Looking for Tent Advice…

Since you are on a budget I suggest an Alps Zephyr or Zenith 2 or 3 man . Less than $100 if you shop around . I got mine on STP Sierra Trading Post for $69 but they are out of them as far as I know. Not UL but very solid and well designed. Best features-twin vestibules and doors for storage and not crawling over each other in the dark. Good headroom . Good venting. Totally freestanding except for vestibule stakes. Good zippers and material. Only con is weight but it will last. Alp's founder used to work at Kelty.

I found them at STP for 99 and with a 20 or 25% off coupon it is sounding like an alright deal..

Do you know if they pack down nice to fit into a backpack? Stuff size is 18 x 6" so I know the real ultralight people would laugh at it. Even though I'm an extremely avid camper and outdoors man, I'm just getting into backpacking and imagine a tent going in the pack.

Is this a tent you'd recommend for long distance hiking, essentially?

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,1480D_ALPS-Mountaineering-Zenith-2-AL-Tent-2-Person-3-Season.html/

This is the one I think you had mentioned

Hi, Max.

Since you specifically mentioned a Tadpole 23, I'll respond. I have one, but I find it too heavy for backpacking–even with two people to divide the load. I only take the Tadpole on long kayaking expeditions (usually for trips to Alaska in areas where I expect the mosquitoes to be fierce). But lately I have taken lighter-weight tents or tarp/bivy combinations even for those (although weight is not as much of an issue on kayak expeditions, it's still nice to travel light). There are several good tarp/nest combinations to consider, and those have been well covered in other threads.

In regard to the issue of space: I'm relatively small (under 5'7"). The Tadpole is fine for me, but I think it would be a bit short for a tall person–and it would definitely be a little snug for two.

Also, the rain fly has a tendency to come in contact with the tent in the very back, causing condensation to run down onto the tent floor; but I solved that issue by having a cobbler sew a piece of webbing to the back edge of the fly, which allows me to stake it free of the tent body (my tent is several years old, so North Face may have resolved this issue by now). Good luck with your purchase.

Diana,
Thanks so much on the personal review!
I'm also small, right around 5'9" so the height of it wouldn't be an issue..
The new Tadpoles just seem so great on paper and are very visually appealing to me. I can see where the weight could be an issue..a little above 5 pounds, I've been reading?

I really like the design of them as well, compared to your standard dome tents.
I'll keep in mind all of your insight! Thanks again

a lot of good choices in your price range but none really ultralight

the black diamond mesa is a great choice its a tad over 4lbs and a bomber 3 season tent plenty of room for two i have had three in mine in a pinch and everyone slept ok shop around you can usually find them in your price range

the kelty gunnison series is pretty good along with the teton 2 the teton 2 will fit two people ok along with a little gear and its usually under $150

one thing about the mesa that sold me on it double doors no climbing over your tent mate to pee at midnight lol

kevin

I bought two of them. One is shared by my wife and daughter on trips of say 10-12 miles in with steady but not terrible vertical gain. For such a trip I use a Colman Cobra to save weight just for myself. Not freestanding and takes care to pitch it in the front-must be taut. I hit the top of it with my head and while I sleep on a POE ether pad. Still for about$50 on Ebay when they appear a good tent again with 2 doors and vestibules. The rest of our gear is pretty light. We tend to run lower temp down bags as we all sleep cold. The second Zephyr/ zenith will come into play when we hit the SW and camp on rock ledges with rocks serving to hold out the vestibules if we can't stake . The Colman wouldn't work here and we are still chancing sandstorm blues with an inner of mesh. But hey for the money and build it's a good bet . As somebody who sells them here in the NW said"these don't get returned" and I've seen them go for their initial price used on Ebay and here on Gear-swap for the price you are paying. Not Sexy, not UL, but well done. Seam seal them , and I use a polycro groundsheet. Ditch the stock stakes -heavy. Lawson's Titanium stakes are good at Mountainfitter, and I like MSR groundhogs for major guy-outs. Braided Mason's line for tie outs is cheap and light.I'll see if I have any STP Coupons to send too. Good Luck!

