Half Dome 2 Plus

REI Half Dome 2+ fits in your budget when on sale and is big enough to fit 2 wide long pads. Recommend stretching for the 3 person version if you can; more room for activities. Most tents in your budget won’t be 4 season at least in terms of snow load. Maybe fair winter weather if your sleep system is up to the temps.

for reference, the Nature Hike Star River 2 is 53in x 84.5in 134.5cm x 214.5cm The REI Half Dome 2+ is 56in x 92in 142.2cm x 233.6 cm and the REI Half Dome 3 is 70in x 90in 177.8cm x 228.6cm EDIT Cloud 3 is 68.9in x 84.6in 175cm x 215cm I'm not a big fan of the Y style tent poles, as I feel like they don't hold up as well to winds compared to more traditional double pole designs, though they are lighter for obvious reasons. I do recommend measuring your sleeping pads and make sure there is enough room if you go with a 2 person tent. It does look like the Star River is pretty decently sized though in this regard if you're both using wide pads. I do personally like having extra room in the event of a weather event. I would highly recommend getting a larger 3 person tent for 2 people to have extra room for gear, or just moving around comfortably if you're stuck 'indoors' due to weather. Having extra floorspace as well as headroom can be amazing in those situations.

I'd recommend a 3p tent. Not a BIG weight penalty from a 2p, still almost identical setup, but gives a pretty good bump to interior floorspace. I use a REI Halfdome 2+ (but wish I had gotten the 3p) and it's solid for both car camping and backpacking. Big Agnes has some good options as does MSR. Depending on time frame, I'd recommend seeing what models fit your need/use case and keep an eye on sales/discounts/used market. Note on buying used, can be great for price, but 100% make sure to fully setup and inspect.

Depending on budget, a coleman would be fine and they have several options. I'd look for something with a fly that goes low to the ground and has decent mesh for ventilation. I'd also prefer aluminum poles over fiberglass. I use an REI Half Dome 2+ and it's great but can be a little spendy. MSR, Big Agnes, Nemo, are also very good brands, and can be bought on sale for a decent price.

It’s not bad. That’s comparable to the one I take (REI HALFDOME2+) and Plenty of people will say it’s too heavy. I take a coffee percolator too which plenty of people think is insane but I just think it’s neat. As long as you can carry your pack for the distances you want, I see nothing wrong with it.

Second this. Its not super light, but we usually split it and one takes the body and the other takes the fly. If you have an REI near you, they probably have one set up in the store.

I have a half dome 2.5 or something. Gives you a bit of room to move and you can fit your bag. I love it

A 3 season tent is adequate year round unless you expect high winds and heavy snow. If you want to start camping in that, you should get a second tent. I carry an REI tent (I have a no-longer made 1 person and a Half Dome SL 2+, for solo vs with my wife). They're not the lightest (SL2+ is about 5 lbs), but they're bombproof and freestanding, so very easy to set up, and they're reasonably priced. The SL2+ lists for over $300, but if you wait for a sale, you're sure to find one under $300. The Nemo Aurora is similar, at a similar price point.

I got the SL 2+ just for the dog as well 🤣

Oh yeah 2nd the 3 person if you can swing it and will have the room setting it up. I used a half dome 2+ for several seasons and upgraded to the 3p version a few years ago. We only sleep two in there but that extra room sure is nice. I don’t know about the current half dome 3p but at least ours, the fly can also roll up to the top of the tent so you can get really good ventilation but still be able to redeploy the fly if needed.

Definitely depends on the tent. We got the rei half dome 2 plus. My hubs Is 6’3” and we have plenty of room.