Bought a Stansport tent way back when. Was looking for something cheap for an unplanned weekend. I wasn't near home where in could just grab one of my tents. It wasn't the cheapest tent at the store so thought it was priced middle of the road as to what they had available. I figured getting that would be better than buying a super cheap one. This one should get me through a mild weekend. Got to camp where my friends were. Set up the tent and threw my sleeping gear inside. An hour later it started to rain. Rained pretty hard for 20 minutes. Went into the tent to grab something and everything was soaked. It looked like a pond inside. Luckily, I had a tarp in my truck. Used the crap stakes from the tent and made a much nicer shelter. Never will I buy a Stansport again. Oh, and as for giving that thing away. Save a child's life and cut it into shreds and dispose of it. I wouldn't let a child sleep overnight in that thing because of no air flow. Add that to the junk zippers, add sunlight and it's an oven.... or coffin.
He could just trash the fly and give them the base tent, which is what I suspect he intends to do. That way no one will ever consider using it as an actual shelter.
It appears they are making many tents for festival use only, hoping to make a quick buck off clients who throw these things away after a couple of nights (or leave them for someone else to dispose of.)
Thanks for the review. My brother gave me a very old, smelly Stansport 2 person tent (really a 1 1/4 person tent). This was the pup tent style with the fly and body sewed together down the ridgeline. I tested it in the backyard, and I will say it didn't leak. I could get a tight pitch on the fly, but no matter how I tried, I couldn't get a good pitch on the body. The sides caved in and there was no way to pull them out. Getting into the tent was like crawling into 120°F cocoon. I tore it apart, made a few modifications to the fly, and use it as a tarp. My beef is with Marmot and their Eos 1P. The fly leaked along the entire ridgeline. Then, during the same trip, the waterproofing delaminated. They refused a fix for it, claiming it was my fault for letting it get moldy. You know what they thought was mold? When the door is opened, it overlaps across the logo. The ink used to imprint that logo delaminated and transferred the imprint to the door. In Marmot's book, that imprint was mold. BS company.
Add Night Cat to tents that are complete POS’s. Mine broke the first night out & the company wanted to offer me a whole $5.00 as compensation & never offered to replace it. eBay stepped in & gave me a refund. Thanks for having the integrity to call out the garbage. 👍🏼
Hey Luke! I took a friend out on the Gorge once and he had one of those. It rained pretty hard after midnight. He woke me up to get in my truck tent. Him and everything he had was soaked. Id never heard of the company till then. He ended up getting pretty sick. Pulmonary issues. Appreciate the video! Have a great day!
Fair review. I’ve not bought a Stansport tent and won’t consider one now but I did buy a cook set from this company many years ago. The cook set wasn’t super light but it was stainless steel and is still around. That sort of product may be why the company is still in business.
I love the music you've been putting on videos recently, and to be honest I think rage at a company like this is totally justified. We know full well someone could take this tent out thinking that its budget friendly but also safe and then wind up in a horrible situation. And even if they just have to put up with a night of being soggy but aren't in any actual danger- its still a scam in terms of quality. Your channel is great, thanks for putting out this content and for being so nice.
Absolutely love this channel. Thank you for doing these reviews to stop people from buying junk. You are definitely keeping people safe and saving lives and money. Keep up the great work. I'm a beginner camper from Sydney Australia and I appreciate all the reviews you do to help me learn what to do and what not to do. I'm also a disabled person who has a youtube channel and I plan on doing videos of my camping adventures when the Sydney covid lockdown is over.
I was just at walmart and they had this ozark trail fold up sleeping pad for 12 dollars. I've got a roll up that's about a foot in diameter. Light as a feather, but cumbersome. I just don't camp enough to have that much gear though. If it works. I don't think I can use the inflatable kind because of my dog.
I bought this tent a year ago, the night of the torrential downpour was my worst experience. Water leaked 💦 inside literally likes a mini pool, Lucky for us we parked a truck nearby our camped area in the middle of North Wellington Mountain (the rain was heavy, so was the wind ).
Fiberglass poles and sleeves are features of tents from the 70s and 80s. They're also incredibly lazy manufacturing compared to the effort required to do the clips like most modern tents do. The Stansport tents you have reviewed remind me of the things we got at Ace Hardware when I was a little kid. The tents we had were junk, and these are as well.
The tents available to me in MY childhood all leaked. The issue was which one leaked manageably to provide sufficient comfort until morning and an early return home.
Yeah, my parents have an old north face tent, built like a tank, great materials, been going strong for probably over 40 years at this point, made to be a everest basecamp tent, BUT it has sleeves like that, 6 various poles and is a massive pain in the arse to set up.
They've been around for 70 years. That means that the upper management has completely changed at least 3, probably 4 or 5 times. The original management may have wanted to produce good stuff, but those ethics may well be long gone.
I have an " ozark trail " tent ( 10 person ) and I've camped in the rain , stayed drier in it than that pile of garbage . Thanks a ton for the reviews .
Thanks for this revue. One thing that I have learned to do is to carry a tarp to cover my tent if in the woods or near a supportable structure; I only use the rain fly if in the open. [PS - I superglue the stitching on my backpacks and tents to increase the strength and durability and longevity].
