Best livable value
REI Co-op Half Dome 2 Plus
REI · Mid · Heavier than UL tents
More room and a kinder price than the ultralight freestanding tents, with the weight to match.
As an Amazon Associate, Trailkit Outdoor earns from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure
The Half Dome 2 Plus is the freestanding tent for a first overnight and for weekends under about eight miles. You can sit out a storm without wearing the fly as a hat, and it is widely stocked, so a clumsy pitch can go back. It is heavier than the Copper Spur UL2 and the X-Mid 2, and that weight is the point of the trade: more room, a kinder price band, and a pitch a new backpacker can learn. Do not pretend it is an ounce-counter's tent, and do not take it on a long climb when a lighter freestanding tent would do the same job. If you already carry trekking poles and your sites take stakes, the X-Mid 2 is the lighter neighbour. If the sites are platforms, stay with a freestanding tent and accept the Half Dome's bulk only while the miles stay short.
Who should buy it. New backpackers who want comfort and a return policy more than a two-pound shelter.
Best for. A first backpacking tent on short weekends
Standout limitation. You will feel it on long climbs
Specs
- Sleeps
- 2, roomy
- Pitch
- Freestanding
- Season
- Three-season
Pros
- Room to sit up
- Easier budget
- Beginner-friendly
Cons
- Heavier packed
- Less refined hardware
Not sold on Amazon US.
Closest on Amazon: Marmot Crane Creek 2P Tent. A freestanding, double-wall two-person tent from Marmot in a similar price band. The listing also sells a 3P size and footprints, so check which one you are buying.
Check current price on the listing.
Also in Tents and shelters
