Back in 2003, Backpacker Magazine awarded the Mad House 2 its 'Best Buy' rating in the annual Gear Guide. The new Mad House 3 expands upon that by adding nearly 15 square feet inside and 6 in the vestibules. Mad House tents are roomy four-season convertible backpacking tents with dual doors and vestibules for stowing gear or canine companions. Both vestibules face one direction for pitching into prevailing wind or to ease entry in crowded or vegetated camp sites. Purchase their separate foot print that attaches to the fly and eliminates the tent body for the fast and light minded. Fast Fly footprint is optional on all models and highly recommended. most importantly to eliminate any unnecessary wear and tear on the tent floor itself.

During our test we decided to carry the nominal (19 oz.) extra weight on our hike, the result was zero abuse to the actual tent floor, a smart choice when you consider it eliminates any unnecessary wear and tear on the tent floor itself. The vestibules were found to have better functionality when an actual floor was present rather than just the natural terrain. The Big Agnes Fast Fly Footprint for the Mad House 3 is a well justified $50.00. As for the Mad House 3, two people can set up the entire tent, including the footprint, in 5 minutes. Ease of assembly and the relatively low weight of a 4 Ðseason tent of 8 pounds 9 ounces were only two of the fundamental reasons we chose the Mad House 3 for our test. Once inside the Mad House 3 we realized the importance of ventilation choices. This tent has all sorts of choices which enable it to be function in weather conditions of all seasons. On both ends of the tent are triangle shaped vents which can be open one side at a time or completely for outstanding cross ventilation. The doors which are on both sides of the tent give you the option of opening with or without the integrated bug guard, and to further the positioning of you opening the Big Agnes 3 door give you almost 365 degrees of choice from which you can draw your ventilation from. During our test we enlisted 3 six footers, with sleeping bags, to express to us their level of room and comfort. The result was there was room for everyone all-night, even with a lot of tossing and turning. The vestibules were loaded with 70 litre backpacks and there was enough room to handle another 4 large backpacks and anything else you may bring. Light, durable and extremely functional, the Mad House 3 is our choice for a great 3 person tent.

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Set Up

With some practice, the tent can be pitched on bare ground by a single person in about 7 minutes. This is accomplished by threading the silver tent poles through the continuous pole sleeves at the top of the tent. This is best done by pushing the poles through the sleeves, while pulling on the sleeve fabric to avoid any bunching in the material. Once both poles are threaded, the pole...more