Helix 2-Person Tent

Alps Helix2 can be found for $200 and less. I paid 196 delivered. It's a freestanding tent that weighs roughly 4lbs, and it is a double wall setup with a removable fly for stargazing or ditching the fly entirely if you know the weather will support that. It also features double doors that are generously sized, too. The one thing I wish they had done differently is to swap the aluminum poles to carbon fiber for weight savings, but at 4lbs, this is a decently light shelter for 2.

I am a Scoutmaster for a troop in the PNW. Here are my recommendations. Talk with your troop leaders to see what other scouts are using. Do they truly need a backpacking tent because they are hiking several Miles into their campsite? Or are they essentially car camping on most campouts? This will greatly affect what tent you buy. There is a website called www.hikerdirect.com. It will not pull up on a google search, you must type it into your web address bar and go directly to the site. It is the Alps Mountaineering website specifically for scouts. You can buy brand new gear for half off retail or less. They have sleeping bags, pads, chairs, duffel bags, hiking backpacks and tons more. I recommend looking at the Lynx 3 person or the helix 2 person. The lynx 3 is a great tent for two people to share. It can be carried on a backpacking outing by dividing the contents between the two scouts who will be sharing the tent. The helix 2 person is smaller and lighter. Better for backpacking but it can barely fit two people with no room for gear inside. It’s great for one person with gear though. Tons of other options available but those are my favorites.

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….

Alps mountaineering got me into backpacking. Even after I took up backpacking as a very regular activity, the 2-person tent was among the very last items to be replaced. Just the right dimensions, good weight, reliable, and damn near bulletproof. It outlasted a hail storm that would have given me concussions otherwise. To be fair, I was freaking the hell out in that tent the entire time...

I like the Alps tents. Wife and I moto camp off our KTM’s and the two person has aluminum poles (fiberglass poles break) and two vestibule for our Mosko luggage and riding gear. It keeps it all dry but out of the tent. I use a stuff sack to pack it small.

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

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