That is exactly my issue.
We tend to hike 10 -14 miles, depending on how difficult the hike was. But having something with some room is a desire.
So with that being said, I believe I am leaning towards a largish double walled tent. I am not overly concerned on whether it weighs 2.5 pounds or 4.5 pounds, but rather, having a small packed size would be nice (especially since I end up carrying some of their stuff). Having a tent that would comfortably fit an adult and a growing child would be nice too.
My first thought last week was the Quarter Dome 2. According to the website this weighs 3 pounds, has an area of about 29 square feet (peak height of 40 inches) and has a packed volume of about 825 cubic inches (assuming I am doing my math correctly).
So I suppose I am kind of using that as my base of comparison. As a note we currently have a QD3 and this gives us an area of 39 square feet which averages to 13 square feet per person when I am with both my boys.
So now I am looking at all the options Tarptent offers. I've watched videos and read the specs. It is my understanding that for the tents that require a trekking pole I could simply purchase a pole directly from TT. It seems that I could choose from the Double Moment, Scarp 2 and the StratoSpire 2.
This is the part where I am going to try to interpret the numbers and pictures and I may need some help.
The Double Moment can be set up without trekking poles. It's floor area is 26.8 sq ft which seems to be a bit on the smaller side (of the tents I'm considering). It has two entry ways on each side and it packs down to 353 cubic inches, which is considerably smaller than the Quarter Dome 2.
The Scarp 2 is another double walled tent that will fit two or more and does not require trekking poles. It's a bit heavier than the DM but also roomier with 31 square feet. It packs down more so than the DM (but really both pack down much more than the QD2). This tent also has dual entry on the sides.
Finally the StratoSpire 2 is the last double wall tent. This is a dual entry tent on each side. It looks like I would have to purchase an 8 oz alternate pole set in order to set this tent up. But it is even lighter than the Scarp 2 (which may not be the case if I need to purchase poles in order to set it up), has the same floor area as the Scarp 2 (higher peak height though) which can widen at the expense of the bathtub floor and packs down more than the Scarp 2.
The QD2 that I am also contemplating weighs roughly similar to the three TTs that I just wrote about, maybe even a bit less. It's area is 29 square feet which is a bit less than the Scarp2 and the SS2. It's peak height is less (which is an indicator of roomyness?) but rather importantly it packs down to 825 cubic inches, which is roughly four times the amount of the Scarp 2 and the SS2.
Do I have it about right?
Again, thank you so much for the collective wisdom of the board.