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.

[actionshooter]

300, I might have posted this previously, I am a fan of bivys but a good 2 man tent doesn't weigh that much more.

[Wea300mag]

I'm leaning that way actionshooter. Going from 10lbs to either 4 or 2, not a big difference.

[Wea300mag]

After days of pondering, the decision was made. After hours and hours of creating spreadsheets, numerous calculations, and confiding with the mountain climbing greats, I bought a new pack tent.

Actually I found a close-out at the Sportsmans Warehouse and had gift card which covered most of it. Close-out price=$90

It's a Eureka Pinnacle Pass 2XTA 3-season, 2-man tent, 4lbs - 9oz. I can now haul 5+ more pounds of food with me.

The fish in the high mountain lakes are in for a world of hurt this summer.

[bobcat]

Good choice! Exact same tent I have (sitting out in my garage, unused, never out of the box)   

[Wea300mag]

I'm going to sleep in it tonight in my living room just to say I used it. 

[Hunting Cowboy]

I have a very good 3 or 4 man tent that I've used for many years. I don't know the brand and I haven't weighed it. But, like Wea300mag I need to think about cutting down some weight. I'm not getting any younger. We've slept three of us comfortably on a few high hunts and four of us on a few back pack high lake trips in the summer.

[Wea300mag]

Cowboy, That tent looks too cozy (small) for 4. I guess that's why I stayed away from the Bivy, way too confined.

[Hunting Cowboy]

It is. We've slept two adults and a teen with no problem. Four people and the outside two are up against the tent walls (not good in the rain or snow) So It must be a two man tent? Good thing we're small in stature I guess. I'm guessing that this thing weighs between 7 or 8 lbs. I like how easy and fast it is to set up though.

Nice lookin tent you have therem Dan! Looks like your having a sleep over!

[Bearhunter]

Wea300, I was going to say you could come over and look at mine but I see you already bought one.  I have the Eureka Zeus 2 supper light and fast to set up.  Plus when it nasty I cook in it unlike bivy sacking it.  Looks like you picked out a good one, I looked long and hard before finally purchasing one.

[bowpredator]

I use a Marmott Earlylite 2person, a little over 3 lbs and it is awsome lots of storage under the rain fly and simple to set up. I think it was around $250 down at back-packers supply in tacoma. The JETBOIL stove is the best I'v seen out there, I remember reading a comparison article about it in Eastmans and it realy out performed all the other brands hands down. I bought mine at sportsmens for around $70 and $10 for a titanium spork. They now come with a plastic fork and spoon but I didn't like them so those hit the trash. 

[Wea300mag]

Bearhunter,

I was very close to buying the Zeus 2 but then I found the good deal on the Pinnacle Pass. It's a big upgrade for me.

Looks like I need to get a Jetboil before summer too.

[MikeWalking]

I hear people that use Bivy sacks are a Bears favorite Snackwrap

[Skyvalhunter]

Especially the ones tromping around in the Brooks Range with them!!

[MikeWalking]

Especially the ones tromping around in the Brooks Range with them!!

Before my first trip I got some well intended advice from a friend at work and yes he was serious.

Mike, he said, Be sure and put on lots of that Bear Spray. We don't want you getting eaten.

I had to explain you don't put it on like OFF or DEET. Unless you want to be a Cajun Bear Treat

Scary thing is besides people actually having put in on their kids is that it will attract Bears if sprayed on plants etc and left to sit awhile...

[gray brow]

300 -

for a nice little pack stove check out the tiny GigaPower.  You can get it with a titanium pot, lid, cup, and spork where everything including the stove fits into the pot with a can of fuel.  Super compact and light - I'll throw it in the rig and show it to you.  Me and Steve have used this setup for all our needs on the high hunt and it works great.  Do some surfing and you can beat the Cabela's price by quite a ways.

PS : Mountain House rice & chicken dinner with cubed up sauteed blue grouse is 5 star.

[50CalJim]

Hey Graybrow what is a spork?

[bobcat]

spoon/fork = "spork"

[ICEMAN]

Surely you jest?    What is a spork? Comeon man, don't you ever eat at KFC?   A spork is a spoonfork. Spork.


Aw, Bobcat...you beat me to it....

Post anyway.....

[MuleySniper]

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.

Not to change the subject, bone your camp pic is really cool. I like all the aspens in it.
MS

[50CalJim]

Yeah I clued in on what a spork was about 10 sec after I posted.

[MikeWalking]

Spork: Noun; An evil and deceptive combination of "Fork" & "Spoon" Inneffective as fork due to undersize tines, performs poorly as spoon due tines.

See also "Dribble Spoon"

[gray brow]

50Cal-

whatever you decide to pack, forks, sporks, or whatever, I have to say check out the titanium stuff.  It is incredibly light and strong.  Way better than aluminum.  I had a pretty standard BSA aluminum kit I used for years for packing in and always thought it was so light why worry about it.  Then I laid my hands on titanium stuff.  I think you just have to handle it to really appreciate it.  Initial cash outlay is more, but you won't regret it.

Me and Steve went in on the high hunt last time with 28 pound packs each, which we weighed so we know.  I can honestly say we both realized we could have easily shaved off another 2-3 pounds per pack without sacrificing basic needs.  He has a real light, nice 2-man tent from Bauer, I think, that beat the 9 lb tent of mine we had been using.  I think his was around 4 or 5 lbs, but it wasn't cheap and was a gift from his sister who works for Bauer.

I know for myself, when I was younger and money was a big deal, I packed what I could afford.  Nowadays, with a bit more leeway money-wise, there is a whole new world out there to shave weight for acceptable cost.  My two-bits worth.

[gray brow]

300 -

that looks like a nice outfit and the weight is excellent.  One thing about Steve's is it is a 2 man max and your gear is outside in a little vestibule.  Probably would be great for 2 men size small.  Both of our packs, boots, etc filled that vestibule up completely, and we were packed together like sardines in the tent.  But, warm and waterproof and for 2 guys you had minimum space requirement.

Hmmm...wonder if we can team up on a high hunt this year?  Seems too soon, but maybe the area I like will be recovered enough this season.  Probably ought to jawbone it with the biologist...

[Wea300mag]

I'll have my people get ahold of your people. Unfortunately, I was fed to the wolves at work yesterday. I guess I will have to make someone else cry to get free of this burdon.