REI dividends arrive soon, so naturally I've started drooling. I'm attracted to the Big Agnes Emerald Mountain SL1 - same dimensions as the Seedhouse SL1 I have and like, but with a side opening that seems more convenient and (I think, from the picture) a high-end vent.

I contacted Big Agnes, and found out that the door is hinged along the bottom. I vaguely remember sharing a tent with a buddy back in the late 80's; it had a bottom-hinged door too. I also remember that door being a PITA: it was always, literally, underfoot. Of course, I only used it for one trip, so I never really developed the habit of rolling it open to tuck along the edge, where I wouldn't step on it every time I got in and out.

What's your experience with bottom-hinged doors? Are they an everlasting nuisance, or is it fairly easy to develop a nearly unconscious habit of dropping them open in such a way that you don't walk on them?

Bottom-hinged tent doors are about as bright as wedge tent designs that let water rain in on the floor as soon as the rain fly is zipped open!

It appears that SOME tent designers are armchair hikers.

Eric

Bottom hinged tent doors are an everlasting nuisance..

As you point, there are some antique tents that had drop down doors. My Early Winters, which I still use, and Biblers from the '70s are a few that I know of.

As Phat says it is an ongoing nuisance.

I can't imagine why a designer in his right mind would perpetuate this old idea.

Thanks, guys - that's what I was afraid of. I'll pass on it.

When I made the Ray-Way style net-tent, I decided I wanted a zipper door. I discovered that if the tent is more or less "A"-shaped, you don't have many choices. The "D"-shaped door on some tents makes sense, but you need either fairly vertical sides, a large "face" to work with, or a longer zipper. You can use a vertical zipper in the middle, with horizontal zippers at the bottom, but it requires three zippers. I finally decided, grudgingly, to go with the bottom-hinging door. It's a little inconvenient, but not really a big deal.

A bottom-hinged tent door is a nuisance and an idiotic one.

A-shaped is not a problem...One zipper parallel to one side, turning along the bottom, very little of the door actually "hangs". With velcro or shockcord attachment everything's OK.

Sorry to go against the grain here, but I use tents with that design (BD Firstlight, BD One Shot)and it really doesn't bother me. I simply roll up the door on the inside and it's out of the way. On bigger doors it is also possible to crawl in without fully unzipping and letting it fall to the ground.

With two zippers I can have the door partially open from the top down for any degree of ventilation I need. I don't need ties to hold the door open.

Every design is a compromise but this works for me.

I'd like to see a picture of what you're describing.

I had I think a first-generation SD omega with the bottom-hinged door.. absolutely hated it. Returned it for the next generation that fixed that "problem."

I like the new BA Copper Spur.. but not with that door....

I like 'D' shaped doors that you can open like TR describes above too. If you roll it up and tie it back it's not a hassle IME.