Those who still remember the old classic tents should read this The North Face Tuolumne 2 tent review. After more than 40 years it is back, redesigned and great as always.
Key features and bonuses
- Footprint included.
- Durable materials.
- Nostalgic classic design.
The North Face Tuolumne 2 – description
In The North Face site, they give one single sentence in the description of this tent, and it reads: “We reached into our archives from the ’70s to design this two-person tent that we’ve modernized with the latest technical feature set.” This is a really economical description.
So what is this about? Obviously, the old version has been redesigned with some modern touch, like the zipper on the door (not everybody will like this). The Tuolumne 2 is a non-freestanding, 3-season tent for 2 people. The term non-freestanding means that you have to anchor it to the ground to make it stand, the usual with such a classic design. I have two tents of this type.
Such a design has some negative sides as you cannot pitch it on the rock, sand, concrete, or gravel. So you have to plan your camping space in advance to avoid trouble. I have had such unpleasant experiences at high altitudes in the Alps.
The meaning of the term 3-season should be self-evident; this tent is not for winter use simply because it cannot withstand overnight snowfall or strong winds (yes, I know, some claim the opposite and swear it can be used in any season, but let’s be realistic). You can read more about such winter tents in my separate text.
The space
The floor is almost rectangular, 56 in (142 cm) wide at the entrance, see below, and the total space available is 30.9 sq ft (2.87 sq m). So this is huge, more than 1.4 sq m per person. But note that this classic style does not include any awning or vestibule, so all your gear will have to stay inside this tent.
The floor plan and the tent cross-section is shown in the pictures below. As you see, the height of only 35 inches (89 cm) in the middle is not so impressive. As you see from the pictures, the fly is A-shape, so the side walls are not vertical and the total volume is not so great.
The materials
The materials used in the construction of this tent are durable, so you have 70D nylon everywhere.
The tent is a single-layer type, so the fly is the part of the body, nothing to add separately. There are reasons why modern tents have double walls, with the mesh inside and the fly outside, but this is a true classic design.
Long vents are on both sides so ventilation is good and condensation should not be a serious issue in spite of such a single-wall design. In addition to this, the door is a double-layer type, so you have a mesh layer to use when it is not raining. The external front zipper is long and equipped with a quality storm flap, a great feature.
The setup is not complicated. As usual with non-freestanding tents, you start by anchoring the corners, and the job is easily done in less than 10 minutes.
Waterproofness
All materials are with PU coating and with a water-resistant finish. The waterproofness rating is 1500 mm for all sections, the floor, walls, and fly, this is quite moderate but also this is quite usual. You can see the same value for the fly in many other tents, like in this Alps Mountaineering Mystique 1 tent, and it is bigger than in the MSR Access 2 tent where it is 1200 mm. The meaning of the number is that it can withstand the given number of millimeters of a water column for more than one minute.
The floor waterproofness in many tents is bigger, so it is 3000 in the mentioned two tents. But note that the Tuolumne 2 tent comes with the footprint which is waterproof itself and it adds to the lifetime of the tent’s floor. More about footprints please read here.
Who is it for
Well, the tent is basically for everybody. But in view of its price, I do not think it would be the first choice for the beginners in camping and hiking.
It comes with the footprint, and this is good, but all in all, the tent is heavy, so not the best option for extended backpacking tours. It is far more suitable for camping with a car or motorbike access, or for short overnight or weekend hiking tours.
It is definitely for oldtimers who remember the tent as it was more than 40 years ago (I am not completely in this group, but I am almost there). For such people, there is a lot of sentimental value in it.
Specifications
- Best use: camping, hiking, hunting.
- Type: non-freestanding, 2 person tent.
- Trail weight: 4 lbs 8 oz (2.04 kg). Please read here about this terminology.
- Total weight: 5 lbs 6 oz (2.43 kg).
- Floor size: 30.9 sq ft (2.87 sq m).
- Peak height: 52 in (132 cm).
- Packed size: 6 x 25 in (15 x 63.5 cm).
- Doors: 1.
- Modern twist on a TNF classic.
- Three poles.
- Large mesh side vents.
- Single-wall design.
- Footprint included.
- Side pockets.
- Materials:
– Fly: 70D nylon, 1500 mm PU coating, water-resistant finish.
– Sidewalls & Floor: 70D nylon, 1500 mm PU coating, water-resistant finish.
– Mesh: polyester No-See-Um mesh. - Lifetime guarantee.
Summary, rating, pros & cons
To conclude this The North Face Tuolumne 2 Tent review, this is a quality tent, “the blast from the past” as somebody described it nicely. So this tent has a lot of sentimental values for people like me and even older hikers and campers. I had my honeymoon in a very similar a tent more than 30 years ago.
But if you are a younger person, you may be used to something more modern, more lightweight, and more livable, so have a look in this page with tens of tents of the various size described. In particular, if you are looking for a two-person tent, please see this text with a long list of great tools.
My rating breakdown is given in the table:
The North Face Tuolumne 2 Camping Tent
Pros
- Lots of space.
- Durable materials.
- Footprint included.
- Classic design.
Cons
- Not freestanding.
- Heavy.
- No vestibule.
- Expensive.
Thank you for reading, I hope this text has been useful to you. If this is so, please share it with others. In the case of comments and questions, please use the comment box below. I wish you a pleasant day.
Chris says
Re The North Face Tuolumne 2: I owned two of the originals but am down to only one, a tent that has not been used in years.
The original was incredibly stable and comfortable for one, a much younger one than I am today.
Because of fond memories of this tent I sometimes think of having a tentmaker — someone I know — make a copy using Dyneema and lighter poles. My guess (and estimate using crude calculations for materials) is that it would be competitively light for through hikers. The cost would be hefty, but so what? The memories would be easily worth the cost.
Jovo says
Hi Chris, I could not agree more about the last sentence. My wife and I were on our honeymoon in a tent of the same shape, but it was a less known brand. This was in 1986. So trust me when I say that I know what you are talking about.
I guess it may be difficult to get Dyneema, the only manufacturer is DSM in the Netherlands. Perhaps you can order something similar, I wonder if you have seen the Big Agnes Scout 2 Platinum, this is all Dyneema.
Allen A. Smith says
I still have and still use the original North Face Tuolomne tent. The original is a 4-season tent. The fly is separate from the body, and it has a sleeve entrance that cannot freeze up. I have used it on Mt Washington in New Hampshire in winter.
Jovo says
Thank you Alllen, great to read about your experience with this tent.
Jean-Pierre CLERICI says
I bought this beautiful tent a few years ago. Camped many nights in it, never with rain.
Setting the tent up, I found a bit difficult to force the second front pole into its grommet.
I do not regret the purchase since I particularly like the tents of the 70’s (SD, TNF, Snow Lyon, and many others today disappeared).
Thx for the interesting review.
Regards,
Jean-Pierre
Jovo says
Many thanks Jean-Pierre, for the kind words and for sharing your experience. I understand your sentiment, it was almost 40 years ago when I first camped in a tent built in such a style. It brings back memories. All the best.