I got a two person, stainless steel, cook set from Stansport. Had it for years and it works great. Other than that, don't know anything about the company so truly do appreciate the tent review!
You ever hear of a body farm. It where educational institutions have a large area with diverse climate zones that they use to place corpses in the elements to track the decomposition and insect infestation. That's how I imagine your property looks, but with outdoor gear.
As always, I appreciate the honest, safety first reviews from your channel. Not everyone can afford to spend their money on something that WILL fail them one way or another. Thanks!
You're right Luke ! People can spent their money, but for the price you cannot expect more than this...Try not to test the cheapest tents on the market...You spent your time ! 👍🙄👍🙄.
I just want to start off by saying thank you for taking your time in reviewing the tents I've sent thus far. I will say this is quite I surprise since I have been using one of these tent for the past few years with zero issues, however I've never used it in heavy rain (just light rain); my hope is that these products are just a product of Covid production (where quality is low and quantity is high). The business where I work sells only three brands of tents, Stansport, Cascade Outdoor Gear, and Coleman, and I would love to continue sending you tents, if you want. We only sell those two Stansport (Starlite and Appalachian), but the Cascade Outdoor Gear tents would be a good competitor to Stansport since their price point is only slightly higher. Thank you, again!
If there is one thing ive learned, besides always always reading online reviews about your tent and other gear. Always test it, before going on a trip. First thing i do i always set up a new tent in the rain to make sure it can keep me dry. There are few things worse than having all your gear, sleeping bag soaked on a multiple day trip, not to mention downright dangerous if its in cold weather. I can deal with being cold, as long as im dry.
Stansport had another tent called "star-lite." For that ones, the two poles cross twice, not once. [This can be seen if you search the web for images.] I got one in about 2012. It was great. Did not leak. It had good reviews. It packed really small and was fairly roomy. I used it regularly and wore it out. When I went to replace it, maybe 2018, the reviews were bad. It was basically the same but was a different design: pocket was in a different place and sidewall came up a different distance. I ordered one from an e bay vendor who had said it was the older model. It was not. This newer group were inferior. So, I moved on to a different tent. I hated to give up on the original star-lite.
Thanks Luke! Love your comments and honest reviews. And how you pointed out the flaws and showed viewers exactly what to look for in a quality tent vs poor quality. You did a review a while back on the Coleman Sundome 2. I was looking for a cheap car camp tent while in the Carolinas. Your review was spot on. I really like the Coleman and it was only 50 bucks for a good quality product that performed great in the rain. Coleman like stansport has been around for a long time. So I wonder why stansport is making such poor products and remaining in business. Anyway, sticking to the Sundome... And btw I really love the Mongar 2, used that one on a couple of backpacking trips. Thanks again for your reviews! They are so appreciated!
Hay. Luke, You are the honest person I ever seen. If you say it a good product I believe it ,and if you say it's junk its JUNK!!! Keep up the great work 😀😆😁😎 Dennis from Delaware
I almost bought one of those! I am going on a trip and was looking for a cheaper tent... Decided to just get an aquaquest tarp instead, sure glad I didn't buy this garbage tent. THANK YOU for all you do for all of us sportsmen out here.
I hope you don't have mosquitoes where you camp. That's the main reason I use a tent, and the privacy. I try not to camp when it rains because it's not very fun.
@@fire7side not too many mosquitoes this year, a little skin so soft(yes it works well) for repellent and I'll be good to go. As for privacy, I've camped there for up to 2 weeks without seeing a single person.
Thanks for the honesty. I wonder if you have had any feedback from them. There is no excuse for poor quality products when you can can get quality materials cheap enough and people skilled enough to do the job.
I just looked at their website and saw this quote, "Since 1949, Stansport has beenproviding quality, yet affordable camping gear for the everyday camper." Yes, they couldn't even be bothered to spell check their about us page to catch that "beenproviding" isn't a word. If they can't even do that, how are they going to qc their products?
0:51 That is why marketing people can be considered slime from the pit of hell. It is why they are universally hatted by anyone with a technical background or a brain for that matter.
Companies like this prey upon first time campers and those with a minimal budget. It's a damn shame because they make camping seem harder than it needs to be. You're doing good work getting a little angry and making light of these awful products. Good on ya!
you can get a DD SuperLight - A-Frame mesh tent to go with a good 3mx3m tarp for just over a hundred bucks at DD hammocks and it will last much longer than the memory of 40 bucks saved. Luke, would love to see you test that setup!
I don't use a tent. I use a tarp with a bug bivy. I have a few different tarps and bug bivys. I can adjust a tarp depending on weather. Condensation is minimized.
It would be the tent I would get if I was going camping with a bunch of partiers. A can of sealer spray and call it good. If a drunken friend falls on it, gets caught on firer for what ever reason then all good. This is why they make such things. A one time need!!!
Luke I agree, this company used to make quality backpacks/laptop carriers. RE: This tent, not even a ventilation area to prop up etc. I camp solo but if I were asked about a tent without talking about brands I would say start at $150 most things cheaper are backyard toys or at most car camping where you have a more primary shelter.
