Easton Rimrock Tent Review
I did not think that I needed a new tent. My trusty old three person tent had seen me through thunderstorms in the Black Hills of South Dakota, wind storms in Joshua Tree, sub-freezing temps in the High Sierra, an arachnid migration in Montana, fending off grizzly bears in Wyoming, and it even survived a flaming inferno along the bank of the McKenzie river in Oregon (do not ask…I will not tell).
However, after my first night out with the Easton Rimrock 2P tent, I came to realize how far tent technology has come in the last five years, and started to think that maybe it was time to retire my stained, patched, heavy old friend to backyard campouts/car camping.
Size & Weight
The Rimrock has quite a bit of room for a two person tent. You could certainly squeeze three people in here if needed, but it would not be very comfortable. However, with two occupants you would have plenty of room to cook (not advised by the manufacturer, but sometimes you have to), dig through your pack looking for your other mitten or titanium spork, or play a game of Spades while you wait for the storm to blow out.
The tent easily fits into its stuff sack. In fact, I found the stuff stack to be too large and was wishing for compression straps to tighten up the load. That being said, it is easier to have a stuff sack that is too large rather than one that requires much grunting, stomping, and choice words to pack away, so this is a minor complaint.
The walls on this tent are very steep, which lends a roomy feel to the interior space. At first I thought it was a four season tent due to the steep walls’ ability to shed snow, but a quick check with Easton revealed that the poles/construction is not suited for the heavy weight of accumulating snow.
The Rimrock comes in at just over six pounds which includes the fly, poles, tent, and stakes. I was quite impressed by the weight, especially when feeling the material Easton used to construct the Rimrock. It is very durable and thicker than what I am used to. Honestly I expected the tent to weigh closer to seven or eight pounds based upon the materials heavy duty feel.
Setup
On a cold breezy night under the light of waxing crescent I timed myself to see how long it would take to construct the Rimrock by myself and without a headlamp. In just under four minutes I had my abode constructed, its silver white walls glimmering in the moonlight and I had only jabbed my buddy with errant poles once or twice (sorry, Chad).
I did experience one annoying issue that could become a bigger problem in strong winds – namely, that the poles kept popping out of their grommets before I could bend and secure them on the opposite corner. This required me to keep going back and forth to re-secure the end, only to have the other end pop out. With two people this would be a non-issue and, typically, if you are carrying a two person tent you are not setting up by yourself, so again another minor complaint.
Before I could get my gear inside a strong gust of wind grabbed the tent and attempted to hurl it into an ominous looking cactus. If it was not for my buddy’s quick reflexes the Rimrock surely would have been shredded to bits (thanks, Chad!). Fortunately, the Rimrock comes with Easton’s carbon fiber stakes which are incredibly light, durable, and have had little problems penetrating dense rocky soil. The stakes quickly remedied that problem and in short order I was moved in for the night.
Pros
- Lightweight – but not astoundingly so
- Roomy
- Compact and packable
Cons
- Stuff sack could use compression straps
- Corner grommets do not securely hold the poles while assembling the tent
Final Thoughts
For the money, the Rimrock is a good tent engineered by a company that is very well known for their extruded poles that nearly all tent companies include with their tents. The Rimrock really showcases Easton’s dedication to high quality products with excellent engineering and craftsmanship. If you are in the market for a three season, two person tent then we would highly recommend you take a look at the Easton Rimrock 2P tent that comes out in the spring of 2013.
Click Here to Purchase the Easton Mountain Rimrock 2-Person Tent
Manufacturer: Easton
Date available: Spring 2013
Manufacturer’s Website: Easton
MSRP: $269
Listed Weight: 4 Pounds 14 Ounces
Actual Weight: 6 Pounds 1 Ounce
Materials: Not available at this time
Warranty info: Limited Lifetime Warranty Easton’s limited lifetime warranty covers defects in material and/or workmanship for the life of the product to the original purchaser with original sales receipt.
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