I’ve always believed that if you’re going to make a big promise, you should chase it into uncomfortable places. Sky View Tents set out to build the world’s most immersive stargazing camping tent. Our Gen1 tents delivered unforgettable starry nights, and outdoor lovers responded with passion.
But breathtaking night-sky views alone aren’t enough. A tent must protect you when conditions turn ugly. That’s where the new Gen2 Sky View XL goes further.
I knew I had to put it in one of the wettest places in the Pacific Northwest to prove our stargazing camping tent could handle some of the most extreme rain conditions out there.
Here is a travelogue of my preparations, travel and trip to Lincoln City, Oregon. I stayed 5 days at the Lincoln City KOA, just east of Devil’s Lake and a hop-skip-and-jump away from Wecoma Beach and the rugged Oregon coast.
Tuesday, December 2 — Pre-Trip Prep
Tuesday night, I watched snow push toward Colorado. I laid out the rain jacket, mud boots, gloves, wool socks, thermal layers, flashlight, tent light, and coffee. This wasn’t going to be just another camping trip. This was going to be an IN-YOUR-FACE field test for our Gen2 XL stargazing camping tent we’re planning to launch!
I needed to drive from Buena Vista to Denver International Airport. The route along Highway 285 climbs over Kenosha Pass at 10,000 feet and cuts through mountains where winter conditions can turn dangerous fast. I went to bed early, alarms set, gear staged.
Wednesday, December 3 — Snow and Flight
At 2:00 a.m., I woke to check the weather in my hometown of Buena Vista, Colorado. Snow was already falling hard so it was time to leave. The drive to Denver International Airport was slow and tense through winter passes. But I made it. I boarded my flight, bound for the rain.
I touched down in Portland Wednesday afternoon. Cold, quiet, and not yet raining. After securing a rental car, I picked up Highway 99 and headed southeast towards Lincoln City and the Oregon Coast. Once I got checked in at the Lincoln City KOA, I set up the Gen2 XL and readied myself for my first night in the PNW. That night proved to be the coldest of the trip at just below 39 degrees, but in my Nemo sleeping bag on my Sky View Tents camping pad, I slept like a baby.
Wednesday Night–Thursday, December 3–4 — Drizzle Begins
By Wednesday night, light rain began, turning into a steady drizzle on early Thursday. Inside the Gen2 XL stargazing camping tent, I stayed dry and comfortable. Thursday late morning I headed out in my rain gear for a beach walk. Rain lightly drummed on my hood with steady taps, dripping off my hood as I made my way like an out-of-season beachcomber, The sound of the crashing surf was a reminder of how powerful and beautiful nature could be.
And the Gen2 XL? It worked like a charm! We painstakingly designed the tent to withstand most any rainy situation it could possibly encounter in nature – not talking about hurricanes here, but you’ll be safe from downpours, gully washers, and cats-and-dogs.
Thursday Night–Friday, December 5–6 — Heavy Rain
Thursday night brought the real test. It’s what we came to this remote beach on the Oregon coast for. With up to 75” of rainfall every year, you can’t escape the wet stuff here! It’s also why Oregonians are such hardy outdoors folks. They live and adapt to the rain. They have the gear needed to adapt to the rain. We figured if we could pass the Oregon rain test, everything else would be a cake walk.
So, yes, it rained hard from Thursday into Friday morning. When I stepped out Friday, inches of standing water ringed the tent like a moat! Because I’d pitched it on a slight rise, the interior remained dry. This wasn’t my first rodeo, so I took the proper precautions of picking a campsite that would not flood.
But the good news? The Sky View Gen2XL stargazing camping tent wasn’t just surviving — it was proving itself!
Friday night, I noticed a small amount of water near the side pockets. Nothing dramatic, but enough to analyze further. I traced it to how the pockets met the seam tape. Standing there with the incessant rain pounding my jacket and the tent, I knew exactly how to tweak the design. A slight change in the pocket placement plus a different stitching method and problem solved.
Saturday, December 7 — Rainforest Hike
Saturday morning gave me a break from the rain. I took that reprieve to discover more of my beautiful surroundings by hiking a rainforest trail toward an ocean overlook. The forest was lush and green and dripping with water. But then 75” of annual rain will do that. Just before the lookout, the rain started back. HARD. Whoops…Joe’s Oregon Coast Rookie mistake —> rain gear was left in the car.
