Camping Tent Testimonials

"As a musician in a popular bluegrass band, my instant tent has served me well on the weekend festival circuit for 6 or 7 years. My tent is fully deployed, as well as a chair to relax in, while others are still wrestling with fiberglass rods! On at least two occasions I have utilized all velcro closures and extra lines against 30 to 35 MPH winds. The instant tent deflected the wind like an igloo while other tents were blowing away. For the kind of tailgate camping that I do I can't recommend a better tent. "

Douglas Downey

"As an older camper I was very pleased with the ease of setting up the four man tent from Apache/ATuffy. The six foot height (6ft 4in) lets me stand up without crouching or bending over and the roominess allows me the opportunity to indulge myself in a large sleeping cot. At the age of 91 I actually feel that the Apache/ATuffy ALX tent, with it's easy set up in this large size, has extended my life as a camper and I am really an enthusiastic and Happy Camper supporter of this great product. On my first attempt to set up my new tent everything worked to perfection and I practiced with the rain fly and the take-down several times with snow on the ground but using a heavy duty tarp as protection. It may sound a bit absurd but it was actually fun doing the set-up and take-down. Now I can really anticipate showing off my new tent to some of my less fortunate camping friends who are still struggling with lesser equipment. "

Dr. Bob Kalsched, Marshfield, Wisconsin

"I purchased my 2-man AL in January and I am VERY impressed. It has served well in several ice- and rock-climbing trips in New York State and extensive hiking in Zion/Kolob and Bryce as well as lots of BLM land in western Utah. Fierce wind and rain don't seem to affect the structure in any way and snow is only barely an issue. Ventilation is ideal. You offer an outstanding product and I recommend your tents to people often. Keep up the great work!"

Joe, Cornwall NY

"Frank, we received the replacement pole - THANKS! Put everything together today and she's as good as new. I cannot believe how well this tent has stood up. We have used it heavily for 5 years now on the Motorcycle and with the exception of the bent pole and some minor screen repair, this tent has been golden. Thanks again and have a good trip. We're off to Sturgis on August 2nd."

Fritz and Karen

"Man all I have to say is that is the best tent I have ever come across. On a recent camping trip over the labor day weekend, I and a friend went up to northern Arizona - me with the Apache tent and he had a Coleman tent. I was sitting in my chair relaxing and he was still just putting his poles together. Love this tent - anyway that night it rained all night he was up all night because drips where coming in and I slept like a baby. Thanks again for a wonderful product."

Joe

"Frank, I received the replacement pole - THANKS! Put everything together today and did some grommet repair work and she's as good as new. I cannot believe how well this tent has stood up. We have used it heavily for 5 years now on the Motorcycle and with the exception of the bent pole and some minor screen repair, this tent has been golden. Thanks again for your great service. We're off to Sturgis on August 2nd. God Bless and Keep You."

Fritz ad Karen

"Frank, I just wanted to say thank you so very much for getting this tent to me ahead of schedule. I received the tent today and set it up. It went up fairly fast for my first time and I am quite impressed with the size. It is just what I needed. I feel that this is the first tent that states it is "5" man tent that really is a five man tent. It is tall enough so that we can all change inside without being hunched over and we can even set up the camp table and chairs to play late night poker if the weather turns foul. I am looking forward to camping out this weekend. Thanks again for such wonderful customer service. "

Suzanne

"I purchased my 2-man AL in January and I am VERY impressed. It has served well in several ice- and rock-climbing trips in New York State and extensive hiking in Zion, Kolob and Bryce as well as lots of BLM land in western Utah. Fierce wind and rain don't seem to affect the structure in any way and snow is only barely an issue. Ventilation is ideal. You offer an outstanding product and I recommend your tents to people often. Keep up the great work!"

Joe, Cornwall NY

"Frank, I found no problems with the tent. Set up and take down are a breeze. I am more than satisfied with my purchase. Thanks for your prompt response and honesty, and thanks for a great product, I will highly recommend it."

Dan

"The loaner 3-Man ATuffy tent worked great on my trip to the Okefenokee. We were camping on platforms so the fact that the tent was free standing was essential. I really liked the size of the 3-Man tent for the two of us that shared it. In fact, I like it so much that I have decided to order one in addition to our 4-Man Tent that is on back-order."

