Marmot Tungsten 4 Review
Our Verdict
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This Product
Marmot Tungsten 4 | |||||
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Awards | Best Overall Camping Tent | Most Versatile | Best Bang for the Buck | Our Favorite Pop-up Model | |
Price | $365.95 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $500 List $500.00 at Backcountry | $375 List $239.73 at REI | $228.99 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $360 List $349.00 at Amazon |
Overall Score | |||||
Star Rating | |||||
Bottom Line | Nice quality, no frills tent that could be used on light backpacking trips | It's hard to imagine a better use of space at this price point | Small but mighty, this tent will quickly be your go-to for short overnights | You may have to sacrifice a little on quality, but this tent is fairly solid, cleans easily, and can sleep a platoon of kids and pets | No needling poles or clipping clips, just pull and pop and this tent is ready to go in seconds |
Rating Categories | Marmot Tungsten 4 | The North Face Wawo... | Mountain Hardwear M... | Coleman Skydome XL 8 | Gazelle T4 Hub |
Space and Comfort (35%) | |||||
Weather Resistance (25%) | |||||
Ease of Use (15%) | |||||
Family Friendliness (15%) | |||||
Quality (10%) | |||||
Specs | Marmot Tungsten 4 | The North Face Wawo... | Mountain Hardwear M... | Coleman Skydome XL 8 | Gazelle T4 Hub |
Measured Weight | 7.9 lbs | 21.9 lbs | 7.1 lbs | 20.3 lbs | 31.6 lbs |
Max Inside Height | 4' 4" | 6' 4" | 4' 0" | 6' 1" | 6' 5" |
Floor Dimensions | 7' 9" x 6' 10" | 10' x 8' | 7' 6" x 5' 8" | 16' 2" x 7' 1" | 7' 10" x 7' 10" |
Floor Area | 52.7 sq ft | 86.1 sq ft | 42.5 sq ft | 114.5 sq ft | 61 sq ft |
Seasons | 3-season | 3-season | 3-season | 3-season | 3-season |
Windows | Mesh top | Mesh top | Mesh top | 2 | 8 |
Pockets | 6 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Number of Doors | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Room Divider | No | No | No | Yes | No |
Vestibules | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | o |
Vestibule Area (total) | 36.6 sq ft | 44.7 sq ft | 37.5 sq ft | N/A | N/A |
Packed Size | 24.8" x 8.3" | 10" x 32" | 7" x 25" | 28" x 11" x 11" | 67.5" x 8" x 8" |
Floor Materials | 100% Polyester taffeta | 150D polyester | 68D ripstop polyester | Polyester | 300D oxford weave polyester |
Main Tent Materials | 100% Polyester, Ripstop | 75D polyester | 40D polyester mesh, 75D ripstop polyester | Polyester | 210D oxford weave polyester |
Rainfly Materials | 100% Polyester, Ripstop | 75D polyester | 68D ripstop polyester | Polyester | 210D oxford weave polyester |
Number of Poles | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | Multiple |
Pole Material | Aluminum | DAC MX aluminum | DAC Pressfit | Fibergblass | Fiberglass |
Extras | Footprint included, color coded clips, poles, and fly | Dual exits in vestibule, 3 pockets on back door | Fly rolls back and secures halfway for stargazing, footprint included | Integrated string lighting system | Removable floor, fully assembled |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Marmot Tungsten 4 performed well in our review thanks to the easy setup, quality materials, and lightweight design. With 100% polyester and ripstop materials, aluminum poles, and an included footprint, this tent will handle whatever you throw at it. The fully open top and sides allow for great warm weather options, and the white tint on the mesh provides an additional layer of privacy without compromising views. The ability to pitch this tent alone and the comparatively lightweight package make it very versatile both for a family and a solo camper.
Performance Comparison
Space and Comfort
The Tungsten 4 has a 52.7 square foot main living space and a large 36.6 square foot vestibule providing ample comfort for both beds and gear. The full mesh top and sides make for great warm-weather options, and the dual vents allow for good airflow when the fly is on. But with a max height of only 4' 4", plan on changing clothes being a little difficult, and while there are six pockets throughout, they are pretty small.
The white mesh is a nice change from the typical black, as it provides an additional layer of privacy that is surprisingly good. We also found the vestibule to be large enough for a chair or maybe a kiddo's personal space — both work.
Weather Resistance
As with most well-built tents that sit lower to the ground, weather isn't too much of a concern here. The poles and connections are all high-quality aluminum, and the stakes are well-made and bite into the ground. Unfortunately, Marmot felt like only including enough stakes for the tent and rainfly and didn't include enough to fasten down the guylines. We would recommend bringing four extra stakes so you don't find your tent in the trees should a big gust come through.
The pole system on the Tungsten 4 is very well thought out. Typically hub setups have plastic parts and are cumbersome to set up. But this system is simple, light, and 100% aluminum. Even the connectors for the side poles are made from machined aluminum. The result is a super light structure that can handle a beating.
Ease of Use
Thanks again to the pole system, this tent went up for us in 4:48 minutes and came down in half that. The oversized carry bag means you can be a little lazy in your rolling without worrying about everything fitting back inside. Loading and unloading this tent is also a breeze, weighing, as it weighs in at less than 8 pounds. At that weight, we could see this tent making it on a few short backpacking trips as well.
Color-coded poles and clips add to the ease of use of this tent as well as the hub pole that provides the ability to pitch alone. Needless to say, Marmot nailed ease of use with the Tungsten 4. We can't emphasize enough how great it is to have a 4-person tent that is 7. 9 pounds and a packed size of only 24.8" x 8.3". This tent weighs less than most people's luggage.
Family Friendliness
This is a smaller, lower, 4-person tent. Packing two adults, some kids, and some dogs will be snug. Should the weather cause everyone to be in the tent for an extended period, this will not add to the joy. Realistically, you can fit three singles or a twin air mattress in here with enough room for some storage — any more is going to be a bit much for this tent. The large size of the vestibule does help, especially if your dogs (or kids) are good at sleeping on the dirt. We were able to fit a small chair and table, but things were snug.
Quality
From the stakes to the bag, the poles to the snaps, everything used on the Tungsten 4 is quality. Even the clever door tie-downs are high-end. Aluminum poles, an included footprint, smooth zippers, great stakes, and robust materials show that there wasn't a corner cut when designing this tent.
Should You Buy the Marmot Tungsten 4?
If you value quality and ease of use over size, the Tungsten 4 is an amazing choice. The materials mixed with a simple and intuitive setup put it above many. Then add that all this comes in a super lightweight package, and you have the most versatile 4-person tent in our lineup.
What Other Camping Tents Should You Consider?
If you want to get a little more height without compromising on quality, give the MSR Habitude 4 a look. If you are looking to get even smaller and lighter, you could also consider the Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3.