Recommend a good 2 person tent

Tacswa3 · Sep 22, 2021

trickg said:
I went camping for the first time since HS and Basic Training last spring. I got invited by my BIL and his friends as a guy's weekend where the main goal was to burn as much ammo as possible, but I digress.

I had no camping gear so I had to keep budget in mind when I bought the stuff I needed, among which was a tent.

I got a Coleman Sundome tent because it was cheap - I got one on sale because of the color and it was advertised as a 4-person tent.

I got the job done, but if I had it to do over again, the main thing I'd have looked for is a tent I can stand up in. The height also made it a challenge to use with the cot that I used. Unfortunately I kind of ruined this tent already - in my effort to get it dried so I could put it all away, I accidentally melted the bottom in a couple of places when I put it in my drier, even on the lowest setting, so if I do this trip next year, I'll have to get something else, and I'll find some other way to dry the tent out before I store it.

What everone else says about size is true - take the number of people it says it's good for and subtract it by 1. And I like my space. I could have had another person in that tent with me, but even as a 4-person, it would have been tight with the other stuff I had stowed in there.

Also, the footprint of the tent doesn't tell the whole story. The Coleman 4-person Sundome tent says it's 9'x7'. Sure - at the floor. But with the sloping sides, once you're a foot or two off of the floor that space is a lot smaller. With the cot set up diagonally, I was still almost touching the walls.

If I do this again, I'll get a tent that's tall enough that I can stand up in the middle. That will make it easier to change clothes and to move around in the tent. I'll also get something bigger. Overkill, sure, but I'm car camping - not backpacking. If I was backpacking it would be a different story and I'd want something smaller and lighter, but if I'm car camping, I have the space so that I can get a tent big enough to be comfortable in.

Those are my thoughts on it.

I agree, I'm gonna want a tent I can stand up in or nearly stand up in. I'm a big dude at 6'3 with a bum knee, so I can't be doing a lot of crouching and kneeling throughout the tent. I've still been reading and researching daily.

gamer_jim · Sep 22, 2021

Wife and I bought the REI Kingdom 4 tent and like it. Advertised for 4 people but perfect size for us. One person can put up or break down. REI still has pretty good warranties.

Ilexopaca · Sep 22, 2021

I bet you didn't expect such a response? I have a 15yo Kelty dome-style 4 person tent that has fit me and my kids but mostly, of late, me alone. The reason I like this tent is I've slept through a number of TORRENTIAL storms without ANY water entering the tent. None. Zero. Zilch. I don't do any serious hiking but when I have hiked it in - it was worth it to me. Fits me and all my gear. I've stuck it in carry-on luggage to camp the Sierra Nevadas, Canada, Everglades, on and on. I think you have a lot of good choices that won't break the bank so have fun.

willtill · Sep 22, 2021

trickg · Sep 22, 2021

Tacswa3 said:
I agree, I'm gonna want a tent I can stand up in or nearly stand up in. I'm a big dude at 6'3 with a bum knee, so I can't be doing a lot of crouching and kneeling throughout the tent. I've still been reading and researching daily.

This thread is good for both of us then because you and I have very similar requirements for what we're looking for.

bikerbankr · Sep 22, 2021

If you guys are car camping, the Coleman Instant Tents are fantastic. I have the 8-man and the 6-man. I take the 8 if someone's going along that doesn't have their own gear. We've had 3 guys with cots and gear comfortably in the 8.

If I'm going solo, I take the 6. Gives me for my sleeping pad or cot, my gear (usually a duffle bag), a little floor mat by the door for my boots and a folding chair that makes getting fresh socks/clothes on easier.

The 4-man would be fine but it's not as tall and I can't stand up in it. The 6 had plenty of room to stand up.

ETA: Once you do it a few times, they really can be set up and taken down in just about one minute with no poles to fiddle with.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004E4ERHA/ref=twister_B07GX54QFL?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 Not a bad price right now. I got mine for $135 but they're normally $160.

Don't forget the rain fly: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006GJ8PFG/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Sticky · Sep 22, 2021

geda said:
The big pro of the timberline tents that I came to appreciate in boy scouts is that they are very very simple. A tree could fall one one , break all the poles, and you could fudge it with some string and some trees or branches. God help you if you are out in the woods and a fiberglass dome tent pole breaks.

My go to is an old Eureka Timberline 2 man. It's a great tent, but only 2 person (not your gear unless you add the front vestibule, which I also have) and you can't stand in it. I really only use a tent to sleep in, once I awaken, it's outside from there til bedtime on most outings, so I don't need a big tent to hang out in, just a dry place to sleep.

Tacswa3 · Sep 22, 2021

trickg said:
This thread is good for both of us then because you and I have very similar requirements for what we're looking for.