Camille

"Hi Frank – Thank you for repairing my broken tent pole. I received it yesterday and installed today after church. Now I’m ready to return to the Buffalo River in 2 weeks. I sure hope we don’t have another episode of 60 mph winds!"

Terry

"We took the tent camping this weekend. I was able to get the 5-Man Tent up with no problems. In spite of my small size, I put it up and took it down with ease. Thank you for making it easy to go camping. Best regards."

Kyra

"Having used your 5 man tent (especially with broken ribs and a torn tendon in my elbow) I was amazed how easy it went up and down. I did need some help, but mostly I was able to do it myself. If the 5 man tent was that easy, and I know how easy the 3 man tent was to put up and take down, though it never saw a camp site, I know the 4 man tents will be the perfect fit for most of my trips. Have a great Christmas, and thank you again for working with me to get these tents."

Juanita

"I totally adore this tent! I've avoided camping my whole life just because trying to put up tents usually make me cry - I'm just not good at figuring out how all those things go together. (That's okay, I have other talents, ::wink::) I've put this instant tent three times so far and nary a tear! It's up and ready to go in less that two minutes and that includes laying out the tarp. I can't believe it. Thank you so much!"

Tonya Bowman

"I wanted to send you a brief report on how pleased I have been with the performance of my 3-Man tent. I used the tent on a recent motorcycle trip, and could not be happier with it. True to your promotional materials, it is a snap to set up and take down. Moreover, the weather on my journey was very unstable, and while staying at the Terre Haute, Indiana, KOA, several severe thunderstorms ripped through the area overnight. The rain teemed down, pounding incessantly against the fly, but I remained dry and comfortable despite Mother Nature’s best efforts. In the morning, my motorcycle was parked in about ½ inch of water. Fortunately, I had the tent set up on slightly higher ground, so standing water was not an issue. Your tents are brilliantly engineered and very solidly constructed. Thanks again,"

Bruce

"I purchased a 4 man ALX and used it for the first time on a beach camping trip. The weather was overcast with heavy winds gusting to 45mph. My brother who was the coordinator of this trip decided to pitch camp on the waters edge just above the high water mark. I was concerned since I lived at he beach for many years and knew about storm surge. Everyone on the trip laughed at me and started to pitch their tents. I gave in to the group and pulled out the Apache. I was up in a matter of moments. The group was impressed and asked a lot of questions about the Apache. I gave them the sales pitch and told them I would send them the web site. As I stated earlier, having some beach experience, I brought along some 15 inch sand anchors. These are screw in tent pegs. I anchored the four corners and the 4 guide lines. I also anchored the vestibule on the upwind side of the tent. I went to bed about 11 pm and was awaken by the group yelling and running around outside. Because of the storm, the high tide was washing over our camp site. I slipped on my boots and stepped out of the tent just as a wave of water washed under and all around the Apache. No water entered the tent. I quickly removed the four guideline stakes and the four corner stakes, pulled the whole tent about 30 feet higher onto the beach and re-staked the tent to the sand. The whole move took about 10 minutes. My brother and friends were still resetting up their tents long after I went back to sleep. At about 1 am the sky opened up and it rained hard for the rest of the morning. The wind continued to gust all night. In the morning, I found my brother and the other two friends sleeping in the cab of the two trucks we drove to the beach. I laughed as I found their tents piled in the back of the trucks. They gave up trying to reset their tents. The decision was made to leave the beach before the storm started again and I was extremely happy with the ease in which the Apache came down and packed away. I plan to purchase the 2 man tent for use when backpacking later this summer. Thanks again for the great product."

Ted

"Thank you for your prompt action in taking care of my ordering mistake! It shows me that you are a business who really take care of their customers. I'm looking forward to my tent very much! I give you Five Stars for Service!!!"

Kent

"Just to report back that we have received the tent - my wife just called to my office, excited that she managed to set it up within 2 minutes - straight from the box with no training! Many thanks, and looking forward to the holidays."

