Looking for a lightweight 2 person tent

[Crazy Horse]

I need to pick up a tent that is lightweight that I can use, and my son who is 10, can also lug along on his boy scout camping trips.

I've narrowed it down (I think) to the Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2 and the North Face Mica FL 2. Key factors are weight and cost. Price is about the same - mid $200s, which is about what I want to spend. The SL2 is lighter at 3lbs PW, while the FL2 comes in 10 oz heavier, so advantage to the SL2 on weight. The FL2 on the other hand has two side openings which is really appealing to me on the 2 person tent. So basically, it boils down to the weight vs. the 2 doors.

Any recommendations? I really like the side door idea, and I don't know if 10oz is that big a difference (maybe trivial for me, but may be relevant to a 10yo?).

Any other ones I should consider? $250-275 is at the top end of what I can afford to spend at this time.

Thanks for any suggestions!

[sprengers4jc]

Look at the Big Agnes Fishhook UL2. Almost a pound lighter due to no zippers and ultralightweight poles. An older friend of mine who has back problems and is just getting into backpacking purchased it and loves it.

[Koda]

Any recommendations? I really like the side door idea, and I don't know if 10oz is that big a difference (maybe trivial for me, but may be relevant to a 10yo?).

I would go with lighter weight over features, 10oz does make a difference in not just weight but space in the backpack. 10oz is an extra clothing layer, dinner/snack, water or any other luxury item


For a suggestion have you considered tarps? A two person tarp shelter will weigh half of a comparable tent and when bugs are an issue inner net tents can be clipped inside the tarp for a total enclosure for two. This might be a bit more than your budget but they can be purchased individually as needed….. (of course we are entering skeeter season)

http://sixmoondesigns.com/tarps/HavenTarp.html 2 person, 18oz
http://sixmoondesigns.com/nettents/HavenNetTent.html 2 person 16oz, clips into the Haven Tarp...

Bonus, the Haven Tarp has dual side door access....

my review of the Haven setup: http://www.oregonhikers.org/forum/viewt ... haven+tarp

[Aimless]

I won't specifically recommend any brands or models, but I'll only make the comment that for me, two side doors are a very big improvement over a single end door. It makes a big difference every time you enter or leave the tent, which becomes quite a big factor over the life of the tent. It would be worth the 10 oz. to me.

[kaltbluter]

I won't specifically recommend any brands or models, but I'll only make the comment that for me, two side doors are a very big improvement over a single end door. It makes a big difference every time you enter or leave the tent, which becomes quite a big factor over the life of the tent. It would be worth the 10 oz. to me.

Same here, I really like having two side doors. The added comfort and convenience is worth it to me, especially when I'm sharing the tent with someone else.

Take a look on craigslist, you might get lucky. I picked up a Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 that was in great shape for about half retail.

[5th]

Consider an inexpensive and simple tent for now. I was a Boy Scout, and I was careful with my gear, but many scouts are not, and less durable equipment was destroyed from time to time as a result. I doubt boys have changed much since then.

Maybe your boy is very careful and will do fine, but I would hesitate to give any boy a fragile UL tent. Obviously you know your boy and his fellow scouts better than I do. Just my 2¢.

[Chazz]

I agree with 5th. UL gear's sacrifice to lower the weight comes in durability. Not to say that UL gear can't last a long time, just that it requires care and pampering that I'm not sure a boy scout will appreciate. It would be a shame to drop a couple hundred dollars on a tent that might only last a couple trips due to carelessness.

Best to find something cheap and replaceable and potentially reward good gear stewardship later on with more expensive equipment.

[miah66]

I'll second craigslist. I found both my Big Agnes FlyCreek2 UL (one door, 2.5 lbs) and my MSR Hubba Hubba (2 doors, 3.5 lbs) for around $100 and lightly used.

[Crazy Horse]

Consider an inexpensive and simple tent for now. I was a Boy Scout, and I was careful with my gear, but many scouts are not, and less durable equipment was destroyed from time to time as a result. I doubt boys have changed much since then.

Maybe your boy is very careful and will do fine, but I would hesitate to give any boy a fragile UL tent. Obviously you know your boy and his fellow scouts better than I do. Just my 2¢.

Yeah, that's the other thought that's bouncing through my head. But I don't want to load up his backpack with a heavy tent either, so I might continue looking for something that breaks neither the bank nor his back.

[kaltbluter]

You could always try something like this for the boy. It's cheap and it looks nicer than a lot of things I've seen scouts sleep in.