Marmot Tungsten 4p Tent Review

Here is my “unpacking the box” review of the 2023 Tungsten Four Person Tent from Marmot. Overall the materials and workmanship appear to be excellent.

Tent Bag Label
Tent Bag Label

Basics

This is a classic “dome tent” with a rectangular floor and several features of note…

Lightweight aluminum poles define the four corners and are connected by a hinge at the peak. The segment nearest the ground is “pre-bent” to keep the sidewalls near vertical. Two end sections are blue to help guide setup.

Tent Pole Hinge
Tent Pole Hinge

You can erect the basic structure with only the “footprint” (aka custom ground cloth). This is nice and not possible with many tents. It creates a stable clean surface to unfold the tent itself. It does not seem possible to put up the fly without the tent (if it’s raining or as a sun shelter).

Tent Poles and Footprint
Tent Poles and Footprint

The tent walls clip onto the frame easily, followed by the cross-poles. These pull out the door panels yielding near vertical sidewalls. I really like this design. Many similar tents have a single cross-pole, with less door clearance and stability.

Basic Setup w/o Fly
Basic Setup w/o Fly

At this point you have a reasonably strong free-standing tent that you can move around as needed. Note that no stakes were needed up to this point (on a non-windy day).

Interior and Doors
Interior and Doors

The large doors are identical. There are four traditional small gear pockets near the corners and two “headlamp defuser” pockets in the ceiling. There are also four attachment points around the peak so a gear loft would be possible (but not included).

Fly Setup
Fly Setup

The fly is a standard “staked-out vestibule” design. It takes four stakes (or rocks, tree roots, etc.) to fully shape the fly. Again note that the fly door is wide and crosses the midline. This would not be the case with a single cross-pole. There are two small pop-out vents in the fly, one next to each door. It remains to be seen if these are adequate when the doors are completely closed. It is not obvious if the doors can be rigged partially open.

Vent in Fly
Vent in Fly

This slightly distorted panorama should give you an idea of the interior size. When car or beach camping I bring lightweight cots as show here. For two people, each with their own door, this tent is palatial! It would be confortable for three, but very cramped for four adults.

Tent Interior with Cot
Tent Interior with Cot

Specifics

I discovered three things that were not obvious and not documented as far as I can tell.

First, if you look at the panorama above, notice the left sidewall is higher than the right. It is unclear to me why this is so?

Next, there is a second set of four grommets under the fly that should be positioned over the ends of the cross-poles (gold webbing in photo). These are very hard to find unless you know where to look!

Grommets Under Fly
Grommets Under Fly

The third is to engage the large black clips over both poles where they cross. This doesn’t affect the fly, but gives the entire tent structure more stability.

Large Clips over Both Poles
Large Clips over Both Poles

Oddments

With respect to ventilation and water intrusion, the non-door sides of the fly have small tabs for staking out. This is a very common design feature that is often ignored in the field.

Fly Side Pull-Out
Fly Side Pull-Out

My approach over the years is to tie short loops of bungee cord to these tabs. This makes it easier to stake out the sides and keep them taut. Water is forced away from the floor/sidewall and ventilation is greatly improved!

Fly Side Staked-Out
Fly Side Staked-Out

Here is the tent fully deployed with four stakes on the ends and two on the sides. With the addition of the side stakes this becomes a very stable structure and is likely to perform well under windy conditions.

Fully Staked-Out - Note Vent Left of Door
Fully Staked-Out – Note Vent Left of Door

The hardware that comes with the tent is minimal: eight stakes, four 6ft lengths of cord, and an emergency pole repair sleeve. Many online commentators have pointed out that there are not enough stakes to fully secure the tent (no stakes for the pole tie-outs and sides). This is less critical than it seems. First it is rarely necessary to stake down every possible point. Second, it is often necessary to augment the generic stakes with sand-screws or other specialized substitutes (like tying to a rock or tree root).

Stake Bag Contents
Stake Bag Contents

Treehugger Hitch

This is an idea I’ve been incubating for some time as a non-destructive “place anywhere” alternative to nails in trees or breaking branches to hang things on. Shown here is my first successful field test! It is tied using a short stick or similar object found locally.

