Naturehike - Cloud Up Pro 1

I backpack and hike pretty seriously, and bought a CloudUp 1 Pro for when I take my dog along and don’t want my nicer gear to take a beating. It’s 70% as good as the best, only about 10% heavier, and costs 20% of the price. I’m usually a buy once, cry once kind of guy, but if you’re not serious enough about backpacking/camping to spend big money, or want something that can be beat up without feeling bad, the new CloudUp Pro series is a great option. Just ditch the groundsheet it comes with and go with something lighter, if you insist on using a groundsheet.

I still have my Northface StarLight, it looks just like your Tadpole. I am not sure the different; but anyway... I have the same problem as you do. It is a bit heavy for solo camp or backpacking. I do not want to spend more than $200 for it, since I only go backpacking maybe 1 or 2 a year. Also I have other gears want to get. So I end up got NatureHike Cloud Up Pro from Amazon. It is close to 3lb with everything. It is free standing. I do wish the entry is on the side for easy access; but it is not big deal. Good luck.

Nature hike cloud up pro was what I ended up getting. Very happy with my purchase!

Naturehike Mongar or Cloud up in their 3p version? It's relatively lightweight, affordable, and very well made. My cloudup 1p does really well in rain and wind.

A foldable windscreen for my stove. I don't really do much cooking on hikes and, because of that, I don't really take the screen because it's just excess weight. So it sits in my closet. It was only $15 but I don't use it. Also an inflatable pillow. I got one that was one the pricier end because it's one of the most popular. It's not very comfortable at all. I just use my puffy jacket instead. I'm unsure if I regret my Lanshan 1 purchase. I haven't had the chance to use it more than twice yet, wrong season, but it's such a fiddly tent with a large footprint. I *think* I'm going to grow into really liking it but at with my first impressions I can't say I'm in love with this tent. I'm not sure how often I'll choose it over my Cloud Up 1 which is also a very light (not ultralight) tent that's completely reliable and hassle-free.

I have a cloud up 1, star river 2, and a friend just got a mongar 2. It's essential to get through silnylon fly IMO. I've been through hours of rain and have never had a drop in my tent. OP, look at the mongar 2. I believe it's smaller and the side entry is a huge improvement. It also has a lot more room under the fly for gear.

Naturehike 1 cloud up series is really affordable and very light if you don’t mind sleeping in a triangle

Second this. Cloud up 1 has suited me very well!

Look at Naturehikes. I have a 1P tent from them that cost me £85 and weighs 1.5kg. Size wise it's basically a bivvy "with a bit extra" but it's enough to sit up in and store your bag either in its (tiny) vestibule or just next to your sleep mat.

For the CloudUp, 4000MM is for the 20D (green colour) tent material and fly. The bathtub floor is 20D with a silicone coating, so it's probably in the range of 6000+. It's worth noting, unless you plan on setting up in a terrible spot and/or are expecting torrential rain, the 1800mm is more than enough for anyone. On that note, the Eureka tent has a better construction, and has slightly more headspace.

I've never heard of them but products from their parent company, DAC are ubiquitous in high end backpacking gear. I'd give a design like the sololite a try. The vestibule comes separately adding a lot of cost. I see two big problems with this tent; * Shipping stuff overseas to Canada can be a big PITA. I'm not sure where you are purchasing it but but "Bigtent Explore" option may largely avoid shipping being a PITA and that store seems to be the main place to buy them. * If you decide to sell this tent it will be difficult due to the lack of name recognition. Durston's a Canadian company that manufacturers extremely popular tents and if you want a high end option they are worth a look. I'd recommend starting with a freestanding tent like the X-Mid. I primarily use a different tent but I've been extremely impressed by one of their trekking pole tents I own. Another option is more budget oriented tents. NatureHike makes a bunch of fairly light tents (CloudUP, Mongar) and imho they are more durable than the extreme ultralight tents. If you do get serious about backpacking, you can later upgrade from a budget tent. Personally I use less expensive tents when camping close to vehicles as weight isn't a major concern and I'm less worried about damaging them. If you later decide to get a ultralight 1 person tent, the extra space of a two person will be greatly appreciated when weight isn't a concern. Go to MEC or another outdoor store (Not Atmosphere / Sportchek) and start trying on packs and find one that fits well. Keep a few in mind and purchase one that will fit the rest of your great and aim for a 60L or smaller pack. As long as you have a sleeping bag designed for backpacking that uses down and / or synthetic materials and has an appropriate comfort temperature rating its hard to go wrong.