Mark

"Just thought that I would drop a line. Got a lot of use out of my instant tent this August. We motorcycled through New York in the power outage and heavy rains. Our destination was anywhere out of it. During our ordeal of Mother Nature our Apache instant tent was a life saver. At various KOA's that we stopped at fellow campers would look at the poor motorcyclists and look again in disbelief of how fast our tent went up. Your advertisement was correct. We could set the Apache tent up and take it down without soaking our gear. We would watch from inside our Apache tent at our fellow campers struggling with complicated family tents in the pouring rain and power outage darkness. It appears that most of the family would retreat to the protection of the family vehicle while a lone task assuming individual would suffer in the cold, dark, rain soaked campsite. After a time a spouse would step out of the vehicle with some very sad looking children to finish up the construction as the end was in sight. This I believe was to garnish a foothold in the near future finger pointing that would follow before all fell to sleep exhausted and soaked. Yes indeed we had it pretty good in comparison. The night before we left the news told of the power outage. I went out and purchased a small electrical inverter and mounted it on the motorcycle. We loaded up a "Coleman" air mattress and our Apache instant tent along with our riding gear. Our inverter came in handy for camp lighting and cell phone charging and in one instant we were also able to use it to power up a fuel pump to get fuel. I fielded a lot of questions about our Apache instant tent this trip. I wonder if I made some sales for you? Oh, by the way. The double entrance doors/windows is the best! My wife and I are always climbing over each other to get in or out of our old tent. Now with two ways in she can take her time and I can get out of the rain and in without bickering. This is also good for those midnight gotta go's. Thanks for a very good product."

Dan N.

"I received my new tent yesterday and I have put it up and taken it down 4 times. I wouldn't have believed how easy this could be. What a great product. This cleverly engineered, light weight, good looking, sturdy tent is exactly what I need. I ride and pack mules and at the end of the day after unloading the animals I have the tent to set up and dinner to cook. Setting up the tent will no longer take up my time when both myself and the animals are hungry too. I can set it up, throw my bedding inside and start cooking in a few minutes, not a half hour or more. Finally, a tent "bag" that is oversized and easy to place the tent back in and the extra little bungee straps keep it snug. The directions are easy to follow and after i put the tent up the second time, I was doing it in less than a minute. No more poles to snap together. No more tangled up tent. If you can operate a regular umbrella, you can put up this tent. I'm 4'-10" and I find this tent to be the easiest tent I have ever used and I have used several over the years. I'm also going to pack the information pamphlet in the tent to take along with me, because I know others will want to know how they can get an Apache Tent of their own, when they see mine. Thanks again for such a wonderful product."

Sherrie from Washington

"We just returned from a duck hunting trip and wanted to tell you how great your tent is. I have the 4 man, ALX model. One night while sleeping, a storm blew in and leveled my screen room that was being used as a kitchen area for the camp, but I never knew what was happening until one of my companions came over to my tent and yelled loud enough to wake me and tell me that the screen room was being torn down by wind gusts! Lots of wind and rain. My tent remained comfortable and dry as a bone. No pole flexing or wind buffeting of the fly due to your Velcro fittings on the poles and guy out points. Great design, great product! I love your carry bag. First time I was ever able to get a tent back into it's bag, even after taking the tent down in the wind and not being able to get it folded correctly. Remember, this was my first time out with the tent, and the wind wanted to take it everywhere. It still went in the bag with the fly and stakes! Got home. Took it out. Put it up to dry, and then folded just like your video. Thanks again for what I consider to be a superior tent. Now, if you'll just make a screen room like your tents, I'll be allowed to sleep once the wind kicks up."

Gene W.

"I am sure you have grown accustomed to accolades for your instant tent, when what you really deserve is a thorough reprimand. You have replaced the great outdoor Spartan life with comfort and ease. Now when I was a child, I carried heavy canvas on a wooden "Trapper Nelson" pack frame. But with your new-fangled Apache tent, the skill of cutting down saplings for tent poles is being lost. No, your tent comes with lightweight poles already in place that all but straighten themselves. Why, the simplicity of your tent allows a mere child to erect it in minutes, (and without taking proper instruction from his elders!) And with that vestibule of yours, even the pooch can now come in out of the rain instead of toughing the elements like the hardy dogs of yore. You have even removed the final challenge of repacking the tent. Those ample bags of yours allow just about anyone to stow the tent parts without knowledge of abstruse geometry or arcane reverse engineering. My husband revels in its special features, and the dog loves it as well. What is this world coming to?"

