Hi all,

I'm in the early stages of building up my collection of gear for 3 (2 adults, 1 child). I'm doing well so far, having only been able to settle on...socks. Needless to say, I have paralysis by analysis at this point. Research is a tough mistress...

Rambling aside, I'm currently trying to settle on tents. I'm going to get a 1 person tent, as well as a 2 person tent, as it seems to be the most flexible solution. This post is about the 2 person tent.

I'm currently looking at:

Big Agnes Rattlesnake SL2 mtnGLO
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 (I'd be trying to find a good sale on this)

The Rattlesnake sounds rugged and like it'd be great in a variety of weather. Unfortunately, it's got a bit of heft to it.

The Copper Spur weighs a lot less and sounds great, but some people on the REI product page experienced durability issues and water leaks.

Question time!

Does anyone have experience with these tents?
Is the Rattlesnake SL2 too heavy for thru hiking?
Is there a better alternative?
Would these not work in an environment like Denali? (Most of my hiking would be on the AT or PCT, but thought I'd ask)

Sorry about the dumb questions! I'm just trying to make sure I get what's best for my family so that they have the maximum amount of fun and get as excited at the prospect of backpacking like I do. If that means going in a completely different direction than these 2 tents, then I am all ears!

Cheers