Camping Tents

[jstim]

I have two, three if you include my ENO hammock with bug net and tarp.

I have a Mountain Hardware Trango 2, and a Drifter 2 tent. I roll 2 man all the time so theres room for me and my dog if I am solo. Or if I am with someone we can split the weight. The Trango 2 is great for the real cold, been in it at -40. Its a good time. Black Diamond definately gets the nod on tents though from me.

 

[MStudt]

Is there a price limit on this? I have several in my closet, and for all seasons.

For winter I still use my North Face Mountain 25 tent that is about 7 years old. Here it is on a trip to Maine a couple January's ago. Cost around $500, and I would recommend this for winter use. It's a bit heavy, but it does keep the heat in VERY well.

For the spring and fall I use a GoLite Wolf Creek UL2. This is from the Obsidian Trail in Oregon last year. This is around $300, and is also on the heavy side around 4lbs. I would not recommend this tent. It has a poor pole design, and while it's free standing. It doesn't stand very well unless you stake it out.

For warmer weather backpacking we've switched over to hammocks. I don't have any pictures of those. One tent that I would highly recommend I don't have my own picture of. I have this tent on order, and it's what I'm taking with me on the AT this year. It's a Big Sky Soul x2 tent, and the weight is 24.5 ounces, and is a whopping $785! This will be a free tent when I finish though, due to a thru-hiker discount.

 

[Mtn.Rush]

I like the marmot tent... for single person camping. Thanks for sharing!

I have the marmot halo 6 and love it. It's perfect for 3-4 people and gear, plenty of room. That's it in my little avatar.

 

[BrianSD_42]

I've been very happy with my Eureka Apex 3 man tent. I bought it around 2006 and its held up great. The new model seems a bit different but I'm sure it is good as well.

 

[gshadow325]

Better pictures of the RTT from this past weekend. Four kids and one adult. Kids slept on top in the bed. I pumped up a air mattress and slept in the annex under the ladder... Like a troll lol. This way I would know if the were going out.

 

[DannyLlama]

I have the marmot halo 6 and love it. It's perfect for 3-4 people and gear, plenty of room. That's it in my little avatar.

Oh cool! Yea I'm actually on the craigslist hunt for a used one, not sure if I should get a 3 or 4 person one. Our current 4 person is snug for 2 people, so i think that would work better.

I read reviews and watched many videos and the construction of the Limelight is really cool in that it sits up higher than average tent because of the way it's designed. I'm 6'1 and can use all the height real estate I can get.

 

[Mtn.Rush]

Oh cool! Yea I'm actually on the craigslist hunt for a used one, not sure if I should get a 3 or 4 person one. Our current 4 person is snug for 2 people, so i think that would work better.

I read reviews and watched many videos and the construction of the Limelight is really cool in that it sits up higher than average tent because of the way it's designed. I'm 6'1 and can use all the height real estate I can get.

The Halo 6 is perfect for tall people as well, plenty of standing room and I can put it up myself. The only pain in the ass part is the rain fly. I can and usually do it myself but is a bit of a pain. Ive gone out in it by myself and with my son and the amount of space is great. Me/him and nice sized table for food/water/clothing all our Mtn. bike stuff (all nutrition stuff layed out.) Im on Long Island so no bear/big cat etc. fear of leaving food in there. In the rear vestibule I put a portable toilet so no need to venture outside too. Its amazing in heavy wind and rain, not a drop in and being the venatlation is so good no condinsation inside. And if you didnt know Marmots customer service is flat out amazing.

 

[DannyLlama]

The Halo 6 is perfect for tall people as well, plenty of standing room and I can put it up myself. The only pain in the ass part is the rain fly. I can and usually do it myself but is a bit of a pain. Ive gone out in it by myself and with my son and the amount of space is great. Me/him and nice sized table for food/water/clothing all our Mtn. bike stuff (all nutrition stuff layed out.) Im on Long Island so no bear/big cat etc. fear of leaving food in there. In the rear vestibule I put a portable toilet so no need to venture outside too. Its amazing in heavy wind and rain, not a drop in and being the venatlation is so good no condinsation inside. And if you didnt know Marmots customer service is flat out amazing.

The table part is pretty cool to have all that space.
Do share some photos of the inside of the tent with all the gear!

 

[Mtn.Rush]

Sorry I dont have any inside shots of the set up. The bathroom is great, I can just use the toilet in the rear vestibule or set this tent up right in the backof the tent for easy access.

 

[Mgyver1]

I have a 6 person Turbo Tent Pine Deluxe from Black Pine Sports. It's canvas and is considered a 4 season tent. I set it up in the garage and made sure it would fit my Disc-o-bed bunk cots which it did with room to spare.

I'm very impressed with the quality of the tent (Although for as much as it cost it better be nice!). It has plenty of stand up room and lots of little neat features like all the zippers have cord with reflective threading. Also every single thing that can zip back has a tie back. The zippers seem very heavy duty and the floor seems good quality. It's not a true tarp bottom and I still put a tarp down under it but it's not paper thin nylon. The window shades zip closed from the outside and the mesh windows can also be unzipped from the inside or outside. It has mesh openings at the top of the tent that can be zip closed.

