I have been tent camping for many years.....I mean MANY! Since I was an adolescent Boy Scout and I am now soon to be 64.
I follow several rules when I pick a tent.
1) Simplicity in set up.
2) free-standing
3) pick the next biggest size from what it is advertised as, ie: if it says 2 person tent, buy the 4 person size.
4) how will it be used
5) and envision what it would be like to spend 3 or 4 days of intense rain in it!
6) what can I afford (taking into account peace of mind and comfort)
That works for me
Currently I like a Hennessey Hammock when soloing. We have an older 4 person Geo-dome from REI which is an excellent tent for us....lots of room for extended trips. And our favorite are Eureka Timberline tents.....so simple, so tough, so inexpensive! Comes in several sizes as well. These tents are used by Alaska State Forestry wildland firefighters and get tons of heavy use. My wife used one as a firefighter and fell in love with them. If you are smaller size folks and are not really restless sleepers...a 2 person one of these will work fine. We have a 2 but it is tight for us....I am 6'2" 240lbs and my wife is way smaller and lighter but not tiny.
I spent an evening while camped with another motorcyclist in Big Bend Natl. park and we just about went nuts trying to set up his high dollar mountain tent....man it had so many hooks and clips and poles and sleeves and crap I don't know if he ever really figured it out.
On the other hand I once camped with a guy that had an expensive Mountain Hardware tent that was very cool since you actually set up the rain fly first and then went under it to hang the tent from the rainfly...great for setting up in the rain.
Good luck,
Brian
I follow several rules when I pick a tent.
1) Simplicity in set up.
2) free-standing
3) pick the next biggest size from what it is advertised as, ie: if it says 2 person tent, buy the 4 person size.
4) how will it be used
5) and envision what it would be like to spend 3 or 4 days of intense rain in it!
6) what can I afford (taking into account peace of mind and comfort)
That works for me
Currently I like a Hennessey Hammock when soloing. We have an older 4 person Geo-dome from REI which is an excellent tent for us....lots of room for extended trips. And our favorite are Eureka Timberline tents.....so simple, so tough, so inexpensive! Comes in several sizes as well. These tents are used by Alaska State Forestry wildland firefighters and get tons of heavy use. My wife used one as a firefighter and fell in love with them. If you are smaller size folks and are not really restless sleepers...a 2 person one of these will work fine. We have a 2 but it is tight for us....I am 6'2" 240lbs and my wife is way smaller and lighter but not tiny.
I spent an evening while camped with another motorcyclist in Big Bend Natl. park and we just about went nuts trying to set up his high dollar mountain tent....man it had so many hooks and clips and poles and sleeves and crap I don't know if he ever really figured it out.
On the other hand I once camped with a guy that had an expensive Mountain Hardware tent that was very cool since you actually set up the rain fly first and then went under it to hang the tent from the rainfly...great for setting up in the rain.
Good luck,
Brian
