The North Face Stormbreak 3 Review

In an era of feature-heavy designs, we loved the simplicity of the Stormbreak 3. It's intuitive to set up, and even though the poles and fabric may be a bit heavy relative to other featherweight tents, we greatly appreciate a durable tent like this one. After a few seasons testing the Stormbreak 3, our team all agrees that this is one of the best values on the market.

Livability

The Stormbreak 3 boasts 39.7 square feet of living space, just shy of a king-sized bed. You won't have to worry about bumping shoulders with your tentmate, and for folks who appreciate a bit of personal space, even in confined quarters. There's enough room to spread out a bit, and several pockets help you stay organized while keeping important gear, like headlamps, off the floor.

The twin vestibules offer 10.8 square feet on each side, making them among the largest of any tent we tested. This is a benefit to anyone planning to share this tent with two hiking partners – even though the Stormbreak 3 is spacious for two, it's a bit cramped for three adults. Even with your packs outside under the vestibule, you can expect to sleep shoulder to shoulder.

The unique design of the vestibules, with zippers on both sides, allows you to roll up the rainfly doors while retaining some protection on each side. As long as the rain isn't blowing sideways, you can zip up the rainfly for a bit of ventilation while your backpack stays tucked in and protected. This is especially important in hot and humid climates because even though the mostly mesh tent body allows for condensation to escape, the thicker rainfly is more water-resistant than breathable.

Weather Resistance

What's particularly nice about the Stormbreak 3 is that if you're sharing this tent as a couple, you have ample space to bring your gear into the tent and fully out of the elements. While we recommend keeping your muddy boots and gear outside and under the vestibules, some people prefer to bring their entire packs inside, especially when setting up camp in a downpour. Like its smaller sibling, the larger Stormbreak 3 uses thicker polyester fabric for the floor and rainfly, and the floor has taped seams to prevent water from seeping in from underneath.

While the Stormbreak 3 generally lives up to its name, we noticed a bit of water seeping through the rainfly seams during particularly severe storms. This, of course, can be easily fixed by seam sealing the rainfly (which is always a good idea). However, it's also what makes the small polyester canopy at the tent peak such a nice touch – if the rainfly starts leaking in a downpour, the canopy offers a bit of backup so a small seep doesn't drip onto your head.

The taller, dome-shaped Stormbreak 3 isn't quite a billboard in the wind, but it's also not nearly as aerodynamic as some smaller-profile tents we tested. It will hold up well in moderate winds, and the thicker poles that make this tent easier to set up also provide a relatively sturdy frame. If you need some extra support, you can add tension by staking out the guylines.

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Weight

The main downside to the Stormbreak 3 is that it's a hefty tent. However, context is important – considering that this tent is more spacious, more durable, and much more affordable than the featherweight shelters we tested, a little extra weight may be a reasonable tradeoff. We compare all of the tents by their minimum trail weight – every tent we test includes poles, a tent body, and a rainfly, but not necessarily the same accessories.

However, a more realistic measurement is the “packaged weight,” which, for the Stormbreak 3, includes a stuff sack and stakes. With a packaged weight of 7.1 pounds, it's one of the heaviest tents in our review. It's a bit more reasonable if you share the weight between two partners, and it becomes quite reasonable if you're splitting it three ways. However, it's worth noting that if you're only splitting the weight in two, each person's load is heavier than some complete 2-person tents, and only slightly heavier than even some complete 3-person tents we tested.

Packed Size

Similar to the weight metric, the Stormbreak 3 is not nearly as packable as other, lighter-weight tents we tested. In fact, it's one of the bulkier tents in our review.

With packed dimensions of 22 inches long and 8 inches in diameter, the Stormbreak 3 is about the size of a lumbar pillow. Again, you often trade comfort for less weight and a smaller packed size. For us, having a slightly larger tent like the Stormbreak is worth the extra comfort – you may just need a bit bigger backpack to carry it.

Durability

The other tradeoff for the extra weight and bulk is that the Stormbreak 3 is particularly durable. This hefty tent uses 75-denier fabric across the floor, canopy, and fly, which is substantially stronger than the paper-thin materials used in some lighter models.

While it's certainly not puncture-proof, the thicker floor fabric stands up well against abrasion. The aluminum poles are also noticeably thicker than the lightweight DAC poles you often find on lightweight tents. Despite our qualms about its weight, the Stormbreak 3 is sure to last a long time with proper care.

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Should You Buy The North Face Stormbreak 3?

The Stormbreak 3 is a great option for anyone just getting into backpacking. It's spacious, weather-resistant, impressively durable, and most importantly, relatively inexpensive. The only asterisk attached to our recommendation concerns long-term value. If you plan on sticking to weekend trips, the Stormbreak 3 will serve you well for years. If you want to quickly progress to week-long backpacking trips, it's worth considering investing in a lightweight tent right off the bat.

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