Very well done. Reviews like this which cut through the BS are invaluable. Experienced backpackers will know how and why this type of low-quality product can potentially kill people if they take this out into the woods but it would be really educational if you could explain this? Also you are a master at explaining!
Granting the evident truth of all you point out, I would have reviewed this Stansport a bit differently. It's a fair-weather tent with light-rainfall protection. If it functions well enough at its price point to be worth something, I'd mention THAT. As you did, I would repeat from time to time that this IS NOT THE CHOICE for demanding weather camps. I would NOT lead with 'this tent can kill you.'
As a spiritual ( not religious ) man I would have to say that your a righteous person. There are very few people out there that would care enough to do these videos. I thank you greatly. I truly value your opinion on this topic. Here in Texas we call it " good looking out " I'm looking forward to the next video for sure. I was wondering if you ( I'm sure you do ) have any old school surviving tips for us . For if n when something goes a foul with our equipment ? Anyway thank you so much for the work you do. Take care, stay dry lol . Fort Worth Texas here, yeeyee
The most likely reason for this company still existing is that their products appeal to folks who have very limited budgets and who are unlikely to use them often or in less than great conditions.
I think I've bought some Stansport things that weren't a tent and they were basically all right. It wouldn't matter who made a tent at that price, it's not going to be actually good enough to camp in the rain unless you put a tarp on top of it. I bought a very small bivy tent from Walmart that I like for around 50 dollars about 3 years ago. Aluminum poles, fly covers the tent, weighs 3 lbs. Pretty sure it was marked down on sale. It is possible, but unlikely.
The thing is, if it's not raining, I don't even really need a tent. A sleeping bag alone would be sufficient. If it doesn't protect me from the rain very much, it doesn't deserve to exist, in my opinion.
As an overlander i’ve stuck to brands like ARB, Alps, GSI, Coleman and Cabelas brand. Fortunately for me, weight isn’t a big factor, rather having some more additional comforts while i’m out in the mountains. I’ve spent good time researching and money on my equipment. i do wish i had a rooftop tent otherwise my Alps has served me fine.
These, one use only tents, usually cheap and used for festivals, should be illegal. These are just churned out in their 1000's and are eventually just thrown into landfill. I guarantee these company will not contact you after this scathing review because they will no doubt sell 1000's of other items of garbage that will make them money. It's shocking, really.
‘How have they been in business since 1949?’ It’s very simple: their customers are dupes who do not educate themselves on what a quality product is. How did PT Barnum put it? There is a sucker born every minute. I feel sorry for those people who got suckered. Have I got suckered before? You betcha. That is why I watch videos like this, and take time to read customer reviews of any given product.
Were their products always so poor? As I understand it, it's a family-owned business so it could be that the current generation in charge doesn't know what they're doing. Whoever's in charge is either stupid or willfully blind to the incompetence of their underlings.
@@alfredoprime5495 I suspect it's become a "Zombie" company, like "Crosley" where they just slap the name on low buck outdoors gear and milk what little is left of the brand into oblivion.
Right! Most people who buy that tent are probably not going out when the forecast calls for heavy rain. Sometimes it seems like if gear cost less than an some arbitrary amount in his mind it's garbage. If he isn't just biased against budget gear then test and recommend some. Not everyone can afford to drop a few hundred on a tent that will be used 3 or 4 times a year.
Adds a new meaning to ",bathtub floor" don't it?😁 To add decades ago I had a cheapo A frame for camping in the "back yard" 20ish acres of old farmland. And that leaked a hella of a lot less than this one. And it finally crapped out 10years later on a OHTA trail construction. base camp in a heavy spring thunderstorm. 1975-1985 "Rest In Pieces".
you are right about company some are only in it to sell products not customer service and safety yes they need to make money but if we need to put safety first not money
Companies that have been around this long started out as family operations with quality as job one. Then as they expanded, went public, got absorbed or bought by a big corporation the focus shifts to profit. That means production shifts to you know where. Lowest bidder wins and the customer loses. They state they are a 70 year old family run company but they have run to the profit.
What really pi**es me off about these kinds of tents is that folks who are clueless and just want to try something out for a weekend and not spend a lot of money will buy this. After having a truly lousy experience they will just give up completely on ever camping again. It's kind of hard to have decent quality control when there's no quality in the first place!
The original company may have had a good reputation for quality products, or at least made decent enough products that were infrequently used, so appeared to be good. The company was probably sold a few times and is the same in name only, riding on a reputation that wasn’t earned. (I haven’t researched that, just speculation) They probably survive by mass bulk sales from people that don’t know any better and don’t make an effort to return the products.
Tested without you in it so it stands to reason that if there was an occupant, the lack of ventilation would've produced a lot more water inside. Thanks, Luke.
I baught better tents for half the price! With clips for the inner tent and waterproof. My best bargain so far was a Queshua 2-seconds: 55€ and waterproof for 13 years now.
What's equally bad and wrong about this is the waste of people's time, money and the waste of materials... I bet if people protested them for being so un-green, they'd change
It's essentially what happens when you outsource your entire manufacturing and packaging to a Chinese contractor who doesn't give a crap. The fact you do this is a sign of you not giving a crap either - and most outfits like this eventually go out of business, to be bought by said Chinese contractor as a brand.
