Big Agnes - Mad House 8

I love Snow Peak. I have some of their gear but not tents. The only reason I don’t have a tent of theirs was the standing height. Average height of a Japanese adult is shorter than American height (me) which explains why their larger tent designs still only top out around 5.5 feet or so. If they modified that I’d probably own one. Excellent quality and company. Otherwise I currently run an 8p tipi from Seek Outside for my more rustic adventures, and a Big Agnes Mad House 8 for my more “front range” car accessible adventures with groups.

Finding good flat ground for a 10 person tent can be challenging at times. Some campgrounds have elevated pads for the tents and a 10 person can sometimes overflow. A lot of it depends on how much stuff you bring. Having space in the tent for a board game on a rainy day is definitely an advantage. If it were me, I would go with the six person, and move some sleeping bags if needed to play a board game. I currently use a Big Agnes eight person tent for my family of 5-6.

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.

After dealing with a warranty issue with Durston I would rather deal with Big Agnes

Big Agnes warranty and customer service help is top-notch. I sent them an email earlier this week and they responded within minutes with a fix that allowed me not to send the tent in and repair it myself.

Try the REI re/supply. I got a Big Agnes tent that retails for $499 for $134. Also, REI sale is coming up in a few weeks and there will probably be a good deal on their own brand tents and others.

https://geartrade.ca/ they stock a bit of budget gear and they are not amazon. Also try thelasthunt.com, and https://www.sportchek.ca/en.html they can have some good gear in clearance. I really enjoy my big agnes tent and they are available in long, but they are pricy when not on sale.

Ive had my big agnes longer than any other tent ive owned so far! I think its at least ten years old.

My big Agnes tent got a hole in the mesh the first time I used it. I returned it for the MSR.

Paria is a glorified dropshipping company. Durston and Big Agnes are good options, you don't need anything more niche honestly