Mayfly OSMO™

For your first tent, stick with freestanding or semi-freestanding since they’re faster to pitch in bad weather, easier on rocky ground and less fussy when you’re tired at the end of a long day. Trekking-pole tents are great once you know exactly what you want but…they’re not automatically better and can be annoying in wind or limited pitch spots From your list, the sweet spot is between the Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2, Nemo Mayfly Osmo 2P, Exped Mira II HL, or Sea to Summit Alto TR2 only so spend mid-range, prioritize interior space and weather handling over absolute weight and you’ll be much happier than chasing the lightest tents [11 Best 2 Person Tents for Camping and Backpacking](https://alaskanarrows.com/11-best-2-person-tent-camping-and-backpacking/) for other options as well to vary your choices Cheers!

I love my Nemo Osmo 2 person tent. It’s so light and I saw reviews of people using it their whole thru hike on the AT with no issues… it takes almost no time to set up and also almost no time to take down. Downside, you need to buy footprint separately and it’s expensive.

I am 6’4 you need a 2P I like my Nemo. You also need a tall sleeping pad or your feet will be hanging off and you need a tall sleeping bag. Yes, it is extra weight but it’s the price we pay for the fun of it!

We have 4, was 5 but I turned one in to a gear reseller and got $40. It was a 30 year old 2p thru-hiker mountain hardware that would not die. We also had a North Face 3p that was awesome, it was barely holding together with patches and 10 layers of seam seal, finally destroyed in a hailstorm in Golden Gate state park. Oldest to newest: 1. huge Coleman for car camping. 2. 3p mountain hardware 3. 2p (roomy) Nemo 4. 2p Sea2Summit (small) ultralight. Depends on what we are doing, we have everything for 3-1/2 seasons.

I've never had a Big Agnes tent so I can't speak to them personally but their UL tents are made of nylon which, while waterproof, does absorb water, stretch, and take a long time to dry. Some people seem to think it's a non-issue, others really dislike it. I do have a Nemo tent with the Osmo fabric and can confirm that it does not have those issues.