I'm looking for a good lightweight backpacking tent, and I was hoping for the OB's input. Don't want to break the bank, but don't want to go super cheap either. I'd say 300ish is probably my ceiling. I'm 6'4, so I'd like one a little more on the spacious side, but that's not a breaker if not. What do you guys think

Sierra Designs.

https://sierradesigns.com/nightwatch-2-fl/

Big Agnes Copper Spur 3 man. I got mine at an REI garage sale for 1/2 price.
https://www.rei.com/product/110291/big-agnes-copper-spur-hv-ul-3-tent

Are you by yourself? 1 man or 2 man? Type of weather?

I had a 2 man REI half dome that was good if split between 2 people when hiking. Lasted a long time and many backcountry hikes. I bought a 1 man tent/bivy but can't remember which one (it's not at my house). I love it. Extremely light weight but not necessarily good if you want to keep gear in the tent (rain, morning dew, etc.). Something like this: https://www.rei.com/product/879904/sierra-designs-tensegrity-1-fl-tent.

Take a look at REI Garage. Sales on lots of gear including tents.

REI Half Dome 2-plus.

Best tent ever made.

This particular trip is a summer trip to Alaska. Either one man or a super light two man (light two man probably bumps out of my price range).

kayakag said:

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REI Half Dome 2-plus.

Best tent ever made.

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Do you carry this solo

I've got a copper spur 3 man also. I've carried it for my wife and I, as well as me alone.

REI Half dome is nice if you can split it. I've got a Marmot firefly 2P that is decent if split up, but it's pretty bomb proof.

Big Agnes Seedhouse is a nice lightweight 2P (if you get cozy) or a nice 1P with some space. My buddy loves his. You can leave the tent body and just use the rainfly and sleep on the ground to save some weight. They go on sale on Steep and Cheap often.
Big Agnes Seedhouse 2P

I've been fairly happy with a Eureka Spitfire 1P for my solo trips, although there's better options out there. I just got a good deal on it.

I was going to suggest this one, but you're right about a light 2-person most likely busting your budget...

https://www.rei.com/product/863076/msr-hubba-hubba-nx-tent

I love my Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2. It's a 2-man tent, but I use it solo so that I can keep my pack inside the tent instead of putting it under the front-door canopy. Super light and worth every penny.

I'm not sure that you could go wrong with any Big Agnes or REI half-dome or quarter-done tents. All are very well made with high quality materials.

You don't want to carry REI half dome by yourself if you are carrying food and gear for a few days plus of backcountry (it can be done though).

I have my bivy you can take a look it if you want (it's in College Station and I'm in Houston but back and forth regularly).

Edit: you are talking about 2-3 lbs extra weight for a REI half Dome vs a 1 man. Not sure how much you are carrying or how far you are going but if you can stomach the weight you may want to get the Half Dome (or Big Agnes/other 2 man) just to provide flexibility in the future if you hike with a buddy or lady friend.

Half Dome is $199 and if you join REI you can get another 20% off.

The rainfly on my 15 year old Sierra Designs stopped repelling water. It got stored accidently in the attic over a hot texas summer. I called SD about buying a new one, turns out they don't make my tent anymore so instead of telling me to pound sand because it was a 15 year n ild tent I bought from Sierra Trading Post they gave me 25% any replacement tent I wanted on their website, even the clearance stuff. Because of that I will always recommend Sierra Designs.

thanks for all the opinions guys. a friend linked me to this site:

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

couple decent looking ones there within my price range, but I don't know much about them. REI is a proven brand that I've used for years, so my natural tendency is to go back to them.

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I love my Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2. It's a 2-man tent, but I use it solo so that I can keep my pack inside the tent instead of putting it under the front-door canopy. Super light and worth every penny.

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that's what I would ideally like a lightweight two man, because I hate using the little vestibule things.

I love my Big Agnes Seedhouse 2. It makes a great one man tent and good two person with the wife. Super light weight and but still tough enough to hold up to lots of trips to big bend. I had a copper spur that was too dainty and ripped on the first trip.

http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Backpacking-Tent-Reviews

Google my friend. OutdoorGearLab has everything.

reddog90 said:

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http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Backpacking-Tent-Reviews

Google my friend. OutdoorGearLab has everything.

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I'm vaguely aware of the google search engine. Sometimes I like to post on this board for real world peoples experiences and recommendations as well.

Another vote for the Copper Spur 3. Plenty of room for two plus a dog, repels rain and ventilates well, easy set up. I've used it hard for four years and it has held up well in all conditions. Yes, there are lighter tents out there and it's a bit pricey, but overall I've been very pleased with the Big Agnes

Presley OBannons Sword said:

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reddog90 said:

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http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Backpacking-Tent-Reviews

Google my friend. OutdoorGearLab has everything.

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I'm vaguely aware of the google search engine. Sometimes I like to post on this board for real world peoples experiences and recommendations as well.

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Oh, so you had already read through the OGL backpacking tent review?

Personally, I'd look at tarptent stuff.

Presley OBannons Sword said:

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thanks for all the opinions guys. a friend linked me to this site:

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

couple decent looking ones there within my price range, but I don't know much about them. REI is a proven brand that I've used for years, so my natural tendency is to go back to them.

