The North Face Sequoia 6 vs Big Agnes Dog House 6 Tent

Here you have compared side by side two freestanding tents built in the same style and with a similar size and shape, The North Face Sequoia 6 and Big Agnes Dog House 6 tents. See which of them would work better for you.

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Why this comparison

You have two big brands behind these tents, both with a variety of outdoors products on the market, but I would not describe them as really specialized in the tents industry only.

Both tents are in a general dome style shape, with a similar size and profile. So if you are in search for that particular type, this comparison may help you in deciding which would be better for you.

Note also that both share the same bad features, more about this below.

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Common features

Here are the features shared by these two tents, some good and some less good, and given in no particular order:

1. Dome type tents supported with two main X-crossed poles and with one extra short pole that supports the roof.

But in the case of the Big Agnes Dog House 6 tent the short poles is in the front-back direction, while in the North Face Sequoia 6 tent it is on the front only and it make the door vertical. You can see this in the top picture above.

This simple frame make the tents very easy to use, so one person can set such a tent with ease.

2. The poles in both tents are pre-bent, so you have far more volume inside than in any ordinary dome-type tent. The mentioned short pole also adds to this inner volume and comfort. 

3. You will notice that the poles are from outside. This allows for setting such a tent even in the rain, and the inner will remain protected in the process.

So this is a dry setup design, and you will be able to appreciate it when you find yourself in a situation where you do the job during the rain.

4. Both tents are truly freestanding. The good side of this is that you can move them around even after they are set up, and you can rotate them, and you can use them even on a ground where it may be impossible to use stakes.

The bad side is that there are no vestibules for storage, all you have is the inner floored area which is quite moderate.

5. Almost the same area. You have 81.1 ft² (7.5 m²) in the North Face Sequoia 6 tent, and 81.8 ft² (7.6 m²) in the Big Agnes Dog House 6 tent.

6. Single layer tents. If you are not familiar with this terminology, the meaning is simply that all the fabric is one single piece. To understand this better, compare it with any two-layer tent where you have the fly as one piece and the rest of the tent as another piece.

In other words, there is less fabric used in the construction, and this generally positively affects the weight and the packed size. This also makes the setup far easier.

The bad side of this design is the issue with condensation. I have discussed this in detail in my text about double-layer tents.

7. The same official capacity for 6 people. But you have seen the floor area above, and realize that this is quite optimistic. 

8. One door and one window. Both tents have a similar design regarding these standard openings, so these are double-layer mesh plus panel doors. But the shape of the doors is very different as you can see from the top picture above.

But the rear window is very different. In the picture above you can see how it looks in the North Face Sequoia 6 tent where you have a double-layer zippered mesh and zippered panel. In fact they call this an emergency door because you can open it completely.

In the Big Agnes Dog House 6 tent this is just a fixed mesh, see the picture, but with an inner zippered panel.

However, it may be important to point out that in both tents the rear window is fully closable, this will be useful if you use the tent in a cold environment.

9. Roof vents. This is a very similar design, so you have two vents, both with a stiffener so you can open them and close as it suits you.

10. No floor vents. I am truly surprised every time when I see such a tent without floor vents. My guess is that the designers have never spent a night in a tent.

I have a two-person single-layer tent from Crua Outdoors, the Crua Duo, which I love because of its ease of use. It has three floor vents and two roof vents, in addition to an inner two-layer door which is completely protected under the vestibule. Yet, in a cooler environment, its inner walls are always completely wet.

So, the tents presented here are both single-layer type and yet without any floor vent.

You might think that ventilation in the North Face tent is better because of its full door mesh, but you cannot rely on it because this must be fully closed when it rains. Indeed, one asks oneself, what the heck did they think?

11. Aluminum poles. You have quality poles here, three in total. For the Big Agnes this is about the DAC DA17, but for the other tent I could not find details.

12. Both brands also offer smaller 4-person versions with the same features, just to know if these tents are too big for you. 

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My comparison table and rating

Here you have my comparison with some parameters and features, and my rating which I explain below the table:

 

Weight

The North Face Sequoia 6 weighs 12 lb 3.4 oz (5.55 kg), while Big Agnes tent weighs 13 lb (5.9 kg). The difference is not substantial, but both tents can be described as very light.

Height

The peak height of the North Face Sequoia 6 is 75 inches (191 cm), and it is 80 inches (203 cm) in the Big Agnes tent. So both tents are with an impressive height, but the latter is much higher.

Dry entry and ventilation

In my view, this is an important difference, and if you have ever camped in rain you will know why this is so. 

Namely, the short roof pole in the Big Agnes Dog House tent creates small brims or awnings above the door and the rear window, see the picture. So, in the case of rain you can get in and out of the tent without rain getting in the tent. 

This also means that in moderate situations without much side wind, you can keep the openings with mesh at least partly, so you can have at least some extra ventilation.

In the North Face Sequoia tent you have to keep the door and the window completely closed when it rains, and you will have no air circulation. The vents are there, but this may not be enough.

Below you can see the door of the North Face tent with mesh only. The rain will get in instantly when it rains.

Packed size

The truth is that both tents are bulky for their single-wall design, and my rating for both of them is low. You can see this if you follow the links to my full texts about them.

But bear in mind their great height, they are surprisingly tall for dome-type tents. This means that the volume of these tents is simply huge, and there is more material used for this, hence the packed size.

Anyhow, you have the packed size (L x D) of the Big Agnes tent 25.5 x 9 inches (65 x 23 cm). The North Face tent packs to (L x D) 29.13 x 10.04 inches (74 x 26 cm). But indeed, the Big Agnes Dog House tent packs smaller, this is a fact.

Waterpoof rating

Both tents have a rather low rating, 1500 mm in the case of the Big Agnes tent and 1200 mm in the case of the North Face tent. But the seams are taped, and typically you do not need more.

Wind resistance

The tents are very tall and bulky, almost like cabin-type tents. But the profile of the North Face tent is more smooth that in the other tent.

As you have seen, the short cross pole in the Big Agnes tent creates useful awnings, they are good for some other purpose as mentioned above, but in my view that same feature makes the tent less aerodynamic. This is why my thumb-up goes to the North Face tent.

Extra exit

I do not really think this is a big deal, the rear window in the North Face Sequoia 6 is too small to be used as an entry and exit point, but you have it there, hence my thumb up.

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Final thoughts

For more tents of this shape please check in the category Dome Tents.

Let me know if you have questions, there is a comment box below. Bookmark this site and come again, this will keep you informed, as you realize I add texts here on a regular basis. Thank you for reading.