Tent recommendation

My wife and I are complete fans of the Copper Spur UL2. Great ventilation… we’ve been using the series going back over ten years. Our latest is a 2018 “HV” model.

Under 3 lbs is the tricky part if you want a bit more room. If you don’t mind spending more then the Tarptent Double Rainbow Li would be an option. Also, the Zpacks triplex if you don’t mind a trekking pole tent.   These are shelters that are spendy since they are made of DCF, which is very lightweight and extremely water resistant.

Check out the X-Mid 2p from drop. Decent combo of price, room and features.

I recently purchased that X-mid 2P.  I’ve only spent 2 nights in it but am duly impressed.

I second Daniel on the Xmid 2. I have the Xmid 1. If you want a roomy, airy tent sans hiking poles, see the Tarptent Double Rainbow (see recent review here at BPL).

What about Durston’s two person tent? I’m not sure of its weight. Maybe not ultralight because it’s not made of carbon fiber.

Tarptent Stratosphire 2.  Not only will it meet your needs but it is absolutely rock solid in wind, rain, and even wet (late season) snow.

What about Durston’s two person tent? I’m not sure of its weight. Maybe not ultralight because it’s not made of carbon fiber.

That’s the X-mid 2P several of us mentioned just above.  It comes in at about 41 ounces including the shepherd’s hook stakes it comes with.  Requires two trekking poles (or similar).  Made from silpoly, not silnylon, which has some nice no-stretch and no-absorb properties.  It’s a modified pyramid (as the name suggests) and is impressively stable in wind.  Lots of space in the dual vestibules.  The only thing that worries me about it a little is the floor–not sure how durable it will be compared to, e.g., the silnylon floors on Tarptents.

I checked-out the Big Agnes tents at REI. Man, they are so small inside. The foot end of the tent won’t even fit two wide pads. Too small for me and my wife. Plus, they feel so flimsy. I use a Tartptent Stratospire 2. It is rock solid, extremely roomy, and weighs just under 3 lbs with the solid inner tent. More of a learning curve to set up, but once learned (and it’s not too difficult) it is a great tent. I figure that since I have trekking poles anyhow, why not use them for the tent?

+3 on the X-mid 2.  I have the 2 & 1… very well thought out, feature rich, and high quality.

Indeed Paul.  In using the SS1, I have found that it literally does not move in the wind.  Amazing stability.

“The only thing that worries me about it a little is the floor–not sure how durable it will be compared to, e.g., the silnylon floors on Tarptents.”

I always use polycryo beneath any tent. It helps prevent abrading among other things at about a 2 ouce weight penalty.

Good to hear about this tent’s wind worthiness; it’s design has always looked rain worthy. I may yet end up with the solo version.

Not sure what your views on tent inners are. But you can get a TT stratospire 2 fly for $230 on the TT website right now. It weighs 25oz by itself. There is also the Stratospire Li available as fly only at 13.5oz and $485. 2 person s2s nano bug net and polycryo ground sheet at 6-7oz combined could turn these into really light spacious and stormworthy 2p options.

We like our Copper Spur UL for two. Likely going to buy the newer one as well.

Just used a Nemo Hornet 2p for 4 nights with my wife. It’s a tight tent with some odd functional issues. Don’t get that one. We’re returning it.

I’ve got a Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2. Big enough for one person. I’ve just ordered the REI Flash Air 2. These are not however recommendations for Big G. as I camp almost exclusively solo. The difference in weight between a 1 person and a 2 person lightweight tent is pretty minimal, the comfort and utility of a larger tent are well worth it (to me). Based on this: a couple of points. 1. The FlyCreek has an opening on one end. This means I can see out of only one end. Tunnel vision. I’d never buy another tent like this again. The Flash Air is like a CubenFiber tent I like, mosquito net on two sides. Much better view.  I don’t hike and camp so I can look at the inside of my tent. This more than anything is why I bought the new tent.

2. A larger vestibule. Especially with two people. The Fly Creek is cleverly designed and so difficult to modify. I don’t find the vestibule to be large enough to be very useful. (Don’t yet know about the Flash Air 2) I want to be able to put my backpack there and be able to scrounge through it without dragging it inside or sticking it out in the rain. I also want a vestibule with enough overhang that I can tie back the flaps for the view, and  it still keeps rain outside the tent. Also, so I can stick my JetBoil just outside the net door and make coffee. There’s nothing sweeter than a lazy ass morning where you’re three-quarters in the sleeping bag, making coffee and breakfast while it rains. (I won’t cook in a tent, but I will cook in my DIY rain fly. The rain fly with no floor has 360 degrees of exit and my stove isn’t sitting on something flammable.)

What I might end up doing with the Flash Air is rip the seam and add a 6-8″ strip to give me more overhang on one side. That means I’ll also have to extend the top ridge pole. And at this point it’s all vapor ware because I don’t yet have it. (I wanted to do something like this with the Fly Creek…but so far it seems beyond my abilities.)

As I did with my kitchen remodel, make little cutouts of your two sleeping pads, and also your backpacks, then overlay these on the same scale floor diagrams of the tents. A rectangle on a blueprint is as big as your dreams, as soon as you put cutouts of what’s actually going in there, it gets a lot tighter but will then look exactly how it will work out for real.  Hope this contributes.

Another option is the HMG 2 person mid with our without insert. Around 46 oz I think with insert. We like it as well, plenty of room in there. Tons.

Slingfin Portal.  Semi-freestanding (have to stake out vestibules).  Tent for all conditions.  Cannot order in some states.

Trail Weight
2lbs 13oz
Packaged Weight
3lbs 4oz

Robert- you mention the SS2 w/ a S2S nano bug net and polycro.  This is the exact combo I’m considering right now.  Do you have this set up or have you seen it setup? I’m wondering how easy it would be to attach the nano net to the ceiling of the fly.  It appears the nano net may be for pyramid tents.

JJB  the s2s nano bug netting does not have a centered peak it is set closer to one end for headroom it did not work well in my pyramid tent and I can’t vision it being any better in a SS2 which I do not own so maybe I should keep my visions to myself

+1 for new Copper Spur.