I agree with the others, Jeremy; you made a very good decision. I used the Spitfire during the first two seasons of my backpacking experience. Yes, it's heavy, but you'll learn a great deal about what you want out of a tent. Plus, the Spitfire is easy to set up, and this provides a good foundation for understanding tent design (especially in severe wind and rain). It's a rugged little tent, good ventilation (remember to angle the rear-first into the wind). I still own my Spitfire and will probably always have it.

For my 3rd season, I went with Henry Shire's Sublite Sil ( http://www.tarptent.com/sublitesil.html). A fantastic little package with an amazing amount of room--and very light weight. However, there's no vestibule to speak of, which can be a challenge when cooking in bad weather.

Now that I'm in my 4th season of backpacking (still quite the newbie), I'm starting to play with tarps during the winter, and I'm starting to play with making my own shelter.

So, you see, eventually you'll learn and get the experience needed (probably sooner than me).

By the way, nice job on your design.