two man tent for husband and wife?

[dan1859]

So, we just did our first overnight trip on Antelope Island in Utah.  As novices, it went well but we just used our raggedy old two man tent that had long poles and were kind of a pain in the ass.  Any suggestions on a lightweight, very packable two man tent for a couple?

[Farawayvisions]

Hi Dan1859
We use a Helsport Ringstind 2. There are a few pictures in this post http://www.farawayvisions.com/mud-and-biryani-netley-to-amberley/

It weighs 1.7kg or 3.7lbs. Pricey but does well for space and my partner is a big man.

[mtnbound]

The tarptent double rainbow works well and only weighs 40 oz (2.4 lbs) and packs down pretty small to 18" X 4".

[offroute]

http://www.rei.com/product/862419/rei-dash-2-tent

We used the Dash 2 for 50+ nights along the divide and had fantastic results. We got pounded by rain and wind, never used a ground sheet, and were generally not so nice to it. No issues. My only negs: it seems to condensate a bit more than one would think, and the retainers which hold the rolled doors open are these ancient pin/loop types which are one-hand-impossible. (The retainers at the head are skip-able by simply tucking the door back between the corner pole and main body netting.)

Beyond that it's a dream. Two doors and vestibules on a UL tent is an absolute coup and make this tent seem way bigger than it is. Convenience features (aside from the outer door retainers) are well executed. Pockets right where you need, and door architecture that obviously was labored over for perfection. You can skip either (or both) fly side guys and open up the entire side for the view. Set up is very fast, and with two people, even faster.

Tarptent Double Rainbow was high on my list. Ultimately, it was more convenient to try/buy at REI, and the one-item discount saved us 20%. Not to mention the dividend thing...we put no cash out for it.

Cheers...

PS: I'm 5-11, she is 5-3; we still had ample room for storage inside.

[pro_out]

Tarptent Double Rainbow :thumbsup Made right here in the good old USA

[southmark]

Ditto on the adorable Rainbow.

[mtnbound]

Sorry, my math was wrong. 40oz is 2.25 lbs, not 2.4 lbs.

[threepin]

here's a lighter, smaller packed size option- 2 doors 2 vestibules 20 oz. we love ours
expensive though
 for other ideas and reviews check out backpackinglight.com


Zpacks hexamid duplex

from the website:

Tarp Dimensions:
Peak Height: 48" (122 cm)
Ridgeline Width: 53" (135 cm)
Width including vestibules: 86.5" (220 cm)
Vestibule space: 20.75" depth on each side (53 cm)
Length: 100" (254 cm)

Interior Dimensions:
Peak Height: 48" (122 cm)
Floor Width: 45" (114 cm)
Floor Length: 7.5 feet (2.3 meters)
Zipper entry height: 36" (91 cm)

Weight:

The Duplex Tarp with taped seams weighs 8.1 ounces (230 grams)
 
The included guy lines and clips weigh .9 ounces (25 grams)
 
The sewn in Cuben Fiber bathtub floor and bug screen weigh 10.0 ounces (284 grams)
 
The included medium 6" x 12" stuff sack adds .3 ounces (8 grams)
 
The total weight for the tent is 19.3 ounces (547 grams).
 
8 Stakes are not included. 8x Ultralight Titanium stakes, and a stake sack will add 1.6 ounces (45 grams), bringing the total packed weight to 20.9 ounces (592 grams). That is just 10.5 ounces per person!

These weights are as accurate as possible. Compare carefully! Many other manufacturers leave out seam sealing, lines, stuff sack, stakes, etc from their weights.

[dan1859]

Thanks for all the responses!  Lots of good info to mull over before making a decision.

Cheers,
Dan

[JRA]

Depends on how much you're willing $pend...

Light and expensive:
http://www.rei.com/product/865393/big-agnes-fly-creek-ul2-tent#specsTab

A little heavier and a little le$$:
http://www.rei.com/product/864810/rei-quarter-dome-t2-plus-tent-special-buy

A little heavier still - but even le$$:
http://www.rei.com/product/845481/rei-half-dome-2-plus-tent



All 3 are good quality, two-man tents.  It just depends what your budget is.

[threepin]

all are good options
i tend to like the cottage manufacturers as that seems to be where more of the innovation is coming, the production tends to be domestic and the distributors and retailers margins are internalized.

generally your fabric options are 2 fold - sil-nylon and cuben fiber
the silnylon is generally heavier, deals with abrasion a bit better and has some stretch, the stretch is an advantage with regard to pitching and shock absorption in a storm. It is a disadvantage in that the fabric tends to sag when wet. Too, the sil-nylon absorbs a fair amount of water and will take a while to dry.

Sil-nylon is not fire retardant at all so be very careful around flame. The larger distributors ( brands) address this with a PU coating which does lessen the fire risk but also has 2 negative traits- it tends to make the fabric weaker and vulnerable to mold/mildew with resultant delamination.

Cuben fiber fabrics tend to be much lighter, stronger and more expensive. Cuben is essentially a laminate of spectra and mylar, the more spectra the stronger the fabric the more mylar the longer the water proofing lasts. the fabric does not absorb water and does not stretch when wet. The fabric also tends not to stretch much under load- this makes a taught pitch tougher and the shelter can end up being noisier in a storm. Generally these shelters are a good bit lighter and pack much smaller.

I tend to not look at freestanding as a positive trait in a UL tent- generally if the tent is strong and freestanding then the pole structure is substantial.
All tents need to be secured to the ground or they become expensive kites, so why not have those attachments add strength?
Any tent deals with wind better when guyed out.

All this info and a metric ton more is over at BPL
The needs of the UL backpacker are really similar

[SlowRide]

I took a Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 on Tour Divide this year and it did great at just over 2 lbs. One of the other racers I rode with was in a tarp tent and said he we was getting wet with the single wall from touching it with his sleeping bag. I was using the Fly Creek UL2 for one person, I stayed dry and had tons of room. I think a married couple would do fine in it, it's an ultralight class tent so it will be close quarters for two. To carry it easily I put the pole in my harness on my handlebars and the tent body/fly/footprint in my seat bag.