A great tent: MARMOT's Tungsten UL 1P - Long-term review - Bonus: BEAR encounter footage

How has this tent held up after 2 years of constant use? Extremely well. I show what I look for in a camp site, the tent setup and some commentary after 2 years. As a bonus, I show a bear encounter at the end.

I finally bought a 1 person tent at the start of last summer's hiking season. I always had doubts about the value of a 1 person tent because I thought they were too small. I also had worries about the strength of an ultra-light tent. After an extensive research, I decided to try Marmot's Tugsten UL 1P. This tent did not disappoint.

Marmot claims that this tent has more space per ounce than any other freestanding UL backpacking tent. More space means more comfort, and the Tungsten UL 1-person tent delivers without adding extra weight to the pack. Zone pre-bend construction of the poles creates vertical walls for plenty of sleeping and relaxing space, plus headroom for stretching out. “Easy pitch" clips and poles make it easy to set up quickly. If a downpour hits, the seam-taped full-coverage fly and catenary-cut floor ensure you'll stay dry and rain won't pool inside. Stash your pack, poles, and other gear in the two vestibules and tuck a headlamp into the lamp shade pocket for ambient light at night.

Product Details

Max weight: 2lbs 14oz (1330g)

Min weight: 2lbs 9oz (1170g)

Canopy fabric: 15d 100% Nylon No-See-Um Mesh F/R

Dimensions: H 38" x W 36"/29" x L 84" (20 sq ft)

Floor fabric: 30d 100% Nylon 2000mm F/R

Fly fabric: 20d 100% Polyester RS, Sil/PU 1500mm F/R

Packed size: 18" x 6"

0:00 Introduction
2:04 Pitching the tent
5:48 My impression of this tent after 2 years of usage
11:11 Folding the tent
12:56 A curious bear visits my camp

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#MarmotTents #TungstenTent #ULTents

[williammckean]

I bought the two-person version of this tent at the beginning of the summer, and I'm very pleased with it so far. It's seen me through the wind, the rain, and seven nights on the North Boundary without anything going wrong. Literally my only complaint is that the zippers have a tendency to get stuck. That bear encounter also looked wild! I'm lucky to have never encountered a bear in the wild, but it seems like lately I see them from the car nearly every time I'm heading to or going home from a trip. I guess that's better than seeing them on the trail or at camp. Cheers from Calgary.

[agustinmoralesrodriguez]

I use 2p tents because I feel comfy. Finally a 1p tent I would by. It is wider than most and I love Marmot.

[legend]

Hey Marty! Another great video! I used the BRS stove you reviewed on my trip to Glacier last week and it worked perfectly. I had a big grizzly sow (300kg +) and her 2 cubs walk into my campsite the second night as I brushed my teeth before bed. She was 9 meters from me (I later measured it). She made a right turn when she saw me but stayed in the area for over an hour after dark. We had 9 people assembled in the common cooking area where we waited it out. Would be scary to be alone! I didn't sleep too well that night, but it all came out OK. Thanks again for the great videos!

[royberry]

Thank you Marty for your update on Marmot tent . a lot of reviews on gear don't back them up with real world usage. I found this site as I wanted to purchase the 1p and did a search for reviews . It will be great for my solo trips to B.W.C.A.W. Mn canoe area . I have done meany trips there (15 - 20 ) and need to lighten the load out when i solo . As what i see of the bear, I believe you were in his path of travel as they have to respect other animals territory, or maybe it just wanted to say hi. Roy Boy. Happy Trails

[larrycarroll]

Thanks, that was very informative.
Certainly a tent I would consider.

[victorvasquez]

Thx for the review bud, so many considerations to make for a comfortable nights rest. Wow to close to call with that bear, after watching this I will make blind spots 1st for safety and sun rises to help drying process begin. Take care Bud..

[uniktbrukernavn]

You forgot to mention dead standing trees when picking a tent spot; I once camped in a birch forest which served as a bird sanctuary. It was littered with fallen branches, one big one came down in the middle of the night, hit the ground with a nice muffled thud. They just break off with no sound, no warning.
The bird sanctuary was super noisy throughout the night - I like birds but maybe not 2000 of them all at once :)

Thanks for the Marmot review. I'm looking into these "American" style tents where you pitch the inner tent first and then put the fly on. I've been using the Hilleberg Akto for 10 years now and it's time to update. The tent is more orange than red now, still waterproof tho.
It would be nice to get a similar tent at around 2 pounds with a nice vestibule.

A bear in your camp is sure to wake you up. In Norway we got the brown bear which runs away at first sight, same with the wolves.
Stay safe!

[shcmoly]

I have a Marmot Limestone 4 witch I have left standing in the woods for weeks at a time while archery hunting. I got 4 hard years out of it before a windstorm ripped the fly, it has been fantastic. Marty, Another advantage of poly is it resists UV better than nylon.

[MrBluoct]

Great video. Wow. That bear. If brown -seemingly much trickier to spot

[theheff]

I always love watching your videos. I'm surprised you don't use a ground cloth. I use a piece of tubes (sp). Its light and very durable. I use to fold my tents very miraculously, but I was told over time it will create seams and over time the seams will fail. It is so much easier now to stuff it. Keep up the videos.

