Product: Mountainsmith Genesee 4 Person Tent
Cheapest Place to Buy: Amazon.com
Guarantee: 30-day return & repair policy
Color: Lotus Blue
Size: 4-person
Setup Time: < 10 minutes
Weight: 6.9 pounds
Center Height: 4.3 feet
Floor Size: 8 x 7 feet
Packed Dimensions: 19.5 x 8 inches
What I’m Reviewing Today
Mountainsmith Genesee 4 Person Tent
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Functionality
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Waterproof
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Strength
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Value
Summary:
A surprisingly good tent with lots of great features! It has awesome water-resistance and doesn’t budge in high winds. It will last for many years if looked after correctly, too – and at this price range, makes it highly worthwhile.
What is the Mountainsmith Genesee 4 Person Tent?
This tent can fit a maximum of 4 people inside. It has 2 large doors and 2 vestibules for storing equipment safely out of the elements.
It has a freestanding design, so setup is fast and easy every single time. The shockcorded, aluminium frame makes this happen.
All seams have been sealed from factory, meaning no additional weatherproofing is needed when it arrives.
Mountainsmith are describing this tent as incredible strong, durable, and very compact.
Furthermore, they claim that the Mountainsmith Genesee 4 Person Tent performs WAY beyond its price tag.
It has actually been the “top pick” back in 2011 for Camping Life Magazine.
Key Features
- Color-coded poles for easy setup every time
- Gear loft (included in the purchase), providing even more room for equipment and clothing
- Interior pockets in every corner
- Reflective guylines to help you see where the tent is at night
- Rain fly vents so you can keep getting ventilation in the rain
- Headlamp slot. Just place a headlamp into this system and get an evenly distributed lighting source
- Mesh walls – great for ventilation and views of the outside world. This also means stargazing is completely possible on calm, clear nights
- Bathtub floor – stops rain getting inside the tent
What do you get?
- Body
- Rain Fly
- Poles (Color-Coded & Aluminium)
- Stakes
- Gear Loft
- Stuff Sack
- Reflective Guylines
The body
The body consists of a 8 x 7 ft. frame, with the side walls being made of mesh and 2 doors on the front/back.
The bottom has a bathtub-shaped floor to ensure rain can’t get in.
Furthermore, the color of the body is mostly white, with tints of blue on the walls and floor.
The Rain Fly
The rain fly is a lotus blue color.
It consists of a polyester material with vents that can be opened or closed depending on personal preference and weather conditions.
There are also 2 vestibules. These are located at the entrance of each doors, which make great (waterproof) storage areas for your equipment.
Example Of The Rain Fly
The Stakes
So the stakes are made from aluminium and not your traditional L-shape either, they are actually V-shaped.
There are a total of 10 included in the purchase. ALL of them should be used to ensure this tent stays standing when the wind picks up.
Gear Loft
Yes, there is certainly a gear loft included. This caught my eye because it’s rare to find companies including them for free with the purchase!
Stuff Sack
All instructions on how to pitch this tent are printed on the stuff sack itself.
Now you won’t be left sitting in the middle of nowhere with no clue on how to pitch your tent, in case you left the instructions at home or accidentally threw them in the fire 😛
Reflective Guylines
I wanted to mention these for the simple fact that they are incredibly useful and not easy to come across.
Reflective guylines help you see where the tent is in the dark, which in turn stops you from tripping over them.
What makes this tent different from the rest?
Just from researching this tent thoroughly, I can see that it has some great features that are hard to find on other tents.
The free gear loft, reflective guylines, and color-coded poles are just a few of the many.
The 2 doors and 2 vestibules are also what give the Mountainsmith Genesee 4 Person Tent the upper hand against other tents in the same price bracket.
How long will it last? (quality, wind/water-resistance)
So it’s in an “average” price bracket for a tent, meaning it’s going to last for a few years if you’re a seasonal camper.
That’s more than enough time to get your money’s worth in my honest opinion.
Note: Can be more or less depending on how well you look after the tent
A lot of users have claimed it to keep them dry in the rain, ranging from slight drizzles all the way up to hours of torrential downpour or a few days of heavy downpour.
As with most dome-shaped, freestanding tents, this one handles heavy winds with no problems.
What are people saying about this tent? (pulled from real, online feedback)
- It performs marvelously in the rain and wind
- The mesh pattern is so small that no mosquitoes can get in
- It’s extremely fast and easy to setup, or “dead simple” as they so bluntly put it 😛
- Can withstand winds of up to 50 MPH, and probably more
- Can easily fit 3 people inside but may be crowded with 4
- The stakes are about 7 inches long and has no problems with strong winds
- The water-resistance coating lasted about 3 years before getting worn out (results may vary)
- Everything fits back into the carry bag
Any red flags?
- Complaints about the stitching being poor quality, which have come loose straight out of the box
- Poor construction on a small number of purchases. My biggest guess is that these “dud” tents have slipped through Quality Control and made their way to the buyers
The Verdict?
Even though this tent has been the “top pick” in 2011, that doesn’t mean it is still the best at this point in time.
However, the good feedback that I could find HEAVILY outweigh the bad.
No – it’s not cheap, but it definitely is affordable for the quality it offers.
A tent at this price range that provides this much durability and protection from the elements is highly worth considering if you ask me.
I recommend this tent because it’s been found to protect you from the rain and wind – easily, and will last a long time if you look after it!
Meaning you should clean it after each use and know where to pitch it in the correct location so you don’t run the risk of puncturing/tearing the floor.
Find The Best Deals Here!
Didn’t find the answers you were looking for? Comment below and I’ll be happy to reply as soon as I can 🙂
Have a great day!
-Brandon
Mountainsmith Genesee 4 Person Tent
-
Functionality
-
Waterproof
-
Strength
-
Value
Summary:
A surprisingly good tent with lots of great features! It has awesome water-resistance and doesn’t budge in high winds. It will last for many years if looked after correctly, too – and at this price range, makes it highly worthwhile.
Hi Brandon, this website is just what we need right now. We haven’t camped for 20 years as I had a business that consumed all my time during camping months. I am retiring from this business in a few days, and we recently bought a better SUV and are starting to allow ourselves thoughts about camping and road trips! We gave away most of our camping equipment, to our grown sons who camp, so we need to start thinking about buying new equipment again. What tent would you recommend for us? My husband is very tall (6’7″) and I really hate sleeping in a cramped space. Would have to be easy to set up, we’ve had some nightmare experiences when we first started camping with our young children, tents we borrowed and took 3 hours to set up! Look forward to hearing from you.
Why thank you very much, Madeleine. You have your priorities right so I totally get what you’re saying. You never have time to do the things you love. In saying that, I think everyone can find time for a weekend camping trip every now and then. Even if you don’t, MAKE TIME. If you don’t do something quick you will burn yourself out, as it’s been proven time and time again before, and I don’t want that happening to you.
Moving on.
Tents have changed over the years entirely.
You do not need 3 hours to set up a tent any more. In fact, the Mountainsmith Genesee 4 Tent takes less than 10 minutes to pitch, has a floor size of 8 x 7 feet so your husband can fit nicely, and is also higher quality than other 4-person tents I’ve reviewed.
Good luck.