That's not really fair to Chinese manufacturers. When you get a Chinese company to make something for you, they will offer you price point/quality options. Most are capable of very high quality work. The device you used to make your comment might well be an example of that, however, companies like Stansport are basically con artists and get the cheapest crap possible and rely on marketing to the inexperienced, or retailers who are just as unscrupulous, to maximise their profits. This is on Stansport, not he Chinese company who make these.
Can't really blame the Chinese for poor quality of products made for other companies. They make what ever quality the company wants good or bad. Stansport obviously is happy with cut every corner regardless of quality afterwards. If they cared they would have addressed this long ago and haven't. Now certainly blame Chinese knockoff quality issues on China, that's all on them.
@@JamesSmullins any manfacturer, contractor or not, should have standards of quality and refuse bad quality. Afterall, it's going to affect the reputation of the company eventually, and in the case of China affects the reputation of the whole country. Japan and South Korea both has good reputation because they make quality products. China and Vietnam doesn't.
@@johan.ohgren and yet China gets most of the manufacturing contracts. China doesn't care because it's not about their reputation, it's about getting money to fund their long-term goals of being the world's only super power. It's building their military and other avenues of attack. Americans don't care because they prefer cheap prices over quality even though they complain about quality. That's why they keep buying the junk.
I like the Stansport tent. Kind of the way I like a real crappy movie just to make fun of how crappy it is. These tent fail vids are among my favorites!
My tent is $45. I've used it all the past year while backpacking in Florida swamps, and in the Allegheny National Forest. It's been through several Florida thunderstorms. I took 30 minutes to do a seal myself and it has been fine. It's not the best tent in the world - I need an upgrade. It is the "Trekker Tent 1A" by River Country Products. I've also used the Texsport Camouflage Trail Tent which is even cheaper. With some of these cheap tents, you absolutely can make it work if you take the time to do even a half-decent seal. Maybe not Stansport tents, but you CAN make it work.
Bought a Stansport tent way back when. Was looking for something cheap for an unplanned weekend. I wasn't near home where in could just grab one of my tents. It wasn't the cheapest tent at the store so thought it was priced middle of the road as to what they had available. I figured getting that would be better than buying a super cheap one. This one should get me through a mild weekend. Got to camp where my friends were. Set up the tent and threw my sleeping gear inside. An hour later it started to rain. Rained pretty hard for 20 minutes. Went into the tent to grab something and everything was soaked. It looked like a pond inside. Luckily, I had a tarp in my truck. Used the crap stakes from the tent and made a much nicer shelter. Never will I buy a Stansport again.
Oh, and as for giving that thing away. Save a child's life and cut it into shreds and dispose of it. I wouldn't let a child sleep overnight in that thing because of no air flow. Add that to the junk zippers, add sunlight and it's an oven.... or coffin.
I think he means for a day play tent, we do that with my grandson in the yard or even when camping. That's the play tent not the sleeping tent.
Rather buy the store brand
He could just trash the fly and give them the base tent, which is what I suspect he intends to do. That way no one will ever consider using it as an actual shelter.
It appears they are making many tents for festival use only, hoping to make a quick buck off clients who throw these things away after a couple of nights (or leave them for someone else to dispose of.)
I've had better £10 tents from Aldi 😂 😂 😂
The honesty and directness of the channel is so refreshing! I love it! Thank you!
Thanks for the review.
My brother gave me a very old, smelly Stansport 2 person tent (really a 1 1/4 person tent). This was the pup tent style with the fly and body sewed together down the ridgeline. I tested it in the backyard, and I will say it didn't leak. I could get a tight pitch on the fly, but no matter how I tried, I couldn't get a good pitch on the body. The sides caved in and there was no way to pull them out. Getting into the tent was like crawling into 120°F cocoon. I tore it apart, made a few modifications to the fly, and use it as a tarp.
My beef is with Marmot and their Eos 1P. The fly leaked along the entire ridgeline. Then, during the same trip, the waterproofing delaminated. They refused a fix for it, claiming it was my fault for letting it get moldy. You know what they thought was mold? When the door is opened, it overlaps across the logo. The ink used to imprint that logo delaminated and transferred the imprint to the door. In Marmot's book, that imprint was mold. BS company.
Whenever I meet someone who tells me they hate camping, I know it's likely because their only camping experience was in a piece of junk like this.
Well it’s obvious this company had no in-tent in making a quality product. Thank you for sharing.
*groans*
@@chrisnemec5644 - Yeah, and?
Ha nice one
Lol my kind of humor
You should comment on the con-tent not in-tent
Add Night Cat to tents that are complete POS’s. Mine broke the first night out & the company wanted to offer me a whole $5.00 as compensation & never offered to replace it. eBay stepped in & gave me a refund.
Thanks for having the integrity to call out the garbage. 👍🏼
I have Night Cat as well which I didn’t take out at all. Which one do you have?
Hey Luke! I took a friend out on the Gorge once and he had one of those. It rained pretty hard after midnight. He woke me up to get in my truck tent. Him and everything he had was soaked. Id never heard of the company till then. He ended up getting pretty sick. Pulmonary issues. Appreciate the video! Have a great day!
