Half Dome 3 Plus (2020)

Your focus should definitely be into “crossover” gear like for a sleeping pad, the NEMO Tensor All-Season or the Big Agnes Rapide SL are the gold standard that you can look into For your tent, a high-quality 3-person backpacking tent like the REI Half Dome 3 Plus or the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL3 which is the perfect middle ground. These are true freestanding tents that give two people plenty of “elbow room” and gear space while still being light enough to carry a few miles into the backcountry later. Also consider investing in a good headlamp (like a Black Diamond or Petzl) and a solid camp chair (like the REI Skyward or Helinox). Having a reliable, hands-free light and a chair that doesn’t sag after an hour will do more for your monthly camping habit than you think. For the rest, you can try [52 Hiking and Camping Gears to Pack in 2026](https://alaskanarrows.com/hiking-and-camping-gears-checklist/) too Other than that, take it slow, look around the market and choose your products wisely, you don’t need them all but eventually you’ll know what works and wha doesn’t

I have the REI Half Dome 3+ and am 6-5 @ 285# and camped this year with my son. I wouldn't consider anything smaller. Though you and your missus might get away with sleeping a bit closer together. Just my two cents.

We do REI Half Dome 3+ because we have a large dog and cat we bring with us. Perfect for big space, can have our packs inside plus animals and room for our own sleeping pads and sleeping bags. We split the weight, one takes the tent and rain fly and the other the poles. Works perfectly.

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.

RIP Eureka. I mostly car camp and have camped my whole life. I bought my first Eureka tent in 1989. The waterproofing on the fly is failing but it is still a fantastic tent. I took an inexpensive 3 person REI tent on an 8 week cross country car camping trip, and it performed better than anticipated in a variety of conditions. I currently camp with my partner and 2 Golden Retrievers in an 8 person Eureka ans it is the bomb. Plenty of room to stand in and the two dogs have plenty of room. Over time your needs might change, so buy a quality tent that meets your current needs but you don’t need to break the bank.

Me too, I have the half dome plus for trips where packing volume matters but weight is not an issue and also because it is more roomy and made of more robust fabrics. I do a fair amount of trips that start with a flight so a lighter tent that takes up less room is a must. Copper Spur is perfect though I have also used a 20+ pound REI Kingdome when space was less of an issue.

I did a study on the tents available in school. The answer is “some” tents are 2-person tents, but very few. At the time, the REI Half Dome 2 was the best in terms of largest size, with reasonable weight and cost. The half dome 2 plus was even better. I think the half dome 2 has an accommodation % of 78% on length and 97.5% on width, assuming two sleeping pads side by side. I’m taller than 6 feet and two people my size fit into the REI Half Dome Plus with some gear just fine. The majority of the gear goes in the vestibules and stays reasonable dry above the ground.