Alps Mountaineering Chaos 2 Tent – Review

U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- A couple of weeks ago my daughter and I went on a backpacking/flyfishing trip into the famous Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area here in Idaho. It is the largest Wilderness Area in the lower 48. Backpacking into the Frank Church is the ultimate outdoor adventure.

Alps Mountaineering Chaos 2 Tent

I love packing into there and especially when my daughter goes with me. It is the ultimate daddy/daughter time together. No cell phones. No Wi-Fi. No Facebook. No nada. We get to talk about everything under the sun with no interruptions. When I take time to hear her insights it amazes me as to how smart and perceptive that she is. I’d never have a chance to see this side of her if we didn’t withdraw from the busyness of the world.

I live a busy life. I guess we all do. I just flew home from a 2-week trip to South Dakota, yesterday the editor of Texas Outdoor Journal called and wants me to fly down for a dove hunt, the owner of Knives of Alaska called and have to run down to his ranch to process some game with a new Professional Outdoor Boning knife for the outdoorsman that is about to hit the market and we’ll be filming that for two TV shows and then this afternoon my wife wants to go crappie fishing and then I fly out again Monday for two more weeks.

I love my life BUT, I don’t want time slipping through my fingers like sand and not doing the most important things in life. Like getting away with my wife or kids. If I don’t do that properly then all was in vain.

Which brings up today’s Product Review. My daughter used the Alps Mountaineering Taurus 2 tent on this trip and I used the Alps Mountaineering Chaos 2 tent. The Chaos 2 is listed as a 2-person tent, and it is. Alps were smart in that they put a door on both sides of the tent so when two people are in it, they don’t have to crawl over each other to get out.

Another big benefit with their two-door design is that it also has two vestibules. That is an awesome feature. That way each camper can have a spot where they can set their wet boots, clothing or backpack where it will be out of the weather. And if you’re the only one sleeping in the Chaos 2, then you have the luxury of two vestibules. You can lay a big pack or whatever on the backside so you’re not stumbling over it when you get out of your tent.

But if I’m spending more than one night in a tent then I want a little room. So to me it is well worth the extra weight to pack in a 2-person tent so I have the extra room. It is especially worth it due to also having two vestibules. You’ll have plenty of room in and outside of the tent.

The Chaos 2 is what I’d classify as a 2-season tent. The screen walls go a good way down the side. Even though it has a rainfly I’ve had snow flurries blow up under rain flies on other tents and come through the mesh sidewalls. So I’d recommend using this tent April-September.

I love the design of the tent. I like the clips that hook on the tent poles to attach the tent to the poles. Decades ago dome tents had sleeves that the poles slid through. Over time these sleeves wore out and got holes in them and then of course the tent would sag down. Not so with the clips.

I also love that the rainfly is held in place by four buckles. This system is a lot easier to set-up than the old hook on a string set-up. I also like that it has a mesh cloth that you can clip into place on the peak of the ceiling that acts as a shelf. This way you can lay items up there such as your glasses that are fragile so you don’t roll over and break them.

The 2nd night and 3rd day of the trip it rained and the Chaos 2 held up fine and proved to be watertight. Of course, you want to attach the provided guy-out strings and stake them out. This helps stabilize the tent in bad weather plus it holds the rainfly out so condensation is more easily wicked away.

So, if you’re in the market for a good 2-man tent, check out the Alps Mountaineering Chaos 2 tent. The MSRP is $219.99. And as is usual, we will close with the specs.

FEATURES

• Free-standing pole system with 7000 series aluminum poles
• Great ventilation with mostly mesh walls
• Easy assembly with pole clips that quickly snap over the tent poles
• 75D 185T polyester fly with 1500mm coating resists UV damage and stays taut
• 75D 185T poly taffeta floor with 3000mm coating
• Factory-sealed fly and floor seams provide best weather protection
• Extra large #8 zippers on doors and vestibules
• Full-coverage fly offers maximum protection
• Extra guy-outs on fly to stabilize tent in bad weather
• Two vestibules for gear storage and extra weather protection
• Weatherproof fly buckles on for maximum adjustability and protection
• Mesh roof increases ventilation and improves star-gazing
• Easy entry with two doors
• Mesh storage pocket, gear loft, 7075 aluminum stakes, and guy ropes included
• Chaos 2 floor saver available

SPECS

• Base size: 4’8 x 7’2
• Center height: 40″
• Vestibule depth: 29″
• Tent area: 33 ft²
• Vestibule area: 17 ft²
• Minimum weight: 5 lbs. 12 oz.
• Total weight: 6 lbs. 8 oz.
• Packed size: 6.5″ x 22″
• Pole diameter: 8.5 mm

About Tom Claycomb

Tom Claycomb has been an avid hunter/fisherman throughout his life as well as an outdoors writer with outdoor columns in the magazine Hunt Alaska, Bass Pro Shops, Bowhunter.net, and freelances for numerous magazines and newspapers. “To properly skin your animal, you will need a sharp knife. I have an e-article on Amazon Kindle titled Knife Sharpening for $.99 if you’re having trouble.”

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