Tent/ help...

So...I am totally sure that many others have asked this but I'm going to ask it anyway. What tent should I get?

Background/circumstances:


I'm going on a wandering Greyhound trip with my service dog. I will probably end up camping here and there. Which is awesome. But since I've never really backpacked before I have no idea what to get. (I know this isn't a real hardcore backpacking trip but it's like one...only with a big bus involved.)

My dog is small. (13 lbs small) so getting him into a tiny tent should be easy enough. He doesn't mind snuggling. I also want to be able to bring my backpack in with me and a sleeping bag of course.

I have no idea what types of weather I will encounter. I plan to go everywhere form Arizona to Main and stuff. I'll probably be gone for over a year so I'll be possibly be camping in whatever weather. Maybe? I shall see. So I want something pretty convertible. I also eventually will settle near the Oregon coast and I want to be able to use the tent to camp around there(aka one that is super rain resistant).

It's just me and the dog...no other people but maybe a 2 person tent wouldn't be such a bad idea? Just in case I end up traveling with someone. I plan to bounce around between hostels and I've heard one tends to pick up travel companions.

So, I want to find something as light as possible. Also, I want to find something good quality but not terribly expensive. Although, as much as I wish to save money I would rather not have my shelter collapse around my ears so spending a little extra money is better than having that happen.

Also, is there such a thing as a one or two person tent that has a built in sleeping pad or something? That would be spiffy.

Ok, sorry for the dumb question but help would be awesome.

You have lots of choices in that area. If you`re ok snuggling with the dog most of the small one-person backpacking tents would o for you. I`d tell you to go check out tarptent (a sponsor of this site) or six moon designs.

You probably don`t want a sleeping pad integral to the tent. Go buy yourself a thermarest neo-air Xlite (just google it). probably your best choice to carry around and be comfortable.

If you're not really going to be hiking very far, or very often, light weight isn't critical. In those cases, if you're trying to save money, look at some of the REI brand tents like the Quarter Dome and Half Dome; Sierra Designs might also have some (I haven't really looked at their offerings for several years, but I owned a couple back in the 80s and 90s and was quite pleased.)

Slightly higher in cost, and a bit lighter in weight, are the MSR Hubba NX series and the Big Agnes tents other than the Fly Creek and Copper Spur series.

If weight is important, or money is no significant object, then you've got (in addition to Phat's suggestions, which are excellent) the MSR Carbon Reflex series, and the Big Agnes Fly Creek, Fly Creek Platinum, and Copper Spur tents.

Personally, I prefer side openings on my tents. I tried the Fly Creek Platinum 2 last year, and it was OK, but I'm going back to my old Hubba or Copper Spur 1, just because of the side opening. I find them more convenient. The Carbon Reflex 1 is identical to the Hubba, but about half a pound lighter and not free-standing; I also like that tent when weight is an issue, but the Hubba and Copper Spur tend to be my go-to, all-purpose tents.

So, what do you think of these?

http://www.rei.com/product/827783/rei-quarter-dome-t1-tent#specsTab

http://www.rei.com/product/827809/rei-passage-1-tent#specsTab


I so have no decision making skills with stuff like this. It took me 5 months to decide which backpack I was going to get.

The second one (the passage) is freestanding (meaning you don`t necessarily have to stake it down, as long as you can keep it from blowing away with stuff in it - and looks like it has a pretty reasonable sized vestibule - i.e. likely enough for some gear and or a wet or dirty dog when they get that way - just in case you *don`t* want to snuggle when pooch gets that way.

$129 is a pretty decent price for such a thing, and REI is not a no-name thing - their in store stuff is usually pretty solid, and they will normally stant behind it if there is a problem.

It`s heavier than I`d want for lightweight backpacking - at a bit over 3.5 lbs - but it`s not bad, and if weight is not your primary concern it would probably serve you well.

Thank you for the help.

So, the question is not if I will want to cuddle with the wet and dirty dog it is will I be able to keep the wet and dirty dog from cuddling with me while I sleep.