Big Agnes - Blacktail Hotel 3

We uses this as a family, when we do our four week cycle tours in summer: my wife and me share a MSR Freelite 3 and our three kids share a Blacktail Hotel 3. On rainy days we all five hang out together in the Hotel 3, eat and play games in there. It is a bid heavy, but quite robust. So I don't mind when the kids do their party in there or fight in there about whatever.

I would suggest: The Agnes Blacktail Hotel 3 person Tent. Looks like regular price is around $449 and REI has it on sale for $338. This give you the full vestibule with two doors great for dogs. This also allows you room for your gear inside the tent as well. I typically go bigger like a 4 person tent just to allow for the extra space. Carry weight is 7lbs 6oz but you can share the weight. Don’t forget the dogs should have their own doggy packs filled with their food. This takes some weight off you and the dogs really don’t even notice the pack.

Look for bikepacking tents- those intended for bicyclists. Shorter pole sections mean they fit inside bags better. I have the Big Agnes Hotel 3. Fits in my 18l side bag along with the rest of my sleeping/shelter stuff

I recently bought a Big Agnes blacktail hotel 3p and I was very impressed with the build. On our first camp with it at Big Sur, it rained all night and morning, and it performed flawlessly.

BA Blacktail hotel 3. The front vestibule area is ample space for your dogs or gear storage. It's a bit heavy at 3.5kgs but you can split that between two packs.

Agree. We have a 3p that we use for motorcycle camping. It's great for that - we put our riding gear in the vestibule, which was really helpful on the rainy days that we always seem to find. But it's heavyish and the footprint of the tent + vestibule is very large. We've been to campsites with platforms were the tent+vestibule barely fit. We do like the utility of a large vestibule but we wish there was a way to pitch the tent + fly without it sometimes. Big Agnes has some models were a vestibule can be added. That might be the best of both worlds. We also have a Six Moons Design Lunar Solo 1p. Our first single wall. It's ultra light and small but susceptible to condensation.

My wife and I picked up the 3P big Agnes blacktail a few years ago. Decent room inside with a nice vestibule out front. Big enough for gear or even some lightweight chairs to sit underneath or cook. A 2P with a decent vestibule would work well for you too.

I got the non-bikepacking version for me and my GF and we like it but can confirm its heavy. Vestibule is nice in the PNW cause we can cook under it during the rain, but I also got a nice hammock tarp that we use when we dont need the vestibule since the vestibule fly+extra pole does add a decent amount of weight. Also we aren't any pro racer UL type people, just 3-4 weekend getaways a year.

I picked that one up with my rebates and it’s a pretty decent tent honestly. Aluminum poles that even came with a patch kit for them! Packs down small enough for what it is as well. The Big Agnes Blacktail Hotel is a really nice tent as well that is made for bikepacking so the poles are shorter, I’ve also seen that one on sale pretty frequently.

I've used a Big Agnes Blacktail Hotel for years now. I've grown up in the bush and it's by far the best tent I've ever used. Every year I buy a can of silicon sealing spray and spray it down on a good sunny non-windy day, never had a drop of rain. The best part is the huge vestibule. On super rainy days we can set up our camp chairs in there and cook with the stove no problem, the dogs sleep out there and it's a great place to dry stuff. My wife and I got the 3 person version for extra space as I've never found a 2 person tent that is actually comfortable for two people. If you are 2, get the 3 person. Not sure what the price on them is these days and if you're CAD or USD, but I've never seen or used a better tent. Otherwise, where I live, every camp has at least one MSR Hubba. They seem to be a big favorite but I've never used one, not a huge fan of MSR tents. The ultimate cheap resort is just some department store tent and cover it with the silicon spray. When I grew up I was in Beavers/Cubs/Scouts, and to avoid a bunch of shitty kids wrecking good tents, the troop would just buy really cheap Coleman tents and douse them in silicon spray. This always worked great also. Hope that helps!