View Full Version : Another help me find a tent thread
So after lots of hiking I've finally started to take the plunge into backpacking. I'm thinking lots of short weekend trips to start in Pa and Va (live in philly, family is in nova) and I'm looking for a quality 2 person tent.
itll mostly be just me, but I'm 6'2 and a bit burly, plus I may occasionally bring my pup or a lady friend along, so I like the extra space of a two person and don't mind the extra ounces.
speaking of weight, I sure wouldn't mind taking a longer distance thru hike in the future, depending on my work situation, so with that in mind, I guess I'm looking for suggestions on a tent with the right balance of durability, weight, and function.
i liked the nemo galaxi I saw, and a trip to rei had me playing with a few kelty's and rei tents, and a tungsten2p that seemed ok...
is a BA copper spur ul2 worth the extra cash? I've got a 20% coupon to burn and a birthday coming up....
im im generally a buy once cry once kind of guy but I also don't want to pay 150 bucks for a tent that's really just as good but 8 ounces lighter
REI quarter dome is a pretty good buy for the money, and there is usually a few of last years on the outlet. I love Six Moon Designs Tents personally. the BA is definitely a god piece of equipment, but you are definitely paying to lighten up. Also I suggest looking for a 2 door tent, the 1 door 2p thing can be a PITA. Good luck have fun.
I have a tarptent Double Rainbow. It is light and very roomy, even when I have my wife with me on trips. It is a great tent and well worth the money. I just picked up a Nemo dagger...it is my first experience with their gear. There are times when I want a double wall tent and will carry the extra ounces. I don't have any trail experience with it yet other than setting up in my backyard. But initial impressions on design and engineering are very favorable. as Donde said, both of these designs have the 2 door with large vestibules(make sure they will keep your pack dry in a sideways rainstorm) feature that I want in a tent. I don't want the hassles of 1 door/1 vestibule for getting in and out of the tent, especially when there are 2 of us. One other thing, I know the TT DR would accommodate a 6'2" guy. I am 6' and there is several inches of clearance at head and foot for me.
Take a look at the Kelty Salida 2 or 3. Rei Quarter or Half Dome also worth a look.
HooKooDooKu
04-28-2015, 09:41
Take a look at the Kelty Salida 2 or 3...
There is no Salida 3... but I too would suggest you at least take a look at the Salida 2. It has the same dimensions as the Copper Spur. You might even find a 2014 model on clearance somewhere. The models significantly changed for at least the Salida and Gunnison. So there are places that are selling the 2014 models at clearance prices. While I don't know where you might find a 2014 Salida, Sierra Trading Post has the Gunnison that could be picked up for less than $150 (with easy to obtain coupon codes).
But the Gunnison is a 'true' two man tent (i.e. it has lots of room for 2 people). But you're looking for a 1 man tent.
I bought the Copper Spur UL2 as my one man tent last year. It is a very small two man tent, which means with my 25" sleeping pad, there isn't enough room for a 2nd person inside. But there is tons of space for one. I've considered my purchase of the Copper Spur UL2 to be worth it, but then again I picked mine up at a clearance price of about 40% off.
The only thing I don't like about the Copper Spur is that it takes me longer to setup this two man tent than it does for me to setup my Kelty Gunnison 3. The reason is because the material is so thin (and the tent so relatively expensive) that I find myself taking a lot of time to make sure there isn't anything sharp under the ground cloth before I setup the tent. But the heavier Gunnison has much thicker material and I don't worry near as much about possibly getting holes in the bottom of that tent.
Another thing to consider... because you can currently get the Gunnison 2.2 so cheaply... perhaps you should spend the money on a Copper Spur UL2 for just yourself, AND spend the < $150 for the Gunnison (while you can get it cheap) for those times you want to bring someone/thing extra along.
I have found the Copper Spur UL2 to be a luxurious one person tent and a reasonable two person tent. If you have two people inside you'll need to make use of the vestibule for storing gear, but the two doors and ample vestibules should make that easy enough.
check out this review http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Backpacking-Tent-Reviews I have a MSR Hubba,Hubba NX and love it!
