Posted by: Tober
Suggestions for roomy 2p tent for spring/fall use? - 05/20/14 02:59 PM
Hi Everyone,
I'm new here but I have been scouring this forum looking for a tent recommendation that fit our needs and finding none am asking for advice. My wife and I need to replace an old, heavy 3-4 season SD Polaris whose fly is no longer waterproof. I'm taking this opportunity to consider backpacking tents that are lighter weight than the 6.5 lbs of the Polaris. I have spent hours searching tent review sites and have found only 1 or 2 tents that fit our needs but I know there must be more options to consider. Here is what we are looking for in a new tent:
-A 3+ season tent for use in early spring/late fall when it's cold, so less mesh on the tent body, especially low, and more solid material. We have an airy full mesh tent (NF Slickrock) we use for warmer weather backpacking. We often get rained on in early spring when it’s cold so we want to avoid tents with condensation issues, like single wall, especially since we use down bags.
-roomy enough for 2 to sleep comfortably. This has been the big factor most often disqualifying 99% of tents. Tents are so narrow nowadays! Occasionally we need to sleep head to toe (snoring) so a wide tent foot area is necessary as well. My wife finds 50" too narrow. We got in three new tents to see what feels wide enough and what doesn’t. 88” x 54” is wide enough whereas 90”x 54”/44” (foot width) she found a little too narrow and 86” x 52”/42” (foot width) felt unreasonably narrow to both of us. She is 5’4” and I am 5’10” and both of small build.
-We’ve been using the 6.5 lb Polaris for cold weather backpacking for 15 years so anything over a pound lighter will feel like a real upgrade. We are comfortable carrying a little more weight to get a little more elbow room; 5 - 5.5 lbs seems reasonable for a good night sleep.
-We live in WI and are often backpacking in the northern midwest where soil can be thin and the rock hard so we prefer freestanding. We do hike with walking poles so would consider a partially freestanding tent that uses a pole or 2 for support.
-2 side doors or 1 front door so we don't have to climb over one another at night
-At least 1 vestibule big enough for 2 packs and boots
-I am an outdoor professional so I can get some tents at a discount. That said, for the perfect tent I can justify paying $400. But, most outdoor professionals don’t get paid much so I would rather pay in the $250-$300 range.
Strangely, one of the only tents I can find that seems to fit all of our needs is a tent made by the gear wholesaler Liberty Mountain/Peregrine Outfitters. It’s called the Radama 2. It’s 5.5 lbs and super wide at 59”. There aren’t many reviews of it so I want to consider other options before heading to Isle Royale NP for 6 days this June with a $150 tent. Thanks for any suggestions or recommendations!
I'm new here but I have been scouring this forum looking for a tent recommendation that fit our needs and finding none am asking for advice. My wife and I need to replace an old, heavy 3-4 season SD Polaris whose fly is no longer waterproof. I'm taking this opportunity to consider backpacking tents that are lighter weight than the 6.5 lbs of the Polaris. I have spent hours searching tent review sites and have found only 1 or 2 tents that fit our needs but I know there must be more options to consider. Here is what we are looking for in a new tent:
-A 3+ season tent for use in early spring/late fall when it's cold, so less mesh on the tent body, especially low, and more solid material. We have an airy full mesh tent (NF Slickrock) we use for warmer weather backpacking. We often get rained on in early spring when it’s cold so we want to avoid tents with condensation issues, like single wall, especially since we use down bags.
-roomy enough for 2 to sleep comfortably. This has been the big factor most often disqualifying 99% of tents. Tents are so narrow nowadays! Occasionally we need to sleep head to toe (snoring) so a wide tent foot area is necessary as well. My wife finds 50" too narrow. We got in three new tents to see what feels wide enough and what doesn’t. 88” x 54” is wide enough whereas 90”x 54”/44” (foot width) she found a little too narrow and 86” x 52”/42” (foot width) felt unreasonably narrow to both of us. She is 5’4” and I am 5’10” and both of small build.
-We’ve been using the 6.5 lb Polaris for cold weather backpacking for 15 years so anything over a pound lighter will feel like a real upgrade. We are comfortable carrying a little more weight to get a little more elbow room; 5 - 5.5 lbs seems reasonable for a good night sleep.
-We live in WI and are often backpacking in the northern midwest where soil can be thin and the rock hard so we prefer freestanding. We do hike with walking poles so would consider a partially freestanding tent that uses a pole or 2 for support.
-2 side doors or 1 front door so we don't have to climb over one another at night
-At least 1 vestibule big enough for 2 packs and boots
-I am an outdoor professional so I can get some tents at a discount. That said, for the perfect tent I can justify paying $400. But, most outdoor professionals don’t get paid much so I would rather pay in the $250-$300 range.
Strangely, one of the only tents I can find that seems to fit all of our needs is a tent made by the gear wholesaler Liberty Mountain/Peregrine Outfitters. It’s called the Radama 2. It’s 5.5 lbs and super wide at 59”. There aren’t many reviews of it so I want to consider other options before heading to Isle Royale NP for 6 days this June with a $150 tent. Thanks for any suggestions or recommendations!
