Blacktail 2

Check out either the Big Agnes Blacktail 2, the REI Co-op Trailmade 2 or the MSR Hubba Hubba which id say are top choices As a fourth option I’d also say consider the If you REI Half Dome SL 2+ which is plenty durable buy is also heavier than the others on top but very beginner friendly still. [11 other tents to consider](https://alaskanarrows.com/11-best-2-person-tent-camping-and-backpacking/) as well here for the rest But personally I’d say just go with Big Agnes Blacktail 2 which has all pro features i think would be great with a relatively good price

I had the non-hotel 2-person version for a few years, it was my first "serious" tent. It's a good tent for car camping, but it had some very-minor quirks that annoyed and made me prefer other tents. For example, the doors used two zippers instead of one (horizontal and "vertical" zippers). The stakes that came with the tent were cheap and bent more than dug into the ground. It was fairly heavy for its size. Its stuff sack was too small. However, that tent was a tank and survived many severe storms without ever letting in rain. It was also somewhat spatious for a 2p tent, and I'm sure the hotel version would be even more. I bought mine six years ago (I think) and sold it 4 years later. Maybe they fixed these issues in later models.

I have two Blacktail tents from Big Agnes that I use for car and canoe camping that have been great. We were just out in the BWCA last week and stayed dry in a 24 hour rain that included ~3 inches of rain with an inch of it coming down in about an hour. They are more expensive, but have held up very well over the six or so years we’ve owed them.

The Big Agnes Blacktail (or Blacktail Hotel) is cheaper (and heavier) than the Copper Spur.  My 3p Hotel has been a perfectly reasonable and durable backpacking tent.  The absurdly large vestibule is worth the weight penalty, IMO, as long as there's space to pitch.

I used to believe posts like this until I actually got on AT. You won’t believe this if all you look at is social media but hardly anyone is actually using the shelters. Everyone is using their tents. If I was OP and that was all my budget could afford, I’d go for the half dome. If I had more money, I’d go for a BA two person if free standing was preferred or a zpacks two person if trekking pole tents were okay with OP.

My post literally says “if I had more money” but I guess you decided to ignore that and then criticize me for my “more money” option. Stay toxic social media. There’s always someone who chooses to make a jab to make the conversation nasty and toxic and unpleasant rather than what my comment was - a fellow hiker just genuinely trying to help out another hiker on ideas. 🫤🙄🙄 You have reliably made this interaction unnecessarily unpleasant. Congrats!!!