HooKooDooKu
04-28-2015, 13:56
check out this review http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Backpacking-Tent-Reviews I have a MSR Hubba,Hubba NX and love it!
I'm surprized their review for the Salida says...
The Kelty Salida 2 offers budget multi-day backpackers the best bang for the buck.
...yet it didn't earn a "Best Buy" label. Seems like the only reason they knocked it was for it's small size and single door.
Then again, I looked at their reviews for the Fly Creek UL2. The Platinum version is 7th in the list while the 'normal' one is 20th... yet the say the 'normal' one is a better value because the Platinum only saves 3.6oz as does so at the expense of being less weather resistant.
Looking closer, the way they do their scoring, the two Fly Creek tents were scored the same for everything except where the Platinum scored 1 point less in both weather and duribility, and 4 points more in weight (4 pts? for a difference of less than 4oz?).
I guess bottom line, what I'm trying to say is that those reviews pretty much show there really isn't much of an over all difference between one tent and another... so look at what tent has what ever specific feature you're looking for (best size for the weight? cost for the space? best arrangement of doors? etc) and buy it.
Bigfoot86
04-28-2015, 21:11
Take a look at hammocks. So much more comfort and not sleeping in the mud.
The Splitter
04-28-2015, 23:11
I have a MSR Hubba Hubba (2012 model). I've been very happy with it this far. They replaced my tent with the Hubba Hubba NX which is a little lighter. The Hubba Hubba isn't the lightest but it's quite durable. If you want to go ultralight I would check out the Nemo Hornet 2P coming out in June or July. I will likely be replacing my MSR with this tent. At 2lbs 5pz it's the lightest free standing two person shelter there is.
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so i'm leaning pretty heavily towards getting a kelty salida 2. i'm wondering if its worth it to jump up to the trailogic tn2?
I'm 6'2, will i still be able to lay down you think?
also, is it worth it to grab the footprint with it, or just cut a sheet of tyvek a few inches smaller than the tent?
HooKooDooKu
04-29-2015, 08:49
The TN2 appears to be smaller for the same weight. It's only benefit is having two doors. For a tent that you plan to use mainly use solo, I would think you would want space rather than doors.
+++ Tarp Ten Protrail, most excellent
swisscross
04-29-2015, 09:12
Tarptent double rainbow seems to be the best size/weight/price combo for a two person tent.
Not sure why outdoor gear lab rates it so low in livability. What in the heck is livability?
Tarptent Stratospire 2...we fit two people and our packs inside with room to spare, and the vestibules are huge. It's maybe a little large for 1 person, but if you really think you will be two in the tent sometimes, it is a great choice
i should mention that at the moment, and probably for the forseeable future i won't be picking up a fancy pack or trekking poles, so i'm sorta ruling out tarttents/lightheart/SMD at the moment. maybe in the future if i ever take a longer distance gig
Considering where you live it should be possible to go to some stores and actually set up several of the tents mentioned. This is invaluable as it gives you first hand info. You sound like a big guy and taking advise from a regular sized guy about what is comfortable and will fit you and your potential tent mate might be way off. Headroom for you and me is going to be very different. Stuff like that is important. Budgets are important too and is this tent for the next 5 years or more, or can you buy another next year if you don't end up liking it. Are you going to be out in the rain a lot or a little or none. What temperature extremes? All these things make a difference and can result in different decisions. There is no perfect tent or any other piece of gear.
If you are going to be tenting all the time and out in heavy rain/wet conditions a tent which is much more water tight might be your choice (trap tents are much more prone to getting wet inside than 2 wall tents). If in real cold then the mesh top tents might not be for you. Conversely if you are mostly going to be out when it is 90+ degrees that mesh top is really nice. If you plan on sleeping in the AT shelters almost all the time that will change your choice compared to someone like me who refuses to stay in the shelters at all. If you weigh 220 and I weight 160 a lb means different things to each of us. And so on.
bogeygaff
04-29-2015, 14:41
Just a warning for the Copper Spur ul2. I'm 6'3" and my 78" mattress barely fits the length of the tent, my sleeping bag would touch the ends walls. I
returned it for the North Face Triarch 2.
this is all great info everyone, i appreciate it.
my budget is somewhat forgiving. i think i've decided on the kelty salida2, and will be mostly a fair weather camper to begin with. i just need to get out there and get some more experience and learn what's what before i blow any more money. i might wait for it to get a bit warmer and just bring a fleece/thermal and a light blanket instead of of going crazy on a sleeping bag
one quick question. what are your thoughts on going with a footprint as opposed to a big peice of tyvek?
