@franco Yes I completely agree with you regard tent-pitching.
To be fair, the first time pitching the tent is typically the most intimidating. Once you've got the hang of it, much easier thereafter.
@jenand
Regards your concern about wind and the Flash 3 - there's actually a wind tunnel test here on the Sierra Designs Flash 3 FL which is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MQMG83I2c0(At 35 seconds is the Flash 3 UL - it stood up to 55 mile winds. The Flash 3 UL is an earlier version of what Sierra Designs has tweaked slightly and named Flash 3 FL.) UL meant Ultra Light. FL means Feather Light. I believe the rename was because they managed to shave more weight off for the new model, and advertise that fact through name change.
The Flash 3 regular tent had slightly different pole configuration than the FL model, as mentioned in my earlier comments, as the arch poles go through the pole sleeve on the regular model to enable the roll up sides, whereas on the FL version tested in the video - the poles are hubbed together and clip on the exterior. But I would think the wind performance is relatively similar.
And to give context, I pitch this as a 38 year old regular woman by myself, with a toddler to look after at the same time. For the Flash 3 regular, I recommend you do the 2 arch poles through the 2 sleeves first, angling the pole downwards on a diagonal into the sleeve (a bit like in the Tarptent videos with pole sleeves such as the Double Rainbow). Once the arch poles are in, you then just clip the centre spine pole which has a ball and socket set up at either end. Lastly there's a very small curved pole shaped like an eyebrow which just gives the interior a bit of extra lift. It takes me 3 minutes.
It's free-standing but for 2 pegs to hold out each of the gear locker wings. So in the photo below, I have 2 pegs on each wing, and then a peg at each corner. So 8 pegs total.
There are extra guys (and pegs) optional for heavy winds. You can see those dangling at the front near the blue mini moon chair (for my toddler daughter) in the photo.
We had a bit of wind and rain - barely knew about it. Tent didn't move at all, and totally dry. (Although to be fair, we've not been in seriously stormy conditions as yet.)
My concern of you getting this tent is just the sand getting in under those wings on left and right side (the "gear lockers"), and whether any would make it through the mesh. As there's a zip up for the front and back window / entrance doors, but on the wings / gear lockers on the left and right side - it's just straight all mesh under the fly wings. So if the sand got under the wing fly, my concern is - can it get through the mesh? That's what I don't know.
What is good about the Flash 3 for you is that it's absolutely wonderful for travelling on planes and in vehicles and short hike-ins. The Flash 3 regular is made of the more durable fabrics with slight weight penalty.
It's toddler tested which means picture a nearly 2 year old banging on the walls and pulling at the zips, jumping around and against the tent interior and exterior. Holds up perfect.
So far, it's been a great tent and I'm very happy with it.
Getting to see the tent interior and how it works:There's a review here which gives you a better look at the tent also which is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ1ydB-qOc4and there's another of an earlier version here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_Yg5E-REKA&t=432sThere's also a review of the Flash 2 FL version here by a motorcycle tent reviewer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNFB4MZkZg4&t=377sThose videos will give you a better idea of the set-up of those gear lockers at the side that have the fly pulled out as wings, and the mesh underneath. So you understand that's the part that my concern is with the wind and sand.
I'm planning on getting a lighter tent for hiking - like the Tarptent Double Rainbow, Cloudburst 3, or ZPacks Duplex, or possibly the Flash 2 UL for hiking with, for a bit of weight and pack size savings. But for car camping, or even short hike-ins, it's great. As mentioned you get really nice ventilation and views, but you can zip up the windows for privacy or to shut out rain if it were really driving in horizontally in a storm.