ALPS Mountaineering - Taurus 2-Person Outfitter

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….

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

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

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

I kind of have a soft spot for and like this style of tent (I had an alps brand 2p version that i used for myself and my dog, it was reasonably priced), but I gave mine to a friend in favor of switching to an "ultralight" freestanding tent instead. If i was only planning to camp in places where i knew i would be able to stake into the ground I might have kept it.

I second the Alps Mountaineering, especially the Tarus, built well, easy set up, and you're not going to be taking out a second mortgage to pay for them. We use them in my son's Scout troop monthly and they've held up for years of use (make sure you get the Tarus with aluminum poles, it's a bit more expensive than the one with fiberglass poles but they last)!

Scouts also have to be within 2 years of age to tent together, making a 6-8 person tent unrealistic in most situations.

If you are scout camping, no one wants a 6-8 person tent. Trust me. 4 person tent at max. My personal recommendation is to register with Hiker Direct and purchase an ALPS Taurus Outfitter in a size you deem appropriate. Probably 2-4 person. The tent is very affordable through HD and is about as durable as you can get while still being easily packable.

Kelty and Alps Mountaineering have both been good to me. Quality gear at excellent prices. I often reach for my alps gear more than my expensive MSR gear sometimes. Anecdotally, my Kelty Grand Mesa has lasted me almost 20 years. Still waterproof. My Alps Mountaineering tent has withstood several Pacific Northwest storms and many nights of absolutely frigid temps. Hasn’t let me down either. Check out discount websites like Sierra.com and Steep&Cheap for good sales.

Second on the Alps, and I also own a Nemo dragonfly osmo. Some people will say they aren't necessary, but I disagree 100 percent, especially in your use case. Get. a. ground cloth/footprint. Even if it's a $4 dollar general blue tarp. If somebody in the troop has access to tyvek housewrap, even better. You can run that through a wash and dry cycle and make it a lot less crinkly if you want. Unless you plan on camping on carpeting, there will inevitably be a stick, rock, piece of broken glass or debris that will scratch or puncture your floor. As far as purchasing, also keep an eye on the REI Garage Sale. I've seen some really good deals on things that were returned after a couple uses or missing an item that could be easily replaced.

No. Just get an Alps Mountaneering and save yourself a lot of aggravation.