The North Face Catalyst 75 Pack

Advantages: Great wind resistance and great ultralight fly and footprint only pitching
Disadvantages: seamtape on the fly peeled/crumbled and inside of the fly became sticky

...I bought my Tadpole 23 in 2005. I've been camping for more than ten years and owned and used many tents, including the 1999 Tadpole model. For me this tent is emblematic of the decline of The North Face's quality. I used it only one time and one time alone last year. When I inspected it before an upcoming trip I found the inside of the tentfly extremely sticky and the seamtape started to crumble and peel. This didn't happen to the other two tents in my closet. I put it away clean, dry and folded neatly and I can't think of a plausible explanation for it other than that the materials were hi-tech but of inferior quality. I also had problems with two other North Face products i had bought along with this tent: the Patrol Pack Duo and the Venture Hyvent Jacket.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Lightweight, robust, colour coded poles, reflective guy ropes
Disadvantages: It's not true 4-season, small cooking area, lack of headroom

...I bought a Tadpole 23 three years ago and use it for wild-country back-packing, rock-climbing and winter mountaineering. It is an ultra-lightweight tent that weighs less than 2kg, designed for two people, in three-season conditions (However, I have used it for winter mountaineering in the UK, which it is fine for if you have a good sleeping bag and air mattress). It does all the standard tent stuff - like keeping the wind and rain off you and your kit whilst allowing you to cook and sleep, but is much more sophisicated than a standard tent. When you first see it up, it looks a bit flimsy, but it is actually very resistant to the wind and The North Face have made every effort to reduce its weight as much as possible without compromising on the strength. It is easy to put up on your own (even in the dark when you're tired) due to the 3... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Size, durability and rucksack style straps
Disadvantages: Comfort if carrying for extended periods of time (> 1hr)

...flap on the top of the bag, zip closing but stuff falls out of this quite easily into the main comartment when the zip is open. Because of the large d-shaped lid its relatively easy to access things inside the bag. When not in use the bad compacts down well so it doesn't take up too much room. What this bag isn't... Its not a rucksack - yes it has rucksack style straps which do make it easier to carry but its certainly not a rucksack. It doesn't have the back support (or padding) or additional features such as a hip belt that most rucksacks have. You need to pack it carefully if using it with the rucksack style straps to ensure things aren't prodding you with every step. Does this matter? well if you're only carrying this short distances or have little weight in it then probably not. If you wanted to use this as a main pack... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful