-Aided Design-CAD
- Flashlight ring and mesh storage pockets
- 'U' shaped door
- Number 8 zippers
- Flame Retardant Carry bags and stakes included

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Reviews


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Alan Ellis - Dec 3, 2002 2:33 pm - Voted 4/5

Untitled Review
My first tent and still going strong after several years and many, many outings. I have one of the older models so it required total seam sealing. The new version is called the Orion AST. This tent is light, roomy, and strong. It's survived the best the Rockies could dish out including wind storms, hail storms, and rain storms. If the vestibule was slightly bigger, it would be perfect.

silversummit - Jan 27, 2009 10:22 pm - Voted 5/5

I just retired mine......
after almost 10 years of heavy use. It too was an earlier model and even resealing the seams isn't enough anymore. This tent was pitched in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming and every state between Virginia and Canada.

Since I often camped as the only female in the group and had to carry my own tent this proved to be the perfect size and weight whether it was backpacking, car camping or being stuffed into a dry bag for rafting.

It was the only tent out of several well known brands and types to hold up in strong gusts of wind along the Arkansas River last summer.

Definitely buy the footprint for this tent since it makes pitching this tent extremely easy even for one person alone in the dark!

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