Wow! That's crazy!! 😱
Fair review. I’ve not bought a Stansport tent and won’t consider one now but I did buy a cook set from this company many years ago. The cook set wasn’t super light but it was stainless steel and is still around. That sort of product may be why the company is still in business.
I love the music you've been putting on videos recently,
and to be honest I think rage at a company like this is totally justified. We know full well someone could take this tent out thinking that its budget friendly but also safe and then wind up in a horrible situation. And even if they just have to put up with a night of being soggy but aren't in any actual danger- its still a scam in terms of quality.
Your channel is great, thanks for putting out this content and for being so nice.
Absolutely love this channel. Thank you for doing these reviews to stop people from buying junk. You are definitely keeping people safe and saving lives and money. Keep up the great work. I'm a beginner camper from Sydney Australia and I appreciate all the reviews you do to help me learn what to do and what not to do. I'm also a disabled person who has a youtube channel and I plan on doing videos of my camping adventures when the Sydney covid lockdown is over.
Maybe someone should send him one of those 'water resistent' Anko tents you can get from Kmart (Australia)
Even an unskilled person could do a better job than what I was seeing great information thank you so much Luke. Strength and honor
Stansport: you'll be dreaming of the luxury and security of Ozark Trails.
😂😂😂
I was just at walmart and they had this ozark trail fold up sleeping pad for 12 dollars. I've got a roll up that's about a foot in diameter. Light as a feather, but cumbersome. I just don't camp enough to have that much gear though. If it works. I don't think I can use the inflatable kind because of my dog.
I bought this tent a year ago, the night of the torrential downpour was my worst experience. Water leaked 💦 inside literally likes a mini pool, Lucky for us we parked a truck nearby our camped area in the middle of North Wellington Mountain (the rain was heavy, so was the wind ).
We call them festival tents in the UK. i.e used for a couple of days in a music festival and then left there!!
They are sold under that name in Sweden too..but they would cost max 30 USD
Littering isn't illegal in the UK?
@@pam0077 they have a loicense
@@pam0077 it's on private land and who can tell among a couple of hundred or so tents who's littering.
@@swedmiroswedmiro1352 yes, this is an expensive one 😉
Fiberglass poles and sleeves are features of tents from the 70s and 80s. They're also incredibly lazy manufacturing compared to the effort required to do the clips like most modern tents do. The Stansport tents you have reviewed remind me of the things we got at Ace Hardware when I was a little kid. The tents we had were junk, and these are as well.
The tents available to me in MY childhood all leaked. The issue was which one leaked manageably to provide sufficient comfort until morning and an early return home.
Yeah, my parents have an old north face tent, built like a tank, great materials, been going strong for probably over 40 years at this point, made to be a everest basecamp tent, BUT it has sleeves like that, 6 various poles and is a massive pain in the arse to set up.
They've been around for 70 years. That means that the upper management has completely changed at least 3, probably 4 or 5 times. The original management may have wanted to produce good stuff, but those ethics may well be long gone.
Probably baught out by China
I'm glad I had input from experienced campers when selecting my tent. Went with an REI groundbreaker for $80 and it's been great.
I have an " ozark trail " tent ( 10 person ) and I've camped in the rain , stayed drier in it than that pile of garbage . Thanks a ton for the reviews .
Totally agree with you bought one for my grandson, zipper broke first time use,leaked,poles are very cheap.
Thanks for this revue. One thing that I have learned to do is to carry a tarp to cover my tent if in the woods or near a supportable structure; I only use the rain fly if in the open. [PS - I superglue the stitching on my backpacks and tents to increase the strength and durability and longevity].
Hypothermia is a sport. A Stansport!
This should be their catchphrase
🤣🤣
PERFECT!! Damn , wish I'd of thought of that . Well done !
Mustard
I got a two person, stainless steel, cook set from Stansport. Had it for years and it works great. Other than that, don't know anything about the company so truly do appreciate the tent review!
The amount of rain and storms you guys are getting is crazy. It's like they turn up everytime you want to review something 😅😅
Absolutely love your reviews and your input is straightforward and no BS! Keep up you're doing a great job providing these videos!
Always appreciate the integrity Luke 👍💯
You ever hear of a body farm. It where educational institutions have a large area with diverse climate zones that they use to place corpses in the elements to track the decomposition and insect infestation. That's how I imagine your property looks, but with outdoor gear.
I appreciate the truthfulness of Luke and Susy, it is a rare commodity in society today.
I bought a 2 man Ozark Trail Walmart for like 40 bucks Canadian..never leaks. Very reliable after many campouts.
As always, I appreciate the honest, safety first reviews from your channel. Not everyone can afford to spend their money on something that WILL fail them one way or another. Thanks!
I really wouldn't expect much out of a tent that's cheaper than a t-shirt.
You're right Luke ! People can spent their money, but for the price you cannot expect more than this...Try not to test the cheapest tents on the market...You spent your time ! 👍🙄👍🙄.
