3F UL GEAR - Lanshan 1P

A used lanahan-1p (or maybe even a new one from AliExpress?). Not the lightest as a double-walled tent, but gives you the option of fly only outside of big season, and having a very weather-resistant shaped tarp. 

I was exactly the same. Actually got as far as ordering (and then cancelling) a Tarpstar as I decided to opt for a Lanshan instead (I now have a 1 and a 2). The ability to completely open up the side of the Lanshan made the difference for me, and I've certainly enjoyed using it.

I've been very happy with my Lanshan 1 tent that I bought on AliExpress.

100%, the Lanshan 1 is perfect for bikepacking. It endured pretty intense weather and rain in alpine landscape without any problem

I second the Lanshan 2P (or 1P) good value, can be bit finicky to set up, and needs a couple of mods, but lightweight for the size and durable for the price. Have been using mine for 3 years now

Paria Outdoors has a 3lb, 1p freestanding tent that is only like $160. Lanshan 1 is trekking pole tent that is only 2lbs and costs $130 shipped. (Before tariffs)

Lanshan regular is okay if you’re 6’2” and use an Xlite pad I know because that’s what I used to do. Under 700g is a tall order for that budget.

Yeah the CloudUp is super nice. HOWEVER… you’ve already discovered r/Ultralight… why not take it a step further? Get a trekking pole tent (or a tarp)! I seriously recommend checking out 3FUL’s Lanshan trekking pole tent. I used it for 1000 mi on the PCT and it’s absolutely spectacular OR, get the “Twinn tarp” from Gossamer Gear, everything on their site is like 1/3 off right now!

I have the Lanshan and the X-Mid. Both 2 Pro. Both are terrific tents. The Lanshan is perhaps the better value because of its low price. The X-Mid is the better performer because of its lighter weight and clever design. Both are fine 2 person tents with excellent materials and well performing layouts; although both are cramped for two people.

Can confirm. I started out with the Lanshan only to buy the Durston a year later. The Lanshan isn’t bad per se, the Durston is just so much better :) I got the Durston on an online marketplace in the Netherlands, maybe you can find something similar in your country.

I am 6'3", have both and used them a bunch (when I take people hiking they get the Lanshan and I get the xmid). The Lanshan is terrific- like some have said, you will need to seam seal. But I have found it can be even roomier than the xmid as long as you use the two side wall guyouts. There is a technique where you take a stick, wrap the guyout around it near the top and then continue to the ground and into a stake. This pulls out those sidewalls and makes it seem so much bigger, especially for head room. That being said, my original silpoly xmid2p is a near perfect tent and the one I use on most trips. My only gripe is the large footprint can sometimes be problematic in heavily wooded or uneven terrain. I believe the Lanshan is silnylon, so based on your climate I would go with an xmid. It won't sag in heavy rain and won't absorb water if you have to pack it up slightly wet.

I’ll second the lanshan. Surprisingly good build quality for the price. I like that the 1p only requires one trekking pole to set up. I have the pro version and it’s like 650g or something… Otherwise I’d also absolutely recommend the X-Mid. Probably the best overall tent on the market and reasonably priced

3fUL lanshan if he uses trekking poles, or naturehike cloud up for a freestanding tent. if he wants to hammock: onewind aerie hammock and 12' onewind winter tarp package. for both he needs insulation underneath him and on top of him. a sleeping bag is not enough.

I don't know how any of those name-brand tents made it into a "budget" list. You may be able to find older models of the BA tents on clearance right now, in which case they do actually approach "budget" status. From those, I would choose the Copper Spur for livability, but everyone's different. If you are open to trekking pole tents, look at the Lanshan tents. Lightweight, proven and actually a budget friendly option. Even some of the Amazon knockoffs can be okay for the price (and I'm not one to usually utter that sentence) - I have a $100 knockoff from a nothing brand on Amazon that I've actually gotten so much more than my money's worth out of over the years. Weighs a kilo. It's a gamble, though. With big brands at least you get warranty support.

The tent is too big for me. I don’t mind the internal space (but it is more than I need) but the footprint is huge and tough to stake out in the PNW. Length is great for my height but it is really wide. I’m 5’10”. Also the tent just doesn’t seem to pitch as easily as my Lanshan. If I have tons of space, pitching isn’t bad, but often I’m compressed in a smaller area, or I target an smaller area because it is flatter and getting a good pitch is hard due to the massive footprint. I really don’t like the rainbow zipper. Have to unzip a big length of it to get out. The tent acts as a bug trap at the top outside the mesh. So having to open the mesh and it falls down means bugs in your tent. Also it’s just tough to get out of unless you unzip the rainbow like 90% or more. I liked my Lanshans zipper better where you can unzip and the mesh hangs down keeping bugs out while you stick your feet out and put your shoes on. Also the rainbow zipper is oddly low for how tall this tent is, I think they just copy-pasted the rainbow dimensions from the duplex. When getting out I oftentimes snag my back on the top of the rainbow zipper. There is so much extra mesh above it, they could have made it higher up leading to a bigger door. I don’t like the trekking pole extension. I am always paranoid I will lose it and bringing more stuff like that runs counter to UL philosophy. It also makes pitching the tent more difficult because it is spring loaded so you have to keep the pole under a lot of tension while staking out the tent. Last, the vestibule doors are a PITA to latch together. The hook is far away from the tent zipper (due to the size of the tent) so it is a reach to do and the tent is usually quite tensioned out making pulling a door to the latch harder. There are a ton of things I like about this tent but these are the things that have really stood out to me.

In my experience I’ve found the copper spur to be a very upright & tall tent, whenever there is high wind the tent does get blown over and flattened out. I rather take my old vango or lanshan in windy conditions to be honest. Copper spur is a great tent though literally my only issue with it.