Obviously the cons are the weight (50 lbs), packed size and price, but it's practically a mobile condominium. It seems like the same quality as a RTT, but no memory foam mattress and you have to carry it. I did notice a seam that was stitched improperly and the company sent me a new tent right away when I emailed them pictures of the problem, so their customer service has been impressive too. I still want a RTT but this will still be my tent for family trips when all of us go. So if you want a good quality canvas tent but can't swing a couple grand, this is a good alternative, I paid less than $600 when they were doing a vendor special at Costco.

 

[DannyLlama]

Just picked up Coleman tent from Costo. It's a pop up easy set up tent from Costco for $80 !!!! that's a steal! Similar ones online are going for $150

Coleman Instant Dome 5 Tent-Tents-Hiking & Backpacking-Outdoor-GEAR - Sport Chalet

The price is almost too good to be true.

 

[jdigitty]

Eureka Apex 2, Solo is has plenty of room and the few time the wife went you can fit a queen size air bed in it. doors on both sides makes it convince and the rain fly has room for your gear.

Eureka Apex 2 - Tent | Campmor

 

[96 ToyRunner]

Haaaaa all y'all with your baby tents jklol I sleep in a old military pup tent and I love it its a beast and I got it for $25 :banana:

 

[NewguyNY]

When I'm backpacking or minimalist camping I usually just build a shelter. I do have a standard issue Gortex Bivy that I'll use sometimes too though.

For car camping with the Fam I have a couple of tents.

1st is a North Face Boulder. 2/3 person 3 season. After roughly a decade it just wore out and is no longer rain proof.
I replaced it with a Marmot Kronos 4 person 3 season. After 2 seasons of use I would definitely recommend it. Simple setup, durable, weatherproof and roomy. Nice sized vestibule too.
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/marmot-kronos-tent-4-person-3-season~p~1461r/

 

[iBison]

My backpacking tent is a Marmot Titan 2, love it. I've got a big ass coleman when the wife and air mattress go, an old Eureka tent that was used in a scout jamboree years ago and 4 tents I bought on clearance this winter that I'm going to flip in a few weeks.

 

[CatskillsRunner]

tents

I have a 1999 Mountain Hardwear 3 season Light Wedge that I've spent a whole lot of time in. Looks brand new. Been snowed on but was just as successful in the desert in the summer. It's a fine tent with a window in the vestibule and enough room for 3 people or 2 and a dog. I really love it.

We just got an REI Kingdom 4 last winter, which really is a palace. Its hardest test came last summer, when we camped in the middle of the Green River in UT on a sandbar. The thunderstorms and wind raged all night, and that tent took it all in stride. My 6'2" husband loves that he can stand up in it. Plenty of room for 4 people, or 2 adults, one 4 year old, and enough stuffed animals to keep the 4year old smiling.

My husband has a Mountain Hardwear bivy that he uses when peak bagging solo or with friends, and he loves it because he is a light packer and that tent is very capable for the weight and size it takes up in his pack.

I believe in spending money on really quality tents and then keeping them for 15 years.

First pic. is the REI, the others are of the 16 year old Mountain Hardwear.

 

[DannyLlama]

^ pics?

 

[RAD4Runner]

Really Depends on Kind of Trip

For car camping where it's easy to pack up and sleep in truck when weather gets worse. I use the best value tent with full-coverage rainfly. Full-coverage means that rainfly goes all the way down to the ground. REI and Kelty make good ones and their logos do not cost you an extra hundred bucks.

Ah gotcha, that makes more sense. Another option, just for variety, would be to get a 2 person tent with the option to add on a vestibule, like this one from Black Diamond:

For hardcore backcountry trips, I favor minimalist Bibler (background)/Black Diamond (foreground) iTents (similar to, but heavier-duty than MtnT4R's example ^^)...

Minimal sleeping space (good for 2 very good friends) but roomier vestibule than many other tents. Vestibule is removable so I leave it behind for milder weather.
When there's odd number of people in team, I sleep in my bivy sack (Motel 6 above)

I have the older 2-door version so:
1) One can comfortably tend the stove, while the partner can safely use the other door to run errands, like gather snow (make sure it's not yellow- LOL!) to melt for water. A single-door model is unsafe and less convenient because the partner would have to tiptoe over the stove in order to enter/exit the tent.

2) It is well-ventilated and works as well in the tropics as in alpine conditions...

Rainforest Camp, Mount Apo, Southern Philippines

Lake Helen, Mount Shasta, California

 

[DannyLlama]

[MENTION=80771]RAD4Runner[/MENTION] What is the make/model of the tent in the last photo?

 

[RAD4Runner]

[MENTION=80771]RAD4Runner[/MENTION] What is the make/model of the tent in the last photo?

It's the Bibler ITent. Older model with 2 doors.