Mountainsmith Conifer 5+ Overview | CleverHiker

Backside Line

The Mountainsmith Conifer 5+ is a spacious basecamp-style tent with a lot to supply for households or anybody who simply desires additional room at camp. It’s the fourth-largest tent we examined and the most important one not formally listed as a six-person tent. The 5+ designation feels correct—whereas not overly luxurious, it comfortably matches a household of 5 with sufficient area left over for the household canine.

The twin vestibule design provides helpful cupboard space. The rear vestibule is compact—simply sufficiently big to stash gear you don’t want speedy entry to—whereas the entrance vestibule is extra like a coated porch. It’s roomy sufficient for 2 adults to take a seat comfortably in camp chairs, which is useful throughout wet climate.

With a 6’2” peak peak, the Conifer 5+ gives nice headroom for taller campers, which was particularly appreciated throughout lengthy stretches of unhealthy climate. Air flow can be higher than most massive front-country tents, because of kickstand vents and zip-down openings on the rainfly.

That stated, the Conifer 5+ takes up a ton of area and should be totally staked and guyed out for a taut, weather-resistant pitch. Setup isn’t the quickest, however the trade-off is a roomy, sturdy shelter that holds up properly in quite a lot of circumstances.

How We Examined

We examined the Mountainsmith Conifer 5+ within the mountains of Colorado when it was nonetheless chilly sufficient that the bottom alternated between unfastened, rocky soil and frozen-solid earth.

Over two months, we put it by means of every little thing from gusty winds and light-weight snow to delicate, sunny afternoons. The shifting circumstances gave us an ideal sense of how properly it ventilates, how sturdy the construction is when totally guyed out, and the way a lot area it truly gives for a full crew. We additionally bought a firsthand take a look at how a lot effort it takes to pitch on frozen or uneven terrain.

Consolation

With 84 sq. ft of ground area and a 6’2” peak peak, the Mountainsmith Conifer 5+ feels roomy for many campers—until you’re exceptionally tall. Our lead tester, who is strictly 6’2”, was pleasantly stunned to seek out he may totally arise inside, making every little thing from altering garments to ready out unhealthy climate way more comfy. Realistically, it is a five-person tent max, with the “plus” making sense provided that you’re tenting with a canine or a small little one.

Air flow performs an enormous position in consolation, particularly in bigger tents that warmth up shortly as soon as folks pile in. Condensation is one other concern—get up to an excessive amount of of it, and each you and your gear may find yourself soaked. We discovered that so long as the fly was totally guyed out, the Conifer 5+ vents higher than most tents in its class. Contemporary air circulates from the underside of the fly, so ensuring there’s a spot between the rainfly and the tent physique is essential to maintaining issues cool and dry.

All in all, this tent gives stable consolation for households or teams, providing sufficient area to unfold out with out feeling cramped.

Sturdiness

The Mountainsmith Conifer 5+ held up properly to the bluster of early spring testing. We discovered the Conifer 5+ to be a step above common when it comes to sturdiness, although it doesn’t fairly match the ruggedness of a few of the hardest tents we examined.

The tent is made principally of 68D polyester, together with the ground, which supplies us slightly pause. Whereas the tent physique and rainfly really feel stable, we’d favor a thicker, extra sturdy ground materials for added longevity. That stated, throughout testing, we didn’t run into any high quality management points, and the tent dealt with higher-than-normal abuse with out issues. 

One analyst famous that whereas they had been organising the tent solo in robust Colorado winds, they repeatedly had the massive rainfly blown into sharp shrubs. Fortunately, the material confirmed no indicators of tearing or abrasion. The zippers functioned easily, and the stitching and seam taping felt prime quality all through testing.That stated, utilizing a footprint or tarp is essential with this tent. The 68D polyester ground isn’t the hardest we’ve seen, and with out additional safety, sharp rocks, twigs, or repeated use on tough floor may put on it down sooner.   

Climate Resistance

The Mountainsmith Conifer 5+ holds up properly to typical three-season circumstances, but it surely requires correct setup to carry out at its greatest in unhealthy climate. Throughout testing in Colorado’s foothills, we pitched the tent in late winter and early spring, the place it confronted every little thing from gusty winds and chilly drizzle to gentle snow and delicate temps. When totally staked and guyed-out, the tent stayed taut and safe, shedding moisture successfully and resisting wind-driven flapping.