[SCL_NYC]

This was the funniest video I’ve seen in awhile.. I was root in’ for the bear 😂🤣👍🤦‍♂️

[suecopen]

I don’t see how you can claim it is not free standing. It has poles for each corner! It’s like my old quarter dome! You need to pitch correctly in the wind. The modern ‘freestanding’ with three poles to the ground Are NOT free standing, can’t wait to try this tent!

[SummitSeeker]

Good video update... I upgraded from the original Tungsten 1p to the UL 1p and love it. For the price, weight, and it being a freestanding tent makes it a great choice for any back country adventure. When using just the 6 stakes, I replaced with MSR Groundhog stakes, it’s a solid structure. Only when I set up in an exposed area where winds could be problematic will I use the guy lines and then I only use 2. I’ve never had a problem even during gale force winds. Curious why you gave up using a footprint? I love the one that you can purchase for this tent. Gives extra protection to the bottom of the tent while adding little weight (4.9oz) at a small extra expense. Also usually just the bottom of the footprint gets wet. I can use a small micro fiber towel to wipe down the footprint and then the sun/wind dries it out quickly. When I do laundry while camping I place my wet shirts, socks, underwear directly on the mesh on top of the tent and below the fly. Always dry by morning. Another key advantage you mention is the size of the tent footprint. It can fit into a tiny flat area compared to other non freestanding 1p tents that require multiple guy out points (think Z Pak). Like some of your viewers I thought a 1 person tent would be cramped and claustrophobic. To the contrary, with the large vestibule and the wider, tapered design, I find it quite cozy and comfortable. If you are a thru hiker where weight is your primary issue then this may not be your tent. For hundreds of dollars more you can shave about 1 lb of weight. Not worth it to me. Love this tent!

[davidcolinstillman]

HI MARTY !
GLAD TO SEE YOU'RE OUT & ABOUT ! HOPE FAMILY & FRIENDS ARE OK WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON ! YES THAT WAS A LITTLE UNNERVING! A COUPLE YEARS BACK WHILE I WAS GETTING BREAKFAST READY & WAITING TO WAKE UP MY NEPHEW & WHILE MY BEST FRIEND CALLED ME TO LET ME KNOW HE MADE IT SAFELY HOME FROM HIS TRIP . MY NEPHEW WAS WITH ME NEAR THE CAMPFIRE. HEARD A BIG CRASH THOUGHT IT WAS A TREE FALLING . BUT SHORTLY AFTER WE'RE VISITED BY A BIG MOMMA BEAR, ONE HALF HER SIZE & TWO TWINS THE SIZE OF FULL GROWN ROTTWEILERS DODS . THEY STOPPED I GUESS THEY SMELT THE CAMPFIRE , LOOKED OUR WAY THEN JUST KEPT GOING DOWN IN THE VALLEY & UP OVER & DOWN INTO THE NEXT ONE . WE JUST STOOD THERE & WATCHED , A LOT DIFFERENT THAN BEING AT A ZOO / ETC NO WALLS / BARS TO PROTECT YOU ! WE ENDED STAYING AN EXTRA NIGHT 🌙
I'M GLAD EVERYTHING TURNED OUT GOOD ON YOUR TRIP, A LITTLE SCARY SINCE HE / SHE DIDN'T RUN AWAY WHEN YOU HOWLED FOR IT TO LEAVE !
THANK YOU ! BE SAFE ! HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT REST OF THE YEAR ! HAVE FUN ! GOD BE WITH YOU ALWAYS ON YOUR JOURNEYS ! ENJOYED !

[ColemanOutdoors]

I ended up getting the 2 man of this tent shortly after returning home after last years trip. It wouldn't sleep 2 people my size very well, but it works for Jake and I. It's a great tent though! And what a price too. Funny, I put a small hole in the screen as well.

[pauldoan]

Thank you great on detail just what I was looking for I'm looking for a light weight tent the tungsten is one I'm looking at then the tarp tent . stratospire 1p or 2p

[BrodyYYC]

I have this as well but in orange. It's funny how much of the same gear we have. I usually tarp but I really like this tent when I do use it. I also like it much better in green but it only came in orange when I bought it. Have you ever used polycryo (that stuff you blow-dry over window in the winter) as a tent footprint?

[slide]

That does look like prime bear country...

I'm trying to figure out extra components of my 1P: 4 inch-long plastic things with 3 holes in them, and a 6-inch tube of metal. Any insights?

[nvtruant]

Hey, thanks for the review. I purchased this tent a few years ago and have found it fantastic. I have been very lucky in that it I never experienced rain on my hikes. It snowed once but I was able to brush off.
I’m wondering if prior to this season of hiking if I should spray water repellent onto it? Do you use spray on your gear and if so was it successful? Maybe a video on gear maintenance is an idea? Thanks for sharing your vast experience and knowledge!

[trippinwithdumas]

* don't fold your tent, you'll get creases, always stuff