ALPS Mountaineering Taurus Tent Review

ALPS Mountaineering and ALPS Brands was founded in 1993 by Dennis Brune. Its mission has always been to provide exceptional gear to enhance the active lifestyles of those who use it. ALPS stands for “Active Lifestyle Products and Services,” and their product line includes rainwear, lights, trekking poles, sleeping bags, packs, tents, and camping furniture.

The ALPS Mountaineering premium Taurus 4-Person Tent belongs to ALPS’ Camp & Comfort line of tents. The Taurus is a simple two-pole freestanding four-season tent with two doors, two vestibules, and mesh door windows. 

Here are the features and specifications of the Taurus:

• Free-standing, two-pole design with fiberglass poles
• Pole clips for easy assembly
• Packed size 6.5” x 24”
• Total weight 10 lbs. 11 oz
• 4-Person floor saver available
• 75D 185T poly taffeta floor with 2000mm coating
• 75D 185T vented polyester fly with 1500mm coating to resist UV damage and hold tautness
• Factory-sealed fly and floor seams for weatherproofing
• XL #8 zippers on doors and vestibules for easy entry
• Mesh door windows for ventilation
• Mesh roof vents for ventilation and star-gazing
• 35” deep door vestibules (antechambers) for gear storage and weather protection
• Weatherproof buckle-on fly for adjustability and protection
• Mesh storage pockets and gear loft
• Premium 7075 aluminum stakes and guy ropes
• 7’6 x 8’6 base size (64 square feet)
• 4’4” center height

What we like

The Taurus is an elegant and straightforward four-person tent. The build and material quality of this high-end tent are readily apparent. A lot of budget and mid-priced tents boast some impressive features these days. Instead of flashy features, the premium-quality Taurus offers superior design and construction. 

In an era with instant-pitch tents, pop-up hub tents, and other intricate designs, the Taurus stands out with its classic two-pole system. You won’t need any directions or instructional videos to learn how to assemble this tent or break it down. The Taurus shines across the board because of its simplicity: it has just enough well-chosen features, and nothing you don’t need. 

Assembling the Taurus is easy. The pole clip system is fumble-proof and easier than a traditional sleeved system. You should be able to set up the tent in five to ten minutes with no fuss. 

The packed size is of the tent 6.5” x 24,” and its total weight is 10 lb. 11 oz. ALPS didn’t design the Taurus for lightweight backpacking; that’s why it belongs to their Camp & Comfort line.

The reason the Taurus is on the heavier side is that it is so sturdy. The 75D 185T poly taffeta floor is built to last and has a 2000mm waterproof coating. That means the waterproofing is rated for 2000mm of water in 24 hours.

While ALPS offers a four-person floor saver accessory, we don’t see a need for most users. The 75D 185T vented polyester fly has 1500mm waterproofing and is also UV resistant and designed to stay taut for life. The buckle attachment is easy to use and adjust.

Keeping with the theme of sturdy and practical, the extra-large #8 zippers on the doors and the vestibules do their job correctly. We have cited small or flimsy zippers as a downside on other tents, but that’s no problem here.

The overall dimensions of the base are 7’6” by 8’6” (64 square feet). We love rectangular as opposed to square layouts (like 8’ x 8’ for example) because they make more efficient use of available space. The 4’4” maximum interior height isn’t the biggest we’ve seen, but most adults can’t stand up in any camping tent anyway.

ALPS put as much thought and engineering into the inside of the Taurus as they did into the outside. With mesh door windows and mesh roof vents, there is plenty of ventilation. The 35-inch deep vestibules are a clever touch: they not only allow for storing extra gear but offer some protection against the weather, too. The total area of the vestibules is 25 square feet.

The interior of the Taurus also has mesh storage pockets and what ALPS calls a “gear loft.” We always like storage pockets on tents for essential items like flashlights. The gear loft is like a mini-shelf for storing even more gear. It has a higher capacity than the storage pockets and comes in handy.

The Taurus includes guy ropes and premium 7075 aluminum stakes. The guy ropes are for tying down your tent when necessary, and most tentmakers don’t add them for free. While the 7075 aluminum stakes are a cut above most factory tent stakes, you may still have a favorite aftermarket stake you’d prefer.

ALPS Mountaineering is known for offering exceptional customer service. With a base of operations headquartered in Missouri, ALPS has US-based customer service. Customer support typically responds to emails in minutes, which is fantastic if you have an important question right before or during a camping trip!

What we wish was different

Four humans can fit in the Taurus, but four grown adults can’t fit comfortably. Forget about fitting four adults in it with gear. We encounter this issue a lot with multi-person tents. Two or three adults are no problem, or even two or three adults with one or two kids, but don’t buy this tent if you must fit four adults.

 Some users (but by no means all) complained about inadequate waterproofing during rainstorms. Other users have no issues during extreme downpours.

The lesson here is that no company has perfect quality control, so you’d be wise to test any tent before you take it out camping. It isn’t a bad idea to buy some waterproofing solution and go over the seams yourself, just in case.

What other customers say

Collin M. bought the Taurus after reading positive reviews on multiple sites. He’s since used the tent with his friends five times in Yellowstone in pouring and freezing conditions. All three men are over 6’ tall and were able to fit into – and use – the tent in comfort.

Amy C. took her Taurus on a four-night camping trip with freezing rain, snow, and sunny weather. She stayed warm and dry inside with her friends, and the tent didn’t collapse or sag under the snow.

User SLS-LDS has never been more pleased with a tent, and he’s tried several over the years. He is 6’4”, but he doesn’t feel cramped inside the Taurus.

The ALPS Mountaineering Taurus is currently #3 on our list of the best camping tents.

Wrapping up

With the ALPS Mountaineering Taurus, you get all the basic features you need in a tent, and nothing you don’t. The quality of the tent especially shines through in well-thought-out features like the two-pole system with pole clip attachments, the roomy gear vestibules, the UV-resistant exterior, and the big sturdy #8 zippers.

The issues we noticed were minor and common to all tents.

If you want a simple, robust, and elegant tent, you’ll be happy with the ALPS Mountaineering Taurus.

Purchasing the ALPS Mountaineering Taurus 4-Person Tent

Amazon generally has the lowest price on the ALPS Mountaineering Taurus. The table below automatically updates every 12 hours and grabs the most recent pricing info.