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Post by overit on Feb 27, 2017 10:23:09 GMT -8
I have read many past posts here about tents but I still have some questions so hoping you fellas don’t mind giving me some advice. After many years of demanding jobs and raising 5 kids my wife and I are easing back into camping and hiking activities. In our previous life (before kids etc.) our outdoor excursions happened while we were twenty-something or so. Now kids grown and we are mid 50’s. We are both in good shape but obviously age takes a toll, so like I said, easing back into it.
Here is the camping scenario for now: mostly just, what I would call light camping at state/national parks in non-winter conditions and probably only 3 or 4 trips per year. Normal trip would be a short hike in, say a mile or so to campsite, then set up permanent camp making day hikes from there. My question is about tents. I would like a tent with decent size to sleep and also have room for gear. I am thinking 4-person tent because the ones I have looked at are around 9 x 7 on the floor which seems roomy enough. Not a long hike in so weight not as big a deal.
I have looked online and visited a few local outdoor stores and it seems like the tent options out there are significant and the cost ranges from about $60 for a gander mountain/Walmart type brand up to many hundreds or more for the big high-quality brands. I want to keep the cost reasonable for now, knowing full well that a low-cost tent might not last as long. I don’t mind spending money on better quality later on once I begin to understand what features we need and how much we are going to use it, but for now I want to straddle the attributes of economy and quality.
Also, I will add that I have watched some videos for “instant tents”. I like that idea because it is fast to set up and not a bunch of poles to figure out when you are trying set up in the dark.
All advice appreciated.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Feb 27, 2017 10:34:46 GMT -8
If I was in the market for a new 4 person backpacking tent, I would only buy the Hogback Shire's Tarptent has been around for a long time now, and he makes great products. The Hogback weighs 4# 2 oz, and cost $440. Easy to set up, and has a 7'x7' floor.
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Post by trinity on Feb 27, 2017 12:17:25 GMT -8
I'm with Zeke, though I might also consider a Copper Spur. But since you are only hiking a mile, you could probably wrestle in something like a Half Dome 4. If you do get more seriously into backpacking and decide to invest in a nice, light, 2 person tent, the Half Dome would become a nice car camping tent. I would not get anything of lesser quality, I don't see any reason to invest your hard earned money in a piece of junk that will collapse when the first good storm blows through.
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Post by Lamebeaver on Feb 27, 2017 13:10:41 GMT -8
I am also in the "buy several cheap tents instead of one expensive tent" camp.
An 8x9 tent weights around 10 lbs. A 7x7 can be about 6.5 lbs and still has room for gear, but you usually don't have as much headroom.
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driftwoody
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Post by driftwoody on Feb 27, 2017 15:40:12 GMT -8
overit, will only 2 people (you and your wife) be using this tent? If so, and if you will be backpacking with it, I think you should make light weight a higher priority. I know you plan to hike in just a mile or two and set up base camp from which you you will day hike, but you may soon find those options limited. Getting to a good base camp will often involve several miles of terrain that is rugged or has significant elevation gain. The weight and comfort of what you carry can make the difference between an enjoyable experience that leaves you eager for the next one or a painful trudge you don't want to repeat. My recommendation is a lightweight 3 person tent with twin side entries and vestibules for gear like the Big Agnes Copper Spur, or a roomy Tarptent that is incredibly light for the space. Henry Shires was mentioned, and the Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo is also very good.
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tigger
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Post by tigger on Feb 27, 2017 16:23:08 GMT -8
I know we can't make up your mind for you so I'll say this - If you do go "cheap", use every last guyline and maybe even a few extra. Most cheap tents don't have seam-taped seams so really run a hose on it and seal the seams with Seamgrip or seam tape. I would also buy a smaller "cheap" tent and choose your site wisely, avoiding direct wind if possible. I will second the suggestion of an REI brand tent. Not ultralight, but less expensive and well built. Good luck in your quest!
