You have to decide how many people and do you want a good vestibule?
There are a couple options if you live here in Washington REI rents tents. This gives you a good chance to figure out what you want and what you prefer to have.
When backpacking everything is about weight. Over night trip i usually have 40-50 lbs on my pack. Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, cook stove, food and clothes and any small items that I like to bring.
On 3-5 days my pack is closer to 80lbs added food and fuel. More clothes fly rod etc.
I use a Big Agnes Blacktail Hotel 2 Bikepack Tent. If it’s just me I have plenty of room and keep my gear inside the tent next to me. If my gf joins me we both have room to sleep and our gear stays underneath the vestibule within reach. My tent costs about $350 I got mine online and sale for $299.
Lightweight means different things for different people I suppose. I can't in good conscience gatekeep my holy grail tent - check out the Big Agnes Blacktail Hotel Bikepack (important to get the bikepack version as the tentpoles fold down much smaller and make its packed dimensions quitesmall). It's light enough (2.5kg), it fits down in my pack (or on my handlebars), I've used it around the Arctic, but my god - the VESTIBULE. The vestibule is large enough for 2-3 people to gather inside for a game of cards during a storm.
Depending on where you go, I would consider not sleeping with your dogs. I don't know about you, but my dog gets real dirty out on extended hikes and loves getting wet and muddy. She is not allowed to sleep inside my tent. Instead I buy tents meant for people touring on bikes. They usually have an extended vestibule that closes. So it is large enough to fit a bike. I'll link an example 2 person tent. So the set up would be you and your partner inside the tent, with your gear and dogs spending the night in the vestibule. I bring half an old yoga mat as a makeshift sleeping pad for my dog.
[https://www.bigagnes.com/products/blacktail-2-hotel-bikepack](https://www.bigagnes.com/products/blacktail-2-hotel-bikepack)
Interface looks like Facebook Messenger to me.
I was pretty happy to pick up a Hotel 2 bikepacking for $210 (new) this year $130 for the 3 is a good deal.
I have a big Agnes blacktail hotel 3, my girlfriend has an REI wonderland 4 with the garage add on. In both cases, the extra covered space outside the inner tent is really useful.
To the sizing up question. Yes, definitely. My “3 person” tent has enough room for 1 human and a dog, I wanted the 4 person version, but it was out of stock everywhere when I was buying it.
We’ve had 3 people and 2 dogs in the 4 person wonderland once and it was very close quarters, pretty much impossible for anyone to move without stepping on someone’s bed. For 2 people and 3 dogs on a recent trip, it was really comfortable and we were out for about 2 weeks.
I probably wouldn’t buy the blacktail again, mostly because I’m starting to feel like I’m probably getting too old to be using a tent that I have to crawl to get in and out of, but I used it this week and it’s still a great tent.
I don’t think REI are making/selling the wonderland anymore, but if I had the chance I’d definitely buy another one (possibly even add a second garage for the other door).
If I was in the market again now, my wants list would include the ability to stand up inside it, and a vestibule.
The big benefits of the vestibule are basically extra sheltered storage, and in a storm, you can get in and out of the tent, while keeping the door and your sleeping area out of driving rain. It’s also good to have somewhere to take your shoes off to keep from tracking dirt into your bed (I use a rumpl stash mat inside my vestibule, she has a fold up woven mat of some kind).
Oh, and buy the footprint for your tent.
BlackFish42c
