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 needs further room at camp. It’s the fourth-largest tent we examined and the largest 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 useful space for storing. The rear vestibule is compact—simply large enough to stash gear you don’t want rapid entry to—whereas the entrance vestibule is extra like a lined 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 top, the Conifer 5+ gives nice headroom for taller campers, which was particularly appreciated throughout lengthy stretches of dangerous climate. Air flow can also be higher than most massive front-country tents, because of kickstand vents and zip-down openings on the rainfly.

That mentioned, the Conifer 5+ takes up a ton of area and have to be absolutely 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 nicely 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 lightweight snow to delicate, sunny afternoons. The shifting circumstances gave us an incredible sense of how nicely it ventilates, how sturdy the construction is when absolutely guyed out, and the way a lot area it truly gives for a full crew. We additionally acquired a firsthand have a look at how a lot effort it takes to pitch on frozen or uneven terrain.

Consolation

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

Air flow performs an enormous function 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 absolutely 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 holding 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 nicely to the bluster of early spring testing. We discovered the Conifer 5+ to be a step above common by way of sturdiness, although it doesn’t fairly match the ruggedness of among the hardest tents we examined.

The tent is made principally of 68D polyester, together with the ground, which supplies us somewhat pause. Whereas the tent physique and rainfly really feel stable, we’d want a thicker, extra sturdy flooring materials for added longevity. That mentioned, 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 big 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 mentioned, utilizing a footprint or tarp is essential with this tent. The 68D polyester flooring isn’t the hardest we’ve seen, and with out further safety, sharp rocks, twigs, or repeated use on tough floor may put on it down quicker.   

Climate Resistance

The Mountainsmith Conifer 5+ holds up nicely to typical three-season circumstances, nevertheless it requires correct setup to carry out at its finest in dangerous 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 absolutely staked and guyed-out, the tent stayed taut and safe, shedding moisture successfully and resisting wind-driven flapping.

That mentioned, setup is essential. With out absolutely securing the guylines, the rainfly can sag, resulting in potential pooling in heavy rain. The complete-coverage rainfly does a very good job of holding 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 nicely, nevertheless it’s not designed for excessive storms or heavy snow masses. So long as you are taking the time to correctly pitch and guy-out the tent, it ought to maintain up nicely for typical household tenting and three-season adventures.

Ease of Setup

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

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

We’ve talked about a number of instances that absolutely guying out this tent is important, and by chance, 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 respect that they didn’t minimize corners right here.

Total, setup isn’t the simplest, nevertheless it’s manageable when you be taught the method. In case you’re tenting someplace with mushy, even floor, it’s loads simpler. However on rocky or frozen soil, count on to spend somewhat further 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. Top-of-the-line 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 lined porch—large enough to suit two adults in camp chairs, which got here in useful 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 muddle. 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 simple 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 loads going for it, one factor we want it had is a rear window on the again door. This might enhance airflow and visibility when the fly is on. Total, although, the options are nicely thought out and make this tent really feel like a snug and purposeful house base for tenting journeys.

Ought to You Purchase the Mountainsmith Conifer 5+?

The Mountainsmith Conifer 5+ is a good selection for households, small teams, or anybody searching for a spacious, well-ventilated tent for front-country tenting. With its roomy inside, beneficiant peak top, and twin vestibules, it provides a snug tenting expertise, particularly for individuals who like further area. It’s well-suited for automotive campers who prioritize livability and don’t thoughts spending somewhat further time on setup to get a dependable, weather-worthy shelter.

That mentioned, this isn’t the best choice for campers who prioritize simple setup or want a compact footprint for smaller websites. It additionally requires full staking and guying for a correct pitch, which provides to the hassle.

As for worth, the Conifer 5+ sits within the mid-to-upper vary of household tenting tents. Whereas it’s not the most cost effective choice, 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 Think about?

In case you’re contemplating the Mountainsmith Conifer 5+, there are just a few different spacious tenting tents value a glance. Take a look at our greatest tenting tents gear information for extra suggestions.

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

The North Face Wawona 6 Overview: This tent provides an identical roomy format however with a good bigger entrance vestibule that features nearly like a second dwelling area. It’s an incredible choice when you prioritize gear storage or need further shelter throughout wet journeys. The tradeoff is that setup is a little more concerned, and it’s barely heavier than the Conifer 5+.