New tent?

[Rudezuk]

Looking at getting a new tent this year...

I have been using a 7x7 square dome tent from colman (it has seen better days)

Im looking to downsize and go lighter. (camping with the buggy this year)

Would like a free standing tent with aluminum poles, no stakes required...

for the size i want one that is a large 2 person or a small 3 person tent.

Enough room to throw a couple sleeping bags and a bag of clothes in.

I know there is someone on here who is a back packer that has some good knowledge about different tents.

Im looking at something like one of these, any recommendations?


Eureka Zeus 2 Exo Tent / Eureka Zeus 3 Exo Tent





Eureka Apex 3XTA Tent - 2003


Sierra Designs Orion 3 AST Tent - 2002



That gives you a good idea of what im looking at.

any help is appreciated.

Im using campmor.com as a guide, if there are other sites available, please let me know

[Old Scout]

Those are all two pole tents, and they don't like wind. Look for a three or four pole tent.

[Old Scout]

sierra trading post has a few good deals:


http://www.sierratradingpost.com/xq/...qx/product.asp


http://www.sierratradingpost.com/xq/...qx/product.asp

[Sundowner]

I used to havea Kelty for hiking that I freaking loved.

the features I prized most highly were that it was all clips, no sleeves to slip the ples through, had an open top with a rain floy cover and all the poles were the same length. the 1st and 3rd sound petty, but they're huge conviences when you're trying to erect the tent in a sudden rain or nighttime with a new moon.

[SanDiegoCJ]

Originally posted by Old Scout
Those are all two pole tents, and they don't like wind. Look for a three or four pole tent.

Yup, OS is right. 2 poles don't cut it in the wind. I have a
Mountain Hardware Trango 2 and it's designed for 75mph
winds and 2' of snow. Very solid tent.

[SanDiegoCJ]

Here's the floorplan.

[SanDiegoCJ]

Mountain Hardware makes a very similiar tent that's just a little
bigger if you want more room. It's the trango 3.1

[SanDiegoCJ]

Here's the floorplan. Trango 3.1

[Rudezuk]

I want to keep the wieght down also...

What about this one?

only weighs 5lbs 13 oz
3 pole
and only 179 from campmor

Sierra Designs Orion AST Tent - 2002

[Rudezuk]

Originally posted by Old Scout
sierra trading post has a few good deals:


http://www.sierratradingpost.com/xq/...qx/product.asp


http://www.sierratradingpost.com/xq/...qx/product.asp

I do like the second one...

[Erich In AZ]

Ask MacGyver. The tent he had at TDS was REALLY portable, even with him in it!

[SHERPA]

I had a one-pole tent this morning. the wife helped me take it
down though.

--lol...........

[Bobzooki]

I have seven, no, wait a minute, nine , well ten tents, if you count the "Elk Hunting Behemoth".

Everything from a Walrus Sleeve, through a 10 by 20...

Mountain Hardware makes great stuff.
Eureka is good too.
Kelty is good.
North Face - high dollar, but worth it when the shit hits the fan.

Campmore has lots of good tents at good prices.

Like every said above - 4 poles is best for TRUE freestanding, but I've seen EVERY kind blow away if you don't secure it. Be sure to get one with a separate rain fly, that's big enough for the heavy downpours, and think of what it would be like to spend 48 hours in it. Two doors is better than one, and two vestibules really helps you get your wet gear out of your sleeping area, and allows you to cook on the "down wind" side of the tent, no matter which way the wind is blowing.

[Rudezuk]

thanks for the input!

[Pavemen]

I have a Eureka 2 man backpacker tent. It is nice, but small. I have found that most "person" ratings are about one person too few. My 2 man, feel slike a single and most 3 mans are about big enough to two people with gear.

I suggest heading up REI and looking at their tents they have set out and then buying from someone else. OR if you are in the Fremont area, hit Tri-City, they seem to always have 20 or more tents setup to look at.

Also, Sears had some tents on sale the other weekend. I almost picked up a 3 room, 8 person tent for $149, regularly $400 or so.

Definately look into something with a vestibule and unless you are into snow camping, a 3 season tent will be lighter and smaller than a 4 season.

