BPing with my lab — advice re: 1P tent w/ large vestibule

[H W]

BPed nearly 300 miles this summer in the Rockies with my 85lb lab. Decided to move away from my 10×10 tarp+bivy shelter system to a DCF 1P tent shelter. Ajax will not sleep inside an enclosed tent maybe because he likes roaming at night when I’m fast asleep. Just the way it is. So it’s important the vestibule is large enough for him to be protected from foul weather. Ryan Jordan in his Aeon Li review said its vestibule was large enough for his dog. So this is one option. And the Aeon would fit horizontally in my HMG Porter 4400. Anyone else BP with a dog and an opinion on other 1P shelter systems?

[Ben H.]

I can’t offer personal experience, but the Aeon Li looks pretty awesome to me.  If your dog like plenty of room, you could think about a pyramid with half net.  Something like this:

https://www.hyperlitemountaingear.com/collections/ultralight-backpacking-shelters-tents/products/ultamid-2-half-insert

If you are looking for something cheaper, there are plenty of silnylon options.

[Matthew / BPL]

Yeah I think a mid would be great in this application.

[H W]

I agree the HMG ultamid would be great except for its footprint size. I see one sold here back in May with a half insert for $650. That was a great deal. Found yesterday same setup on different forum site for 9 bills. Ouch.

[Franco Darioli]

The TT SS Li is a two person tent , with large vestibules, but light enogh and not too far from the $650 on that SH Ultamid

however the Aeon is probably big enogh. You could ask Henry at TT, he has a dog and an Aeon

(I think that he is in love with the Aeon at the moment so he could be biased)

[Ryan Jordan]

The Aeon has been fine, but honestly, My Big Girl is a 99-pound lab and likes to … stretch out a bit. She has limited situational awareness and ends up half out of the vestibule.

I prefer a 2-person mid with a half vestibule. The Ultamid 2 with the half inner is ideal.

[H W]

Maybe the Ultamid 2 with half liner will come up on gear swap sometime between now and May. My Aeon concern is if it’s raining hard the vestibule will need to house both the dog and my pack. Could be a problem. The suggestion to ask Henry is a good one.

Here’s a pic from 3 years ago. Nemo Dagger 2P. Ajax in his spot. Big shelter for 1 but with grd cloth comes in at 4.2 lbs. Went tarp+bivy to cut weight now back again.

Ryan, 99 lbs?

[Ryan Jordan]

Yeah, she’s huge now, like Clifford. Here mom was only 70# and dad was in the 85# range, she is bigger than what we were expecting, but I suppose we should have paid more attention to her cute but unusually big paws when she was only 5 weeks old :D I wasn’t thinking about vestibule space back then…!

[David P]

Just a thought If you decide to go with a mid. The MLD Duomid has a tighter footprint then Ultamid2.  I often fit a Bear in the other half :) Bear is my hiking buddy (he’s 6’3” 250 lbs) should work for doggo. I prefer the single peak vent on Duo which I can turn away from prevailing wind. HMG makes great stuff, don’t get me wrong, but I feel the MLD build quality is debatably a notch above, less expensive, lighter. I think HMG is great, I am from Maine, but the prices are a little much. I feel the extra price and weight isn’t a very good value tbh

MLD Duomid – 108” x 66” . Total weight with half inner 24oz Cost $685

the HMG – 107” x 83” . Total weight with half inner 33oz $1,010

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