I've never used an SL3 so you may be correct. It's still a good, inexpensive option as you can easily sell the GoLite nest. I should have clarified in my previous post, the $299 is for the SL5, while the SL3 is $249 with everything. The SL5 nest works great for car camping in buggy areas and you can get a lighter BPWD custom nest for backpacking in buggy areas if need be. In my experience, the SL5 fly works great for everything and is a tremendous value.