[Thejaybird]

Hey The North Face has an outlet store down in Berkely... It's right around the corner from REI on San Pablo. I get all my bling bling North Face junk there.

[Bobzooki]

Hah, funny, I started thinking about those tents I have...
[list=1][*]Walrus 1-man "sleeve" - no rain fly, lots of condensation, but only 3 pounds.[*]Eureka Timberline - my very first tent - 2 man if you're good friends. This one has survived since 1977 and is still servicable.[*]Kelty Zen - "2-man" three pole? low at the "foot" end, OK, but NOT for long duration stays, or winter.[*]Eureka Equinox - plenty of room for 2 plus a lot of gear. Heavy, but worth it. Frame is like a 6-legged spider.[*]North Face Nimbus - 2 man, 2 door, 2 vestibule, 4-season tent. My current most-used tent.[*]10 by 10 foot car-camping tent (Coleman I think). Nylon, with tubular aluminum poles - just a big dome. Worked great at Moab, and it's 7 feet high inside.[*]10 by 20 foot car-camping tent. Nylon, with tubular aluminum poles - gonna try this one for Elk Hunting this year.[*]11 by 21 foot "carport" - heavy steel frame, and easy to rig with a floor, for a great weather-proof Elk Hunting base-camp tent, but the mice get in...[/list=1]

I've missed at least two or three of my tents here...

[sceep]

not a tent that you are looking for but thought i throw it in since bob got a bit out of whack on the thread already.


Anyone else use a hammock tent? NOT a winter tent.. the air around you is cold as hell. But a damn nice 3 season. weighs in @ 2 lb.10oz. good for a person up to 225 lbs.

worth having if you ever do any remote backpacking (as long as camp is not above treeline) where you would normally carry a bivy.

[RawkRash]

We have a couple of Kelty tents and like them both. The smaller is an old vortex 4 and it has seen lots of Washington rain and has always kept us dry. The other one is Mantra 7 which is HUGE and although I'm not sure about the waterproofness of it, it held up really well in a big Moab sandstorm. There were tents blowing all across the desert at our campground and this tent just stood its ground and took it.

The Vortex comes in smaller sizes as well and Campmor has them for a good price. Kelty also makes one that is the same tent without the full coverage fly. Its fly comes about halfway down the sidewalls and is considerably cheaper.

I just wish that the company wasn't quite so "green". I hate to give them money to send to the Sierra Club. But I do like their products.

[Bobzooki]

Originally posted by sceep
(as long as camp is not above treeline) where you would normally carry a bivy.

They have bigger models of that hammock tent, too.

You put me above timberline, and the choice narrows down to ONE.

North Face VE-25. Period.

[GRMhick]

I have an older off-brand version of that eureka tent. Very well built, and I like it alot, but I perfer my bigger tent for when I am wheeling. Nice 4 man I can almost stand up in.
I guess thats one of the advantages of having my 4 runner.. room for lots of stuff.

Garrett

[Al Kaholick]

Originally posted by sceep
not a tent that you are looking for but thought i throw it in since bob got a bit out of whack on the thread already.


Anyone else use a hammock tent? NOT a winter tent.. the air around you is cold as hell. But a damn nice 3 season. weighs in @ 2 lb.10oz. good for a person up to 225 lbs.

worth having if you ever do any remote backpacking (as long as camp is not above treeline) where you would normally carry a bivy.

I like that, Im gonna have to find one

[Bobzooki]

Originally posted by Al Kaholick


I like that, Im gonna have to find one

Look Here:

They sell em at REI, but they're the EcoAntiChrist.
EDIT: You can order 'em directly from their web site.

[Al Kaholick]

Originally posted by Bobzooki


Look Here:

They sell em at REI, but they're the EcoAntiChrist.
EDIT: You can order 'em directly from their web site.

thanks, with rei backing sierra club I refuse to shop there

[KayzFJ40]

I would go with Kelty or The North Face. We have the Kelty Mantra 5 and its really nice. We were in a huge dust/rain/snow storm (with winds of like 40 mph) the first time out with it in March. It was well worth the money, Check out www.cabelas.com We ordered ours from there. I do know, that they make the Kelty Mantra in a 2/3 person. Something like that. They have alot of info. at www.kelty.com Good luck

Kayla