Indeed, there are many, many two-person backpacking tents on the market. But if you look carefully, you聮ll see that most of them are remarkably similar. They typically have three poles, usually two that run from corner to corner, and one that is mounted transversely to help balloon out the fly. They usually have two doors, placed either at the centerpoint of each side, or toward the 聯head” of the tent. Materials tend to be very similar, although higher-end tents may use some of the newer alloys in the poles.
Marmot Nyx tent
Marmot Nyx tent So what to look for? If I were to go out and buy a new tent tomorrow, my considerations would be, in order of importance:
Weight: I聮d want it to be under five pounds.
Door placement: I like two doors, toward the head of the tent.
Ease of setup: If I need the directions, it聮s too complicated. I prefer clips to sleeves for holding up the canopy.
Size: I聮m of average height so all tents fit me and most of the people I hike and bike with.
Price: Within reason, which is somewhere around $300.
Based on those parameters, what would I buy? Probably Black Diamond聮s Firstlight (www.bdel.com), one of a new generation of single-wall tents that use coated Epic fabric to create a tent that聮s light (three pounds, three ounces), tough, and rainproof in all but heavy, extended downpours. It does, however, cost $300, so that聮s outside of your announced budget. And the Firstlight isn聮t for everyone. Because it lacks a fly, you聮re going to get wet when you open the door in the rain. And two sleepers under certain conditions are probably going to create a helluva lot of condensation.
My second choice would be Marmot聮s Nyx (www.marmot.com), a traditional canopy-and-fly tent with lots of mesh, light and tough DAC poles, and a very reasonable trail weight of just under five pounds. It聮s $275, but if you move RIGHT NOW you can find it on a couple of different websites for $240. It聮s a good tent with state-of-the-art technology聴and a little more conservative pick than the Firstlight.
In the absence of sales, and with budget a genuine constraint, then REI聮s Quarter Dome (www.rei.com) likely is the winner. It聮s light (just over four pounds), has a weather-resistant canopy-and-fly design, and uses good-quality materials. It聮s a tad small (28 square feet), so not ideal for big campers. But it聮s a great buy at $209.
Check out this year聮s more than 400 must-have gear items, including , in the 2006 Buyer聮s Guide.