Sea to Summit Alto TR1 Review: A Fantastic Ultralight Tent

It's reasonable to expect teething problems with a new product when it's a category the brand hasn't ventured into before. When I heard about Sea to Summit's new tents, the Telos and Alto, I thought they were free standing. The company came out of the gate with some of the best tents on the market.

The Alto TR1 is a high-end, lightweight tent aimed at backpackers willing to pay a premium to trim weight from their loads and those who don't mind being gentle on their gear.

There is a three-season home.

The Alto TR1 is the lightest double wall tent at 33 ounces. The tent is suitable for spring, summer, and fall. The inner wall is made mostly of mesh, so it's possible to keep the door closed in warm weather, but still prevent the inside from getting too warm.

There is a large vent in the outer wall that can be propped open or shut. It did a good job of ventilating the tent, but bugs liked to crawl and fly in between the inner and outer walls of the tent. Since the inner wall was still sealed up, they couldn't get inside the actual tent. A mesh panel over the vent opening would have prevented this.

There is more than one Alto tent. The Alto TR1 Plus is called a "three-season plus" tent. It adds 4 ounces and does away with some of the mesh on the inner wall. Two-person versions of the TR2 and TR2 Plus can be found.

The person is standing tall.

Being a semi-freestanding tent, it's possible to set up the TR1 without pulling out the guy lines. Most of the time The tent will hold its shape, but you will need to stake out some corners to maximize interior space.

I took the Alto TR1 on hikes along the Kalalau Trail on the island of Kauai and the Muliwai Trail on the island of Hawaii. I set up camp on the north coast and was treated to ferocious winds and all-night storms.