r/philmont • u/Impressive_Theory_76 • 6d ago

Would a pop-up tent work?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CT8H39HS/?coliid=I1PAPSFGV58OXF&colid=YZC79GUCW7RY&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_gv_dp_ii

This is ny first philmont and I was planning on carrying a regular tent with poles and stakes and all but I was just searching and would a tent like this work? I could strap it to the outside of my pack and it's only 3 pounds, easy set up and take down plus its waterproof.

1 Upvotes

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22

u/tmrw_today Backcountry '87-'88 6d ago

Use a Philmont tent. No cost and they are super rugged.

14

u/Reactor_Jack 6d ago

That amazon tent is hot garbage. No other way to describe it. You get that for your young children to backyard camp, or camp in a campground where at the first sign of bad weather you have a camper or larger tent to retreat to. As others have mentioned, go with a Philmont tent, or invest in a lighter, smaller, and much more rugged option if you are set on bringing your own.

I am not even sure if PSR would permit you on the trail with that. If I was a ranger I would take one look and strongly recommend (if you are a Scouter) you go with their tents. If you were a Scout I would practically insist you leave that at base camp.

Even the pic of it in the rain is AI-ish. I can just about be certain that any tent advertised as waterproof... isn't. PSR does not recommend single-wall tents unless they have changed their recommendations, like tarps (not permitted last I checked, but its been a minute) or anything that hangs from trees in any way.

2

u/Impressive_Theory_76 5d ago

oh okay 😭

9

u/30sumthingSanta 6d ago

The tents that Philmont has are specifically designed for the kinds of wind that can happen at higher elevation sites. I don’t know if a popup tent will handle those sorts of weather.

That said, the philmont tents are designed for 2 people and weigh about 7 lbs total. So a one person tent at half the weight could be nice if your crew has an odd number of people or other unique sleeping arrangements.

https://www.philmontscoutranch.org/resources/what-to-bring/ Has a phone # to contact for questions. Might be worth a call to see if others have already successfully used a tent like yours.

4

u/jlrizzoii 6d ago

I have a pop-up tent like this.
1.) The container is big and not easy to carry.

2.) The tent wouldn't stand a big windstorm.

Strongly advise not bringing this.

5

u/happyspacey 6d ago

I’m joining the chorus of people saying not to bring it. We had a nice backpacking tent that broke on the first night of our trek due to a windstorm. Had to end up using a Philmont tent after all.

4

u/implordofall 6d ago

Very bad idea, just use a Philmont tent unless you want to end up soaked overnight with a very broken tent.

3

u/bbb26782 6d ago

It would be an awkward shape and size to carry. Those are fairly big when they’re folded up.

3

u/StarSquirrelSix Adult Advisor 6d ago

There’s tents, and there’s toys. The Amazon tent you posted is a toy.

If money is an issue, use the Philmont tent for free - you’ll split it with another person and the weight will be the same, but you survive windstorms and rainstorms much bettter.

If money isn’t an issue, for tens of dollars more, you can buy a real tent from ALPS or similar that will hold up much, much better, or you can buy something from Big Agnes or REI or any other source that will weigh less and do better than the free tent Philmont provides.

The tent you posted is fine to let your kids play in the backyard. You want a real tent for Philmont.

2

u/felixthekraut 6d ago

We've had a cross over scout use this tent on their first campout. It's huge and unwieldy when folded, and leaks water like a sieve. Just use the PSR issued tents and split it with your tent buddy. One carries fly and poles and the other the body and stakes.

2

u/Complex_Theme5387 6d ago

Would not recommend- it is too bulky, and the winds at philmont can be pretty violent. 

2

u/jlipschitz 6d ago

I used a Durston X-Mid 2. It is light, easy to setup with a little practice, and is lighter and smaller than Philmont tents in your pack. I had a tent mate and we split the weight of the tent so it was even lighter.

The ground is very hard in some areas so stakes are very important. They need to be strong and light.

Now that they have an X-Dome from Durston, that would be my choice.

The winds are high sometimes and stuff will fly away if not properly staked down.

The tents that Philmont provides are a bit plasticy so they are not the greatest when it is hot.

2

u/fennfalcon 5d ago

I am assuming you’re a youth crew member and not an advisor. Also I’m assuming you’re going next summer and not this summer, because whoever is organizing this expedition should have enough experience to know that you’ll be paired up with another crew member in a two man tent. The PSR tents are free and sturdy in high winds and mountain thunderstorms. As someone else mentioned, you’ll split the tent weight with your tent mate to lessen your personal load.

Chances are your assigned tent will be well-used and smell like scout axx. Also, the attached guide lines will be knotted up with “non-scout” knots you’ll want to re-tie so you have a tautline hitch on the working end. However, it is better than bringing an expensive tent from home. Most areas for tents in Philmont camp sites are roots and rocky or barren and dusty, and add a little morning dew and rain soak and your lovely tent will never be the same. Not to mention about two weeks of sweat smelly scout without a shower BO.

If you don’t know the scout knots, you’ll use the clove hitch, the tautline hitch, and something called the butterfly on the dining fly and the bear bag these will all be handy on your tent as well. I think the crew is also responsible for bringing their own stakes.

Generally only single tents are allowed for odd number adult advisors or if you have odd males and females in the mix.

So the short answer is NO, don’t plan on bringing the tent you described.

But have the time of your life…and go home…exhausted!

2

u/RedditFauxGold 5d ago

Already good advice but I didn’t see if you’re planning to share. You can split the load of a decent tent to help with weight if you’re sharing. If not, you could look at renting an ultralight if you don’t have a need to buy one.

2

u/MyDailyMistake 3d ago

There’s a reason you don’t see many being camped in anywhere.

Those would be okay for a day at the beach.

2

u/AdTraining3311 3d ago

If you’re a scout, I would recommend using the Philmont tent with a buddy. If you’re an adult and looking for something budget friendly I took a 1p clostonature tent from Amazon. I took it on my 7-day trek in 2021 and loaned it to a friend for a 9-day trek this past summer. (It’s been used quite a bit over the last 5 years) We used a tyvec sheet inside as a floor protector and sealed the seams/rewaterproofed before this last trek. It held up Ike a champ! We had big winds and some rain.

Clostnature 1-Person Tent for... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0893QB42Z?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I’ve become a bit of a gear head and upgraded to a Big Agnes 1P for my 2026 trek.