I’d look for a used eureka a-frame. You should be able to find them for super cheap and they are lightweight. Just buy some nikwax spray on waterproofing for the fly to bolster it a bit (you can use it to restore your other gear’s waterproofing too).
You're not dramatic.
I worked for an outfitter and we slept the listed capacity in the Eureka A-frames. When they call it a 6 person tent- they mean 6 bodies, there is space for 6 sleeping bags but thats it. When I guided trips the rule was you got your sleeping bags and a water bottle in the tent. Gear was stored outside under a tarp.
I have an LL Bean 6 person dome tent. I take it by myself. I take a cot and sometimes if its raining ill even move my chair in there.
If your campground camping. Walmart big, comforterable not hateful to setup. The poles won't bend if you look at them funny. It'll be fine. If it breaks just remember you saved $300 when you bought it and get yourself another 4 bedroom 2.5bath tent. Walk the couple isles over and get yourself a nice air mattress with all that money you saved.
Really though, Walmart is the buy it first if it doesn't work the way you want buy something nicer when it's time. You're not worried about weight, your worried about quality. REI is great when it's time to be invested into a hobby. But Walmart will get you to enjoying it.
If youre still not convinced and want to part with more of your money. Eureka makes a damn good tent for what you're trying to do. Specifically the a frame, however it doesn't have great airflow, you gotta point it towarda the wind. Read the reviews, there will be guys saying they've camped for 20 years with the first one. My dad regularly camped for 10 with his.
4. REI Flash Air Trekking Pole tent for backpacking. 2 person nema aurora for when I'm solo car camping and not base camping. 6 person Eureka for when camping with my wife because she likes the luxuries. A Hennessy Hammock for cases where I would rather that than the Nemo or Flash. Usually when I'm canoeing I'll bring that
One of the best things my troop does is completely ditch the footprint in favor of a ground cloth on the inside for this very reason. We've had this policy for at least the last 30 years. Can't begin to say how many times the ground cloth has kept me bone dry while a footprint would have pooled water and left me soaked. Plus it's nice for keeping the inside of the tents nice when scouts inevitably wear their shoes inside. It's much easier to clean a plastic sheet than a tent floor. I also recommend the Timberline with the caveat that it's going to be difficult to find replacement parts in the future.
It does but I'd rather patch a small hole than be wet for a trip. My troop just replaced our old timberlines (for the above mentioned parts reason) and most of the tents had some sort of patch in them and were still perfectly usable. It still seems like a silly trade off to me.
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Spacious vestibule, strong in storms, but rainfly tricky solo.
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