Review: First Ascent Lunar Tent
The First Ascent Lunar is a 2-person, 3-season tent that offers amazing value for money and punches well above its 3-season rating, comfortably handling buckets of rain and near-gale-force winds.
Quick Specs
Size: 2-person tent
Weight: 2823g (without carry bag)
Waterproof rating: Flysheet: 2000mm HH; Floor: 3000mm HH
Structure: 2 poles; 2 intersections
Price: R2499 (at time of writing)
The Lunar being tested well beyond its 3-season rating. Photo credit: First Ascent
Weight
Weighing in at a total of 2823g without the carry bag, the Lunar comes in at the upper scale for a 2-person 3-season tent. Although marketed as a 3-season tent, it’s really a hybrid 3/4-season tent. It offers a 210T (70D) PU Polyester flysheet – the gold standard for 4-season tents – and a 150D PU Oxford Polyester floor, which doubles the thickness of most 4-season models. This tent will outlast and outperform nearly any in its category, even if it carries a few extra grams.
Flysheet: 929g
Tent inner: 1126g
Poles: 577g
Pegs: 191g
Ease of Pitching
Pitching the Lunar is quick and simple. It’s symmetrical with two identical poles that run through sleeves. I could pitch and secure the critical points in under five minutes, including the four guy lines.
Photo credit: First Ascent
The flysheet clips onto the main structure with tensioning straps for a secure fit.
Inside the Tent
The sleeping area is snug but perfectly comfortable for two people. Storage pockets are found at the head and feet, and the generous tent length prevents gear from pressing against your sleeping bag. The steep pole angles reduce headroom slightly, but opening the doors easily solves this when you need more elbow room.
Image credit: First Ascent
Ventilation
The flysheet has two vents, one on each end. Condensation was minimal – limited to a light build-up on the vestibule walls, not the sleeping area.
Entrances and Vestibules
Dual side entrances make sharing and gear storage much easier, with each hiker having their own vestibule. On hot nights, both sides can be opened for excellent airflow. The downward-opening doors are unconventional but functional, with toggles to keep them neatly rolled up.
The vestibules open wide with dual zippers. While this is great for clear days, during rain it can allow water to drip inward. A simple fix is to use one side entry to maintain protection and space in wet conditions.
Overall Construction
The Lunar impressed me with its durability in extreme weather. Tested alongside the First Ascent Peak Tent, it withstood 60–80km/h winds and torrential rain with ease. Its pole design, crossing twice, more than doubles the structural strength compared to traditional domes.
With double-stitched, seam-sealed construction, reinforced stress points, and a durable 150D Oxford floor, the Lunar feels built for years of rugged use.
The tent was supplied for review by First Ascent and can be purchased directly from their website.