I just want to start off by saying thank you for taking your time in reviewing the tents I've sent thus far. I will say this is quite I surprise since I have been using one of these tent for the past few years with zero issues, however I've never used it in heavy rain (just light rain); my hope is that these products are just a product of Covid production (where quality is low and quantity is high). The business where I work sells only three brands of tents, Stansport, Cascade Outdoor Gear, and Coleman, and I would love to continue sending you tents, if you want. We only sell those two Stansport (Starlite and Appalachian), but the Cascade Outdoor Gear tents would be a good competitor to Stansport since their price point is only slightly higher. Thank you, again!
If there is one thing ive learned, besides always always reading online reviews about your tent and other gear. Always test it, before going on a trip. First thing i do i always set up a new tent in the rain to make sure it can keep me dry. There are few things worse than having all your gear, sleeping bag soaked on a multiple day trip, not to mention downright dangerous if its in cold weather. I can deal with being cold, as long as im dry.
I think these shabby introductory tents is a primary reason why I put camping on hold from early teens to late 20's.
"Early teens to late 20's" made me laugh..😂
They target the beginner, the newbies. Low price and flashy packaging 😡 Thanks for sharing my friend 🤠
Like the fact that your honest with your comments. When i was younger i would have looked at the price and believed their marketing.
Stansport had another tent called "star-lite." For that ones, the two poles cross twice, not once. [This can be seen if you search the web for images.] I got one in about 2012. It was great. Did not leak. It had good reviews. It packed really small and was fairly roomy. I used it regularly and wore it out. When I went to replace it, maybe 2018, the reviews were bad. It was basically the same but was a different design: pocket was in a different place and sidewall came up a different distance. I ordered one from an e bay vendor who had said it was the older model. It was not. This newer group were inferior. So, I moved on to a different tent. I hated to give up on the original star-lite.
Thanks Luke! Love your comments and honest reviews. And how you pointed out the flaws and showed viewers exactly what to look for in a quality tent vs poor quality. You did a review a while back on the Coleman Sundome 2. I was looking for a cheap car camp tent while in the Carolinas. Your review was spot on. I really like the Coleman and it was only 50 bucks for a good quality product that performed great in the rain. Coleman like stansport has been around for a long time. So I wonder why stansport is making such poor products and remaining in business. Anyway, sticking to the Sundome... And btw I really love the Mongar 2, used that one on a couple of backpacking trips. Thanks again for your reviews! They are so appreciated!
Hay. Luke,
You are the honest person I ever seen.
If you say it a good product I believe it ,and if you say it's junk its JUNK!!!
Keep up the great work 😀😆😁😎
Dennis from Delaware
I almost bought one of those! I am going on a trip and was looking for a cheaper tent... Decided to just get an aquaquest tarp instead, sure glad I didn't buy this garbage tent. THANK YOU for all you do for all of us sportsmen out here.
I hope you don't have mosquitoes where you camp. That's the main reason I use a tent, and the privacy. I try not to camp when it rains because it's not very fun.
@@fire7side not too many mosquitoes this year, a little skin so soft(yes it works well) for repellent and I'll be good to go. As for privacy, I've camped there for up to 2 weeks without seeing a single person.
I just reviewed the sea to summit telos tr2 in the rain... Leaked or condensated pretty bad. Price doesn't always get you quality
Thanks for the honesty. I wonder if you have had any feedback from them. There is no excuse for poor quality products when you can can get quality materials cheap enough and people skilled enough to do the job.
I don't know about everyone else but luke I trust your judgement when it to tents and how good they are.
Thank you for your straight-forward, honest, and knowledgeable reviews. I enjoy your channel and learn lot from it.
Thanks for the honest review and actually testing out the quality of the tent. I know for sure I won't be buying any equipment from that company.
Thanks for the heads up Luke. As you said this is crap, people rely on their tent for shelter...dry shelter.
I just looked at their website and saw this quote, "Since 1949, Stansport has beenproviding quality, yet affordable camping gear for the everyday camper." Yes, they couldn't even be bothered to spell check their about us page to catch that "beenproviding" isn't a word. If they can't even do that, how are they going to qc their products?
0:51 That is why marketing people can be considered slime from the pit of hell. It is why they are universally hatted by anyone with a technical background or a brain for that matter.
Somewhat waterproof, mostly peaceful...heard that before
I've just bought a Marmot Minimalist jacket on Luke's recommendation.
It fits nicely, but I haven't had it out in the rain yet😁
Companies like this prey upon first time campers and those with a minimal budget. It's a damn shame because they make camping seem harder than it needs to be. You're doing good work getting a little angry and making light of these awful products. Good on ya!
Really appreciate your integrity!! You have yet again save people from a dangerous situation. Small wonder you are angry. Many thanks.
Love your Rants about poorly made products! I hope these companies are paying attention!!! Thank you Luke for your honest reviews.
Thank you brother for sharing the facts and truth about everything you have tested my friend
Thank u Luke for your honesty,,
Use the inner part as a bug bivy and use a good tarp. A person starting out camping might get by. The poles aren't so good.
you can get a DD SuperLight - A-Frame mesh tent to go with a good 3mx3m tarp for just over a hundred bucks at DD hammocks and it will last much longer than the memory of 40 bucks saved.
Luke, would love to see you test that setup!
I don't use a tent. I use a tarp with a bug bivy. I have a few different tarps and bug bivys.
I can adjust a tarp depending on weather. Condensation is minimized.