E. Robinson

"I've camped for many years and own a number of tents for Kelty's to Northface and Eureka's, I try not to buy consumer line junk. Actively involved in scouting for the last 19 years, your Apache Instant Tent is the only one for me and my family. I own all 3 models, 2, 3 and 4 man ALX Apache tents. My son and I shared the 2 man ALX this year at Philmont High Adventure camp. Frank, your tents live up to your claims. On Black Mountain I suffered a severe asthma attack, a fierce weather front was fast approaching and 20 minutes of daylight. We set up the 2 man tent in moments about 40 seconds even with the wind. Mind you we were angled up and not on flat ground by any means. Then the driving rain and 90+mph gusts, the rain was coming in under the top of the rain fly. Fortunately the vestibule, by attaching it from the inside mind you, no rain entered our shelter. Not one leak. When the medical rangers arrived after midnight, they were impressed at the ease and speed of breaking down the tent. As we had no choice but to continue up to the summit and hike down to base camp some 7 hours later. In closing, I just want to say Great product, and in your words "tenacious", this tent stands when others fail, especially non free standing ones. Thank you once again!"

J. Kitahara

"I tried my new Apache Tent out last week. It worked fantastic. We went East on a Motorcycle trip. The tent packed easily and set up as you said. In about a minute. Every time we set up camp the other campers couldn't believe their eyes on how fast we set up. The tent kept out the deluging New York rains, which have been continuous for almost 2 months now. The speed of closing up camp and getting on the bike kept everything dry, even though it was raining. The dual doors are great for not disturbing my wife or her I. We bought the 3 man unit that was a little heavier and at 84 by 84 was perfect for us, our air mattress and the saddle bags. The fly was perfect also. We were able to get in and out of the tent without bumping the overhang and I'm over 6 ft tall. The fly gave enough room to sit in the tent and take our shoes off outside and still out of the rain. It wasn't until the 2nd day of camping that I noticed the corner side pockets. They came in real handy. The four ties at the upper insides of the tent were handy too. We used one for the umbrellas storage off to the side as shown, and we used the rod to hold the tent dome lamp. The other three ties held the alarm clock, glasses, and a small bag for items. Needless to say, I like my new Apache Tent. I will still keep my monster "Cabella's 6 man Alaskan Dome tent" for consecutive days site camping out of the airplane or car, but for the bike it's the Apache all the way. It is a real nice item."

Dan

"Just a quick note of thanks for the quality and durability of your product. We've owned one of your 3 man ALX tents for the past 2 years and have had the opportunity to use it frequently on our multi-day river trips in Idaho. This past Memorial Day weekend, we were enjoying the solitude of a quite camping trip on the upper end of Lake Pend Oreille when a monster thunderstorm suddenly formed. Within minutes the winds reached a sustained force of 50+ mph accompanied by a torrential downpour. Everyone took cover in their individual tents. The storm lasted for no more than 30 minutes but in that time the 2 tents (brand name) of the other couples were blown over and heavily damaged. For us the saving factor was the quality of your product and the fact that we always utilize our tent's guy lines to secure it against winds. Thanks again for developing a great outdoor product."

Mike & Deb, Hayden Lake, ID

"As a former Marine, I believe in having a backup on camping trips. Although I bought two Apache tents, one is enough. What a great tent design! One night we were at Teddy Roosevelt State Park in North Dakota. The tent went up in less than a minute. Twenty minutes later the Park Ranger told us severe weather was approaching and because we were in an open field that we should seek shelter. We didn't heed his advice and stayed in our tent. The sky grew dark and I measured wind gusts at 56 MPH. Blowing wind and rain lasted for three hours! The wind was too much for our neighbors at the campground - they were gone the next morning. Our Apache tent was solid as a rock and not a single drop of water got in the tent. Even the gear in the vestibule was dry - that was unbelievable! The ventilation in the tent was excellent, since we didn't even break a sweat. The Park Ranger was impressed when he saw the big green tent standing as if nothing happened. I recommend your tents to everyone who camps."

