Gunnison 2

I had Kelly gunnison 2p for my first tent and it is a beast. 125$, free standing, 2 entrances, footprint. It withstood so much that I was shocked.

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

I have been using Kelly 2 person tents as my backpacking tent forever. I spray the fly and tent down with a silicone waterproofing spray. Never ever had an issue. Most important thing is a good ground tarp that does not extend past the base of your tent, if anything it should be an inch or two under the base. I use old work tarps cut down perfectly to size. Lightweight, cheap and durable.

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.