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Feb 27, 2017 20:29:01 GMT -8
Just to chime in on the ultra-cheap tents: most of them not only can't stand up to wind, they probably won't keep any significant rain out. So consider me another voice advising for a higher-quality tent. I'll also second Driftwoody in recommending you go a bit lighter. If you enjoy the hiking and backpacking at all, you'll start wanting to go farther, and then you won't want/be able to haul the giant thing in (and you may have trouble finding places in the backcountry to pitch a 9X9' tent).
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daveg
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Post by daveg on Feb 27, 2017 20:49:02 GMT -8
Just to chime in on the ultra-cheap tents: most of them . . . probably won't keep any significant rain out. +1 In principle, I have nothing against cheap tents. But my experience has been that the fabric tends not to be very water resistant and will leak in a downpour or a prolonged steady rain. Look for the "hydrostatic head" rating of the fly/exposed fabric. My rule of thumb is at least 1500 mm of hydrostatic head and never ever anything less than 1200 mm. On cheap tents, it can be difficult to even find this information. I also prefer aluminum tent poles over fiberglass poles, a full fly over a partial fly, and a fabric floor over a polytarp floor -- each of which costs a bit more.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Feb 28, 2017 8:09:44 GMT -8
But my experience has been that the fabric tends not to be very water resistant and will leak in a downpour or a prolonged steady rain. Right. And the seams won't be sealed, so you'd have to do that. Plus, many have very inadequate rain flies--just a sort of handkerchief perched on the summit.
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Post by trinity on Feb 28, 2017 8:18:25 GMT -8
Plus, many have very inadequate rain flies--just a sort of handkerchief perched on the summit. And, because of the inadequate rain fly coverage, many of these tents have very little mesh, so they're poorly ventilated.
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tigger
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Post by tigger on Feb 28, 2017 8:29:29 GMT -8
And, because of the inadequate rain fly coverage, many of these tents have very little mesh, so they're poorly ventilated. Plus...they pretty much suck all the way around (from my experience). One of my fondest (or not so fond) memories was three rain-filled days in a cheap Costco special, with several inches of rain...inside my tent, perched on our mattresses with fresh water filling our pot while drinking booze and playing cards. We laid the extra tarp over the rainfly to help keep the water out which stopped the drips, but then it just seeped in through the floor. The "bathtub" floor became a bathtub. Watching the fiberglass poles start to splinter after night two and getting out the duct tape to keep them from snapping was only slightly unnerving... Will I promise you that you will have a similar experience? No, assuming you spend $100 in Seam tape, replacement Aluminum poles, a few cans of DWR to coat the floors and rainfly...and even then, you'll probably have stuck zippers and a tent that will rattle and flap in the wind like a kite without a frame in a windstorm.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2017 8:55:43 GMT -8
overit When picking up the price buster special ask yourself the following: 'will I trust my wife's life to this tent, will I trust my life to this tent?'
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Post by trinity on Feb 28, 2017 9:00:08 GMT -8
Plus...they pretty much suck all the way around Nice summary. I think we're done here.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2017 9:39:30 GMT -8
I have looked online and visited a few local outdoor stores and it seems like the tent options out there are significant and the cost ranges from about $60 for a gander mountain/Walmart type brand up to many hundreds or more for the big high-quality brands. I want to keep the cost reasonable for now, knowing full well that a low-cost tent might not last as long. I actually have backpacked a few times with a Walmart tent. It worked okay, but they don't shed rain at all. The rainflys often don't come down far enough to cover the lower parts of the tent body. I would invest at least enough to get a real backpacking 4 person tent.
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daveg
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Post by daveg on Feb 28, 2017 10:26:05 GMT -8
Several years ago, after returning from a 3 day/2 night stay at Dry Tortugas National Park, my wife and I tented at the KOA Campground on Surgarloaf Key. It stormed that night. We were in our car camping tent (Sierra Designs Bedouin 6) and stayed completely dry. Most of the other tenters had cheap tents, however, and the next morning they were standing in line to use the campground's dryers to dry their soaked sleeping bags and clothing.
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