REI Quarter Dome SL 2 Review (Tent)

[Nicholas Ramey]

Companion forum thread to: REI Quarter Dome SL 2 Review (Tent)

This REI Quarter Dome SL 2 Review features a 2-person, double-wall, double-entrance, double-vestibule tent that weighs about 3 lbs.

[Paul Hatfield]

I didn’t read the article, but does anyone else feel that the style and content of the video are not up to Backpacking Light’s standards for gear reviews?

[Bill in Roswell]

If this were Reddit, the above comment would get a down vote. Nick’s first review and he will get better in time.

Now for my original comment. Nice article Nick. You covered the main points. One addition would have been trying it for a night with two adults, typically a backpacking trip. Personally I know a 2 person is 1+ and a 3 person tent lives 2 comfortably. You test the tent in the weather that counts, the hottest Sept. on record!

Cheers,

Bill in Roswell GA

[Jenny A]

Good video, covered the salient points that most shoppers looking for a tent in this category would want to know.  Looks OK for 1 to 1-1/2 people, but the dragon crowds things  :>)

[Ryan Jordan]

Hey Paul – I understand where you’re coming from. Nick wrote:

Because we don’t have enough experience in stormy weather with the REI Quarter Dome SL 2, we won’t be assigning a product review rating to it.

This actually brings up a good point that Andrew (our gear editor) and I have been trying to sort out for some time – it has to do with making sure readers know that some reviews are:

1. Comprehensive (based on lots of field experience in a wide range of conditions)
2. Not comprehensive (some experience with the product, but not in a wide range of conditions)
3. Based on no or very limited (e.g., 1 or 2 nights) experience in the field.

I think for #3 we’ll be posting these in the blog category of the site and not labeling them as “reviews”, so that seems easy to me.

This one falls in the #2 category.

We reserve our product review ratings for gear that falls in category #1, but it’s not obvious to a reader where a review falls – #1 or #2?

We’ve dabbled in the past with calling these types of reviews “First Looks” or “Spotlite” or “Flash Reviews”, and none of those really resonated with folks either.

Open to suggestions!

[Jake]

Nice review. I’m looking for something similar for my 5 yo son and I to use walk in camping. I would definitely be interested in a follow up after a few nights in the rain/wind.

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