On a recent camping trip, I had the opportunity to use a new tent. It was the Lynx 2 two man tent manufactured by Alps Mountaineering. Alps Mountaineering has been in business since 1993 and is headquartered in New Haven, Missouri. One of the reasons I chose the Alps brand for a new tent purchase is because they offer a lifetime guarantee on all of their products and they back up that guarantee with excellent customer service. I figured any company that has that much confidence in their merchandise must produce an excellent product. Still, this was the first piece of gear I had ever purchased from them so I approached it with a skeptical yet open minded view.
First Impressions:
For starters, I was impressed this the design.
It is a simple dome style rectangular tent with aluminum poles instead of fiberglass. It is free standing and very easy to set up. On my first try, I had the tent set up including the rain fly in less than five minutes. All of the seams are factory sealed and one of the things I really liked is that it has two doors and vestibules. This gives you the ability to store gear out of the weather, but not in the tent with you if you don’t want too.
The tent itself measures 5 feet by 7 feet six inches. 
It is listed as a two man tent and and can easily accommodate two people and their gear if it is stored in the vestibules. I prefer to have more room in my tent than I need, so I used this tent solo. There are two pockets inside the tent to store things, though I admit, I seldom use them when I camp but some people do so if you need them, they are there. 
There is also a gear loft which I do use and found it to be of adequate size to get things off the tent floor and out of the way. 
The walls are half mesh on all four sides providing great ventilation and with the rain fly attached, still allow the tent to breath. Another feature I like is that the rain fly has a “window” on two sides which allow you to see outside the tent without unzipping the door. Some people may not like this feature, but I did. Total weight of the tent with poles, stakes and fly is 5 lbs. 15 oz. which in my opinion makes it a little heavy for a backpacking tent, but I paddle camp so the extra couple of pounds do not make a difference for my use.
Rain/ Water Test:
Before I took the tent in the field, I wanted to water test it. there is nothing worse than getting into your tent during a rain storm and discovering your tent is not water tight. I set it up complete with the rain fly in my back yard then put paper towels onto the floor. I did this because if any water seeped in, paper towels never lie. I turned on the sprinkler system and let it run for an hour completely saturating the outside of the tent while intermittently spraying it with my garden hose. After an hour, I checked the inside of the tent and the paper towels were as dry as they were when I put them in.
In The Field:
The tent was easy to set up, though it came with instructions you probably won’t need them. The rain fly connects to the tent with buckles. Not only are they adjustable but they are more secure than ones that tie. The overnight low temperature on that night was 48 degrees F. Though that is not cold to most of the world, to us in Florida, that is very cold. With the vestibule flaps closed, the tent held heat in very well. I brought a 40 degree sleeping bag and did not have to get inside it to stay warm, instead I slept on top of it uncovered and was comfortable. Though it held heat in, the ventilation was adequate enough to where no moisture built up on the inside of the tent. It stayed dry. In warmer months, I could see where this tent might be a little warm if you keep the vestibules closed, but with the fly off, I am reasonably sure this tent would be comfortable to camp in in the summer.
Taking the tent down was just as easy as putting it up.
Pros:
Lightweight
Aluminum Poles
Easy to set up
Great weather protection
Lots of storage
Breathes well
Holds heat in
Cons:
In warmer months, the fly may make it warm
Conclusion:
I like this tent. It is an excellent quality tent sold at a competitive price point with a lifetime guarantee. I recommend and will use this tent for camping trips during the cold and cooler months. I plan to test it out in warmer weather as we move into summer and will update this article after I do.
Find Your Headwaters,
Dave
The Casual Outdoorsman 