It's possible because most people fair weather camp. If it rains they leave. Most have never dealt with bad weather while camping
It would be the tent I would get if I was going camping with a bunch of partiers. A can of sealer spray and call it good. If a drunken friend falls on it, gets caught on firer for what ever reason then all good. This is why they make such things. A one time need!!!
🤔 sounds like you've been camping with me and my buddies 😂 👍🍻
I just wouldn't go camping with those people, but that's me.
Hi from Syracuse NY brother and thank you for sharing your thoughts and adventures and your family
Luke I agree, this company used to make quality backpacks/laptop carriers. RE: This tent, not even a ventilation area to prop up etc. I camp solo but if I were asked about a tent without talking about brands I would say start at $150 most things cheaper are backyard toys or at most car camping where you have a more primary shelter.
Very well done. Reviews like this which cut through the BS are invaluable. Experienced backpackers will know how and why this type of low-quality product can potentially kill people if they take this out into the woods but it would be really educational if you could explain this? Also you are a master at explaining!
Granting the evident truth of all you point out, I would have reviewed this Stansport a bit differently. It's a fair-weather tent with light-rainfall protection. If it functions well enough at its price point to be worth something, I'd mention THAT. As you did, I would repeat from time to time that this IS NOT THE CHOICE for demanding weather camps. I would NOT lead with 'this tent can kill you.'
Been there with mine & neighbor kids years ago and the tent leaked like Niagara Falls. Thx for the honest review.
Sadly here in Brazil that's the standard for tents. You really need to save some good money to get quality camping products.
Thanks Luke. I missed Test Night. Happy to its back.
As a spiritual ( not religious ) man I would have to say that your a righteous person. There are very few people out there that would care enough to do these videos. I thank you greatly. I truly value your opinion on this topic. Here in Texas we call it " good looking out " I'm looking forward to the next video for sure. I was wondering if you ( I'm sure you do ) have any old school surviving tips for us . For if n when something goes a foul with our equipment ? Anyway thank you so much for the work you do. Take care, stay dry lol . Fort Worth Texas here, yeeyee
The most likely reason for this company still existing is that their products appeal to folks who have very limited budgets and who are unlikely to use them often or in less than great conditions.
.. and then they end up in landfills. 😢
I think I've bought some Stansport things that weren't a tent and they were basically all right. It wouldn't matter who made a tent at that price, it's not going to be actually good enough to camp in the rain unless you put a tarp on top of it. I bought a very small bivy tent from Walmart that I like for around 50 dollars about 3 years ago. Aluminum poles, fly covers the tent, weighs 3 lbs. Pretty sure it was marked down on sale. It is possible, but unlikely.
The thing is, if it's not raining, I don't even really need a tent. A sleeping bag alone would be sufficient. If it doesn't protect me from the rain very much, it doesn't deserve to exist, in my opinion.
As an overlander i’ve stuck to brands like ARB, Alps, GSI, Coleman and Cabelas brand. Fortunately for me, weight isn’t a big factor, rather having some more additional comforts while i’m out in the mountains. I’ve spent good time researching and money on my equipment. i do wish i had a rooftop tent otherwise my Alps has served me fine.
Thanks for sharing this info!! So glad nobody had to figure out these tents are trash in the field.
You are amazing! Big thank you for what you do.
Always appreciate your reviews.
Thank you
These, one use only tents, usually cheap and used for festivals, should be illegal. These are just churned out in their 1000's and are eventually just thrown into landfill. I guarantee these company will not contact you after this scathing review because they will no doubt sell 1000's of other items of garbage that will make them money. It's shocking, really.
‘How have they been in business since 1949?’ It’s very simple: their customers are dupes who do not educate themselves on what a quality product is. How did PT Barnum put it? There is a sucker born every minute. I feel sorry for those people who got suckered. Have I got suckered before? You betcha. That is why I watch videos like this, and take time to read customer reviews of any given product.
I do too.
From products to hotels.
Were their products always so poor? As I understand it, it's a family-owned business so it could be that the current generation in charge doesn't know what they're doing. Whoever's in charge is either stupid or willfully blind to the incompetence of their underlings.
@@alfredoprime5495 I suspect it's become a "Zombie" company, like "Crosley" where they just slap the name on low buck outdoors gear and milk what little is left of the brand into oblivion.
How do people die from a tent? Genuine question because I hear you say that a lot about crap products but I haven't come across you explaining how
Right! Most people who buy that tent are probably not going out when the forecast calls for heavy rain. Sometimes it seems like if gear cost less than an some arbitrary amount in his mind it's garbage. If he isn't just biased against budget gear then test and recommend some. Not everyone can afford to drop a few hundred on a tent that will be used 3 or 4 times a year.
Adds a new meaning to ",bathtub floor" don't it?😁
To add decades ago I had a cheapo A frame for camping in the "back yard" 20ish acres of old farmland. And that leaked a hella of a lot less than this one. And it finally crapped out 10years later on a OHTA trail construction. base camp in a heavy spring thunderstorm. 1975-1985 "Rest In Pieces".
you are right about company some are only in it to sell products not customer service and safety yes they need to make money but if we need to put safety first not money
If you were to seam seal and spray water proofing would it still leak??
