Tell me about your backpacking tent!

[soonersfan]

I am looking for a compact backpacking tent that will accommodate two people. I am a big guy, 6'5" 245 so I realize I will need at least a 3 person tent to work for 2 people. Some of these tents seem long enough but I am concerned with the angle of the walls, I will be head and toe.

I am not a backpacker but I am planning to do some multi-day kayaking trips. So, size and weight are a concern but I could probably tolerate a couple extra lbs if it saves some $$$. I have been looking at Big Agnes, Ketly, Sierra Designs and Nemo. I'm leaning towards Big Agnes just because I am so darn happy with their sleeping bags and pads right now.

If you any of you have real world experience and recommendations though, I would appreciate it. Also, any suggestions on what features I should be looking for would be great.

 

[gobi_recon]

I'm a big fan of the MSR Hubba Hubba but my backpacking tent before that was a REI Half Dome 2 and it held up really well

 

[vegasjeepguy]

The last time I backpacked was 10 years ago and my backpacking tent is a North Face tent that I bought in the early 1990s. It served me well and was relatively roomy for a three person 3 season tent. I still have it and my son used it 2 years ago on a family camping trip to Utah. One of the best suggestions I’ve heard is to divide up the tent components if you are hiking with a buddy to share the burden. One person takes the tent and the other the poles and rain fly.

Not mine, but pretty much exactly like mine

 

[Truckee]

^^^I have the 2-person version of that tent. I think it's called a Lunar Light. 20 years old. What have tent manufacturers been doing all that time to improve on it's design?

 

[Cort]

I love Sierra Designs tents. I have a tensigrity which is the precursor to this design and love it for the weight. Being a single wall will get some condensation however.


https://sierradesigns.com/divine-light-2-fl/

 

[soonersfan]

I'm leaning towards a 3 person tent. Right now the Sierra Designs Sweet Suite 3 is the front runner. It has 2 doors with a small vestibule outside each door and weighs in at 4lbs 4oz packed weight. For the money, it seems like the best value.

 

[Cort]

That’s an awesome tent, you are going to love it! SD puts a lot of small details in their tents and not a lot of useless marketing garbage. Remember to seam seal when you get it!

 

[vegasjeepguy]

Remember to seam seal when you get it!

This! Living in the desert it is easy to forget.

 

[RedSheep]

https://www.tarptent.com/stratospire2.html.

 

[soonersfan]

https://www.tarptent.com/stratospire2.html.

Do you have any personal experience with these? They look interesting and I really like the way they show pictures of the tents with sleeping pads inside. The weight is good too.

 

[RedSheep]

yes and no .... I actuality do have one and have carried it around in my pack but only ever set it up once, in the yard when I first got it ..lol (was planning on doing a lot more hiking at the time, then somehow got seriously sidetracked and ended up getting a lot fatter instead).. so the last few years all of my camping has been with the little guys and cub scouts or out of the jeep using my almost 20 year old ozark trail 4 man tent, that's big enough for me to set my teton xxl cot up in.

 

[persquank]

Do you have any personal experience with these? They look interesting and I really like the way they show pictures of the tents with sleeping pads inside. The weight is good too.

The problem with this type of setup is the dependency on staking everything down. If the ground is soft the stakes come out. If the ground is hard, you can damage the stakes. If you want to set the tent up on concrete, too bad. The second line in the features says "Fast setup — 2 minutes from sack to pitched" and that is simply not possible on all ground conditions.

I used to go backpacking a lot and the tents I prefer are usually dome/free standing tents. The only parts that need to be staked out are the rain fly or entryway. I picked up a hilariously small 1 person tent made by ALPS Mountaineering. My expectations were low but it turned out just fine for what I needed. They make bigger tents as well.

 

[HEYElliott]

I use a Big Agnes fly creek UL 2 and it weighs less than 1 kilo. They come in a 3 person version to give a little more space; they offer other trim packages ill call them that can be a little less expensive but weigh a little more.

 

[Rubyredfozzy]

I have been a juge fan of snugpak. They have a ton of different types of tents, all are light weight and easy to set up. They have several that would fit your description of what you are looking for.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using OB Talk mobile app

 

[JimInBC]

Paddling I usually carry an old Eureka! Timberline 2 person with a vestibule It is long, has survived a bunch of storms, though can be hot. When it is my wife and my son backpacking I carry a TNF Stormbreak3.

 

[Horse Soldier]

6 ft commercial grade black trash bag and a poncho liner for warmth. US Cavalry Scout.

 

[Imperial Taco]

I am looking for a compact backpacking tent that will accommodate two people. I am a big guy, 6'5" 245 so I realize I will need at least a 3 person tent to work for 2 people. Some of these tents seem long enough but I am concerned with the angle of the walls, I will be head and toe.

I am not a backpacker but I am planning to do some multi-day kayaking trips. So, size and weight are a concern but I could probably tolerate a couple extra lbs if it saves some $$$. I have been looking at Big Agnes, Ketly, Sierra Designs and Nemo. I'm leaning towards Big Agnes just because I am so darn happy with their sleeping bags and pads right now.

If you any of you have real world experience and recommendations though, I would appreciate it. Also, any suggestions on what features I should be looking for would be great.

