Bought a Marmot Limelight 2P because the name promised me fame, and all I got was a glow-in-the-dark pocket. After a few damp nights topped off with a dog that exhales like a fog machine, I’ve got questions that the spec sheet politely avoids. Fellow Limelighters, hit me with your hard-earned hacks:
- Awning mode: Anyone routinely running the front vestibule as an “awning” with trekking poles? Any long-term issues with zipper stress or fly fabric creep, or is this the fastest way to invent a new door shape?
- Wind and brow pole: In gusts, do you guy the brow pole ends separately, or is that just cosplay as a four-season tent? Any guyline patterns that actually quiet the fly flapping without turning it into a parachute?
- Fly-first pitch wizardry: Beyond the official “fast fly” mode (footprint + fly), any clever tricks to pitch fly-first in a downpour without baptizing the inner? I’m open to tarp origami here.
- Condensation jiu-jitsu: Best real-world venting setup? Cracking the top of the door, propping corners with tiny sticks/foam spacers, raising the hem on the lee side-what actually works when humidity equals soup?
- Franken-pole experiments: Has anyone tried swapping in a lighter pole set (e.g., Tungsten UL 2P or aftermarket DACs) while keeping the Limelight geometry? Do the grommet lengths and hub angles play nice, or does it become modern art?
- Shoulder-season surprise snow: How much wet snow can the brow pole handle before it inverts and my tent becomes a hammock? Any safe crossing-pole or guyline mods that improve load without shredding clips?
- Bikepacking packability: Tips for dealing with the long hubbed poles in tiny handlebar rolls? Replacement pole kits with shorter segment lengths that still fit the tent, or is this a “live with diagonal packing” situation?
- Footprint alternatives: If ditching the stock footprint, what’s the best thickness Tyvek/polycro that still works with the corner grommets and doesn’t become an ice rink? Anyone added mini-cord loops to keep alignment sane?
- DWR reality check: How’s the PFC-free fly holding up after a season? Reproof recommendations that don’t turn it into a crinkly potato chip bag?
- Zipper preservation society: Those door corners are thirsty for fabric. Any field-proven habits or zipper lube that reduces snagging without collecting half the forest?
Bonus curiosity: Has anyone tamed the “lampshade pocket” glow so it doesn’t make me look like I’m interrogating marshmallows? Best diffuser hack?
If you’ve turned your Limelight 2P into a storm-stable, condensation-resilient, bikepackable palace for two humanoids and one judgmental dog, I crave your sorcery.