North Face Tadpole 23 Review

Name: North Face Tadpole 23
Brand: North Face

North Face Tadpole 23 Review (North Face Tadpole 23) — North Face Tadpole 23
Credit: North Face

Price: $219 List

Manufacturer: North Face

By Chris McNamara and Max Neale ⋅ Dec 21, 2012

View at North Face

Our Verdict

Discontinued

REASONS TO BUY

Simple and strong

REASONS TO AVOID

Very heavy and small for its weight

This tent is no longer made, but you can take a look at our selection of backpacking tents for your style of backcountry travel.

The North Face Tadpole 23 is very strong tent that's very heavy for the amount of space it provides. It uses a three pole design that was popular in the 1990's but has largely been replaced by other designs that offer more space for less weight. The Tadpole weighs over five pounds which is very heavy for backpacking. Many people do not need the static strength this tent provides and would be better off with a lighter tent; others weigh the same amount and have two doors and much more space.

Our Analysis and Test Results

Likes

The North Face Tadpole 23 is a strong budget three-season backpacking tent. It employs a time-tested three pole design: two cross corner to corner lengthwise while a third pole arcs over the door. The two longer poles run through a combination of sleeve and clips, making the tent very easy and quick to set up. Three pole intersections and a low profile give the tent a strong and stable base; the Tadpole has the greatest amount of static strength of any tent tested.

Dislikes

The Tadpole is very heavy (5.44lbs) for its size (26sq ft). It has the lowest space to weight ratio of any tent in its class. This is a bad thing. Low quality DAC Pres-Fit poles are heavier than higher quality poles.

We like the design and strength of the Tadpole, but wish it was two pounds lighter. Better poles and a lighter fly would help with this.

Best Application

Budget backpacking in exposed windy environments.

Other Versions and Accessories

Tadpole 2

3 season tent for backpacking

Sleeping capacity - 2-person

Minimum trail weight - 3 lbs 15 oz

Floor area - 29 square feet

$300

— Chris McNamara and Max Neale