Bryan

"Thank you for all your help. It is refreshing to see a company really stand behind their product. June 8 - 15 we did our first tenting with our Apache Tent, on the BAK (Bike Across Kansas). We biked from the Colorado boarder just west of Kanorado to Atchison, KS - then home to St. Joe. On the fourth day we rolled into Ellsworth, KS. I found the perfect spot for our tent, it was early in the afternoon and I was ready to do some serious tenting in our new Apache tent. THEN it hit - THE STORM. Out of nowhere a thunderstorm hit us that produced golf ball size hail and a tornado. I have never been in such a storm, we were all forced to seek shelter in the Armory (a rocks throw from our tent). Hearing the sirens, I put everything we had with us in our Apache tent - how bad could the storm be I thought? I had the rain fly on but no securing ropes. Our tent got blown... and I mean blown. It came off the tent stakes (we had it staked to the ground well). Oddly our Apache tent was entertainment during the storm. It was the only tent you could see out the back of the Armory, everyone was cheering it to blow away (not me). Each time the WIND would beat down our Apache tent, then during a break in the wind, it would pop right back up. This must have happened a dozen times. When the storm passed we checked the damage. A couple of poles were bent, the tent stakes were now underground, and the tent was full of water. I was able to bend the tent poles back into place (they really weren't all that bad) and after bailing out the water and drying the tent, it looks good as new. I know of at least six other tenters that didn't fair so well, they had to buy new tents. We bought the Apache Tent because it was easy to set up and take down, you didn't tell me it was durable too. I am impressed."

Bob

"I recently purchased one of your Apache Tents for my recent camping trip up to the Saco River in New Hampshire. When I pulled out your Apache in 30 seconds I was finished with my set up. Everybody else in our camping party stopped what they were doing and had to get a look at my tent. I have to hand it to you, that was impressive. 15 minutes later everybody else was ready. We got some rain one night, a good soaker, we stayed dry and with the roof vent it wasn't as humid as it been in the past with other tents I have owned. I just wanted to pass this along to you and your crew, keep up the good work. Now I wished I had bought the next size up. Thank you for your product."

Rick

"We purchased the Apache Instant tents because we are excited about the simplicity of the 'Set Up' and we are impressed with the 'Heavy Duty Construction' of the tents. We have been looking for a tent that was ideal for us, and we think we have finally found it."

Brian Merrill, Chief of Operations, Western River Expeditions and
President of America Outdoors

"The University has a very active tent rental program and we expect the Apache Instant Tents to be very popular with our participants because the they are so easy to put up and so comfortable to use. Also, we expect very few maintenance problems because of the toughness of the aluminum structure and the high quality of the Rip Stop fabric and the other tent components."

Rob Jones, Director of Outdoor Recreation, University of Utah &
Former President of AORE

"As a Scoutmaster I have used an early prototype model of the Apache Instant Tent for almost two years. My son and I have enjoyed always being the first to get our tent put up and also being the first to be ready to go home. Because of my many duties as a Scoutmaster, it has been very helpful to have a tent that takes so little of my time. And I have never had to worry about bringing home the wrong set of tent poles. The new Apache Instant Tent is the best tent I have ever seen for Boy Scouts and Scout Leaders. It is tough and reliable, but very light in weight for its size - and it is a snap to set up. For Scout Jamborees I recommend the 2-Man tent for Scouts and the 3-Man Tent for Scout Leaders because of the extra room for supplies."

Bruce Shoemaker, Captain, South Salt Lake City Fire Department

"I am deeply involved in Emergency Preparedness as a member of "Civil Defense Volunteers of Utah". I am also a member of the "Community Emergency Response Team" and a "Neighborhood Volunteer Leader" for Emergency and Disaster Preparedness. One of the essential elements recommended for Emergency Preparedness and Survival, is a portable shelter that is easy to transport, simple and easy to put up, lightweight, strong, and durable. In my opinion the Apache Instant Tent is "all of the above". Not only is the Apache tent design the best I have ever seen, the quality of the materials and workmanship is equal to that of tents that are much more expensive to buy, more complicated and time consuming to set up, and much less suited to Emergency Preparedness."

"I have examined and tested many different tents, trying to find the "best" for "Survival" use. After finding the Apache Instant Tent, I am satisfied that I now have what I have been looking for. I have only had time to demonstrate this tent to a few Preparedness groups in my own neighborhood area, but already more than 45 people have purchased one or more Apache Instant Tents for their Emergency Storage. Even though my emphasis is not on recreational camping, most of the above (myself included) are excited about using the Apache Tent for recreation as well as preparation. And this is because the tent is so easy and comfortable to use. We encourage this because families who use their tent in advance are better prepared when an emergency situation arrives. I sincerely congratulate Frank for inventing this exciting new product."