Companies that have been around this long started out as family operations with quality as job one. Then as they expanded, went public, got absorbed or bought by a big corporation the focus shifts to profit. That means production shifts to you know where. Lowest bidder wins and the customer loses. They state they are a 70 year old family run company but they have run to the profit.
Back in the day, Stansport products were pretty decent.
I think I know what Stansport real sale speech is. "Our tents are good, but just in case have a back-up real tent when it rains"
What really pi**es me off about these kinds of tents is that folks who are clueless and just want to try something out for a weekend and not spend a lot of money will buy this. After having a truly lousy experience they will just give up completely on ever camping again.
It's kind of hard to have decent quality control when there's no quality in the first place!
To be fair on the box it only says "since 1949", for all we know it could have been leaking since 1949...
The original company may have had a good reputation for quality products, or at least made decent enough products that were infrequently used, so appeared to be good.
The company was probably sold a few times and is the same in name only, riding on a reputation that wasn’t earned. (I haven’t researched that, just speculation)
They probably survive by mass bulk sales from people that don’t know any better and don’t make an effort to return the products.
I've just seen they do stoves, let's hope more care is put into the manufacture of those.
The Stansport 3-Burner got a 90% rating on outdoor gear lab.
Tested without you in it so it stands to reason that if there was an occupant, the lack of ventilation would've produced a lot more water inside. Thanks, Luke.
Your reviews save lives! thank you for your service!
Hey Luke, has Stansport ever reached out to you about your reviews with their products?
I like how you always built a tent and then turn rain on. 🙂
I baught better tents for half the price! With clips for the inner tent and waterproof. My best bargain so far was a Queshua 2-seconds: 55€ and waterproof for 13 years now.
What's equally bad and wrong about this is the waste of people's time, money and the waste of materials...
I bet if people protested them for being so un-green, they'd change
Ungreen isn't a thing... Being "green" is only a thing because they needed a buzzword to guilt trip people with.
Being green is a serious issue. We all need to do our part in saving the planet.. it all adds up.
@@flightographist there's some good products that come out of china
@@flightographist indeed. I don't get yer point, though. One could argue the same for everything.
@@flightographist...and that's what I said, that not all products from China are crap...
Thank you.
It's essentially what happens when you outsource your entire manufacturing and packaging to a Chinese contractor who doesn't give a crap. The fact you do this is a sign of you not giving a crap either - and most outfits like this eventually go out of business, to be bought by said Chinese contractor as a brand.
You'd think they could at least steal a worthwhile tent design!
That's not really fair to Chinese manufacturers. When you get a Chinese company to make something for you, they will offer you price point/quality options. Most are capable of very high quality work. The device you used to make your comment might well be an example of that, however, companies like Stansport are basically con artists and get the cheapest crap possible and rely on marketing to the inexperienced, or retailers who are just as unscrupulous, to maximise their profits. This is on Stansport, not he Chinese company who make these.
Can't really blame the Chinese for poor quality of products made for other companies. They make what ever quality the company wants good or bad. Stansport obviously is happy with cut every corner regardless of quality afterwards. If they cared they would have addressed this long ago and haven't.
Now certainly blame Chinese knockoff quality issues on China, that's all on them.
@@JamesSmullins any manfacturer, contractor or not, should have standards of quality and refuse bad quality. Afterall, it's going to affect the reputation of the company eventually, and in the case of China affects the reputation of the whole country.
Japan and South Korea both has good reputation because they make quality products. China and Vietnam doesn't.
@@johan.ohgren and yet China gets most of the manufacturing contracts.
China doesn't care because it's not about their reputation, it's about getting money to fund their long-term goals of being the world's only super power. It's building their military and other avenues of attack.
Americans don't care because they prefer cheap prices over quality even though they complain about quality. That's why they keep buying the junk.
I like the Stansport tent. Kind of the way I like a real crappy movie just to make fun of how crappy it is. These tent fail vids are among my favorites!
Condensation is a big problem with this tent, even if doesn't rain it'll be wet inside.
I would like to see some reviews on Coleman and ozark trail products .. as that’s all you get locally if your near a town with a Walmart only
Which is funny because before Walmart started making Ozark Trail stuff they sold mainly Stansport and Texsport stuff! Even Walmart bailed on them!
I would never buy a $40 tent and expect it not to be a children's play toy, no matter how it's marketed.
My tent is $45. I've used it all the past year while backpacking in Florida swamps, and in the Allegheny National Forest. It's been through several Florida thunderstorms. I took 30 minutes to do a seal myself and it has been fine. It's not the best tent in the world - I need an upgrade. It is the "Trekker Tent 1A" by River Country Products. I've also used the Texsport Camouflage Trail Tent which is even cheaper. With some of these cheap tents, you absolutely can make it work if you take the time to do even a half-decent seal. Maybe not Stansport tents, but you CAN make it work.
Thank you Luke, for doing this, so that we don't have to !!
I think it would be entertaining to see their response to your review. If they are watching it at all.
G'day Luke, that's a new concept, a disposable tent; one you dispose of before using. Cheers Duke.
:D
Great video Luke. Be well.
Thank you for the information Luke.