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I've got TarpTent's Cloudburst 3. I bought it for a 2 man backcountry hunting tent. Great volume/weight. It has served me well. It's easy to set up and has kept me dry in snow, sleet, and rain.

My only complaint is feeding the tent poles through the sleeves during setup. Tent with external clips seem a bit faster.

Presley OBannons Sword said:

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thanks for all the opinions guys. a friend linked me to this site:

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

couple decent looking ones there within my price range, but I don't know much about them. REI is a proven brand that I've used for years, so my natural tendency is to go back to them.

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I have a contrail, which is an earlier version of the protrail. Sets up super fast, has kept me dry thru some decent storms, and is very light. It's not a place I'd want to sit and ride out a storm, but for sleeping in it has plenty of room. It won't be as warm or condensation free as a double wall tent, but some sacrifices have to be made for a light, reasonably priced shelter.

reddog90 said:

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Presley OBannons Sword said:

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reddog90 said:

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http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Backpacking-Tent-Reviews

Google my friend. OutdoorGearLab has everything.

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I'm vaguely aware of the google search engine. Sometimes I like to post on this board for real world peoples experiences and recommendations as well.

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Oh, so you had already read through the OGL backpacking tent review?

Personally, I'd look at tarptent stuff.

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Yes, I've read a ton of reviews, including that one. Just wanted to hear personal preferences

I think I'm leaning towards big Agnes

https://www.ospreypacks.com/us/en/product/atmos-ag-65-ATMOS65.html

This is what I use for backpacking trips 3+ days. I love it and osprey has one of the best warranties of any product I've ever bought.

Edit: Nevermind. I should read more then the first sentence. Thought you were looking for backpack.

This is the tent I bring when backpacking

http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/sportsmans/mobile/Alps-Mountaineering-Mystique-1.5-Backpacking-Tent/productDetail/Backpacking-Tents/prod70781/cat100836?ref=google?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shoppingfeeds&utm_term=1192499&utm_campaign=GDF&gdffi=956ae87823e94c98adceb63322121bc0&gdfms=16BFCFC0CBD8441DB3F8CD4EF65BE346&gclid=COmRx7uP-NICFYy2wAod-FsIbA

Big Agnes Cooper Spur UL2. Lightweight, but enough room to stretch out and put your pack in the tent.

I mostly use a hammock when I backpack now but I had an old REI half dome for several years until the rainfly started leaking. I now have the Sierra Designs Lightning 2 tent and am pretty happy with it. I don't believe they make it anymore but the Nightwatch 2 mentioned is similar and probably more enjoyable with being able to retract the rainfly.

You might also find some good deals like this on steep and cheap

https://www.steepandcheap.com/big-agnes-fly-creek-1-platinum-tent-1-person-3-season-bag000t?skid=BAG000T-SIL-ONESIZ&ti=UExQIENhdDozLVNlYXNvbiBUZW50czoyOjMxOnNhY0NhdDcxMTAwMDQx

Steep and Cheap is a solid site. Bought two frame packs and a jacket off there.

kayakag said:

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REI Half Dome 2-plus.

Best tent ever made.

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+1 for the half dome 2 plus. I've used it about 6 times in the last half year and really like it. One night was in decent rain and I had no problems.

REI just sent out a 20% off coupon with an additional 20% off garage items. Coupon code MEMLOVE20. There are some seriously good deals that may be in OP's price range. Or, in true OB fashion, pay a little more for something much better.

SC-AG said:

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REI just sent out a 20% off coupon with an additional 20% off garage items. Coupon code MEMLOVE20. There are some seriously good deals that may be in OP's price range. Or, in true OB fashion, pay a little more for something much better.

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yeah I think I'm just going to go the REI route. I got an REI gift guard with AMEX points, plus I have a gift card from my birthday still, so I can get down to my out of pocket being not too bad, even if I end up north of 300.

what items are/aren't available to use dividend dollars on?

Presley OBannons Sword said:

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what items are/aren't available to use dividend dollars on?

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Good question. I never seem to have any dividend dollars when I'm ready to make a big purchase, so unfortunately I don't know that answer.

To echo what a few others have already posted...

REI Half Dome 2 or 2 Plus depending on gear, space, company, etc. Half Dome has about 32' square feet of floor space versus 38 square feet for the 2 plus. Great ROI on both of these tents. Wife and I backpack in the 2 plus. Not a fan of the Quarter Dome. It is a little lighter but has smaller zippers, doesn't seem as durable (i.e. mesh and fabric), is more complicated to set up, and considerably more expensive.

You could always break the bank and go with a high-end MH, BA, MSR, Hilleberg, etc. Just depends on what you are going to use it for (3-season vs 4-season, etc) and how frequently.

Another thought is the bivy route. I solo in an Outdoor Research Alpine Bivy. If you've never done it before, the first couple of nights can be a little rough because you feel a little more exposed/vulnerable and might become a little hypersensitive to everything. Second night was a lot easier because I went pretty hard that day and was completely spent by the time I crawled into the bivy.

I know there has been somewhat of a paradigm shift recently with the emergence of backpacking hammocks but they aren't for me...

Hope this helps and good luck. Encouraging that there are so many gearheads on the board...