Max,

I just noticed this post by you on another thread:

"I've applied for a seasonal position at Glacier Bay National Park for this coming summer (college kid). I'm an avid fly-fisherman and if all goes as planned I'll be up there working by early June. What can I expect as far as fishing goes? I won't be able to travel far from the park."

The reason I've mentioned your other post on this thread is that the last time I used my Tadpole 23 was for an expedition to paddle all of the shoreline within Glacier Bay by kayak (about 450 miles). I spent six weeks self-supported (except for a food drop at 3 weeks). As a Glacier Bay summer employee you don't get many days off at a time, so you won't have a chance to do a lot of long distance backpacking, but one benefit of working there is that you will be able to get dropped off up-bay by the water taxi at no charge, so you'll be able to set up a base camp to hike and fish from there.

The Tadpole 23 would be a good choice for Glacier Bay. It rains a lot, and there are a lot of bugs–both mosquitoes and no-see-ums.

Since you mentioned a weight range of 3-5 pounds, for 2 people the T2 Quarterdome has been nice for us. We actually have the T2 Plus, which is a bit longer, which allows us to bring our backpacks inside the tent and store them at the foot of our sleeping pads–this was nice in Mt. Rainier National Park when I got awakened by the mice chewing on my pack in the vestibule—all the smellys were in the bear bag! The price is $279 ($299 for the Plus), but you might find a used one that will work. The Half Dome is $199, but it's a pound heavier–the QuarterDome is 4 pounds 14 ounces packed weight. I skipped the foot-print, and just made my own of sil-nylon. Spread between 2 people the tent was manageable.

I would have liked to have a Six Moons Designs Lunar Duo, but my honey has *no* patience for tents that aren't free-standing, and no interest in learning how to pitch them properly. Eventually, I'd like to be tarp + bug bivy, but that will have to wait for more experience!

Try one of these on sale:

(1) Sierra Designs Vapor Light 2: http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/tentdetail.cfm/SD420

(2) Mountain Hardwear Raven 2: http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/tentdetail.cfm?PRODUCTS__productID=MTH222

(3) A SD Lightning XT 2:
http://www.mountainsports.com/msmain.asp?Option=Detail&Detail=142138&Product=Sierra+Designs+Lightning+XT+2+Tent

Hello again: I checked STP this morning and of course they are sold out on the Alps Zephyr or Zenith 2.Keep in mind the 3 is just about the same weight too. Using a couple of search engines the next best price is at overstock.com just about $100 with their cheap shipping. It was like this last year -a bit early in the tent season for killer deals . The price range on this tent is very wide. Other tents I considered were the Eureka spitfire s but the vestibule is pretty small.Their UL version got panned but easy fixes for pole problems are posted at Amazon. The L.L.Bean Microlight has great specs and not a bad price. Some versions of the Sierra Designs Lightning look good . Last week there was a fantastic deal for a Big Agnes Seedhouse 3 man SL with 30% off bring it down to about $210 but that coupon is gone.The REI Quarter Domes look good but watch the width and read the reviews of design changes at REI . The Hubba Hubbas and the Luxe ripoff of it are in the running too. So when do you need the tent? I shopped for about a month plus before pulling the trigger. And don't neglect BPL Gear Swaps. Lots of very good gear at low prices. And if you search the BPL forums for specific tents you will find specs reviews etc. And with searches you can find anything . I bought a Sierra Designs Divine Light this summer for next to nothing. And once again, Good Luck

There is a Big Agnes Seedhouse 3 for sale in the Gear Swap

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=42322

When you are looking at Big Agnes tents make sure you differentiate between versions with SL Super Light vs other heavier versions. Also try to go see one at a local REI if possible . Those zippers are light, the mesh can be easily snagged , etc. Big Agnes itself sells prototypes and repaired returns-check out their site . Take the long view if you can. A used tent shouldn't sell for the price of a new coupon discounted tent unless you are in a hurry.Take a look at how long some things sit on Gear Swap or Ebay for that matter. Good deals can go in minutes.