Big Agnes - Tiger Wall 2 Carbon

I’ve had my Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2 for 7 years now but that’s more geared towards backpacking but it’s been pulling double duty for me. MSR is a brand worth taking a look at. If you have access and to a REI then their half dome tent is worth taking a look at too.

My wife and I have had the 2p versions of the BA Copper Spur, BA Tiger Wall, and Nemo Dragonfly. I didn;t like the Tiger Wall, and the Dragonfly had less head room than the Copper Spur and was heavier (this was an older generation). We still have the CS2P but two years ago we switched to the Hornet 3P w/ Osmo. Love that tent, and I don't see where we'll be switching to anything else. Really spacious, yet quite light for a DW. I've used various 1P Hornet's going back 10 years, and currently have the "Elite" 1P in Osmo. It handles weather really well. Osmo fabric is great. In your shoes, I'd definitely go with the Hornet 3P.

I have the Big Agnes TigerWall 2 person tent. I love it, I tent by myself but I like the extra room and in emergency cases there is still room for 2. It comes a little over 2 pounds. I am older (54). I saw reviewer said he likes the tiger wall because it is side entry. If it was front entry he had a hard time turning around. That’s what sold me on the TigerWall. 😂

We had this same dilemma recently. Before it was just me and my wife and our ACD who is around 35lbs. Our two person tent worked fine for that (Big Agnes Tigerwall 2). Then we got our second dog around 50lbs. So that setups wasn’t going to cut it. We ended up getting the REI Camp Dome 3 and that works out just fine for car camping or kayak camping. However it’s packed down weight is something like 5lbs. While that’s not terrible if the trip is short enough, I wouldn’t want to pack it on a trip longer than an overnighter. So we’re still in the market for a UL 3 person for those longer multi-day trips I guess.

2p tend (Big Agnes Tigerwall) and 2p sleeping bag (Big Agnes Cabin Creek). Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find a lightweight down 2p sleeping bag, but we just sleep much better together

Durston XMid 2p? Sounds like you're really looking for just a bathtub floor and full mesh sides. Per the website the XMid is 31 oz with inner and fly. Though if you just want to wake up and see the views, then you probably don't need the fly. But if you're worried about leaks, then it sounds like you want the fly for when it rains. Either way, the XMid might be a good option. I personally have a Tiger Wall 2p that I was going to recommend, but after comparing how high the sides are before the mesh to the Copper Spur, I figured that they were close enough that you would probably rule that one out anyway.

I started with a BA tigerwall 2 I and have a history of using smaller tents. I am very comfortable at setting up anywhere there is flat enough space for my sleeping body. I absolutely missed the place-able versatility of the smaller footprint; made pushing myself past an \~ok spot\~ late in the day less "risky". You can setup the 2P-pro in a lot of wonky areas and in much smaller spaces if you are willing to get creative. Its probably not "storm worthy" but I have set it up without the vestibules pitched, i.e. narrow pitched. I used the silpoly floor, the weight difference did not matter to me. If you already have a tent, you might just use that and buy the Durston once you have a few hundred miles under your belt.

Tiger wall. It’s lighter than the copper spur.

Hmm not sure what you mean. There’s the platinum that would maybe be slightly more see through but not by much. But that one has less mesh than the regular yellow one. I have the regular version, used it for a thru hike of the at and most of the Arizona trail. Great tent, no complaints, have also used BA tents a ton.

Yeah that’s something I like a lot about big Agnes tents. No rainfly=bug free cowboy camping. I used the fly creek for two pct thru hikes, tiger wall for the azt and at.

You're probably getting a Durston XMid 2. The downside is a large footprint, which will make some sites a little tricky. If you want freestanding, it's probably a Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2UL or a Nemo Hornet 2p. I think trekking pole shelters are superior in this case -- the (semi)-freestanding options tend to use weaker materials to offset the weight of their poles.

Started with an MSR Hubba NXT (1 person) and went with that till New York. Never let me down and I’m a fan of free standing. Came in handy a few times (one when I realised that sweet smell in the air was the privy. It was not sweet). Picked up the tent and moved it closer to ‘freshness’. Shipped it off in New York to my son who’d join me for the 100 mile wilderness. That saw me with the Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2 man tent. Similar weight to the NXT. LOADS of room. Loved it. Never let me down despite some real testing weather. And all but free standing 2. So add both these tents to your list. You’ll get many suggestions, and that’s because they worked for people. So many good tents out there.