Big Agnes - C Bar 2

I bought a Big Agnes C Bar 2 tent, weighs like 1.8kg and cost £170 from a EU supplier, fantastic tent and so light, packs away well. My friend bought this exact quechua tent and whilst it was good quality it is also very bulky and heavy. I can see Snowleader.com has the C Bar 3 which is a 3 person tent for £202 right now, would suggest that if you’re gonna be sharing it with someone!

A lot of one person tents are really small. I use a Big Agnes C Bar 2. It’s about $140 and weighs 3 lbs and some change. The only drawback is its front entry/exit. A side zip is easier to deal with.

If you’re alone, the storm break 2 might be annoyingly heavy unless you’re hiking somewhere flat and not technically challenging (or canoe camping / car camping). 1 person tents are light but small, so I suppose it depends on your size and comfort in small spaces. I usually go with either a lighter 2p tent for myself or a hammock which is also light. I have a Big Agnes C Bar 2, which is marketed as a 2 p tent but feels more like a 1.5p tent and thus is perfect for me. I think it’s 4lbs, but you can buy a footprint that allows you to set the tent up with just poles, footprint, and fly, which cuts down weight a lot and works fine in fair weather. So, ask yourself where you’ll be hiking, how much weight matters, whether you’ll always be alone, etc. A 2p tent is nice because you can share if need be (even the c bar 2).

I can recommend the Big Agnes C Bar 2, that's the one I have. I've used it for a couple of years and it's been great. It has a vestibule also so you can put your bags there. Right now there are sales so you can get it for probably around the 180-200€ (+30€ if you get the footprint). Big Agnes is a really well known and reputable brand also. It weighs around 1.6-1.7kg so for 2 people it's pretty light, I regularly use it solo too. Also if you buy the footprint you can set it up with only the footprint and the rainfly which makes it lighter. If you don't have too many insects that can be an option. The one downside is that it might be a bit on the smaller side for you. This isn't a 2.5 person tent but 2 person.

They’re right, 10D fabric is /Incredibly/ thin. It wouldn’t last much wear and tear at all. If it’s just for you, maybe the Alpkit Soloist XL would be a good fit. If it’s for two, Big Agnes’s C Bar or Crag Lake maybe.

I know I’ll get downvoted but I tend to agree with this. I own an x-mid so don’t at me universe. But I think durston is a bit over-hyped. There are lots of quality issues - especially with the x dome series - just peep the gear heads sub.  Durston makes good tents imo, not great ones. They seem to do a lot of r&d with paying customers which I’m not a huge fan of - especially if you’re paying tariffs.  My x mid is fine - suitable for certain trips, while my freestanding tent (big Agnes) is great. Both have great customer service imo. But I’ll take the Xmid when I really have to count ounces and I’ll take my big Agnes into the desert where a trekking pole tent would just be a nightmare to fiddle with - weight penalty be damned. 

We each have our own hammock... Def my preference! We have a 2 person Big Agnes that we put our packs in or use if the weather is really bad (even tho I have a rain fly for my hammock now!)

Right now REI is clearing out excellent Big Agnes 2P tents. They’re the best for the price. Light, tough, freestanding. Easy setup. No gimmicks.

I have a Big Agnes. Love the tent and love the brand.

Big Agnes, MSR, and Nemo are 3 of the best tent brands available. I ran the warranty desk for an outdoor gear company, and saw the least amount of warranty issues with those brands. They’re not inexpensive, but, you get what you pay for. I have a Big Agnes tent that’s at least 10 years old, we use it regularly and only have to hose the dirt off. It’s amazing. Nemo is awesome too, I know a lot of people with Nemo tents and they love them. I just got an MSR 3 person tent and absolutely love it. Definitely get a 2 person tent. The general rule is to take however many people will be sleeping in the tent, and add 1. So 1 person = 2 person tent, 2 ppl = 3 person tent and so on. A 2 person tent is more comfortable for having your gear inside the tent, changing your clothes, etc. If you don’t plan to go backpacking with it, I’d get a 3-4 person tent just for the space.