Summertime is camping time! Almost. Since testing the Snugpak 15 Discovery Sleeping Bag with a comfort temperature of -15° Celsius, we know that you can pursue your favourite hobby 365 days a year without having to forfeit any level of comfort. As always, when you strike out into nature, it’s all about having the right equipment.
But of course summer temperatures have their advantages, welcoming comfortable nights under the stars and contributing to the camping atmosphere what we all love. And so having the right tent is a must. My basic requirements for a tent are a comfortable size for my personal camping needs balanced against the smallest possible pack size. Even when travelling with a car, everyone knows the value of a compact tent.
If you’ve checked out our reviews in the last few months, it’d be no secret that we’re big fans of Snugpak products, and we’re lucky enough to have the opportunity to look more closely the tents from this very likeable UK brand. Just looking at our criteria of tent size vs pack size, the Scorpion 3 already stands out. The Scorpion 3, as the name suggests, is a 3 person tent with a compact pack size of just 43cm x 21cm and weighs only 3.2kg.
It’s a ‘fly-first’ pitch tent, which means that the outer tent is separated from the inner tent and can be pitched in two steps. With just a quick look over the instructions, I was able to put up the tent in under 11 minutes. For a first time, that’s not bad at all. Putting up the tent is practically self-explanatory. The outer tent is held up with 3 DAC® Aluminium Poles whose ends are colour coded so you can’t confuse them. The inner tent can be attached to the outer tent with plastic buckles. Or, if you’re lazy like I am, you can just leave the inner and outer tents attached and fold the both together into the stuff sack. It’ll save you some time the next time.
The tunnel design of the Scorpion offers a generous single-point front entry of about 105cm x 120cm with enough porch space to store bags and equipment. The area of the inner tent measures 220cm x 175cm and has a height of 110cm, which is plenty for 3 people. In emergencies, you could even sit 6 people inside.
On the left and right along the whole length of the tent are built-in mesh internal pockets, 10 of them, to be exact. The design also incorporates a hanging loop for lights and accessories.
The PU-coated 210t Ripstop Flysheet has a hydrostatic head of 5000mm—more than your regular tents—making it the perfect candidate for all four seasons, not just spring, summer and autumn. Even at night-time temperatures of around 14° Celsius, I found the ventilation in the inner tent very comfortable and it never got muggy. On the following morning, the level of condensation was perfectly acceptable knowing, there is no way to avoid this ‘problem’ completely. At the narrow end, as well as left and right of the entrance area, are triangular windows with mosquito nets for ventilation, which can be closed from the outside with velcro.
The tent impresses overall with its high-quality. I’ve seen plenty of more expensive tents with worse workmanship. All the materials and seams are robust, and it feels like a tent that will accompany you reliably for many years.
Another win over other tent manufacturers is Snugpak’s included repair kit with a metal pole repair sleeve (in case a pole snaps), a spare cord, an elastic loop, and material to patch tears, all in a handy storage bag.
VERDICT
The Scorpion is for me more proof for how much Snugpak values good quality. Everything is perfectly made and impresses with its high-quality. Putting up the tent is simple, and for anyone who has put up tents before, self-explanatory. It’s also most impressive how Snugpak managed to fit a 3 person tent into such a small pack size without concessions to the size and comfort. So if you’re looking for a good all-round tent which promises protection 365 days a year, you’d do well with the Scorpion 3. And you’re guaranteed to have a lot of fun with it too.
