ALPS Mountaineering - Extreme 2

Do not buy a newer REI tent. They “swag” the fittings on the end of the poles so this makes it almost impossible to repair or replace shock cords in the field. I did finally manage to twist an end fitting off using my Leatherman but it made the simple repair much more difficult. Alps Mountaineering makes affordable durable tents with repairable poles. I use Alps “extreme 2” and “Extreme 3” tents for solo or two people and gear for anything except backpacking. They are well built and rugged but a little slow to put up. I have slept in 3-4inches of snow in my Extreme 2 quite comfortably. Also in very windy conditions.

I've had an ALPS Mountaineering 2 person for years. Its been a great tent for me. Less than $140 at the time.

For shelter/ tent… I will give you a pro tip…. Start with a 2man tent… I really like the Alps brand for entry level tents and here is why. We use them in Boy Scout troops where the kids are tough on gear…. They stand up…. You can get them off Amazon for the best prices and there is a huge selection…. They also back up their gear if something breaks- if the tents gets wet - set it up at home to air it out dry….

I have a similar Kelty Gunnison 4 tent. Bought it 20 years ago so it is on it’ll last legs. Check out Alps Mountaineering. I bought a 2p and 5p and like them as much as my Kelty.

I love my Alps tent and they’re not too expensive.

Personally I have two Gazelle knock offs that are just absolute chefs kiss. Unfortunately that company sucks and they don’t make them anymore. I would be hesitant to buy an Ozark Trail tent, but I do have a $30 tent from Academy that I use for outdoor storage and it stays surprisingly dry. I love my Alps tent, and I think it was Eric on YouTube that did a budget trip and the Featherstone tent he really liked.

The kingdom tents from REI are great. the tubeshape and features are quite nice so are the extras.... but if you want easy to put up an down the instant tents from Ozark Trail I used with my family when kids were young in cub scouts for 5+ years. I the integrated poles made for putting it up and down very quick and easy even by myself, and I could stand up and had 4 cots in them. The may be cheaper than others but there are a few brands that make the instant tents with integrated poles. I was surprised how well my ozark held up. also check out the alps brands, they are built well, but heavy.

Anything by Alps mountaineering. Really good warrantee, great quality, good pricing.

Look into Coleman for decent and affordable. I've been happy with Alps Mountaineering on Amazon. Best suggestions I can offer.

All the tents from Alps mountaineering have treated me very well in wind and rain. Colemans not so much.

Yeah the marketing is so bad. There are 3 season tents that are better suited for colder climates but they aren't advertised like that. So weird. In the south, I recommend Kelty tents a lot because their 2 layer tents have almost-full mesh bodies. I notice that people in the northern US swear by Alps Mountaineering tents... their bodies happen to have a lot less mesh in the body. They're like 3.5 season tents, lol (but they'd be bad in the south).