The North Face Talus 23

$179

Clay Ellis

Is this thing on steroids?

Why It's Cool: This three-poler can easily muscle most of the fourth season—it brushed aside 40-mile-per-hour winds, sleet, and a wet two-inch snow load. » Pitch it with a headlamp, thanks to color-coded fly straps and a combo of pole sleeves and clips. The side twin-door design and seven-square-foot vestibules offer enough protected real estate for boots, packs, and a big canine. » The floor's 30-square-foot layout is a "real" two-person design, with generous horizontal headroom and a flared midriff for extra wiggle room. » Condensation? Nope—the mesh ceiling and front and rear panels keep things plenty dry.

Hmmm . . . Why no zippered mesh on the doors? With vestibules open and hatches battened down, there's no view.

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