Featherstone Outdoor - UL Granite 2P

The dagger is a nice tent but not one I’d be comfortable using with a dog. It’s still going to be well over $300 even on a Black Friday sale, and a dog’s nails can slice through the floor. There are plenty of Amazon tents that are kinda light, for around 100 bucks that will do. I recommend the Featherstone Granite 2P. I have a Nemo Dragonfly and it was more of a splurge purchase. I love the tent but it’s not 3-4x better then the Featherstone.

Featherstone tent, REI sleeping bag from their used gear section. Edit: took a WELL used featherstone granite 2p tent on the Great Divide Bikepacking route. 69 consecutive nights of use in all types of weather. Rain, snow, high winds. It was Bombproof. It still had tons of life left at the end. Picked up a used REI magma sleeping bag from their used gear section and used it for 60 consecutive nights of bike touring in South America. I still have it and it still works great.

I actually bought a Backpacking tent for the first time since 2010 last week (I have been a Hammock backpacker since 2011).   My 8yo wants to join me on a trip this spring,  and she will be more comfortable sharing a tent, so I picked up a Featherstone Granite 2p.  Guess I gotta relearn how to sleep on the ground lol.

Hey! Just chiming in as someone who’s done quite a few budget-friendly trips (including the Rockies!). You're totally right to look into **Featherstone** — solid brand for the price, especially their **Backpack UL 2P**. It's light, packs small, and holds up well in 3-season conditions. For sleeping bags, here are a couple of budget options that won’t leave you freezing at night: * **REI Trailbreak 20** – around $100, synthetic fill, decent warmth-to-weight ratio for beginners. * **Hyke & Byke Eolus 30°F** (down) – if you can stretch a bit more, this one’s warm, packable, and lighter than synthetic. Also check out **Naturehike tents** – their Cloud Up 2 is budget ultralight gold if you’re okay with slightly less durability. Tip: Don’t forget a good sleeping pad — something like the **Klymit Static V** helps way more than you’d think for warmth and comfort. You’re doing great researching this now — the Rockies can be unpredictable even in spring, so solid gear will pay off. Let me know if you want recs for budget stoves or other essentials!