Good things do come in small packages. Photo: Steve Andrews//The Inertia
The Ultralight backpacking world has some of the most loyal gear purists of any activity out there today. This is of course one writer’s opinion and is based on the many comments one finds after any gear review which might stray from the agreed-upon narrative in ultralight forums and Reddit threads. So for people just getting into backpacking, finding a review that doesn’t adhere to the strict unwritten guidelines of what’s important or not in an ultralight tent may seem daunting. I’m here to recommend a tent that, while it isn’t the lightest on the market, is a solid introduction to solo backpacking. The Sea to Summit Alto TR1 ($375) is a lightweight, easy-to-set-up, and versatile package that will help you visit some amazing locations.
Sea to Summit has been around for a while, making great outdoor products of all shapes and sizes. But only recently they have opened up their offerings to the world of ultralight tents with the Alto series. I got my hands on the TR1 1-person model to try out in the mountains of British Columbia. And while it’s not the absolute lightest tent on the market, it’s got enough going for it that it’s worth the extra grams and higher price tag. Read on further to find out why.
Editor’s Note: Don’t miss the rest of our favorite options in our Best Backpacking Tents guide.
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy to pitch | Lots of small pieces |
| Multiple setup options | Fly sits high above the ground |
| Good ventilation | Pricey |
First Impressions of the Sea to Summit Alto TR1
Packaged Weight: 2 lb 11 oz
Floor Area: 19.5 sq ft
Other Versions: TR2, TR2 Plus
So as earlier stated, although Sea to Summit claims this to be an Ultralight tent, you’ll get a cadre of ultralight purists hounding you for why it’s not. The packaged weight is just over two and a half pounds. That’s less than a pair of most hiking boots out there today, which helps put it in perspective considering many of today’s boots are designed to be lightweight.
The tent comes in three separate sacks, which helps you divide the load a bit more evenly should you choose to. Each sack is designed to be used after pitching the tent. The stuff sacks are intended to be little storage pouches inside for you to stash your knickknacks and keep them from spreading out on the tent floor. The poles are stashed in a semi-opaque plastic shell that is designed to put your headlamp inside and be placed at the apex of the tent, giving you a nice, even light during the nighttime. It worked surprisingly well.
Pitching the tent was a breeze, thanks to the one pole easily going up and being pretty foolproof in the design as to what goes where. If you use the footprint (not included), you can also pitch the tent using only the fly, or simply pitch it fly first in bad weather so as not to soak the inside of the tent while adding the rest. All in all, the tent was ready to live in within a matter of minutes.
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There is enough room next to the sleeping pad to keep your must-haves in the tent right next to you. Photo: Steve Andrews//The Inertia
Notable Features of the Alto TR1
This tent has a few standout features which put it in a class above your average run-of-the-mill tent. We already discussed the simplicity of setting up, but it really is quite simple to need only one pole and a few stakes in the ground. When you compare it to the trekking pole setups that often get their ultralight designation due to the lack of poles, it’s far easier to set this tent up than those, and with less room for error. The last thing you want is for the tent to collapse in the middle of the night.
The pole design is also a standout feature. The cross supports actually bend upward, giving a bit more headroom than if it were dome-shaped. This helps maximize the space for a small tent by quite a large margin when you think about it. As a result, I could sit up quite comfortably inside. At 5’11”, that’s not the case for other small tents.
At the apex of the tent is a small vent that has firm support to make sure water doesn’t get inside. I found that, even in the middle of a downpour, it vented out excess heat and condensation didn’t form. It is a small feature, but a very powerful one, especially for those who emit a lot of heat and/or are backpacking in a humid climate.
Drawbacks of the Sea to Summit Alto TR1
The fly does come up off the ground a bit which is good for ventilation, but not so much for keeping things dry in the vestibule. I found the vestibule to have a decent area but with the high clearance of the fly, much of that area was irrelevant in a rainstorm. I had to keep things tucked pretty close to the tent to avoid it getting drenched, thus reducing the actual usable vestibule space.
A bit of water pooled up after a particularly nasty rainstorm. Photo: Steve Andrews//The Inertia
Although there is a footprint that you can buy additionally, the tent floor itself is fairly thin. The Plus model does offer a thicker floor, but I’m wondering how much they wanted to sacrifice a durable floor just to boast how lightweight it was. As such, I’d recommend getting the footprint if you plan on camping off the beaten path (which, hopefully, you will be).
I had to keep my boots close to the tent to avoid getting drenched in the rain, thus reducing the actual usable vestibule space. Photo: Steve Andrews//The Inertia
Final Thoughts
While Sea to Summit’s Alto TR1 isn’t exactly an Ultralight tent in the minds of many Ultralight purists, it’s still an incredibly lightweight tent with a ton of options and features that make it worth the extra ounces and dollars. Compared to a bivy sack, you have a lot more liveable space at not much more setup hassle. And compared to a pared-down ultralight tent, it has the reliability of a freestanding tent and the option to simply use the fly as a quick-setup shelter if you need to get out of stormy weather.
After two months of testing, I have come to appreciate the ease of setup and versatility of this tent. If counting grams isn’t your thing but you want a reliable tent in the backcountry, this one will serve you well.
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Editor’s Note: This isn’t the only backpacking tent we love, check out the rest in our Best Backpacking Tents guide. For more gear reviews and features on The Inertia, click here.
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