Philip J. Smith's Blog: Sierra Designs Sweet Suite 2 Tent Review

Sierra Designs Sweet Suite 2 Tent Review

The Sierra Designs Sweet Suite 2 is a two-person, double-wall tent weighing 3 lbs 3 oz ounces. It's easy to set up and has two doors and two vestibules, a must-have for couples camping. Near vertical side-walls and an open airy inner tent provide excellent ventilation and moonlight illumination, when the rain fly is not needed.

Specs at a Glance

Type: Semi-freestanding
People: 2
Trail Weight (total, minus stakes and bags) – 3 lbs 3 oz (actual 3 lbs 5 oz)
- Rain Fly – 20.9 oz
- Inner Tent – 18.7 oz
- Poles 14.2 oz
Dimensions
- Height: 40″
- Length: 84″
- Width:
  - Head end – 51″
  - Foot end – 47″
Materials
- Number of Poles: 2 poles – (3 poles hubbed together + 1 ridge pole)
- Pole Material: DAC Featherlite Aluminum
- Fly Fabric: 20D Nylon Ripstop, Silicone/1200mm PeU
- Floor Fabric: 30D Nylon Ripstop, Silicone/1200mm PeU
- Body Fabric: 15D Nylon No-See-Um Mesh
Min Number of Stakes to Pitch – 6

Inner Tent

The Sweet Suite 2 has a 2-door inner tent, which is a must-have for 2-people, so you can each get out without having to climb over and wake up your partner at night. Both side doors have a "D" shape that makes entry and exit easy, even if you have a backpack stored under the side vestibule. The zippers are bi-directional, making the doors extra easy to open and close.

The pole architecture creates a strong structure while creating vertical walls at the head end and sides of the tent.

The tent poles are aluminum, which is good for long-lasting durability, provided you avoid snapping the ends together when you put them together or pull them apart. There are two tent poles, a multi-segmented 3 pole affair with a center hub and a horizontal cross pole that helps create the near vertical sidewalls. The front pole is pre-bent and nearly vertical providing excellent headroom, while the rear of the tent slopes down toward the feet. Pockets sewn into the sidewalls provide plenty of storage for valuables and essentials, while the high bathtub floor prevents rain from flooding you out.

The inner tent quickly clips to the hub and poles, but 4 tent states are still required in the corners to stretch out the corners. The floor fabric is a 30D Nylon Ripstop, fully seam-taped of course, but burly and durable enough that you can use the Sweet Suite without a footprint and not have to worry about surface abrasion.

The interior width and length of the Sweet Suite 2 can fit two tapered 25″ inch wide sleeping pads with ease. The 84″ length of the inner tent also makes this a nice tent for taller folks. I always measure the interior dimensions of the tents I test and review, since manufacturers usually publish the dimensions of the rain fly, not the actual space available to lay out a sleeping pads. The near vertical front wall and ample 40″ peak height make it possible to sit up inside the inner tent if you've brought along a chair kit for that purpose.

Rain Fly

The rain fly clips to the corners of the inner tent, making set up fast and painless. An additional two stakes are requires to secure the vestibules to the ground, bringing the total required to pitch the tent to 6. Ventilation is good, even when the fly is completely closed, because the side walls are cut high to improve air flow and cross ventilation. The two side vestibules are also large enough that you can fit a backpack under them and still get in and out of the tent easily.

Sierra Designs touts the ability to roll back the rain fly on this tent (see top photo) for star-gazing, but provides no way to secure the fly when it is open to prevent it from unraveling or flapping in the breeze. I was disappointed by this, since you can roll back the fly this way on other dome-shaped, double-wall tents, just as easily. I would have been a lot more impressed if there were a way to pull up the rain fly, like an awning, from inside the tent, or to drop and secure it in place without having to leave the inner tent or vestibule.

Vestibule volume and door access are great even with a backpack stored inside

The pole structure and the shape of the rain fly, make the Sweet Suite 2 quite a strong tent for windy conditions and bad weather. Additional guy-out points are also available on the exterior of the fly, so you can further anchor it in poor weather.

Compare the Sweet Suite 2 against these other 2-person backpacking tents.

Make and Model	Floor Area	Vestibule Area	Peak Height	Minimum Weight	Price
Sierra Designs Sweet Suite 2	29.2 sq ft	17.8 sq ft	41"	3 lbs 3 oz	$369.95
MSR Hubba Hubba NX	29 sq ft	17.5 sq ft	39"	3 lbs 7 oz	$399.95
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2	29 sq ft	18.0 sq ft	40"	2 lbs 12 oz	$449.95
Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2	28 sq ft	16.0 sq ft	39"	2 lbs 3 oz	$399.95
NEMO Hornet 2	27.4 sq ft	12.4 sq ft	40.2"	2 lbs 0 oz	$369.95
REI Quarter Dome 2	28.7 sq ft	21.0 sq ft	42"	3 lbs 5 oz	$349.00

Recommendation

The Sierra Designs Sweet Suite 2 is a comfortable, lightweight tent that's super easy to set up. While it's not the lightest weight two person tent you can buy, it provides a nice balance between features and cost. My favorite feature is the internal height and width of the inner tent, which makes it quite livable and good for hanging out in. It's also a strong, solid tent that sheds wind and rain well and provides excellent ventilation and views when the vestibules are open. The use of durable fabrics means that this a tent that will stand up to the elements and lots of use, without breaking the bank.

Compare 3 Prices

Last updated: 2018-06-18 02:31:05

Sierra Designs provided a tent for this review.

SectionHiker.com receives affiliate compensation from retailers that we link to if you make a purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. This helps to keep our content free and pays for our website hosting costs. Thank you for your support.

Published 2018.

Philip J. Smith's Blog

Sunday, June 17, 2018