Hey OP,

So I am bigger guy not as tall but broad shoulders and I have been camping all over the world with various tents and what not. In you situation I'd look at a tunnel style tent they tend to be longer than a side door tent and are more common for long hikes / expeditions as they are more stable in high winds and with heavy snow loads. I have a few buddies I used to backpack with (6'7", 6'3", 6'9" although nothing really worked perfect for him ;) ) and they loved the tunnel style for the extra length it offers.

As someone above pointed out your gonna want to get a "free standing tent" of some sort it makes life way way easier and you can set it up in the wet and still keep it relatively dry (ie foot print and Fly go up 1st then the tent inner).

As for brands well that's a personal decision and $$ plays a huge factor in it for most as well. I will offer my 2 cents and I'd suggest hitting up some of the back packing gear review sites to get an idea for your environment (I am not sure where you are or where your going)

please keep in mind that I have done most of my camping / hiking in either the PNW CAN & US, Sub Arctic, Atlantic coastal areas. So lots and lots of Wet and not really all that warm. I have spent time in various deserts for work but we used all NEMO equipment and its super expensive (some over $1000 per 1 person tent)

Big Anges - Copper Spur 2: I loved this tent it was just a joy to camp with not really long so that is an issue for you but it was a great great tent.

MSR Hubba Hubba HP - this is the model prior to the new MSR Hubba Hubba NX and I really liked it I would buy one again in a second found the feel to be roomier than the Spur 2 but the vestibuals were small and in really heavy storms you could get splash up from the ground into the tent only happend once but still happend. I have been told that MSR has fixed the issue and extended the tub floor up by 2 or 3 in and that solved the problem. again though not all that long better than the Spur 2 I thought though.

NEMO Losi - I like NEMO and love the Mil Spec tents they have but I was not really impressed with this tent it was kind of closed feeling and seemed a little tight so for a big guy I'd avoid it.

TNF Road Runner 33 - so this is not a great back packing tent a little heavy and can be a bit of a SOB to set up in the wind but all in all great for car camping or just hanging out at the beach / site not sure I'd pack it in with me but its never ever let me down interms of water getting in or falling apart in high winds. It was a cheap tent to get when compared to the ones above so it might fit your bill it will also hold a queen size costco air mat so lot and lots of room.

SnugPak - Yep almost all of my British Army buddies use this brand they have some really good gear and make a quality product I have found their tents to be a little heavy to carry good amount of room though had 2 guys plus rucks and fighting order little short on space at that point but without all the crap it was roomy. having said that for the money I'd personaly get something that's lighter and not subdued in colour. (always nice to have a giant bright Fly to signal for help if you need it)

I know I have put alot of info here (at least I hope I have) but I am going to link you a tent that I have never used but several of my taller friends have and they recommend it. I have had good luck with the brand and we use some of their stuff for work and its held up well given how hard we are on our kit.

https://www.mountainhardwear.com/pathfinder-3-tent-1765491.html?cgid=equipment-tents-camping&dwvar_1765491_variationColor=073#start=7

this is a freestanding tunnel style tent they have a 2 and 3 person version might be worth a real look they are longer and the brand is not crap.

enjoy the trip and let me know what direction you go and how it works for you its always good to have another insight when it comes to kit.

Cheers

 

[freedomomelet]

^^^I have the 2-person version of that tent. I think it's called a Lunar Light. 20 years old. What have tent manufacturers been doing all that time to improve on it's design?

Ha! I have that exact tent as well. Just retired it but that thing went forever and on many trips. I now have a north face tadpole2 that works very similar and I believe is the newer version of that old one. Being shorter helps with this design because you can only get out of that one end so for the taller folks, I suggest one that you can get into from the sides. Always get one with a vestibule that can stake out and put gear/shoes under.

The tip for kayakers is to get a tent with METAL poles and those that fold up shorter in length rather than longer. Easier to get in and out of your bulk hatches.

 

[rvrgrip]

I am looking for a compact backpacking tent that will accommodate two people. I am a big guy, 6'5" 245 so I realize I will need at least a 3 person tent to work for 2 people. Some of these tents seem long enough but I am concerned with the angle of the walls, I will be head and toe.

I am not a backpacker but I am planning to do some multi-day kayaking trips. So, size and weight are a concern but I could probably tolerate a couple extra lbs if it saves some $$$. I have been looking at Big Agnes, Ketly, Sierra Designs and Nemo. I'm leaning towards Big Agnes just because I am so darn happy with their sleeping bags and pads right now.

If you any of you have real world experience and recommendations though, I would appreciate it. Also, any suggestions on what features I should be looking for would be great.

Zpacks.com

 

[PicNick]

This is the tent that we use when my fiance and I go camping together in the summer (which in louisiana is 80% of the year). The fact that it is mesh on all 4 sides keeps us pretty cool. The rainfly has an opening on two sides, which means you don't have to climb over each other in the middle of the night if someone needs to take a leak. We've used it in 30F weather before on kayak trip and piled sand on the edges of the rainfly to help keep the heat in and we stayed pretty comfortable (mind you we also had 10F+ rated sleeping bags and high R-value sleeping pads). If you have hiking poles, you can use them to hold the front flap straight out like an awning. Also, its fairly light and stores pretty compactly. We slept 3 fully grown men in it with a little room to spare at our feet.