the tent for me??

[rowdyredMTSU]

hey everybody,

I have been searching enthusiastically for a new tent but I cant seem to make the decision. I have been saving up money this entire summer and everyday when I am working I tell myself I am going to come home and order a tent but when I get here and it all comes down to it I just cant decide. First of all it must fall into a few categories.

1) under $200 dollars w/ footprint. ($250 tops if it is worth the extra cash)
2) lightweight for a week long trip. (not necessarily ultralight.)
3) vestibule

I have seen a few that have caught my intention

ll bean ultralight- great company and very light but i cant find many reviews and am skeptical about it not being free standing.
http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/53422?feat=1096-GN2

Mountain Hardwear Drifter 2- Seems like a good tent and I like the dual vestibules and doors.
http://www.rei.com/webservices/rei/DisplayStyle/796127?source=gpla&preferredSku=7961270019&cm_mmc=cse_froogle-_-datafeed-_-product-_-na&mr:trackingCode=3AA84D29-B833-E011-B97A-001B21631C34&mr:referralID=NA

I am open to any suggestions. Any comments or help are extremely appreciated. thanks a lot!

, Rowdy

[Tron-Life]

if i was you i would skip a tent and use a tarp and bug bivy (like the outdoor research model). i just got off the trail and was using a tarp and a long piece of mosquito netting to good effect. but if you must have a tent try the msr fast stash. its not free standing and is a bit more expensive then what you want but it's lighter and more versatile. but do your self a favor and tarp!

[tat44too]

Marmot Eos 1P. $199 at Campmor (footprint is about $35). Awesome tent...

[leaftye]

Do you use trekking poles?

[Black Sheep]

And if you are sticking to $200, you should look at these:

Marmot Limelight 2
http://www.rei.com/product/791634/marmot-limelight-2-tent

REI Half Dome 2
http://www.rei.com/product/794294/rei-half-dome-2-tent

REI Half Dome 2+
http://www.rei.com/product/794294/rei-half-dome-2-tent

The Quarter Dome T2 is on sale right now. Maybe your best bet:
http://www.rei.com/product/761893/rei-quarter-dome-t2-tent

I know several people who have had experience with REI tents and have been quite happy with them. They aren't necessarily the lightest or latest tech, but well made and REI stands behind their stuff.

Good luck.

[Feral Bill]

My son has the Drifter 2. Very nice tent. He is tall, too.

[EastCoastFeastCoast]

For 200 bucks you can get a very nice hammock and tarp and sleep better than in your bed!

REI tents are very good in quality and comfort, however a lot of these tents have very nice features, be sure to look at that "packed weight" category. It might not bother you now, but knowing you DON'T have to carry the extra 2-3 pounds of weight will make a difference later on. Buy good and buy once.

[mweinstone]

grasshopper...come sit in the light of matthewski. you must see what you want to become. do you want to be a tent guy? all crammed in and figgity with polls and clips and vestibules and flys and repair kits and weight and cost and struggle and hardship and live with fear of spiders and mosquitoes and tics. or will you set your mind and body free and trust the universe and sprawl each sleep in the palacial estate of a black diamond bibler megalite with its 9x9 floorspace and its 144 cubic feet of interior space and its carbon fiber single pole that adjusts to any weather and its lightweight under 2 lbsness and its 179$ reasonability. with its optional floor and optional bugnet? will you please come out of your tents my people and sleep on the ground?!

[mweinstone]

dont you want to stand up and get dressed in your tent? i can. dont you want to know that in a hurricane if you had to you could actually dig a cathole in your tent? dont you want to have lots of company? and be able to step thru your door standing? and survive 70 mile an hour winds easily? and be warmer and dryer and be able to cook and spill and have the option to make four snow walls and pitch over it creating a space for 10?

[dillard]

Lots of other good suggestions... ill throw in my 2c.

I have the Mountain Hardwear Lightpath 2 and it is great for backpacking... I'll be taking it with me on my SOBO at the beginning of July. Weighs just over 4lbs packed, has a HUGE vestibule and plenty of room inside too. Moosejaw is having a sale right now so you could get the tent for $148 and the footprint for $32, well within your budget.

My only gripe is that its not freestanding.

http://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/shop/product_Mountain-Hardwear-Lightpath-2-Tent_10110304_10208_10000001_-1_

http://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/shop/product_Mountain-Hardwear-LightPath-2-Footprint-PL_10098509_10208_10000001_-1_

[Tinker]

http://www.bearpawwd.com/tents_tarps/pyraTent.html
Looks like a good one to me. Cuben for under $200.00??

Ok, ok- that's just for the "main tent" (without the vestibule). Still, you could have main tent, vestibule and bug protection for $300.00.

Here's another site: http://www.alpinlitegear.com/

[Captain_Slo]

The Eureka spitfire is an awesome little tent!

