Just as I finished setting up the Marmot Limelight Ultralight 3P tent and got snuggled in my sleeping bag, it began to snow at my campsite in Bryce Canyon National Park. At an elevation of 8,000 feet and with temps dipping into the 20s, I knew the snow would stick. I went to sleep unaware of how much it might snow and if my tent could weather the storm.
In the morning, I woke up to a foot of snow outside, but my Marmot Limelight Ultralight tent was dry as a bone on the inside.
As a brand, Marmot is best known for its outdoor apparel, down jackets, and sleeping bags. It’s never really been a big player in the backpacking tent space — until now. It recently redesigned one of its flagship tents, the Limelight, into an ultralight version, cutting almost 4 pounds of weight. We put the Limelight Ultralight 3P through its paces on trail in Utah, Illinois, Arizona, and Arkansas to see if it merits space in your gear closet.
In short: The Marmot Limelight Ultralight offers a substantial amount of space at a low weight. Elements of its rainfly design are fussy, but the tent delivers durability and weather protection in a package that weighs 3 pounds, 9.4 ounces. Ultralight backpackers and campers who value space and weight efficiency will love this tent.
Check out GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Backpacking Tents.
-
Great weather protection and ventilation -
Ample space
-
Rainfly is hard to set up
Marmot Limelight Ultralight 3P Review
The Original vs. the New Limelight
The original Marmot Limelight 3P weighs 7 pounds, 1.9 ounces, and the new ultralight version clocks in at 3 pounds, 9.3 ounces, shaving off just under 4 pounds — an impressive feat. The ultralight version also has slightly more vertical space inside (46.5” versus 45.3”) and width (65.7” vs. 63.8”). The original, however, does have a larger overall floor area (45.2 square feet versus 40.9 square feet).
All those weight savings with the Limelight Ultralight come at a high cost; it retails for $549, while the original is $359, a difference of $190.
Just How Lightweight?
Tents are one element of backpacking gear where differences in design and materials can add up to big differences in weight. The Limelight Ultralight 3P is slightly lighter than our best overall backpacking tent of 2025, the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL (3 pounds, 9.3 ounces versus 3 pounds, 13 ounces). This Marmot tent is also much lighter than popular REI tents, including the Half Dome, which is over 3 pounds heavier.
The Limelight Ultralight is significantly heavier than ultralight brand Zpack’s tents, whose three-person tents range in weight from 1 pound, 5 ounces to 2 pounds, 4 ounces. Of course, those tents come at a much higher cost, starting at $799. Compared to the tents in its general price bracket, the Marmot Limelight Ultralight is definitely on the lighter end of the scale.
Testing the Marmot Limelight Ultralight 3P
I tested the Marmot Limelight Ultralight on two multiday backpacking trips in Saguaro and Bryce Canyon national parks. I also slept in it on multiple weekend camping trips in southern Illinois and Arkansas. Conditions included several thunderstorms and a snowstorm in Utah that resulted in over a foot of snow overnight.
Wet Weather
On one of the first times I took the Marmot out to camp for several days in Shawnee National Forest in Illinois, there were multiple thunderstorms over several days, and it had already rained for a few days prior to our arrival. Despite all the moisture on the ground and the rain, everything in my tent stayed dry.
The seam-taped bathtub floor kept out any water. I also slept in the tent in quite humid, damp conditions, and I was surprised by how little condensation built up in the tent with the rainfly on — the rainfly’s vents did an excellent job at ventilation. The true weather test of the Limelight came when I was in Bryce Canyon National Park.
Right after I had set up my tent, it began to snow, with over a foot accumulating in the course of the night. Despite snow piling up outside and pressing on the body of the tent, no water entered the tent. Even my backpack, which I had left pressed up against one of the sides of the tent, stayed dry.
Comfort & Space
As with most backpacking tents, fitting the stated number of people in the tent would be a squeeze. Two people can sleep quite comfortably in this Marmot tent, but three would feel like being packed in a can of sardines.
I appreciated this tent’s peak height (46.5”). Thanks to the added headspace in the new ultralight version, I could easily sit up on my sleeping pad with extra clearance for my head. The tent also has two small triangular portions that stick out on each side.
These cubbies were convenient for storing small items like books, headlamps, and extra layers. That way, they didn’t clutter the main floor of the tent. The side storage pockets sewn into the tent wall were rather small and, in my opinion, somewhat ineffectual. One could barely hold the stuff sack for my sleeping pad.
Easy Assembly
Assembling the tent was quite straightforward. Initially, I was suspicious of the piece of plastic attached to the two main tent poles. I was worried it might snap or break as I manipulated the poles. However, the piece showed no damage even after adding additional stress and forcing it beyond what was needed for assembly.
The connected poles allowed me to easily insert them into the four corners of the tent fabric by myself. I also appreciated that I didn’t need to thread the poles through any part of the tent, instead just clipping the body on. Sometimes, threading poles through fabric can be a painstaking process, with the poles getting stuck or caught in the fabric.
Room for Improvement: The Rainfly
Attaching and securing the rainfly to the body of the tent, however, proved to be a bit of a headache.
First, you attach an additional pole diagonally over the top of the tent. The image on the setup instructions showed that this pole was supposed to go over the top of the main tent poles. But this created a lot of tension, and each time it was a fight to get the pole in place.
The small metal grommets on the rainfly that attached to these poles to the corners were similarly a struggle. My biggest complaint about the rainfly is how the four corner points attach to the tent. There is a small plastic piece on the rainfly that is meant to hook onto a small loop of cord on the corner of the tent.
Every time I set up the tent, it was like trying to thread a needle. It was very precise and required just the exact placement. It usually took me multiple attempts to hook the plastic piece on, even with my small, narrow fingers.
Removing that plastic piece from the cord to disassemble the tent was also a pain, especially when snow or dirt got on the tent’s corners.
A Note on Price & Durability
The Marmot Limelight Ultralight 3P retails for $550. That is very close in price to tents similar to other brands. Nemo’s OSMO Hornet Ultralight 3P costs $530, while Big Agnes’s Copper Spur UL3 tent is $600. The Limelight is cheaper (and over a pound lighter) than MSR’s Hubba Hubba 3LT tent ($630).
I used the OSMO Hornet from Nemo as a backpacking tent before testing Marmot’s Limelight. I’ve used the OSMO less than the Marmot, and it’s showing significantly more wear. The tent body’s mesh fabric already had holes. The Marmot Limelight, however, has no signs of damage or wear and tear as of this writing.
A backpacking tent is a large expenditure, and Marmot Limelight Ultralight’s price tag does come with a promise of durability that other brands may lack.
Marmot Limelight Ultralight 3P: Who Is It For?
The Marmot Limelight Ultralight 3P is heavy-duty enough to protect from extreme weather, but it’s also light enough to easily carry for miles on end. It also has enough space to pull double duty for backpacking and basic weekend car camping. However, parts of the tent’s design and setup can be finicky and fussy, making pitching and disassembly somewhat tedious.
If you’re an ultralight-obsessed backpacker looking to shave off ounces, brands like Zpack and Hyperlite are better (albeit more expensive) choices.
Ultimately, if you want a solid, versatile, ultralight backpacking tent at a reasonable price, you should consider the Marmot Limelight Ultralight 3P. It offers plenty of room for two people and gear. Although its rainfly system is difficult to set up, it excels at weather protection with a very lightweight design.
Read the full article here