Hornet Elite 2

I would recommend the Hornet. I own 2 Nemo tents. I have a Hornet Elite. I was really worried how it would hold up, but I shouldn't have been. I have had it in heavy rain and wind with no issues. If someone is looking at Nemo I will always recommend the Hornet. The 3p is on sale at backcountry.com. reg it is $549, sale is $439.

That 37in ceiling height on the Nemo is kind of a bummer. This new BA tent is just a roomier tent (and heavier for the area), but it's 40in peak height is also kind of a deal breaker for me to want to bring for long trips. I'm not even all that tall.

So basically the Nemo Hornet Elite is still way better and cheaper, got it

Can’t speak for the 1p, but I am 5’11” and have used the 2p elite for over 7000 miles of solo thru hikes. Can sit up in it just fine and the thing has been bomber if oriented well during storms (including a blizzard). If you are moving fast you are usually just horizontal anyways at the end of the day. For slower hikes or with my partner I will use a trekking pole tent as they are the more weight economic option for more space.

depends on how big your dog is, but long term i’d assume you’d be happier with a 2p tent. it’ll be far lighter and if u wanted you could easily carry the whole thing by yourself in solo or group trips (w/ others who have their own stuff), whereas if you only had a 3p tent you would not be UL and be very tempted to get a 1p shelter. i have hornet 2p and im likely selling to get the xdome 2p pro once it drops. the hornet is tiny, doesnt fit two 25” pads and only one person can sit up at a time, at least for the 2p. Plus its not actually freestanding - its semi freestanding meaning you need to stake out the vestibules (unlike the xdome). both the hornet and msr have to be pitched inner first, not ideal for rain, but honestly wasn’t too big of a deal when i did WCT w it and it was raining 5 out of the 7 days. HOWEVER, because of that design you cant use the tent without the inner, whereas with the xdome, if you wanted extra space you could pitch just fly - making it essentially just a tarp and much lighter (more versatile.) P.S you’ll likely not get stuck in ur tent, personally i’d just hike through the rain (that’s why you have rain gear). i’m not familiar w those parks, consider: - time of year - temps - bug pressure - current types of trips - future trips you want to do - are you ok w carrying more weight? - are you ok w getting another 1p/2p shelter in the future? - how often is your dog going to come with you? how big is it? can it fit in a vestibule? i’ve even seen dog tents lol - can ur dog use that? - budget - weight of your other gear - volume of your bag / the people you’re trekking w? - how wide is yours and your hiking partners sleep pad? plug all your answers to those into chat with shopping research and should give a good answer

Sorry but neither. Go onto UL gear sale sub, and get something 2lbs or less. Or REI Outlet. You will save money over the length of your hike just in being able to do an extra day of food carry. That in turn will save both time and money. A common saying about gear is it can be cheap, light and high quality. Pick 2. The Half Dome is cheap and good quality. The bivy is just cheap. A thru hike is a hike, not a camping trip. There are just 3 things you do—Hike, eat and sleep. Only one of them you do in the tent, and that doesn’t take too much room. I SOBO’d in 2021, which was a busier year than most. Other than crossing the NOBO bubble in VT, I always found space at shelters. Although I find my XMid Pro condensates a lot more than my Nemo Hornet 2P, and is a bit smaller—I’d still consider taking it on a SOBO thru now; with the idea that I’d generally sleep in shelters, and only use the tent when I couldn’t or when there was a good view camp, like the ledges just north of the Priest shelter or Bromely peak. And Antlers in the 100 mile. Congrats on your choice of direction. You’ll go the slowest on the best part of the trail, when you still have stars in your eyes.