REI Co-op Arete ASL 2
Sturdy Shelter
There’s no such thing as one tent for all conditions, but the Arete ASL 2 comes close. Consider it a fall-through-spring shelter: sturdy enough for winter, breathable and light enough for shoulder seasons. The tent’s near-vertical walls easily shed snow in Canada’s Kluane National Park and Reserve, while the four-pole design kept the structure stable in 30-mph winds. The double-wall Arete’s 32.5-square-foot floor is also bigger than average, which we found helpful for storing cold-weather gear that wouldn’t fit in the single, 8.7-square-foot vestibule. Milder weather in the forecast? A mesh window on the door and the mesh ceiling of the inner tent make for a breathable shelter that one tester used on an unseasonably warm 60°F spring night in Oregon’s Smith Rock State Park. It’s heavy for a true warm-weather tent, but for everything else, it’s a deal. Bummer: only one door.