Big Agnes - Tiger Wall UL1

Go with the lighter of the two. I have a 1p Tiger Wall UL and it’s been my go to for the last 5 years for 90% of my trips thought the season where I am sleeping solo m. Love this tent. I’m 5,10 and I often wish it were longer. My pad hits the bottom of the tent when I’m all set up and my legs touch the bottom when I straighten them out. I can see why you’d be looking at the 2P. Added the Copper Spur 2p to my tents last year. It has a few other features. Great for trips where I need to share a tent and can split carrying it between two people. I’d go with the lightest version of the Tiger Wall you can afford.

I have the tiger wall ul 1 and it has been great. I did rip one of the cables in high wind, but the rest of it hung on and no damage to the actual tent fabric or poles. That’s ok with me!

Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL1 or UL2, or Copper Spur UL1 or Copper Spur UL2.

We were always n our own tent, while mom and dad got the camper on the back of the pickup truck. We never thought anything of it until it snowed one October - heavy - and the tent collapsed on us. Terrifying, and parents could hear us screaming because of the deadening properties of the snow. It’s a miracle. I still go camping. I love that one person tent shown in the OP. I have a big Agnes one person Tiger wall that I bought used for about 200 bucks. There’s another 1+ that I want desperately, but it’s sold out.

Another vote for BA, but the 1p

Am I the only one who does not share a tent with my wife? She carries a Big Agnes 1p and I carry the 2p for that luxury condo on the trail. This works great and with two light tents, is very manageable and gives us our space on a trip where it is nothing but the two of us.

I switched from a Big Agnes 1P to an Xmid Pro 2P last year and I haven’t looked back. I love it! Like you, I always have my trekking poles and I grew wary of always having a separate tent pole. Also, my 1P tent was ridiculously small. My Xmid sleeps colder since it’s a single wall tent, so I bought a second quilt (much warmer) so that I can continue backpacking year round and keep warm overnight.

I have had problems pitching my Big Agnes on hard dirt so I ran long sturdy sticks through my BA pitching loops and I put rocks on the ends of the sticks.

Regarding Hyperbead vs OSMO, there’s some big differences but basically Hyperbead claims to be permanently waterproof so if you camp a ton, like 30+ nights a year this might be very useful. OSMO has a very high quality waterproofing and should last many years (probably 10+ for the average camper, but likely less if you camp a ton) but it’s big advantage is that it doesn’t sag or absorb water. Hyperbead is made from nylon so I suspect they’ll be some stretch and water retention. If you’ve ever packed away a soggy tent, this is a pretty easy choice. Both brands should be storm worthy enough assuming you use the 4 season tent in really nasty weather. You do have to be more cautious with the Hornet, it has the lightest materials and there is only a single pole on one end so it’s the least wind resistant. The Tiger Wall has essentially the same design so that applies as well. Personally I feel the extra weight of full free standing tents is worth it for the peace of mind in windy conditions. Plus the option of not needing stakes on blue bell days is nice. With a dog always use caution, these are lightweight tents and should be treated with the same care you’d take with an Airmat. Keep a barrier between the claws and the tent and you’ll be fine. You height won’t be an issue. As you’ve heard the NEMO warranty is the best in the industry. I’m not sure what you mean in your last question about the Hornet body panel. Do you mean the fly scoop? The Dragonfly has this as well. Total non issue for me and a big plus in warm weather. If you hate that design, the new generation coming out next year doesn’t have scoops. Personally if you can get a sale now I wouldn’t wait, the updates are similar to what they did on the Dagger, slightly more head space and no more fly scoops.

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.

Big Agnes Tiger Wall. Get the 3 person if either of you are over 5’7”. My husband and I are both 5’7”-ish and barely fit inside the Tiger Wall 2. I love it though, it has 2 doors, is easy enough to set up and pretty comfortable for an ultralight backpacking tent. I do NOT recommend the Fly Creek, at all. I had one for a good section of my thru hike and it was so uncomfortable to climb in and out of. I hate that overall design.

We have the Tiger Wall and while it FEELS really delicate, we haven't had any issues so far. My only complaints is that it's a bit fussy to get the fly taut and you have to be very careful not to zip the fabric of the fly into the zipper when you're opening or closing the vestibule. Despite having done it MANY TIMES now I have yet to rip the material.