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Customers most agreed on the following attributes:
from Wilmington, DE on 7/7/2008
I actually rented this tent for a 1st time trip to the Bonnaroo Festival, (and my 1st time camping alone) what a great tent! I went to rent a 2 person tent, figuring why would I need more room since I was camping alone, but the EMS employee said this Nova 4 with its vestibule was the one. Boy, was I glad I listened to him.
The vestibule was perfect for keeping my cooler in, (to maximize inside room) and it was great to sit out there, change out of muddy items or dry towels/items. I used the rainfly from the get go, since the weather was iffy, it fits great, but lets light in and was supper easy to add to the tent. Oh yeah, did I mention how easy this was to put together for my novice female form.
I did read the directions and restart once, but I had it up before the guys next to me had their 6 person tent up, and then helped them out afterwards.
Being that it was hot, hadn't rained and condensation had built up, I decided to remove the fly to dry it out and air the tent. It was easy to remove and dried quickly, which was good since the dark clouds quickly moved in and I replaced it before the downpour. It kept the whole place dry including the vestibule, I had a tarp down in there to keep any water from getting in, but it wasn't necessary.
This was roomy enough for two or three with gear and more than enough for me on my short over-packed adventure! I can't wait to buy this!
from Rochester, NY on 6/3/2008
I do a lot of solo camping (car and backpack) with my two male labradors. For car camping, I was looking for something with space but not too much space, easy 1 person set-up and the luxury of a screen room. The Nova 4 hit all those desires. In addition, it's a handsome looking tent. Keep in mind, I looked at many many tents before my purchase.Pole sleeves: I really liked these being completely enclosed when inserting the poles (no clips). A little arm strength required to insert the final parts - but nothing difficult.Mesh room: Perfect for a chair, side table, some gear and maybe an additional chair (2 chairs: not much room left to enter/exit freely main tent). It has no floor but the sides lip under (bathtub style). I prefer it this way in the rain especially (didn't think I would but I do). My things stayed dry. It rained HARD on my trip - I sat in there reading with my stuff and really enjoyed it.Fly: Very clever. The main room fly has clear windows on both sides so you could still see out in the rain! At the very far end/tip of the sleeping area, there was a small well sheltered/covered screen that allowed air flow while you kept your side windows open inside. The fly also allowed most areas of the screen room to be unzipped and opened - all but the ceiling part. (yes, even that front/tip triangle area could be unzipped/opened). I really liked having the option of opening either door of the screen room with the fly on, too.Main room: large enough for a queen air mattress with just enough room for gear. It fit my two labs and me (and another adult had I had company). Not much more room than that - but I wanted that to keep the warmth in when the temp dropped into the 30's at night. Nice gear loft included and 2 side pockets on both sides for nick nacks. Also, solid bathtub bottom for the heavy rain. Environment used: Adirondacks, car camping and heavy rain. My gear and I stayed dry (not the dogs, they swam all day in the lake). The size is perfect to set it up anywhere. If I could include a picture on this review I would. The photo on EMS' website is more true to shape than diagram.Additional plus: The bag is awesome! You don't have to fold the stuff up perfectly to fit the fly, stakes, tent and poles back in! Plenty of room... I've never come across that. (You could even throw in the footprint and maybe a couple of other small things). Did I mention it's handsome? The earthy browns, light and medium along with the accent of burnt orange and black looks stunning (not that color matters for form/fit/function but it's a solid plus)Cons (if I had to pick): I wish the poles were a little thinner. However, the two main poles are black and the center support is red - no mixing anything up. And if it could have a smidgen more room - not much more, a handful of inches, I'd be even happier. Though, I would not return this tent for something else - nothing that I have found has the perks this tent has. [...].
from New York, N.Y on 5/1/2008
Great design from EMS.
from Connecticut on 7/11/2007
This is the first tent we have ever owned and it is fantastic! We first tried to set it up in the living room of our house (just so we didn't look like the newbie campers!) and that didn't work, so we took it outside. Once I actually understood what the directions were telling me to do (apparently there is camp or tent lingo that I have not heard before), I was able to do it by myself (and I'm a female! =). This was a major accomplishment for me (haha). So, once you know what you are doing, it's not hard at all to set-up and takes maybe 10 minutes.
I recommend buying a tarp to put under the tent to keep the bottom clean. The rain gear lines up perfectly with the rest of the tent. There are separate zippers for the windows - one for the window screen and one for the privacy "screen" (again, there may be some camping lingo here I should be using).
The front "screened-in porch" area is great for getting away from the bugs and really someone could sleep there (assuming the tarp is down and it's not raining!).
All in all, it was perfect for what we needed!
Our first night out with this tent we were caught in a terrible thunderstorm. We stayed dry and all our gear stayed dry as well. It is a 2 man job putting it up but totally worth it. We have found that if you put the long poles in side by side then the cross pole it saves us frustration and time.