Treehugger Hitch v1
Treehugger Hitch v1

The main flaws with this implementation are the stretch in the second reef knot and the tendency for the loops to converge allowing the hook to turn sideways.

After some experimentation I think I’ve improved on the initial design in Version 2. The main difference is making the loops around the stick more constrictive so they slip less. I also eliminated the need for the first reef knot.

Step 1

Find the middle of the rope and loop it loosely around the tree at least two times (three is best). Then tie it temporarily with a half surgeon’s knot. Note that the middle of the rope hangs down to attach to the bottom of the stick!

Treehugger Hitch Step 1
Treehugger Hitch Step 1

Step 2

Wrap the lower loop around the base of the stick at least twice. Adjust its position by sliding more or less rope through the surgeon’s knot.

Treehugger Hitch Step 2
Treehugger Hitch Step 2

Step 3

Untie the surgeon’s knot without disturbing what you’ve done so far. Wrap the stick about a quarter of the way from the top as follows: a) Take the first rope and wrap it twice below itself as shown here.

Treehugger Hitch Step 3
Treehugger Hitch Step 3

Step 4

b) Now wrap the second rope twice above itself. This will leave you with loose ends on opposite sides of the wraps. Tie these two ends together with a reef knot or your equivalent of choice.

Treehugger Hitch Step 4
Treehugger Hitch Step 4

Step 5

At this point you may adjust the “lay” of the hook buy twisting the stick and working the rope. This will be easier of you put a light load on it. Any excess rope will hang down out of the way.

Treehugger Hitch Step 5
Treehugger Hitch Step 5

Step 6

Once the hook is stable, you can load it up with gear and even packs!

Treehugger Hitch Step 6
Treehugger Hitch Step 6

Step 7

And you can hang your hat on it!

Treehugger Hitch Step 7
Treehugger Hitch Step 7

Summary of Steps

Wrap the tree from the front with the first loop (middle of the rope) slightly longer. Tie loosely with a half surgeon’s knot.

Treehugger Knot Schematic 1
Treehugger Knot Schematic 1

Wrap the longer (middle) loop around the bottom of the stick.

Treehugger Knot Schematic 2
Treehugger Knot Schematic 2

Untie the surgeon’s knot and wrap one rope below and the other above.

Treehugger Knot Schematic 3
Treehugger Knot Schematic 3

Tie the two ropes with a reef knot.

Treehugger Knot Schematic 4
Treehugger Knot Schematic 4

Note the minimal number of wraps are show above for visual simplicity. In practice I recommend wrapping the tree three times, and the upper stick twice with each rope (four turns total).

BWCA Canoe & Hiking Trip 2023

This year’s trip was a return to a familiar locale…

Duncan and Rose Lakes!

BWCA Route Map, Source USGS
BWCA Route Map, Source USGS (Click to Enlarge)
Video with Loons and Beavers

Complete Photo Gallery

Day 1 (Portage to Duncan Lake)

We started at Bearskin Lake and paddled across to the Duncan Lake Portage.

Starting Out
Starting Out

After exploring options on the north shore of Duncan we decided to stay on the campsite closest to the portage on the south shore (conveniently vacated by the prior group as we waited).

Duncan Lake Campsite
Duncan Lake Campsite

Overall this was a great site and not affected by blowdowns like the others we looked at. It had a nice fire area, lots of big trees, adequate tentsites, and a small pebble beach. (4/5 rating)

Hammock Housekeeping
Hammock Housekeeping

I’ve been a Hammock Camper for the past ten years. This was the first trip where I used an Underquilt and it performed very well. On the warmer nights (50s) I barely needed a sleeping bag. Going to bed felt like entering a warm bath!

After setting up camp, we had Happy Hour and veggie burgers for dinner!

Happy Hour
Happy Hour
Veggie Burgers
Veggie Burgers

The smoke haze from the Canadian Forest Fires gave us a very red sunset that night.

Smoky Sunset
Smoky Sunset

Day 2 (Canoe to Rose Lake)

The next morning we were treated to the largest gathering of Loons I’ve ever seen! We counted nine in all. It started with three or four calling and others flying in over about twenty minutes. Then they socialized and fished together for at least an hour. I called it the Loon equivalent of a breakfast club!

