Marmot Halo vs Limestone, they are without a doubt two of the best car camping tents in the market.
First things first, there is no such thing as the best car camping tent, the best one for you depends on your needs. I will be comparing two tents by their weight, pack size, construction, durability, interior volume, and other features in order to help you to choose the most suitable tent for you.
Marmot Halo has options of 4-person and 6-person and Marmot Limestone offers 4-person, 6-person, and 8-person models, In this guide, I have compared 6p models of the tents. But you can use this guide even if you are looking for a 4p or 6p tent as well, the only thing that will be changing is the sizes.
In summary, even though Marmot Halo is 3 lbs heavier and packs down a bit bigger than Marmot Limestone, it offers much more interior volume, floor area, vestibule area and it has a more waterproof fly.
Marmot Halo 6p vs Marmot Limestone 6p: Specifications
| Marmot Halo 6p | Marmot Catalyst | |
|---|---|---|
 |  |
|
| Packed Weight | 20lbs 1.5oz (9110g) | 17lbs 3oz (7790g) |
| Pack Size | Ø14.5" x 25.5" / Ø 36 x 64 cm | Ø10.5" x 28" / Ø26 x 71 cm |
| Floor Dimensions | 118" x 118" / 300 cm x 300 cm | 120" x 100" / 305 x 254cm |
| Height | 75.5" / 192 cm | 76" / 193 cm |
| Floor Area | 96.7 ft² / 9 sq m | 83.3 ft² / 7.7 m² |
| Canopy Fabric | 40d 100% Polyester No-See-Um Mesh F/R | 68d 100% Polyester Taffeta F/R | 40d 100% Polyester No-See-Um Mesh F/R | 68d 100% Polyester Taffeta F/R |
| Vestibule Area | 32 ft² + 32 ft² / 3 m² + 3 m² | 27 ft² + 12 ft² / 2.5 m² + 1.1 m² |
| Floor Fabric | 150d 100% Polyester Oxford 3000mm W/R, F/R | 150d 100% Polyester Oxford 3000mm W/R, F/R |
| Fly Fabric | 68d 100% Polyester Ripstop 1800mm W/R, F/R | 68d Polyester Taffeta 190T 1500mm F/R |
| Check Prices | Check Price on Amazon | Check Price on Amazon |
Construction: Marmot Halo vs Limestone
Floor Area
Floor area is highly important for family camping, I recommend getting a 6p tent even if you are a family of 4 (for car camping, weight shouldn’t be the biggest priority).
When it comes to Floor area comparison of Marmot Halo vs Limestone, Marmot Halo is the winner with the floor area of 96.7 ft² which is %16 bigger compared to Marmot Limestone (83.3 ft²).
Vestibule Area
Vestibule area is nearly as important as floor area for family camping, it is where you put your portable chairs/table and sometimes your gear (if you want more room inside the tent).
Again, for the Vestibule Area comparison, Marmot Halo is the winner. It offers symmetrical 32 ft² + 32 ft² vestibule area (which is %64 bigger compared to Marmot Limestone) on each side of the tent. On the other hand, Marmot Limestone offers unsymmetrical 27 ft² + 12 ft²(front and back) vestibules.
Interior Volume
To be honest, both tents have a great clip placement on the canopy, therefore, they both offer a great amount of interior volume.
BUT Marmot Halo offers a bit more volume, due to its extra two “all-around poles” to tighten the canopy to create a more liveable place.
Marmot Halo:
Marmot Limestone has 2 extra poles as well, but they don’t tighten all around the tent as I showed below.
Marmot Limestone:
Breathability
The breathability of a tent can be understood by its mesh ratio and mesh distribution (means strategic mesh placement on the canopy).
Both tents are highly breathable, they both have high mesh ratio, the only difference is their mesh distribution.
Marmot Limestone‘s almost whole front wall and nearly %30 of its sidewalls are with mesh, on the other hand, Marmot Halo‘s mesh is distributed strategically to the upper wall, sidewalls, and the doors.
Durability & Waterproofness: Limestone vs Halo
A tent’s durability can be understood by its fabrics’ density, and also the waterproofness of a tent can be understood by its mm metric. Both tents are made the same fabric (except the rainfly) that is considered highly durable, highly waterproof.
| Marmot Halo | Marmot Limestone | |
| Canopy | 68d 100% Polyester Taffeta F/R|40d 100% Polyester No-See-Um Mesh F/R | 68d 100% Polyester Taffeta F/R|40d 100% Polyester No-See-Um Mesh F/R |
| Floor | 150d 100% Polyester Oxford 3000mm W/R, F/R | 150d 100% Polyester Oxford 3000mm W/R, F/R |
| Fly | 68d 100% Polyester Ripstop 1800mm W/R, F/R | 68d Polyester Taffeta 190T 1500mm F/R |
Note: Marmot Halo‘s fly fabric is made of Polyester Ripstop 1800mm which is more water-resistant compared to Marmot Limestone.
Since they are both made of 68d and 150d Polyester they are highly durable compared to other tents in the market.
Just to give you an idea about the durability of the tents, below I’ve gathered floor fabric materials of other 6p tents in the market:
| Tent | Floor Fabric |
| Marmot Halo 6 & Limestone 6 | 150D Poly 3000mm |
| Kelty Wireless 6 | 68D Poly 1800mm |
| Kelty Discovery Dome 6 | 68D Poly 1200mm |
| Mountainsmith Upland 6 | 68D Poly (None mm metric details) |
| MSR Habitude 6 | 68D Poly 10000mm |
Here is a quick video of Marmot Halo 6P in rain:
The main reason I put this video is to show you the importance of a footprint, it needs to be bought separately, and it’s extremely important especially if you’re into cold-weather camping.
Check out the latest prices of Marmot Footprint on Amazon.
Weight & Packsize of Limestone and Halo
When it comes to weight and pack size Marmot Limestone is the clear winner, it weighs 20 lbs 1.5 oz and packs down to Ø 14.5″ x 25.5″ while Marmot Halo weighs 17 lbs 3 oz and packs down to Ø 10.5″ x 28″.
But as they are both car camping tents, weight and pack size shouldn’t be as important as roominess, so trust me, don’t mind carrying the 3 lbs, and go with Marmot Halo…
Features of Marmot Halo and Limesone
Both tents feature:
- “Jingle-Free Nylon Zipper Pulls” which decreases the noise to get a good night sleep
- “Color-Coded Clips and Poles” for easy setup
- “Light-Reflecting Points” to help you find your tent easily during the night
- Interior Pockets to organize your gear
Marmot Halo additionally features extra panels to zip the doors closed for more privacy.
Conclusion
To sum it up,
- Marmot Halo’s floor area is % 16 bigger than Marmot Limestone
- Marmot Halo’s Vestibule area is %64 bigger than Marmot Limestone
- Both tens have a great Interior volume but Marmot Halo is slightly roomier than Marmot Limestone
- Both tents are made of same dense fabric, therefore, they are both highly durable
- Their floors are equally waterproof (3000 mm) but Marmot Halo’s fly (1800mm) is more waterproof than Marmot Limestone’s fly (1500mm)
- Both tents are highly breathable
- Marmot Limestone is 3 lbs lighter and packs down smaller than Marmot Halo
Check out the latest prices of Marmot Halo and Marmot Limestone.
