Comments about TheNorthFace TRIARCH 1:

This tent has the potential to be great it is very roomy, comfortable and easy to setup and well built (quality of materials). My only issues are the fly being too short and the mesh goes down too low. This combination allows strong winds to pass under the fly and right through the tent giving you sudden chills in the middle of the night when the wind blows across your body. I also worry about a strong rain splashing into the tent since I mostly camp of Georgian Bay rock. One advantage is you can lie in bed and look across the camp by looking through the mesh and under the fly.

While I like the tent I wouldn't recommend it as a tent that can withstand bad weather and torrential rain so I couldn't recommend it as a tent for long expeditions or as your only tent option.

Comments about TheNorthFace TRIARCH 1:

Works well unless you're in a rain storm. So North Face builds a tent that doesn't protect against rain that splashes under the rain fly and against the tent, effectively soaking everything inside the tent. Couldn't pull the rain fly any closer to the ground. Water effectively splashed under the rain fly and soaked my pad, bag, phone and Ipod that were in the pocket at the end of the tent. Great tent to indoor camping.

Comments about TheNorthFace TRIARCH 1:

I love this tent. 5 stars for design but it's not perfect.

Positives:
-I'm 6 feet tall. Lots of headroom and more than adequate length. The ends slope away to create an amazingly large sense of space.
-6 pockets. Two by the feet, two by the head, and two up on the ceiling. Then there is the additional 5 gear hangs.
-Freestanding. Very convenient on the AT where it rains often. I could set up under the canopy of a shelter, then simply carry the tent to its spot and the interior stays dry. Also useful on wooden platforms where staking is a challenge.
-Held up for over 100 set-ups, sleeps and takedowns. Zippers are still working fluidly with no snags. I treated this tent with care and it held up for the entirety of the AT.

Neutral:
-The stated "Total Weight" is false. Using a scale, the package I have is 3lb 5oz, which is half a pound heavier. That being said, TNF could have made you buy the footprint and nice stakes separately and their total weight would be correct. So the Triarch is in a slightly bad marketing position when providing a weight number for this tent because almost no other tent manufacturer includes a footprint and therefore does not include these ounces in their total weight.
-One of my pole-ends created a flare, my fault, which to this company's credit, repaired and mailed back. This style of warranty is great if you tent only occasionally. But as another reviewer here as mentioned, it is worthless on a long distance hike where the tent is your home. One reason smaller manufacturers have a much larger presence in the thru-hike community is because they understand the needs, and provide relevant service when asked.
-The vent exists, but seems cosmetic in function.

Negative:
-Width is stated to be 29". What is measured is the width of the bathtub stitching which is close 29". In reality, a 25" pad is a perfect fit with no room leftover.
-In heavy rain, splashback occurs in the corners. A slightly higher bathtub design would have alleviated this.

Comments about TheNorthFace TRIARCH 1:

Deciding factor in purchase was that the price included the footprint. Setup is fairly easy; you have to have your panties bunched up to really complain about it. I WAS worried about the zipper as in the previous review, but after 15 nights, so good so far; I was careful about it though. my only dislike is the color of the fly. A would have preferred a subdued color.

Comments about TheNorthFace TRIARCH 1:

I am a multiple thru-hiker not that this makes me a light years beyond everyone else. However, I have seen many tents, bags, & boots perform well & fail to know what brands I like & which to avoid.
Borrowed this tent from a friend who didn't like it that much and, I figured since I was only out for a week with favorable weather why not.
Bottom line (in my opinion) this tent kind of blows and one I would not recommend for a long distance hike put your $$$ into a Big Agnes, MSR, or Sierra Design

Comments about TheNorthFace TRIARCH 1:

Took this tent out for a solo trip with my dog. The Good: Great design. Very roomy for one person given the weight even with a big dog sharing the space. I love the additional vaulted space you get around the head and feet. For someone that is 6ft, I found this makes a tent a lot more comfortable. I really like all the pockets in the tent. You get two large triangular ones on the ceiling (attic storage) and 4 rectangular ones at the foot and head of the tent. I prefer this style of side entry/exit compared to front entry/exit. Makes it much easier getting in a out and allows your gear to be stored out of the way of your path. Bonus that the tent comes with a footprint. The floor of the tent is made of lightweight, delicate material so the included footprint is great for when you aren't going as light as possible or doing some car camping, etc.. I like that you get a little extra room under the vestibule on the opposite side of the door for a pair of shoes/boots or whatever. The Bad: Used this tent only once for a simple overnighter. The set up was more of a chore than most tents I have owned or set up. I noticed right away that it is very hard to open the vestibule, especially with one hand. When the tent is pitched taught, you have to use two hands to get the zipper to start. The next morning, the zipper on the vestibule came right off when opening the tent. The fix was not easy and I would have had to send it right back to the warranty department. Since I was pressed for time due to a big trip coming up, my option to just send it back and wait to get fixed wasn't an option. I requested a new tent. Fortunately TNF has great customer service and they sent me a new tent. I pitched the tent accordingly. On the fourth time I opened the vestibule to test the zipper, the zipper just came right off. Unbelievable. Sent it back again and went with the O2 tent instead (lighter, more room but not free standing). I hope the zippers and the rest holds up for the big trip.

Comments about TheNorthFace TRIARCH 1:

I've used and compared a plethora of solo ultralight 3-season tents from all major brands... and this is my fav.

It's the details.

The main things, is it built well, reliable, state of the art materials, light, etc, is all there.

But why I grab it when packing for a trip are the little things. Whether it's the end-point extended pole attachment points (which create that perfect amount of extra head/foot room), to the generous internal storage pockets.

It's performed well in all conditions it should.

My one complaint, is that the fly vestibule section is cut so that it sits 'high'. Meaning at optimal anchoring height/position, it seems to be designed to allow a 2-3 inch section open. Maybe for ventilation purposes? Makes sense. But I'm always finding a way to pull it down and try to line it up closer to the ground, since I've had numerous occasions where strong rain or wind coming sideways can threaten your gear stored in the vestibule.

Comments about TheNorthFace TRIARCH 1:

I recently used the Triarch 1 tent on 2 backpacking outings out of Yosemite. It works great for a shorter backpacker like myself - 5' 8" - but would be cramped for a taller camper. It is very comparable to lightweight tents, structurally very sound, good ventilation and kept me very dry in a huge rain swept storm at Cathedral Lakes yet airy and comfortable on an 8 day trip on the PCT. None of the mornings left my tent with condensation with its open architecture. I love the space above my head and the ease of getting in and out of the tent. I would have liked a slightly larger vestibule but was able to keep my clothes and boots dry. The website says it comes with a gear loft but it actually doesn't - they need to correct that. The included ground cover brings the dollar value under other brands - you can take the cover with you or not for weight reasons. I really recommend this tent in a variety of conditions for light weight backpacking. I have several other North Face products and feel this is a very reliable and quality product company.

Comments about TheNorthFace TRIARCH 1:

I love this tent and will use it every time I camp! I have been looking for a good tent and love the brand!

Comments about TheNorthFace TRIARCH 1:

Thought this tent was great at first. Had it for about a month and the seam in the ceiling split. Customer service was very poor. I'm hiking the Appalachian trail and can't really send the tent in for repair from the trail. Extremely disappointed with the quality and lack of assistance for a lifetime customer. Will never buy nf again. Every one I've run into with gear issues out here from other manufactures had them replaced without question on the trail. Really feel let down by what I thought was a great company.