Randall Maxfield, Officer, Utah National Guard

"I have been closely associated with Frank over the past few years. Because of this, I have been able to watch the development of the Apache Instant Tent. One of the things that impressed me is that Frank has always insisted on having the best quality possible. Also, I have been impressed, as I have watched Frank test the tent against wind, water, and snow. I was amused when he put a lawn sprinkler on top of the flat roof over his dining room, and set up a tent on the lawn below, and created his own continuous rain shower. This went on for days."

"It was also impressive to visit Frank's home one morning after a heavy snowstorm early in the month of November. The snow was wet and soggy and very heavy to shovel off the driveway. I was surprised to see a 3-Man tent, in Frank's back yard, with 6.5 inches of wet snow on top of it, and except for a slight sag in the tips of the Rain Fly, the tent was standing straight up with no deflection whatsoever - and there were no 'Guy Lines' attached to the tent."

"I had seen snow on previous prototype tents and, because the weight is never exactly equal on all sides, the prototype tents were always tipped or twisted in one direction or another. In fact, I have seen photos of a prototype 2-Man tent that actually twisted down under the weight of only 4.5 inches of wet snow until it was only about 24 inches high. When I asked Frank about this, he took me inside and showed me the underside of a new Apache 3-Man Rain Fly. He showed me the velcro grippers along each seam that lies on top of a tent pole. There are a total of four sets of velcro grippers for each tent pole on a 3-Man Apache Tent Rain Fly. There are two sets of grippers per pole on each 2-Man Rain Fly, and additional grippers on the larger tents. Frank explained that the velcro grippers make the Rain Fly a part of the tent, and this combination keeps the pole structure from twisting or deflecting from its proper alignment."

"I am now the proud owner of one of Frank's Apache Instant Tents, and I can certainly recommend it to anyone who wants a top quality tent that is easy to put up."

Del Gardner, Textile Manufacturer

"We were among the few who had the opportunity to field test one of the original prototype models of the Apache Instant Tent. Our first experience was a fourteen-day motorcycle trip to the Canadian Yukon and back via the Alaska Highway with a number of other couples riding large touring bikes. It rained most of the time for eleven of the fourteen days. There was no time or place to stop and dry the tent except for the few nights that it did not rain, so we relied on speed setting up the tent (and taking it down) to keep the inner tent from getting wet. We quickly learned how to fold the rain fly so all the wet surfaces were folded on the inside and there was very little water transferred to the underside. However, when the underside was wet there were no adverse effects because of the generous air space between the rain fly and the inner tent. Also, the pulling of the floor up inside the inner tent, during the take-down procedure, prevented any ground moisture or dirt from being distributed to the upper portion of the tent. We were very pleased with how well the heavy polyurethane coating on the floor and thresholds kept the ground moisture out of our tent. Occasionally a few drops would wick in through the web strap in one of the corners, but this was easily absorbed by a Kleenex tissue."

"We usually arrived at the camp-site each day with our rain gear on. By working together, we could quickly put up the inner tent and almost immediately cover it with the rain fly. There was little or no wind so we didn't worry about staking the tent down or attaching the guy lines, but the few times this was needed was no problem because we were wearing our rain gear when we arrived, and we could quickly attach the rain fly before staking down the tent. The Apache Tent's novel system of locking the bottom corners of the rain fly in place without using tent stakes made it very easy for us to do this. Then, if stakes were needed, we could release each corner and install the stakes, one corner at a time."

"Once we got the hang of it, we found that we could put up the tent and have our essential gear transferred from our travel trailer into the tent, in less than three minutes. Then, with the door and screen panels zipped all the way down, we could sit into the tent from opposite sides, with our feet on the outside under the overhang of the rain fly, and remove our riding boots without ever bringing our boots into the tent, and without getting our feet rained on in the process. We had waterproof bags to put our boots in and they were stored outside under the overhang of the rain fly. We had clothes hangers to hang our rain clothing on and the gaps between the sleeves on the underside of the rain fly ridge pole gave us a convenient place to hang our rain gear under the rain fly overhang, but outside the inner tent."

"In the morning, when we were dressed, we could zip down the door and screen panels, and from a sitting position we could swing our feet to the outside and put on our boots while being protected from the rain by the overhanging rain fly. When it was raining hard, our rain clothing was within easy reach and we would put it on before getting out of the tent. This was all very easy and convenient because we each had our own private doorway and never felt crowded and never bumped into each other."

