Black Diamond Ahwahnee Tent: 2-Person 4-Season

We’ve read the reviews across the web for the Black Diamond Ahwahnee Tent: 2-Person 4-Season and summarize the results below:

Universal Ranking

PeakScore: 86 (out of 100)
User Rating: 4.5 stars 
Expert Rating: 3.9 stars

Number of Ratings Reviewed: 69

Pros & Cons

Reasons to buy:

User Reviews

  • Very durable.
  • Keeps the inside dry even in heavy rain.
  • High ceiling.
  • The large mesh doors provide plenty of airflow for hot nights.

Expert Reviews

  • Provides good protection in strong rain.
  • Offers lots of headroom.
  • Two doors make getting in and out of the tent easier.
  • Very durable fabric.
  • The tent doors fold down completely, offering lots of ventilation and room getting in and out of the tent.
  • Very versatile, although not very well-suited for extreme winter weather.
  • Does a good job wicking moisture through the tent given that it is single-walled which doesn’t normally breathe as well as double-walled tents.

Reasons NOT to buy:

User Reviews

  • Requires waterproofing care every few seasons.
  • The zippers and pole holders are weak points in the strength.
  • Poles can stick through the tent fabric if not placed carefully during set-up.

Expert Reviews

  • The twist-tie pole clips are flimsy and difficult to use.
  • The internal pitch system makes set up a bit trickier and lets more water in when pitching the tent in bad weather.
  • Does not preform well in strong winds, as it catches easily if not oriented perfectly against the wind.
  • Heavier than other single-wall tents, but lighter than many other 4-season tents.

Summary:

The Black Diamond Ahwahnee Tent: 2-Person 4-Season offers lots of headroom and great protection from foul weather, and is made to last. With two large doors that offer good ventilation and views, and fully waterproof walls, this tent is well-suited for four-season adventures, although it is not ideal for very windy conditions if not set up very carefully against the wind. The internal pole system has a learning curve, but many users like the design once they have some practice setting it up, and stand by the high price of this tent for its durability and weatherproofing.

Note: User and expert rankings were reviewed across the web, including here: 1, 2.