Sweet. This thread is offering a lot of good info, things I didn't or wouldn't have thought about.

Tacswa3 · Sep 22, 2021

bikerbankr said:
If you guys are car camping, the Coleman Instant Tents are fantastic. I have the 8-man and the 6-man. I take the 8 if someone's going along that doesn't have their own gear. We've had 3 guys with cots and gear comfortably in the 8.

If I'm going solo, I take the 6. Gives me for my sleeping pad or cot, my gear (usually a duffle bag), a little floor mat by the door for my boots and a folding chair that makes getting fresh socks/clothes on easier.

The 4-man would be fine but it's not as tall and I can't stand up in it. The 6 had plenty of room to stand up.

ETA: Once you do it a few times, they really can be set up and taken down in just about one minute with no poles to fiddle with.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004E4ERHA/ref=twister_B07GX54QFL?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 Not a bad price right now. I got mine for $135 but they're normally $160.

Don't forget the rain fly: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006GJ8PFG/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is a contender on my list

bikerbankr · Sep 22, 2021

Tacswa3 said:
This is a contender on my list

The only thing that bugs me about these is they don't have a port like some others do to allow cords/hoses to pass through.

I only camp in the cold and, if it gets cold enough to run the tent heater, I have to run the propane hose through the main zipper. Not a big deal, it just gets in the way a bit when you're stumbling into the tent in the dark after a night of drink...er....camping.

Falkus · Sep 22, 2021

Marmot Tungsten 4P Tent with Footprint. Pricey but cry once ....

00 Del · Sep 22, 2021

A bigger tent in the winter is going to be a colder tent. With a smaller tent of the right design and fabric, you'll retain some heat in a 2-person tent - even just warming it with body heat.

wb3jma · Sep 22, 2021

Tacswa3 said:
Looking for suggestions on a decent 2 person tent. Nothing too expensive please, I have outdoor experience, camping with RV experience, but not tent camping. Looking for something good at keeping you dry.

Does it need to be light enough for backpacking? If not get a 3 man tent the amount of adult men who fit into a tent is n-1 the manufacturer claims it serves.

This is the one I take camping for me and the dog.

https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Tech...ords=coleman+3+man+tent&qid=1632364701&sr=8-3

trickg · Sep 23, 2021

00 Del said:
A bigger tent in the winter is going to be a colder tent. With a smaller tent of the right design and fabric, you'll retain some heat in a 2-person tent - even just warming it with body heat.

The last night of the last time I went camping, the temp dropped to 17 degrees. The Coleman Sundome tent I have is not designed for cold weather AT ALL. From halfway up on two sides, the tent is just mesh, and it requires the rain fly to keep dry if it rains. I was depending 100% on the quality of my sleeping bag to keep me warm enough. It did, but I think if it had gotten much colder it would have been a bit chilly.

There are tents that are specifically made for cold weather, but I'm not sure I want one of those either - they are very compact tents and like you said, they are designed to retain some body heat with how they are made.

I'm not sure what my next tent will be - I don't mind cold camping, but I think I prefer it when it stays above freezing.

Michael S · Sep 23, 2021

I would not even think twice about a Eureka tent 4 person. When I was younger I sat though a cat 3 hurricane in the outer banks. Our big tent was done in minutes. I watched all night from my truck a Eureka tent get blown flat and back up. The next morning almost everything was destroyed. Campers flipped over, roads washed out. But that tent was still standing. The first thing I did was walk over and see who made it. Then I bought one.

Tacswa3 · Sep 23, 2021

Michael S said:
I would not even think twice about a Eureka tent 4 person. When I was younger I sat though a cat 3 hurricane in the outer banks. Our big tent was done in minutes. I watched all night from my truck a Eureka tent get blown flat and back up. The next morning almost everything was destroyed. Campers flipped over, roads washed out. But that tent was still standing. The first thing I did was walk over and see who made it. Then I bought one.

But was it dry inside? Lol

Clark W. Griswold · Sep 24, 2021

Falkus said:
Marmot Tungsten 4P Tent with Footprint. Pricey but cry once ....

End of thread. And if anything breaks or leaks on that tent marmot will fix it. I have owned more tents than I can remember. What I still have and use are made by marmot, big agnes and Kelly. All of them have lifetime warranties and from my experience stand by them.

Next new tent I buy will be either marmot or big agnes. I like my Kelty and have had them fix things that were my fault for free. (My kids broke a pole because they didn’t seat it all the way in 20° weather. Aluminum isn’t very forgiving at those temps.) However the overall quality and features for the price are better with marmot or ba.

You do not need a 4 season tent in MD. If you get one, it will end up your winter tent because you will roast in it any time the temps are above 35°. Get a decent tent and have a variety of sleeping bags and liners to deal with different temps.

Recommend a good 2 person tent

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