[rowdyredMTSU]

all of this input has only made the decision more difficult! I do not use trekking poles. The MSR Fast stash looks really cool. Anybody have any experience or insight regarding it? The quarterdome t2 and the lightpath 2 are also up for consideration. This may just come down to me biting my lip and making a decision.

thanks everybody

[Old Boots]

Checkout REI Quarterdome T1

[general]

drifter 2 is narrow for two people. it will accomodate, but no extra.

[dillard]

all of this input has only made the decision more difficult!

If it helps at all the lightpath 2 also has a "pitchlight" configuration where you can setup using only the footprint, fly and poles as a tarp tent of sorts... think its only 2.5 lbs when used that way so it keeps the ultralight option open.

[leaftye]

all of this input has only made the decision more difficult! I do not use trekking poles. The MSR Fast stash looks really cool. Anybody have any experience or insight regarding it?

From what I've read so far, the interior is not as big as the specs say they are. I believe it's a few inches smaller in every dimension. Too bad because it's a very nice shelter on paper.

[Jay_NJ]

The llbean tent is actually quite nice. It is small for 2, but HUGE for 1 person.... even with all its size the vestibule is lacking.

[300winmag]

GOOGLE TarpTent and look at their Moment solo tent. I have had one for 3 summers and love it. It's 28 oz., has a nice vestibule and really does set up in one minute.

Eric

[300winmag]

BTW, if you want a 2 person tent then look at the TarpTent Double Rainbow.

[Sierra Echo]

Get a MSR Hubba!

[LDog]

GOOGLE TarpTent and look at their Moment solo tent. I have had one for 3 summers and love it. It's 28 oz.

Is that your measurement, cause their site says 30. Is that a weight w/o stuff sack, poles, pegs? Am I splitting hairs?

[FamilyGuy]

My Moment was 32 on the nose with stuff sack and seam sealing.

[mister krabs]

How about the new Kelty Salida 2? (http://www.backpacker.com/editors-choice-2011-kelty-salida-2-tent-gear-zone/videos/150)

[dillard]

From what I've read so far, the interior is not as big as the specs say they are. I believe it's a few inches smaller in every dimension. Too bad because it's a very nice shelter on paper.

Where are you seeing this? I'll have to measure mine because in my experience it seemed every bit of what is advertised. I am 6' and fit fine inside this tent with room to spare.

[LDog]

I keep looking at solo and 2 person tents, and the one I keep coming back to is the new Six Moon Designs "Skyscape Trekker." 24 ozs for $225. Love the design. Lots of interior space. Uses hiking poles. The only tent on my radar with a better price to weight ratio is the Gossamer Gear "The One," and it ain't for sale. They have a sub-$200 version at a bit more weight. Part of me wishes I had pilled the trigger back when they were being offered at an introductory price. Not having any solo adventures in my near future makes it a bit of a frivolous expense tho.

[Black Sheep]

all of this input has only made the decision more difficult! I do not use trekking poles. The MSR Fast stash looks really cool. Anybody have any experience or insight regarding it? The quarterdome t2 and the lightpath 2 are also up for consideration. This may just come down to me biting my lip and making a decision.

thanks everybody
I demoed one for two nights. the back wall is at a pretty sharp angle, so the usable space is considerably less than measured dimensions. Also, it is really not very good in any kind of wind.

Kind of disappointing, because I really wanted to like this shelter. I went with the Six Moon Designs Skyscape Trekker for a solo shelter and have a Hubba Hubba HP for two.

[LDog]

... I went with the Six Moon Designs Skyscape Trekker for a solo shelter and ...

Do you have it yet? Do you like it? How is it for condensation?

[Black Sheep]

Do you have it yet? Do you like it? How is it for condensation?

I don't have it the Skyscape yet. I have not heard any updated shipping info, only sometime in July. :-?

[dillard]

Here is a picture set with the lightpath 2 next to a 6'2" model and with 2 72x20 pads in the tent floor so you get a better idea of interior size.

http://www.moontrail.com/mountain-hardwear-lightpath-2.php

[Black Sheep]

I'd save my pennies a while longer and just get a Hubba Hubba. I've known lots of people who own them (myself included), and have yet to meet one who regrets his/ her purchase.

[rowdyredMTSU]

I just purchased a lightpath 2 from klmountainshop.com for $140, the lightpath footprint from bigskycountry.com for around $40, and a reg. therm a rest z lite from zappos.com for $40 dollars. All were free shipping. I looked at my money situation and saw the lightpath as affordable and everything i needed. The z-lite was just icing on the cake. Thanks for the help everyone. A few of these suggestions have even spurred my interest in hammocks and tarptents. Who knows?

, Rowdy

[virgil]

REI and EMS both make good quality tents within your price range. See if either have a store near you and go talk with them about tents, specifically what you plan to use it for, pros and cons, and prices. You can do the same thing by email or phone, but in person is best. They have both been very helpful to me when I'm shopping for gear. They actually love to get out gear and mess around with it with customers. They sell their store brands and other brands as well. In the summer they always having some kind of sale or promotion on camping gear. Probably a Father's Day Sale right now.

[Leanthree]

Don't let perfect get in the way of good enough.