Hello all. I am new to the site and backpacking but have plenty of experience camping in natures parking lots. I love the outdoors and want to tackle some short backpacking trips 2-3 days at first to get the feel for what I do and dont need. I already have a pack, not the best I know but it was a good deal. Jansport Klamath 85. Just purchased a Stove(brunton Bantam) and water filter(katadyne hiker) and already have most of the other gear. One thing I am having trouble with is choosing a tent. I am looking to spent less than $200 out the door. so far I like the kelty grand mesa2, the North face tadpole23 and rock22, and many others for that matter. I live in southern california and will hiking in the angeles national forest and the san bernadino national forest so snow wont be too much of an issue. I do have my eyes set on mt. whitney though in the fall . It will be serving for two people of average build. I have also thought about maybe getting a 3 person tent to store the packs inside? Any recomendations or insight?

Thanks,
Jonathan

-Squall 2
http://www.tarptent.com/products.html

-REI Half dome (heavy, but not when split between two)
http://www.rei.com/product/794294

A two person tent, should be plenty of room for two people+two lots of gear.

debo
Just as a general consideration, manufacturers are trying desperately to meet the weight constraints of light weight campers. No two person tent that is competitive in weight has any more extra space than any other. If you want extra space, enough for packs, you will need a three person tent or a large vestibule on a two person tent but if the vestibule was actually very large it would make the tent weigh an extra couple of ounces, and manufacturers know that a 51 ounce tent will outsell a 52 ounce tent even if the 52 ounce tent is much better made, is roomier, or easier to set up. Because of fantasy reality of the UL camper, standards for tent design are much lower than they used to be. The drive for lower weight has not improved things, only made them worse. I decided a long time ago that I was willing to have a tent that weighed one pound more in order to keep my backpack inside it with me. Oh yes and now tent floors are too thin, so they sell you an footprint but don't add the weight to the total for the tent. This is the same as leaving off zipper flaps, and snaps on jackets so they can compete weight wise.
Jim

debo

It depends on how much you want to spend...

Figure 2-3lbs/person is a reasonable figure for tentage. Keeping gear inside MIGHT be possible at that figure, but you'll have to shop for it. It sounds like what you want (for roominess) is a 3 or a 4 person tent. Note that there is a weight premium to pay for going this route.

I'm (possibly irrationally) fond of Eureka tents, and have done well on their factory seconds sales. Just remember to seam seal the HECK out of a Eureka tent or you'll be wet.

If you're just trying to get your feet wet, you may want to:
1) Carry your car camping tent if it isn't that much heavier than 6-8lbs and you can carry it comfortably. If you have good time, but need to get lighter, then invest in a new tent
2) Use a tarp and sleep under it with a ground cloth. You can get really light this way if you use the clear plastic stuff they sell in the hardware store. Much better references than this post exist on this site about tarp camping.
3) Borrow a tent that suits your needs/desires from your local outdoor store. Many of the good ones have a rental program, knowing that you may come back and buy something from them later.
4) I was impressed by Coleman’s 7x7 4 man dome. It had a tarp fabric floor, was watertight out of the box, and reputedly slept 4 people. For $50 about 5 years ago, it was a good way to get your foot in the door, and then go looking for something better if you were having fun. Our Scout troop in Hawaii owned a couple of these, and we typically got 3 scouts in them with their gear.

Have Fun!!!

Steadman

We have a Eureka APEX tent that we've used for about six years. It's a 3 man, and we usually don't use it for backpacking for just the two of use, because it weighs about seven pounds. But it works really well. The two-man version is only 5.5 pounds. I've also heard good things about their Pinnacle Pass tent, which is even lighter.

When it is just the two of us, we use my home-sewn tent...photos on our website. Waterproof roof and floor, bug netting, and 3.1 pounds all up.