I have been an REI truther for years, and have owned their Half Dome tent as well as a Kelty 2 person tent. I know how valuable it can be to have nice gear, but recently I’ve been thinking: is there any reason not to spend $50 on a tent from amazon, and if it breaks just buy another one? I could do this six times before spending as much as I would on a tent from a major retailer. As long as i check the weather, as I bet amazon rain flies aren’t trustworthy, is there any downside to choosing a cheap ass tent over an expensive one?
Edit: seeing comments about waste. I admit I was thinking only about money, and you’re right I don’t want to be dumping Amazon tents and right
You're safe! I have similar tents...
My fave is my first Kelty dome tent. I won't tell you how old it is, but it's small, waterproof, and a breeze to set up. I also have a Kelty 6 wireless, a Gazelle 3t, a coleman that I've never even set up, a 2 person random cheap tent that I have used twice, and another little dome tent that I have no idea where it came from. And, I'm still looking. I have issues.
How tall is the air mattress? What time of year do you want to go and how many people will help with set up?
I’m in middle TN and really only fall and spring are where storms are less unpredictable.
Sounds like you are perfect for a larger tent from Walmart like a Coleman. An REI/kelty dome tent is also a good option if your air mattress is not very tall.
Get something cheaper to figure out what you do and don’t like/need.
A dome tent should work just fine at that height. They are easy to set up solo and don’t break the bank. I would advise looking into the Coleman tents since they are cheaper and normally a bit bigger but I have spent many nights in a kelty dome tent.
Look into the exact set up for the rain fly on staking it out, that will help if there is a storm forecasted.
When going on tent size know that if it says 3 people that means 2 people can be comfortable and 3 people need to be super close so always go down 1 person vs what the tent actually says.
You are a vet. Get the expert voice app and then you can get yourself a kelty 2p tent for a good price and have a decent quality tent for what you are doing. You can get an emergency blanket to put over your mattress then cover with a blanket to keep the heat. Those things have 0 R value. Happy camping!
Survived in a Kelty 2p for years with a spouse , but the day I upgraded to a big Agnes copper spur hvUL3....there is no going back. About 6? Or 8? Years in. Pricey, so make sure it's a hobby you will stick with . But with the hotel fly, man there is room for packs and to take the near 5yo on his first bigger trip soon. Dog, whatever!
Big Agnes has an awesome shape even in their 2p, more height with the square shape so it feels a lot less crowded. The weight/size difference between most 2 and 3p is negligible.
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