Blacktail 4

I ended up ordering a Big Agnes Blacktail 4p tent with footprint. I'm also looking at picking up a tarp or blanket to line the inner of the tent. The Blacktail has got a much roomier interior (including 50" peak height) and tougher/heavier materials (75-denier floor and fly) than the ultralight 1p and 2p backpacking tent I'm used to using, but is still more lightweight and compact than a full-sized family car camping tent. I almost went with the Blacktail 3p but the 50" peak height on the 4p really sealed the deal for me. Other boxes it checks for me are good ventilation (two peak vents in the fly plus low vent configurations for the fly doors), generous vestibules, and minimally curved door zippers on the inner. With the footprint I think I can also do a fly first pitch in wet weather to keep the tent inner a bit more dry. I'm hoping it hits that sweet spot between giving my dog and I plenty of room to spread out and maybe even set up a (very low) chair for hanging out inside if it's rainy/buggy, toughness to withstand extra wear and tear from my dog, but also not being so huge that it's a struggle to set up solo or takes up tons of space in my car or stored in my house. Plus it's a size that I could still use for actual backpacking if split between 2-3 people, or even carry it solo for short distance, walk-in campsites. The lower profile versus the high rise style tents will hopefully help keep it from getting damaged or blown away if the wind picks up, something I've read about in a number of reviews for tents like the Aurora Highrise or the Wawona.

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.

My Big Agnes Blacktail has half mesh walls. Not sure if that's helpful.

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 love my “4 person” (3 really) Big Agnes backpacking tent but it’s more expensive than that

I’m so glad this was mentioned. I went colder weather camping with my sons a bit ago. Initially, I bought a big giant tent with an added screen room. This sub pointed us in the right direction. I returned the behemoth and went with my Big Agnes 2p and bought the boys their own 4p to use with their friend. OP, I did buy a propane heater. I would warm up my tent when I was getting ready to go to sleep and then again in the morning g before getting out of my sleeping bag. In the tiny tent, it was hot in there within minutes!

I have a copper spur 2 person that I’ve taken both my kids in on separate occasions. I didn’t want anything too fragile so stayed away from the platinum models. I’ve since picked up a xmid 1p and obviously use that for solo outings. We are now at the point where we need two 2p shelters and I’m looking to add a xmid 2p+ at some point. We have a 4 person big Agnes tent but it’s a bit heavy and 4 people in a 4 person tent is a little rough when they get older. The best part of the copper spur is pairing it with a two person pad and two person quilt. The entire floor becomes a bed and is very comfortable. The two person quilt keeps the jimmy legs in without having to carry two sleeping bags, so for the person carrying it saves a good bit of weight. If I had to start over I’d probably make the same decisions. A freestanding tent is a bit easier if you aren’t used to trekking pole tents. My first outing with my xmid was on hard packed ground in the desert where it was really difficult to get stakes in the ground. The tent blew over during a thunderstorm that evening. If I were going on the same trip again I’d probably just take the copper spur. So for me it was about having some flexibility and diversity of functions when building out my gear closet.