looking for a good, light 2 person tent that won't kill my wallet

[xhavok]

Hi there, I used to backpack a lot as a boy scout but when I moved and didn't re join the scouts I kind of stopped but recently I have had the itch to go on more camping and hiking trips.
me and my buddy have been using his parents big old 6 person tent but its hard to go on extended hikes with a tent that size and weight and there really isn't any reason to. I would like to buy a good, reliable 2 person tent that won't kill my wallet but so far I cannot decide. I am hoping to slowly collect my gear and do a section hike next spring.
right now I am looking at buying this tent: http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___28253
it has good reviews and seems to be pretty decent except for the weight which I heard can be brought down if I get some aluminum poles for it. what do you guys think?

[Rasty]

Save another $100 and get another tent. Or look for a used Tarptent or something similar. 6-1/2# is heavy. Watch Whiteblaze daily as someone is always selling. Good luck.

[canoe]

The tent is a little heavy for 2person. But after carrying a 6 man tent it will feel like a feather. Price is good. You might look at some clearence sections of some of the big stores. You might cut that 6lbs in half for a little more green.

[jakedatc]

+1 you should be in the 3lb range or less. Lightheart Duo, TT double rainbow, Big agnes Fly Creek 2 or UL2,

they are more expensive but with proper care they will last much longer than the Eureka due to better materials and construction.

[xhavok]

+1 you should be in the 3lb range or less. Lightheart Duo, TT double rainbow, Big agnes Fly Creek 2 or UL2,

they are more expensive but with proper care they will last much longer than the Eureka due to better materials and construction.

those are all nice but a bit expensive, and tarp tents have always felt like they are about to fall down on me, could just take some getting used to ;-)

[leaftye]

those are all nice but a bit expensive, and tarp tents have always felt like they are about to fall down on me, could just take some getting used to ;-)

Probably because you're not tensioning the lines enough or putting heavy rocks on your stakes. It's a problem lots of backpackers have. Many tents fail needlessly because they weren't tight enough or because a stake gets pulled out. I've seen it a few times with friends I've hiked with, and I did encourage a better pitch. Even the best tents become limp noodles when they're not set up well.

[xhavok]

Probably because you're not tensioning the lines enough or putting heavy rocks on your stakes. It's a problem lots of backpackers have. Many tents fail needlessly because they weren't tight enough or because a stake gets pulled out. I've seen it a few times with friends I've hiked with, and I did encourage a better pitch. Even the best tents become limp noodles when they're not set up well.

that makes sense, I may start out with a cheap tarp tent to get used to it. One of my friends that did a section hike earlier this year has also recommended hiking with a hammock and bivy to conserve weight but I think I would feel more comfortable with some walls

[jakedatc]

that makes sense, I may start out with a cheap tarp tent to get used to it. One of my friends that did a section hike earlier this year has also recommended hiking with a hammock and bivy to conserve weight but I think I would feel more comfortable with some walls

If you are worried about $ then get what you want FIRST. wasting money by buying something that isn't what you want makes no sense. even if you re-sell it you won't get all of your money back.

you can't use a bivy in a hammock. and those require even more skill to set up correctly than a tarp tent.

[jakedatc]

Probably because you're not tensioning the lines enough or putting heavy rocks on your stakes. It's a problem lots of backpackers have. Many tents fail needlessly because they weren't tight enough or because a stake gets pulled out. I've seen it a few times with friends I've hiked with, and I did encourage a better pitch. Even the best tents become limp noodles when they're not set up well.

Yep, trade skill/technique for weight. or don't :shrug: it is like saying your car drives like crap with loose lug nuts.

my lightheart Solo has 6 guylines and is damn solid when set up. my old Contrail had 6 and and optional 7th guyline and it was solid.

[leaftye]

Buying aluminum poles separately is expensive. Easily over $50, plus shipping, plus possibly a tool to cut the poles.

The link you posted isn't working for me right now. I think it's a problem with Campmor's site. You were asking about Eureka Apex 2 XT for $120? That tent is also sold by Kelty. It's probably made by the same factory in China, but rebranded for different companies. There's a very similar tent that's sold by Kelty, Mountainsmith, Asolo and several other companies...all exactly the same except for colors and labels. The difference is that tent already has aluminum poles, has a fly without the curved cutouts, and is often found for less than $150. That'd be a much better deal for you imo.

[leaftye]

Alps is another company that sells that tent I was talking about. The Alps Mountaineering Lynx 2 can be found for $130-140 on Amazon and REI. It's ~5 pounds.

As others said, you could definitely get a much lighter tent, but it's hard to find a fully enclosed lightweight tent in that price range. One option is the Golite Shangri La 2 if it comes back in stock at the $150 price that's currently listed.

http://www.golite.com/Shangri-La-2-Tent-P46826.aspx

[Studlintsean]

I got an REI half dome that is a nice 2 person tent. I think it's around 5 lbs which is still a little heavy but a little better than 6 lbs. Might be worth looking in to.

[xhavok]

yeah so I've been noticing, I was also looking at the rei camp dome 2 tent, it doesn't get review that are as good however

[swjohnsey]

Eureka Backcountry II

[Studlintsean]

I recently got a TT from my brother which I really like. It's a 1 person but the 2 person I'm sure are great ( or so I've read).

[xhavok]

how about these ones? hopefully these campmor links work lol

Marmot - Limelight 2P - 2 Person Tent
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___28605

Eureka Scenic Pass 2 Tent
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___27907#

Marmot EarlyLight 2P - 2 Person Tent
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___27959

most of the other tents that are slightly above this price range seem to weigh more for some reason?

[Driver8]

+1 on the Half Dome 2 from REI. If you are willing to get up early and wait in line for a couple hours, the REI garage sales - they have a few a year - are a good way to get good stuff at steep discount. They sell their rental tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, etc., at approximately 80% off. Lots of clothes, shoes and other stuff there. I think it would be hard to do much better than that, though it is used stuff.

[Rasty]

If your budget is real tight try this if you cant wait.

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___28317 $160

I think 90% of everyone here has bought a tent that fit the budget and then regretted it later. It's part of learning. My first tent was a Eureka Timberline at 7#. I still have the 4 person version which at 10# isn't bad at all when I make the kids carry it!

[sublimety]

I vote for the marmot limelight2, It may not be the lightest tent in the world but in my experience it has held up great, you can usually find it for under $200. It offers a quick pitch also to further reduce its weight. If you happen to go this route get the newer model, it has some new features that improve the tent overall.

[fredmugs]

I vote for the marmot limelight2, It may not be the lightest tent in the world but in my experience it has held up great, you can usually find it for under $200. It offers a quick pitch also to further reduce its weight. If you happen to go this route get the newer model, it has some new features that improve the tent overall.

I also have a Limelight 2. My hiking partner calls it "bullet proof." It has stood up to the desert winds on the PCT and any rain storm I have encountered so far. You can shave a pound off of the weight by not using the ground cloth that comes with it.

I am 6' 3" and two people my size could fit in that thing. It is a true 2 person tent. And you can set the whole thing up in 5 minutes.