Forums >Gears and Wears>Backpacking Tent
Looking for recommendations for a reasonably priced 2-person all weather backpacking tent with a vestibule. EZ up/down.
Leslie Living and Running Behind the Redwood Curtain -------------
Trail Runner Nation
Sally McCrae-Choose Strong
Bare Performance
Pace Prophet
Depends on what you mean by "all-weather" and "reasonably priced." Probably a backcountry-oriented group would have more information for you.
In general you get what you pay for. There are always trade-offs between weight, durability, and cost. We have a Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 but it's not cheap and I wouldn't take it winter camping here in Colorado. Then again, I wouldn't *go* winter camping here in Colorado.
I don't plan on being in any deep snow, but I'd like to know I'll stay reasonably dry if inclement weather hits. It's a "use it 2 or 3 times a year" deal, so I'm hoping I can find something that'll work for around $200 or less. I'm looking at different sales sites, like The Clymb, as well.
left a recommendation in the masters forum;
Alps Lynx2
(copy of my North face Kestrel)
60-64 age group - University of Oregon alumni - Irreverent and Annoying
https://www.campmor.com/SearchDisplay?searchTermScope=&searchType=0&filterTerm=&maxPrice=&langId=-1&beginIndex=0&cg1=200368342&sType=SimpleSearch&cg2=200368298&facetFilter=3+Person&metaData=&pageSize=28&manufacturer=&resultCatEntryType=&catalogId=40000000226&searchTerm=*&facet=ads_f10006_ntk_cs%253A%25223%2BPerson%2522&minPrice=&categoryId=200368487&storeId=226If y Try here, Campmor. If you could bump up your price by about 50 bucks, you should be able to fine more variety. Most of the these backpacking tents are pretty easy to set up, just practice in your yard BEFORE you use it on the trail. Nothing like trying to set up a brand new tent in the dark, or trying to hurry TFU because it's about to pour rain. I'll look around more in a bit.
https://www.backcountry.com/Store/catalog/search.jsp?q=backpacking tents 2 person&s=a A little something else for you. Also, look for ALUMINUM poles, not fiberglass, BIG weight difference.
Thanks for the information, everyone.
Refurbished Hip
Are you splitting the weight of the tent with another person? The REI half dome 2 is reasonably priced, but a little heavy to carry for one person.
Running is dumb.
+1 on REI Half Dome. I don't have a ton of experience across different tents, but I've had my Half Dome for years and have been really happy with it. Not the lightest or more tightly packing, but the quality for that price is outstanding. If you live by an REI there's a good chance they'll have a promo model set up in the store so you can check it out. They also sell (or at least they used to) an extra-long, if you're particularly tall or want some extra storage space in the tent.
It's worth splurging for the convenience of the footprint, even though they price them pretty high now ("that's how they get ya"). Sometimes you can find them on sale or use a coupon if you're a member.
Kalsarikännit
In general you get what you pay for. Big Agnes Copper Spur
In general you get what you pay for.
Big Agnes Copper Spur
+1
If you decide what you want and you have time, keep your eyes open and wait for sales plus find discount codes. Paying full price for backpacking stuff is insane. There is stuff out there that is also a season or two old. The Copper Spur UL is now a HV UL. The old one was perfectly fine, but stores will be looking to get rid of it.
They also have the Fly Creek and I think maybe the Seedhouse. I had one of these and it was great. The entrance is just at the end, instead of at the sides, so it is a bit more awkward. No big deal if you aren’t living in it.
I HIGHLY recommend Big Agnes because they are absolutely wonderful to deal with if anything goes wrong (even if it is your fault). All of my bags and tents are from them because their stuff is so good, and they really are a company that values their customers.
I like Campsaver, CampMor, and Backcountry for my stuff. Gear Trader is also an excellent site to find good quality used items.
I want to do it because I want to do it. -Amelia Earhart
I made a tent footprint from Tyvek. Big Agnes wants 80 bucks for a footprint for my tent. I forgot the name of the place I ordered it, some where in NC I think, was around 15-20 bucks.
Re:footprint. Make your own out of Tyvek. There are a million an one tutorials online on how to do this, and some people on eBay even sell kits with grommets. I did this once and it has held up for 200+ nights. And you can take an extra scrap piece from the project and haul it along as a dry waterproof thing to sit on when it is rainy or damp.
Dammit, Nantucket. You beat me (and hello).
I had a hard time spending the $ on the top end gear for a long time, but it really does make a big difference.
You can sometimes pickup some good deals on used top end gear for about the same price or a little less than you could buy some of the lower end gear for new and there is a big difference on the quality of the top end gear. A couple pounds here and there may not sound like much but when you start adding it up you can save some serious weight and it can really make a difference in your enjoyment of the outdoors.
I'm sure the backpacking forums have similar options (probably higher volume) but I've purchased a lot of my gear on hunting forum classified ads.
This is the most active hunting classified ad forum - http://www.rokslide.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?88-Rokslide-Classifieds
Lots of good high end tents, backpacks, etc. although some of the backpacks probably have features that you wouldn't need like load shelves for hauling out meat, etc.
I personally am a fan of the tipi style floorless tents and have 2 of those, one that is very light weight and one that is a little heavier that has a titanium stove that I can carry with me if I'm doing more of a base camp type setup.
Just be aware that just because a tent has a rating for 2 people, doesn't mean that 2 people can comfortable sleep in it. Think of it more along the lines of how many sleeping bags could be places on the floor of the tent with not even 1" of space between them and the wall or each other. I would be looking for at least a 3 man tent if 2 people were actually going to be using the tent. Even if you are a couple, it is very tight quarters with 2 people in a 2 man tent and you would need to put all your gear in the vestibule.
I can also give Big Agnes a thumbs up. I had a FlyCreek UL2 and it was Ultra Light and high quality. Just not big enough for me and anyone else to be in it at the same time so I sold it. That's something else about the high end gear, it holds it's value really well. You can often buy something used, try it out a bit or use it a year or so and then resell it for about the same price you paid for it if you shop around. The lower end gear is almost impossible to resell.
Good luck. I sure enjoy the time I spend out in the wild places. Having high quality gear really makes a difference in allowing me to spend as much time as I can.
Age: 50 Weight: 224 Height: 6'3" (Goal weight 195)
Current PR's: Mara 3:14:36* (2017); HM 1:36:13 (2017); 10K 43:59 (2014); 5K 21:12 (2016)
Hello