{"reviews":[{"id":2486863,"locale":"en_US","rating":5,"title":"Just Right","text":"I initially picked up two of these for my son and daughter as Christmas gifts before a winter Twin Arrows (NYLT) course. Your tent can make or break morale sometimes, so I put tons of research into this purchase - this tent came out on top. My criteria were:\n - big enough for an adult, a cot, and a week's worth of gear no matter the weather.\n - tall enough to change clothes inside either kneeling or sitting on the cot.\n - simple enough for one person to pitch in 15min or less and take down in roughly the same.\n - light enough / compact enough it could go into a typical hiking pack.\n - available footprint / ground cloth.\n - under $200.\n \n My baseline was the REI Half Dome 2+, which is what our Troop currently uses. It fit most of these criteria except for the size and cost.\n \n Most tents in this size range are 6-9 lbs, and the Taurus 3 Outfitter is eight and change, no way around it. You cannot pitch this in an \"austere\" configuration (ground cloth, poles, rainfly only) because the poles are hollow-ended and connect to the tent with inserted pins. Maybe there is a way to rig it but I haven't gotten that crafty yet. That said, to me, this does not seem like an excessively heavy tent.\n \n There is enough room inside for one person to set up a cot, a rolling tote for a week-long campout, and still move around to get dressed. The two wall pockets and small loft are \"just right\" for the stuff you typically put in them. The two vestibules are great for stowing any gear you don't want / need inside with you, and will keep out the weather even in a downpour.\n \n I chose the Taurus over the Merrimac because of the full-coverage rainfly on this one. It goes to the ground on all sides and even when the rain blows sideways, very little is going to reach the tent itself. I was worried about ventilation, as any Texas camper does, but when set up correctly, you do just fine. During a typical Texas spring overnight rain (steady rain, 78 degrees, and muggy), with the pop-up \"nostrils\" on the rainfly open, the windows unzipped and the vestibules closed, you have enough airflow to stay comfortable. My kids' inaugural campout with these tents started out sunny and mild (lows in the upper 40s) but by the end of the week got messy (lows around freezing and sleet). The kids were able to stay warm and happy inside. There are two loops on the sides of the rainfly which are optional guy-out points (in addition to the four main ones). I advise you to get a little extra paracord, two extra stakes, and guy them out! They help pull the fly away from the tent walls and give a little more circulation. \n \n I chose the Outfitter line over the standard line because of the increased durability and larger zippers. This tent feels like it will last for decades if you take care of it. I wanted tents that my kids will take with them into adulthood and continue to enjoy camping. These will last.\n \n If you're considering for a Troop purchase, the Outfitters are worth the investment and will take the unintentional abuse of inexperienced youth. Two people could set up for a weekend easily with some gear in with them and some out under the vestibules. Three people might be pushing it, and all gear would have to be under the fly, but you could make it work for a night.\n \n I borrowed one of my kids' for a weekend campout myself and liked it enough that I bought one more for me!","textLength":3390,"csFlag":false,"inappropriateFlag":false,"reviewedFlag":true,"autoModerated":false,"published":true,"incentivized":false,"upVotes":0,"downVotes":0,"orderId":null,"dimensions":[],"responses":[],"tags":[],"media":{"photo":[],"video":[],"audio":[]},"user":{"nickName":"Jeffrey","firstName":null,"lastName":null,"emailAddress":null,"externalId":null,"city":null,"state":null,"country":null,"ageRange":null,"badge":null,"shopperProfiles":[]},"reviewedDate":"2023-09-15T17:55:51-04:00","purchaseDate":null,"dateCreated":"2021-06-17T00:00:00-04:00","customData":[],"incentiveType":null,"campaign":null,"deviceFingerprint":null,"topics":[],"syndication":{"sourceName":"alpsmountaineering.com","siteUrl":"http://www.alpsmountaineering.com/","logoUrl":"https://images.turnto.com/site/syndicationlogos/2078_LH48.png"},"catalogItems":[{"sku":"4882-5322915","title":"ALPS Mountaineering Taurus 3-Person Outfitter Tent","url":"https://www.scheels.com/p/4882-5322915","category":"tents","reviewCount":1,"ratingCount":1,"averageRating":5,"ratingBreakdown":{"1":0,"2":0,"3":0,"4":0,"5":1},"active":true,"attributes":[]}]}],"offset":0,"limit":10,"total":1}"Full Description:\nThe Taurus Outfitter Series has 2 key upgrades: oversized #10 door zippers and a heavy-duty poly oxford floor. The #10 door zippers will give you a lifetime of smooth operation and the oxford floor, which is about twice the weight of normal nylon floor material, will greatly increase the durability of your tent. For poles, we use aircraft alloy 7000 series aluminum that is strong and lightweight. Assembly is really easy with the tent clips that just snap in place over the poles. The polyester fly and oxford floor are urethane coated, with factory-sealed seams for maximum weatherproof. The 2 doors make getting in and out of the tent much easier, especially in the middle of the night when you need to take a quick "break". You also get 2 vestibules (one over each door) that you can use for extra gear storage. The vestibules also serve as automatic guy-out points when the weather gets a little nasty. The fly buckles to the tent, offering a much more secure attachment when compared to the elastic cord. Mesh roof vents increase ventilation and improve star gazing. Don't forget to add a footprint to protect your tent floor.\n\nFeatures:\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Two vestibules for gear storage and extra weather protection\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>210D 110T poly oxford floor with 1500mm coating\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>3 Season Tent\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Free-standing two-pole design with 7000 series aluminum poles\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>75D 185T Polyester fly resists UV damage and stays taut (fly has a vent)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Factory-sealed fly and floor seams give the best weather protection\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>#10 zippers on doors and vestibules\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Easy entry and great ventilation with two doors (both with zippered mesh windows)\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Mesh panels and pop-up vents provide ventilation\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Mesh storage pockets, gear loft, 7075 aluminum stakes, and guy ropes included\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Easy assembly with pole clips that quickly snap over the tent poles\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Weatherproof fly buckles on for maximum adjustability and protection\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\nSpecifications:\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Center Height\t4'4"\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Vestibule Depth\t2'8"\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Base Size\t7'6" L x 6'6" W\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Tent Area\t49 ft²\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Vestibule Area\t22 ft²\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Total Weight\t8 lbs. 12 oz.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Packed Size\t1'9" L x 6" D\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Pole Diameter\t9.5mm AL\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n"