Hi guys, what's up?

I am in the market for a new tent. I love hiking and backpacking, but have never owned quality equipment. On my recent visit to the States I started upgrading some stuff (due to the ridiculously low prices compared to Norway's). I am now researching tents and starting to get an idea of what I need, both from previous experience and from reading about different features.

I will list the points that are important to me, and elaborate on them after:

1 two person tent
2 will be used for backpacking + the road-trip-camping-with-car-close-by trips)
3 it has to be waterproof, and prevent condensation well
4 withstanding the occasional mild snowfall is a plus
5 guypoints for better handling of strong winds
6 pole sleeves for better over-all stability
7 two doors is a big plus, although I suppose one door would serve as an exit/entrance as well
8 long enough for me (6'4.5" tall)
9 fit two sleeping pads around 20" wide
10 not choke of heatstroke in (Norwegian) summer nights

This summarizes my needs pretty well. I realize this may be too much for just one tent, but I thought I would ask for help before deciding anything.

1 My girlfriend and me will be using it most of the time (read: all of the time)

2 We enjoy just walking out in the nature, either in forests, up in the mountains, by the river; pretty much anything. Also, we're big on road-trips or car vacations. We then check in at campgrounds or just find fitting campsites as we drive (in Norway you can camp anywhere as long as you're not obtrusive to others and land owners). Having good vestibules with room for some gear, and having a little wriggle-space in the tent itself, is important. We're camping to enjoy ourselves, not merely as a place to spend the night. We might play cards, watch a movie on the Mac, etc.

3 Rain is common in Norway, and often comes unexpectedly. I have slept in a tent that did not handle heavy rains once... NEVER AGAIN

4 Snow is also common once you gain some height, even in late spring and early fall. I don't mean heavy snows that really add weight on top, but the occasional mild snowfall. I'm sure you understand what I mean?

5 Moreover, wind is quite common in Norway. Not storm-like winds, but strong enough to deform a badly stabilized tent. Alu poles help, but how they're placed is important as well. Having the option of securing with guylines is a nice insurance. Having a structural strong tent is more about knowing it will last, rather than having it withstand every kind of weather. I hope to make a long-term investment.

6 Again, stability. I don't like how the clip-on tents look. Maybe that is because I have never used such tents. It seems most three-season tents are clipped on the poles, but sleeves are stronger and disperse the stress on the poles over a larger area. Also, the tents seem more robust/staut that way. You never know what kind of weather you get in Norway.

7 I can really see how two doors is convenient. On my recent trip with my girlfriend, she had to climb over me to exit. As nice as that may be, having two doors wouldn't be catastrophic

8 I'm tall at 6'4.5". I have a 72" sleeping pad and I want that to fit. The tent must fit me, to put it simply.

9 Since two persons will sleep in here, there should be enough room for two pads both at around 20" wide.

10 I have also woken up a hot summer morning barely being able to breathe. I wrenched off the sleeping bag, violated the zipper until it finally opened, and threw myself out of the tent. On later trips I have paid attention to make sure I have the setting sun at the tent, but the rising sun. Nevertheless, many campgrounds in Norway are just green field cramped with tents, and choosing strategically isn't always possible. Good ventilation is thus a huge plus.

So, in short, I think a 3+ season or extended season tent is the way to go. However, I cannot find that many models to look at. With the extended season, I get a sturdier and better built tent, without the extreme weather capabilities of true four-season tents (that I do not need). I get the good ventilation as well as the sturdier construction.

I seem to always come back to the REI Arete ASL 2, even if it only has one door. This tent seems to fit my needs very well. I have also come across the REI Cirque ASL 2, but it's not on their site any more. This tent had two doors. I also looked at the North Face Assault 2, but this is a four season tent and is made to stand on the mountains. I also looked at the North Face Mica FL 2, but this tent lacks pole sleeves.

Does anyone have suggestions? Am I going in the wrong direction? Price is not a worry, I will spend whatever I must to get a tent that suits my needs. The price will be split two-way as well.

Be smart - buy once.

I highly appreciate any suggestions and guiding!

Regards,
Anders

Hi Anders,

You'll find that "one-size-fits-all" is difficult with regards to tent selection. Going from the basis of worst-case scenario, the strongest tents are tunnel-style with hoop poles. The challenge, as you've identified, is ventilation on warm, still nights, so being able to roll back or even remove the fly is a good feature.

If I were you I'd look at Hilleberg. I don't have a specific model recommendation but think they might be the best suited lineup to handle the varied conditions you anticipate. Terre Nova and Macpac are two other proven brands.

The Arete you're considering might be fine, depending on how much wind and snow you might encounter. Have you looked at the Big Agnes Copper Spur? It's a similar design with two doors, and might be more flexible.

There are truly hundreds of models to choose among and for me, the decision goes back to "worst-case" then deciding whether the weight, flexibility and complexity warrant consideration. This is how I ended up with several, rather than one do-everything tent.

Good luck!

I will look into your suggestions!

I did have a look at an overview video of the Copper Spur (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d0yjzIKYE4), and there are a few things I don't like.

1) The doors seem less than optimal! You have to either let them fold in on your floor, or out in the vestibule. No, I did not like those.
2) Clipping the tent on the poles just does not seem like a very sturdy option. The tent isn't as staut as as sleeves would give. I get a very low quality feeling when looking at the guy pitching it! They didn't even clip very snuggle, not in their own slots, just loosely on the poles, sliding around when doing the rest of the tent.

I will look into the Hilleberg and the other brands! Thank you for your advice!


Anders

Currently researching the NEMO Losi 3P tent. This one seems to fit all my requirements, except having pole sleeves. Apparently those are equally strong as sleeves. Three-person for more space