"Usually one of us would get out of the tent and get the bike warmed up and ready while the other one finished rolling up the sleeping bags and mattresses. With the travel trailer parked next to the tent, it was an easy matter to quickly transfer the contents of the tent into the trailer in two minutes or less. Then, working together, we could take down the tent and stow it away in about two or three minutes."

"Almost every night, as we made camp, we would finish our set-up and sit in our tent with the door flaps open and watch our friends splash around in the rain, trying to get their tents put up. And almost every morning, we were the first ones ready to hit the road. Needless to say, we really enjoy our Apache Tent."

Rex and Toni Bailey, Ogden, Utah

"Wow! What a test our new Apache 3-man AL had this weekend. Arrived @ Lake Roosevelt, AZ on Saturday morning 8ish, in the rain. We brought our new Apache tent, as well as our Kelty Silver Creek 3-man tent that we usually use. My husband had knee surgery on Friday afternoon, so he's totally out of commission, as far as helping set up camp. I told him to stay in the truck, while I set up the tent. He figures I'll never get it up by myself, so he makes himself very comfortable for the anticipated wait. Well, I took my Apache out of it's bag, unfolded the legs, shook it for 3 or 4 seconds, spread the legs apart, and popped up the umbrella mechanism, and was back to the truck in less than 2 minutes. My husband figures I'm back for instructional help, or had forgotten something, or just decided to give up 'til the rain stopped. I informed him, that the tent was up, and his chair with footrest and knee pillow, was inside it, ready and waiting for him. He was totally floored!"

"Our Kelty Silver Creek however, was another story. After getting my husband settled in our new Apache, I set about putting up the Kelty. Opened the bag, spent several minutes separating the rainfly poles from the tent poles, got the poles snapped together, spread the tent on the ground in the rain, and inserted the poles through the guides at the top of the tent, and then the fun began. Since my husband couldn't help, I had to bend the poles and insert the pins into the bottom of the fiberglass poles by myself. NOT EASY. The poles are quite long. I had to insert the pin in one end first, then go to the other end to bend the pole, put tension on it, then insert the other pin. Without another person to hold the other pin in the far side of the pole, it's difficult to get tension on the pole without the pin popping out before you can get the other side in. It became very frustrating. A half an hour later I had the tent up, but still had to put on the rain fly. I was soaked, (I took a break)."

"The rainfly to our new Apache went on in a snap. Just unfolded the poles, inserted the center pin on the tent into the center pin hole on the rainfly pole, and looped the elastic tie downs to the four corners of the tent poles. Unbelievably easy and fast. The Kelty was another story. I got the thing on, but it turns out I ended up putting it on upside down. Had to snap the poles together, thread them through a sleeve, tie it with a tie at the top, which is a little difficult if you're short and don't have much reach."

"It stopped raining, so we went out on the lake. Got back to camp, cooked a great meal, then went to bed. I love to read before sleeping, and can never seem to manage it when we camp, because of the insects which are attracted to my reading light. Well, in my new tent, I was able to read in total comfort with the doors open and the screens closed. Even in the rain. With the oversized rainfly, I could have great ventilation, and still stay dry. It rained all night long, and we stayed dry as a bone in our new Apache AL."

"Packed up this morning. The Apache AL came down, and went back into the bag, in about 5 minutes. The Kelty came down in about 15 minutes, and I still haven't gotten it back in the bag yet. At this point, it may never have to (go back in the bag). It's looking more like a garage sale item right now."

"What a great product. You have most certainly done your homework on this one. I am literally a happy camper. You made my weekend. I will never dread taking the tent again. It was a joy!"

Robin Caviglia, Mesa, AZ

"Thanks for getting back to me regarding 4-man tent. I bought a 2-man from you this spring and my son and I used it quite a bit this summer. Although I would have liked the extra space in the 4-man, the tent I bought from you served us well. I have never before used a tent that I actually looked forward to setting up. It's a nice tent and helps make for a comfortable camp. I am looking forward to camping in early spring when I can try it in some heavier weather. A couple of my friends have asked how I like my new tent and I have been unable so say a bad word about it. I feel certain this line of tents will become popular. Continued good luck."

Chuck Mason