1-2 Person Backpack Tents

[Wea300mag]

I am looking at buying a 3-4 season backpack tent, 1-2 person, around $150 or so. I have been packing around a 3-4 person, general purpose camping tent (about 10 lbs) for the last 7 years. The tent has never failed me but I want to get smarter (now that I'm older) and cut 6 or so of those pounds out of my pack. I have been looking at the following:

Cabela's XPG™ Ultralight Tent: Weight is reasonable and it has received decent reviews. Also, the price is right and I could use one of those many $20 rebates coupons (for $150 spent).

Eureka Zeus Classic Tent : Decent price but has poor reviews for ventilation.

Outdoor Research Aurora Bivy™: Extremely light, decent price, but no room for storing gear.

I'm looking for other input from some of you who may have used any of these or others that are similar. Any input would be appreciated.

[coonhound]

I use Sierra Designs, they build a great tent, it will probably be out of the $150.00 range but it's the only tent I have a lot of experience with.  My 2 man weighs in at 4lbs and is convertable, you can zip out the ceiling if you don't need a true 4 season tent.  I've spend 7 days straight in hard rain on a few occasions without a single leak.

Out of the 3 you mention, the Bivy is a very practical approach for a light weight hunt.  I recently started hunting with a bivy and love the freedom it allows.  As far as my gear I just cover it up with my rain coat.  I will probably retire my tent now that I've started using the bivy.

Coon

[280ackley]

My brother has the Eureka Zeus and loves it.  I have never herd him complain about ventilation.

[ICEMAN]

I have a larger eureka tent, absolutely love it, good quality.

[actionshooter]

I like the bivy idea, Outdoor Research has a 2 person bivy that is still under 3#.  More room to move and store gear.
 I am not fimiliar with the other 2 you are looking at.

 For more space I will pack an extra couple of pounds, there are 2 man tents out there in the 4# range but a little higher price than $150

[bobcat]

I don't think I could handle being cooped up in a bivy sack. It would be fine in a state where precipitation doesn't happen on a regular basis as it does here.

I have a Eureka Pinnacle Pass and it's not the best lightweight tent out there but I think it's a good value. If I used a lightweight tent more often, I would probably go with a higher quality, more expensive tent.

But I don't use it much and I got it for $115 off ebay. Here is the same one I have for only $79.99:

http://www.eurekacampingctr.com/eureka/product.asp?s%5Fid=0&dept%5Fid=3047&pf%5Fid=PAAAAAFDMMICOMDG&

[MikeWalking]

After 10+ years in an 9lb Sierra Designs CD bombshelter I bought an REI 1/4 Dome UL 4.something lbs with stakes. Goes up faster than anything I've seen. Great ventilation it's all mesh, kinda breezy though. At 5'9&1/2 I have about 5 or 6 inches to spare. Two doors. Room for a pack and stuff on either side. Inside it's not much wider than me, like 2 boots side by side?

About 140$ I think.

Bivy Sacks?  Great till it starts raining and you want a dry place to dress-change. If you bring a tarp then you might as well get a tent.

Big Agnes makes some neat stuff too.

[Ironhead]

I used the contrail last year in Colorado in a torrential down pour and stayed dry Its extremely light and easy to set up. Also used it in Idaho with no problems up in the Sawtooths.



www.tarptent.com

[MikeWalking]

Hey Ironhead...

I'm shoping for a new Backpacking stove. Is that a Jetboil I see there?  how do you like it?

[Ironhead]

Yes, it is. It's worked well for me. It takes about 90 seconds to boil 2 cups of water. It's light weight and the fuel canister cup and stove all pack together as you see it in the pic. It works great for mountain house meals it takes 2 cups a water for a entre and that is about as much as you can boil at one time.

[BLUEBULLS]

I use a northface canyonlands, i picked it up from a friend for $30. i haven't used it much but so far i like it, 3 1/2lbs, about the size of a loaf of bread and sheds water real well. it will fit 1 person and his gear.

[PacificNWhunter]

I have an REI Half Dome 2 HC and LOVE it. The tent is really easy to set up and weighs in at 5 lbs including the rain fly. It can get a little cold because it is just a 3 season tent. You can fit two people with a good amount of gear in the tent without to much trouble. It retails for around $170 which is a little higher then you wanted but REI has an awesome return policy and takes anything and everthing back.

[actionshooter]

Not to get off the subject, I picked up a jet boil this year and I like it so much I retired my MSR Whisperlite I have used for 10 years.

[boneaddict]

Its an REI about 10 years old.  Has been in some serious crap.   Its a 2 man, but unless you are camping with the current archery chick of the month or your spouse, you wouldn't want it........I bought a Eureka for Alaska...4 man 4 season....NICE but heavy for a one man aadventure.

[Wea300mag]

That's a lot of good info, even the stove posts, thanks. I'm still on the fence of Bivy -vs- tent (extreme lightweight -vs- storage space). I'll have to stew over that for awhile.