HooKooDooKu
04-29-2015, 15:57
i might wait for it to get a bit warmer and just bring a fleece/thermal and a light blanket instead of of going crazy on a sleeping bag
Here's a great suggestion for a sleeping bag: Mountain Hardware Ultralamina 32º.
This is a synthetic bag that packs down smaller than a more expensive down bag and is only a little bit heavier. (Compare the specs on a MH Ultralamina 32º to a Marmot Plasma 30º)
The bag is only 2lbs, which is about the same weight as a light fleece blanket. I used to try to use a fleece blanket, but once I learned this puppy was the same weight and packed smaller, I use it even in the summer when temperatures only dip into the 50's and 60's. Yet the bag is warm enough that I'm comfortable in just shorts and t-shirt down into the 40's. (Temperatures have to be heading to freezing before I bother to pack the 20º bag).
The main reason I'm suggesting this bag at the moment is because Sierra Trading Post has the large size on sale. If you add a 35% coupon (easy to find at sites like retailmenot.com), your price shipped is about $150 (depending upon taxes). If you should happen to find a 35% off with free shipping before these disappear, the price will be less than $140.
HooKooDooKu
04-29-2015, 16:05
what are your thoughts on going with a footprint as opposed to a big peice of tyvek?
I personally like buying the manufacturer's footprint.
1. Obviously the footprint is already cut-to-size.
2. Gives you the option to only setup the ground sheet and fly. While I've never used one of my tents this way, what I like to do is if I have a trip planned where I'm only going to stay at shelters, I pack only the ground sheet, fly, and poles as an emergency/backup shelter.
3. Not sure about the Salida, but many manufacturer's footprint attaches to the tent.
4. I hear tyvek can hold onto trash from the ground. No personal experience, but if I'm right then the manufacturer's footprint is easier to clean.
i should mention that at the moment, and probably for the forseeable future i won't be picking up a fancy pack or trekking poles, so i'm sorta ruling out tarttents/lightheart/SMD at the moment. maybe in the future if i ever take a longer distance gig
TarpTent Rainbow, Scarp, Moment and Cloudburst 3 tents, either 1, 2 or 3 person versions, come with a pole that holds the tent up. One reason I am looking at them for bicycle touring & backpacking. Or, you can buy poles from all of the folks you mentioned to hold up your tent. Using hiking sticks will be the lightest variation, but the optional poles are lighter than hiking sticks.
Wayne
Drybones
04-29-2015, 16:13
i should mention that at the moment, and probably for the forseeable future i won't be picking up a fancy pack or trekking poles, so i'm sorta ruling out tarttents/lightheart/SMD at the moment. maybe in the future if i ever take a longer distance gig
The reason I got the Tarptent Double Rainbow was because I didn't want to use hiking poles...it doesn't require them.
The Splitter
05-05-2015, 08:37
this is all great info everyone, i appreciate it.
my budget is somewhat forgiving. i think i've decided on the kelty salida2, and will be mostly a fair weather camper to begin with. i just need to get out there and get some more experience and learn what's what before i blow any more money. i might wait for it to get a bit warmer and just bring a fleece/thermal and a light blanket instead of of going crazy on a sleeping bag
one quick question. what are your thoughts on going with a footprint as opposed to a big peice of tyvek?
It depends... I would go with the actual footprint designed for your tent if it's a type of freestanding tent that allows you to pitch the rainfly and footprint separate from the inside of the tent. If you can't do that is just buy some tyvek.
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