That stated, setup is essential. With out totally securing the guylines, the rainfly can sag, resulting in potential pooling in heavy rain. The total-coverage rainfly does job of maintaining the tent’s inside dry, and the twin vestibules assist create a buffer from the weather. Air flow is stable for a tent of this measurement, however in damp circumstances, condensation can construct up if airflow isn’t managed correctly.

Total, the Conifer 5+ handles average wind and rain properly, but it surely’s not designed for excessive storms or heavy snow hundreds. So long as you are taking the time to correctly pitch and guy-out the tent, it ought to maintain up properly for typical household tenting and three-season adventures.

Ease of Setup

The Mountainsmith Conifer 5+ isn’t the quickest tent to pitch, particularly in the event you’re used to smaller backpacking tents. With its massive footprint, a number of poles, and full-coverage rainfly, setup takes a while and endurance. Throughout testing, it took us about 25-Half-hour on the primary attempt, however as soon as we bought the cling of it, we may get it up in about quarter-hour with two folks.

Solo setup? Doable, however not preferrred. One in every of our testers needed to wrestle the rainfly in robust winds, which was a problem. Being tall positively helps. Whereas we admire the beneficiant peak peak, it does make setup trickier for shorter customers.

We’ve talked about a number of instances that totally guying out this tent is important, and fortuitously, all the guylines come pre-attached. Mountainsmith additionally gives sufficient stakes to totally safe the tent, which is a pleasant contact—many manufacturers skimp on stakes, so we admire that they didn’t reduce corners right here.

Total, setup isn’t the best, but it surely’s manageable when you be taught the method. In the event you’re tenting someplace with delicate, even floor, it’s lots simpler. However on rocky or frozen soil, count on to spend slightly additional time getting every little thing secured.

Options

The Mountainsmith Conifer 5+ comes with considerate options that improve consolation and livability for household or group tenting. The most effective issues about this tent is the twin vestibules. The rear vestibule is small however helpful for stashing gear you don’t want fast entry to, whereas the entrance vestibule is extra like a coated porch—sufficiently big to suit two adults in camp chairs, which got here in helpful throughout wet climate.

Inside group is one other spotlight. The tent has loads of mesh storage pockets to maintain small necessities off the ground, serving to to cut back litter. The removable mesh gear loft is a pleasant contact—good for an evening gentle or stashing easy-to-access objects (and hiding snacks from the children). The twin doorways make it straightforward for a number of campers to return and go with out having to climb over one another, and the zip-down and kickstand vents on the fly present higher airflow than most tents of this measurement.

Whereas the Conifer 5+ has lots going for it, one factor we want it had is a rear window on the again door. This may enhance airflow and visibility when the fly is on. Total, although, the options are properly thought out and make this tent really feel like a cushty and useful dwelling base for tenting journeys.

Ought to You Purchase the Mountainsmith Conifer 5+?

The Mountainsmith Conifer 5+ is a superb alternative for households, small teams, or anybody searching for a spacious, well-ventilated tent for front-country tenting. With its roomy inside, beneficiant peak peak, and twin vestibules, it affords a cushty tenting expertise, particularly for many who like additional area. It’s well-suited for automobile campers who prioritize livability and don’t thoughts spending slightly additional time on setup to get a dependable, weather-worthy shelter.

That stated, this isn’t the most suitable choice for campers who prioritize straightforward setup or want a compact footprint for smaller websites. It additionally requires full staking and guying for a correct pitch, which provides to the trouble.

As for worth, the Conifer 5+ sits within the mid-to-upper vary of household tenting tents. Whereas it’s not the most affordable possibility, its sturdy supplies, spacious design, and considerate options make it a stable funding for these planning a number of tenting journeys every season.

What Different Tenting Tents Ought to You Contemplate?

In the event you’re contemplating the Mountainsmith Conifer 5+, there are a couple of different spacious tenting tents price a glance. Try our greatest tenting tents gear information for extra suggestions.

REI Co-op Wonderland 4 Overview: In the event you love the area of the Conifer 5+ however need much more headroom and a neater setup, the REI Wonderland 4 is a superb various. It has practically vertical partitions for optimum livability, glorious air flow, and enormous doorways for straightforward entry. Nonetheless, it lacks vestibules, so cupboard space exterior the sleeping space is extra restricted.

The North Face Wawona 6 Overview: This tent affords an analogous roomy structure however with a good bigger entrance vestibule that features nearly like a second residing area. It’s an ideal possibility in the event you prioritize gear storage or need additional shelter throughout wet journeys. The tradeoff is that setup is a little more concerned, and it’s barely heavier than the Conifer 5+.