I got completely soaked on that hike. But you know what? I grinned the whole way. Rain is life, and life is good. That’s part of why we designed a stargazing camping tent to withstand the elements. Rain need not end the adventure, it’s part of it!
Saturday Evening — My Campground Life
I returned to the campground at Lincoln City KOA, which as mentioned is beside Devil’s Lake, the opposite side of Lincoln City and the Pacific Ocean. I’m happy to report that the tent stood steady through another rainy night – mission accomplished.
Now I will say this: I’m not usually a formal campground person. Instead, you’ll often find me camping off-the-grid in national forest or BLM land where there are few campers to get in the way of you and nature’s wonders. This trip, however, demanded access to power. I needed to stay charged so I could work, check in on our Sky View Tents online store, and make updates to our Gen2 tent designs based on my recent observations.
Solar on the Oregon coast just doesn’t cut it here in December when it’s cloudy, gray, and wet most of the time. The KOA worked out great in that I had a dry, warm spot to access wifi and monitor the business, never skipping a beat even though I was taking a beating from the non-stop rain.
Sunday, December 8 — Conclusions
The near-constant rainfall finally slowed on Sunday. After four remarkable days of liquid punishment from some angry-looking clouds, we discovered every area of the tent worth improving. Not that I was surprised by how well the XL’s ‘maiden voyage’ performed, I’ll confess that I felt a mixture of relief and contentment. For nearly a week of steady rain, I stayed comfortable, dry and cozy while the tent itself stood strong against the wind and rain. The tweaks we discovered are clear and fixable, and they’ll make our Gen2 tents even better.
In advance of my flight home to Colorado, I felt energized and pumped for the next stage of testing. It’s gratifying to see the R&D work I did months ago coming full circle. My goal all along has been to give campers an unmatched immersive experience with night-sky views the likes of which they’ve never encountered. But keeping them safe from the elements is equally important. And now we have the best version of that in our Gen2 designs. Campers can sleep with confidence knowing that if the weather changes they’ll be protected by our patent-pending internal rainfly system fully deployable in seconds from inside the tent.
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Monday, December 9 — Take-Down in the Downpour
As if saying a final goodbye to me and the XL, the Oregon coast provided one last downpour to send me on my way. There’s nothing quite like trying to break camp in a deluge. Nothing escapes the rain, and the mud goes pretty much everywhere. Fortunately I was able to take advantage of the coin-operated washer and dryer from the campground laundry room. Another huge advantage for staying at the Lincoln City KOA!
I did my best to hang and wipe down the tent under a roof eave before packing it into the car. Rain was pouring down, reminding me who’s the boss in these parts of the country. Did I mention mud and water was everywhere? Well, at least the inside of the tent was dry!
I made a final quick stop at a gas-station to finish packing next to a gas pump under the protection of the roof canopy before heading to the airport.
Next Steps for Gen2 XL Testing
Next up for the Gen2 Sky View XL is wind testing near my home in Buena Vista, Colorado. The winds can howl for days at a time as they stream down among the fourteeners (altitude over 14,000 feet!) in the Sawatch Mountain Range. Another test to prove we have designed a solid, rugged stargazing camping tent to stand up to the other 3-season tents on the market. Just because we purpose-built a true stargazing camping tent that allows for a completely immersive night-sky viewing experience doesn't mean our customers can’t count on us for protection from the wind and rain, which can happen when camping in places subject to fast-changing weather conditions like the mountain west.
Want to Pre-Order Your Sky View Stargazing Tent?
It’s not too late to place a ore-order for a Gen2 XL or Backpacker tent before December 31 to be among the first to receive them in March 2026! Visit one of our links below to find the tent that best matches your stargazing camping needs:
This trip from snowy Colorado roads to relentless coastal rain was about proving to the world what our Gen2 stargazing camping tents can do. Not just incredible night skies and comfort during balmy spring and summer nights. But dependable performance and protection in the kind weather that is bound to happen if you go out into the wild in search of adventure.
Happy stargazing!