We read that at this time of year Loons are after fish called Cisco or lake herring. These are very oily and help the birds fatten up before they fly a thousand miles to the ocean for the winter.

Loons Gathering
Loons Gathering

We paddled down the long eastern arm of the lake to the famous “Staircase Portage” to Rose Lake.

Down the Staircase Portage
Down the Staircase Portage

We consolidated into one canoe to cruise around Rose. We saw where Ross and I camped during the The Boys 40th Birthday Trip back in 1996.

Group Photo on Rose
Group Photo on Rose

We stopped by Rose Falls to have lunch before heading up the stairs and back to Duncan.

Rose Falls
Rose Falls (Click to Enlarge)
Swimmers in Rose Falls
Swimmers in Rose Falls
Up the Staircase Portage
Up the Staircase Portage
Happy Hour Again
Happy Hour Again

Day 3 (Caribou Rock Trail, 4.3 Miles)

Group on the Trail
Group on the Trail

The next day we decided to hike on the nearby Caribou Rock Trail. This would ultimately take us to Rose Lake, but we did not go that far. Afterwards we read this is one of the “most difficult trails in Minnesota!”

Steep Climb
Steep Climb
Ross Above Duncan Lake
Ross Above Duncan Lake

That night we recovered with an elaborate taco meal prepared by Ross.

Taco Dinner
Taco Dinner

Day 4 (Rose Lake Cliffs, 6.5 Miles)

Our final full day was a mix of canoeing and hiking the Border Route Trail to the Cliffs over Rose Lake. It was difficult at times, but the view once we got there was worth it!

Rose, Rat, and South Lakes
Rose, Rat, and South Lakes

Way down on the lake we noticed two large white birds. These turned out to be a pair of [Trumpeter?] Swans! At the top I was able to take a photo through the binoculars with my phone.

Two Swans Thru Binoculars
Two Swans Thru Binoculars
Top of the World!
Top of the World!
Pileated Woodpecker Holes
Pileated Woodpecker Holes
Going for an Evening Swim!
Going for an Evening Swim!

Day 5 (Return to Civilization)

Leaving Paradise
Leaving Paradise

The next day was pretty simple. We broke camp early because the day was going to be hot (high 80s). When we later drove through Duluth the dash thermometer said it was 101!

Knots of Note

Bear Rope Hitch

Bear Rope Hitch
Bear Rope Hitch

We saw this one on a video about bear ropes. It is somewhat counter-intuitive as you get started and may require two people if the rope is heavily loaded. The first loop eliminates the need to “wrap the tree” with a long rope. The second vertical loop locks under the taught working end. As a slip knot it is extremely easy to untie so you can add one or two half-hitches for more security when needed.

Soft Shackle

Soft Shackle
Soft Shackle

These are referred to “Aussie Bowlines”. They are specifically used to secure a loaded line to a sail or other object. The cinch cords shown here already have stopper knots on their ends so it is easy to “shackle” them to the hammock strap.

Treehugger Hitch (or Tree-Hook Knot)

Treehugger Hitch
Treehugger Hitch

This is an idea I’ve been incubating for some time as a non-destructive “place anywhere” alternative to nails in trees or breaking branches to hang things on. Shown here is my first successful field test! It is tied using a short stick or similar object found locally.

  • Starting with the middle of the rope, wrap the tree at least twice and tie loosely with a reef (square) knot.
  • Catch the lower loop with the stick and add turns to partially tighten the loops.
  • Tie the upper end of the stick as tightly as possible in front of the reef knot.
  • Adjust everything to use the resulting hook to best advantage.
  • The excess rope will just hang down out of the way.

It performed well holding about ten pounds of equipment and it even let me hang up my hat! The main flaws with this implementation are the stretch in the second reef knot and the tendency for the loops to converge, allowing the hook to turn sideways. I plan to address these in the next version.

Once perfected this bit of knot-craft should help eliminate the need for nails in trees!

Old Nail in Tree
Old Nail in Tree