The North Face Stormbreak 3 Review

After a couple seasons with The North Face Stormbreak 3 our team all agreed it's an excellent budget model for teams of three or for teams of two that need more space- whether for equipment or wanting more comfort for lengthier adventures. While we had a few qualms, this is an excellent tent for shoppers needing to get a larger capacity model that won't break the bank.

Comfort

The North Face Stormbreak 3 is fairly comfortable, with decent floor space and cross bars offering above average head room. However, this isn't the most spacious tent for groups of three, bumping it slightly back in the review's lineup.

If you're needing to fit three people inside a tent, The North Face Stormbreak 3 does work, but keep in mind it's going to be on the tighter side. If you're spending more time on a two person mission and want more room to spread out, the Stormbreak 3 is great, with plenty of space for extra gear or puffy clothes. At 39.72 square feet, this is certainly more spacious than some of the 3-person competition on the market today, but we found it best to keep trips in the 2-3 night range with the Stormbreak 3. To improve comfort, we also recommend alternating where each person's head goes (one person sleeps one direction, the other sleeps with their feet next to their tent mate's head, etc.), rather than having everyone's head on the same side. This affords more shoulder space and we found more restful sleep this way.

Weather Resistance

If you're needing modest precipitation protection, The North Face Stormbreak 3 is a great choice, especially when considering its price point. It's made with the same materials as it's smaller sibling, the Stormbreak 2, which includes 75 denier polyester taffeta in the body, fly, and canopy, which kept our testers dry and happy.

In more severe storms, we found some water making its way through the stitching of the fly, though the canopy of the tent body was a thoughtful addition from The North Face, adding at least a bit of precipitation backup if the fly leaked overhead. During windier trips, there are a series of included guy lines on the outside of the tent that made it easy to tension, though The North Face Stormbreak 3 still was best in more moderate wind storms, especially considering the heavy use of mesh for the tent body. We greatly appreciated the seam tapping on the floor of the Stormbreak and had minimal water coming from underneath.

Space to Weight Ratio

The North Face Stormbreak 3 offers a decent amount of space, but it's certainly on the heavier side at 6 pounds 10 ounces. When considering it can work for a group of three, we found it to be reasonable when split across every hiker, but it isn't the best space to weight ratio in the lineup.

This tent offers 39.72 square feet of living space, which falls into the “good, not great” category when compared to some of the competition. Fortunately, it still earns a spot on our favorites list since it is half the price of the higher performing tents. As was also the case with the Stormbreak 2, the Stormbreak 3 doesn't have the smallest folded up dimensions, though again- three people carrying different parts of the tent helps a great deal.

Ease of Use

We appreciate the simple, no-frills design of The North Face Stormbreak 3, which is essentially a dome-style tent with classic design features that have been used for many years. We didn't have to use an instruction manual to set it up, and the double vestibule can be configured a few different ways depending on your preferences.

If you like more airflow and a wider opening, you can use the center vestibule fabric of The North Face Stormbreak 3 as the main door, or simply stake out that fabric and use the smaller side entry of the vestibule if you're wanting to keep things drier in wet weather. The zippers and pockets were all functional, and the pole clips were easy to use during set up. If you do feel like you want more wind proofing or more rigidity, the included guy lines were also easy to employ for blustery days.

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Construction Quality

The North Face Stormbreak 3 is essentially a larger version of the Stormbreak 2, with 75 denier fabrics in the floor, canopy, and fly. The 40 denier mesh held up fairly well throughout testing as well, though we still encourage campers to be mindful of any sharp equipment that could poke the mesh in a backpack or when set up.

While several backpacking tents we tested used an entirely mesh upper, the 75 denier canopy overhead in The North Face Stormbreak 3 was a nice reinforcement and found it to greatly improve the build quality of the body. Even when our team camped on rougher forest floors and on slabs of rock, the Stormbreak 3 held up very well, with the DWR finish also performing well throughout our testing seasons.

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Should You Buy The North Face Stormbreak 3?

If you need a budget tent that can handle a crew of three backpackers, this should be on your finals list. It might not be the lightest option out there, but spread out the weight with your friends and you'll be able to go on much lengthier backpacking trips. In rougher climates, we might suggest looking for a heavier duty tent, but the Stormbreak 3 offers decent build quality for moderately unpleasant conditions. As long as you're taking care of it, this tent will last you a long time, and is a trustworthy companion for your 3-season adventures.

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