Help selecting a tent ($300 budget)

[quill]

I'm coming into a small amount money soon and have decided first to buy a quality backpacking tent. I've been involved in a few niche hobbies in my time and I'm accustomed to having to do a lot of reading, but nothing approaches the sheer scale of choice with backpacking gear. It's bewildering.

I had a few guidelines for what I was looking for - 2-person, twin walls, a little more weight is okay for more room, simple dome design and generous, preferably twin vestibules.

The REI Half Dome 2 Plus is absolutely perfect and ticks every box. Precisely what I'm looking for in every respect - design, size, vestibules, everything. However, REI is in the US and sell only direct from the manufacturer - no eBay resellers or anything of the sort. They've done well and have locked the market down very tightly. Total cost with shipping, at current dismal exchange rates, is $420. Ouch. Not student-budget friendly - I wish I could, but I simply can't afford that right now even with the mild windfall.

I started reading again for an equivalent and my head began swimming. So I thought I'd ask you learned folk for some guidance.

What is the closest equivalent to the REI in design and features? I'm not looking specifically for a cheaper tent as I'm sure most other manufacturers have resellers and the like, so anywhere around AU$300 is okay. I realise I will not get the same suite of features but I loved the crosspiece on the roof of the REI which draws the walls more vertical, the vestibules are great and the generous size really caught my eye too.

Sorry to be a cheapskate but I want to work well within my limited budget to find the closest to what I am looking for.

[beean]

What a can of worms..

I wouldn't recommend REI because their quality isn't as good as some of the other brands out there. Granted, they have a stellar return policy but you won't be able to take advantage of that.

The medium-weight dome tent market is quite saturated at the mo, almost every manufacturer has multiple offerings. In my view, they're all the same so you can't go wrong with any of them! Wild Earth has a bunch of Marmot tents at the $300ish dollar mark, maybe check them out.

Alternatively you could consider a Tarptent, they're quite reasonably priced. I'm sure Franco may step in and offer some advice on them.

[Franco]

Thanks for the TT plug but we don't really have something like the shelter Quill is after.
If weight was important I would have suggested the Double Rainbow with a liner .
That gives you two mesh wall/doors and a fabric roof between you and the fly so pretty much a double wall tent for less than 1.5kg but still around $300 USD plus postage.

There are many tents similar to the Half Dome design, one is the Nemo Galaxi II but the less expensive Kelty Trailridge 2 and Alps Mountaineering Aries 2 are close too.
Not that I am recommending any of those (no personal experience) I am just suggesting similar designs.
BTW, my suggestions are more like the Quarted Dome2 , still the Half Dome Plus 2 seems to be still available at $219 USD :
http://www.rei.com/product/878520/rei-h ... -plus-tent

[Bluegum Mic]

I was also going to say some of the marmot tents are very similar (and I've purchased a few things from wildearth and they've always gone above and beyond..good service). Also from memory ferrino has one similar that some reviewed on here (adventurefriends.com.au again another happy customer of theirs but no affiliation).

[Mickl]

The Eureka Taron 2 person and 3 person tents might be worth a look.

They are sold at Mountain Designs and when on sale are pretty cheap. I have a Taron 3 which I think I paid about $190 or so for. I'm not sure on price for the Taron 2 model. The Taron 2 model is similar weight and size to the rei. Only difference is the 2 person has one entry and the 3 person has 2 entries. If you get a Taron 3 its is luxuriously roomy for 2 people and split the 2.8kg between two its more than reasonable. So far I have been very happy with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk-CSQHK8lI

[quill]

Hi guys, thanks for all the replies! I was out enjoying my Aussie Disposals 3-person dome, all 4.2 kilos of bushwalking pleasure that it is. My pack actually doesn't seem very heavy WITH the tent, I'm intrigued to feel what a pack is like with a 2kg-2.5kg tent.

Thanks for all the suggestions - this was perfect, all I'm looking for is a few pointers, as the market is bursting at the seams like an undersize stuff sack.

Thanks beean for pointing out REI's quality is not so flash. I'm looking for something which will last a long time with careful treatment.

Franco, the Double Rainbow is highly recommended in every list or rundown I've read, it is obviously a fine piece of kit which does what it says on the box. But it's not exactly what I'm after, maybe once I get more experience and decide which of my criteria are less important, I can revisit the TT range.

Thanks mickl and Bluegum Mick for suggestions, I will give all of them a thorough research.

I also found the Big Agnes Lone Spring 2 which seems almost a knockoff of the REI, as well as the Alps Mountaineering Chaos 2, which also is very similar. Both are significantly cheaper vie eBay resellers. Quality is an issue. Reviews for backpacking gear seem especially wide, I assume there are many paid comments (no tinfoil hat, I was a journalist for many years haha, I know how the media and PR work). I also build and fly scale RC helis and jets where quality is critical, but smaller makers (with exceptional quality) and cowboys (with dangerously poor quality) abound and price is not a reliable metric. I learned thorough research is key to slicing through the fog.

Thanks again for all the suggestions.

[Mickl]

No worries, that's what the forum is here for! Let us know what you end up going for.

Mick

[walkerchris77]

At least on here quill you will get proper reviews from people who actually have the products and dont have the need to bs you. You will find some people will even let you vist them to show you their set up.

Ive brought some great tents and some duds too. Budget is always a problem for me too. A tent is better than no tent.

I wonder what tent bill gates would buy if he went camping .....

[Moondog55]

I wonder what tent bill gates would buy if he went camping .....

http://www.luxuryhomes.com/blog/wp-cont ... 24x470.jpg

[Moondog55]

There are always people looking to purchase one of the Big 4
If you could all decide on a tent there would be the possibility of negotiating a better price for a group buy assuming it wasn't from one of the cottage industry makers whose margins are already pretty slim