Looking For Tent For 2 People + Dog

[NorcalBowhunter]

Hello I am looking for a tent for my wife and dog to use on long hikes. I have done some research and am not really finding what I want. I have seen a tents that interest me such as the Field & Stream Wilderness Lodge 3 Person Tent or the COLEMAN® EVANSTON. Now I know the Coleman tent is to large for what we need, and that Coleman tends to be of poor quality, and I know nothing about the Field and Stream tent because I can't really find any reviews on it by backpackers.

What I like about the two tents though is that the vestibule is large and something that I could not only use to keep gear out of the rain, but could work as a place for our dog to sleep without having to drag her into the tent with us. So I am hoping some of you more experience backpackers would have some suggestions on tents that are like the ones I post.

 

Also I just wanted to note that weight isn't a huge subject for me. I know that you want to try to stay light, but with my wife helping carrying things and my dog with her own pack making herself useful I will have some weight to spare.

Edited January 27, 2016 by NorcalBowhunter

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

Welcome to the site! No experience with the tents you mentioned, but the Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo (I seem to be suggesting this one a lot lately) has worked out very well for us on many trips. The vestibules are pretty big so I think that could work for a dog depending, but ours always seems to find a way inside whether we like it or not!

[nathan.smith4x4]

Hey Norcal. My wife and I Have an mld duomid xl with an innernet. It has everything your looking for and it's very light. We are going to be switching to a tarp and bivy set up if your interested in it. It is a really sweet tent, but it isn't what is right for us. To big of a foot print. 

 

You might also check out the rei full dome. It's pretty heavy but our half dome has lasted for years and years and we still use it regularly. Any 3 person tent should do what your looking for. I like the six moon lunar designs quite a bit too, just not perfect for our needs. 

[NorcalBowhunter]

Thank you guys for the replies. I an leaning towards the six moon tent there looks like it might be what we are looking for.

[Reflex]

I have never used a tarp. Can someone pls explain, if using the 6 Moons Duo, what happens if it rains hard; does it not seep under the tent? What about wind? Does it not seep under the rain cover?

I am new at buying serious gear and want to go light. I was about to choose between the Big Agnes Fly CReek Platinum which is about 1 lb 15oz  or the Big Agnes Copper Spur 2 which is about 3.02 total. I know the tarps are way lighter, just not convinced on issues of water, mosquitoes, wind and warmth.

I need one tent to do both backpacking and car camping with my 6 year old.

 

thoughts?

Edited February 3, 2016 by Reflex

[nathan.smith4x4]

I don't have any kids so unfortunately I can't speak with that. With a tarp, there are hundreds of different ways you can set it up. Depending on how you set it up will greatly affect the amount of wind and splash back aloud in. My wife and I are getting bivy sacks to help with both rain and wind. Personally I like the adaptability of a tarp over a tent since we both climb, backpack, and do some mountaineering. You can't set a tent up as many places as you can lay a bivy or tarp. 

In all truth, an ultralight tent will challenge a tarp (weight wise) unless you want to shell out the big bucks on cuben. It's all about preference. We have more fun under a tarp. (No walls to block the views and so forth).

I've read a lot about durability issues regarding big agnus. What about looking towards the z packs duplex or triplex? I know they are pricy but if you buy the good one once you won't have to keep buying the parts or bad ones. 

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

On 2/3/2016 at 4:30 PM, Reflex said:

I have never used a tarp. Can someone pls explain, if using the 6 Moons Duo, what happens if it rains hard; does it not seep under the tent? What about wind? Does it not seep under the rain cover?

I am new at buying serious gear and want to go light. I was about to choose between the Big Agnes Fly CReek Platinum which is about 1 lb 15oz  or the Big Agnes Copper Spur 2 which is about 3.02 total. I know the tarps are way lighter, just not convinced on issues of water, mosquitoes, wind and warmth.

I need one tent to do both backpacking and car camping with my 6 year old.

thoughts?

Hey Reflex, the previous photo was with the vestibules on the Lunar Duo rolled up and stowed, here's another view in a place now far away with things more locked down:

The canopy and vestibules overlap the walls, there's integrated bug netting, and there's a bathtub floor built in as well - although you'll still want to be careful picking a spot with whatever you go with. More views can also be found here in the review: http://www.trailgroove.com/issue3.html?autoflip=35  The Big Agnes tents seem really popular as well, though! And as Nathan mentioned something like the Zpacks Triplex is definitely worth a look as well.

[Reflex]

Thank you! How long does it take to set up your 6 Moons Duo?

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

A few minutes usually gets the job done. I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to pitch though, so I might spend a few more additional (and perhaps not required) minutes getting things just right.

[HappyHour]

On February 3, 2016 at 4:30 PM, Reflex said:

I have never used a tarp. Can someone pls explain, if using the 6 Moons Duo, what happens if it rains hard; does it not seep under the tent? What about wind? Does it not seep under the rain cover?

I am new at buying serious gear and want to go light. I was about to choose between the Big Agnes Fly CReek Platinum which is about 1 lb 15oz  or the Big Agnes Copper Spur 2 which is about 3.02 total. I know the tarps are way lighter, just not convinced on issues of water, mosquitoes, wind and warmth.

I need one tent to do both backpacking and car camping with my 6 year old.

thoughts?

It's actually surprising how little rain gets blown in to a tarp. I've used one for years (an MLD poncho tarp) and never gotten wet. I do use a bivy as a second line of defense, but mostly to keep mosquitoes out and to enable cowboy camping. 

But I can't recommend this unless you are pretty experienced. Tarps do require that you select your camp site carefully in bad weather, and can be difficult to get pitched correctly. Also, many people are just more comfortable in a fully enclosed space. 

If your budget can manage it, I'd really recommend separate tents for backpacking and car camping. But if you only buy one, buy a good backpacking tent - you can live with a small light tent in a car campground much better than a big heavy tent on the trail. The BA tents are very popular and deservedly so, either one would be a good choice.