REI Co-op - Half Dome 4+

+1 for the half dome. This will be year 10 with it for me too. I’ve taken it on all sorts of trips and the only issue is the elasticity in the poles but it’s an old tent. I haven’t replaced mine though like you did, I need to get around to that.

Cabelas six or 8 Alaskan Guide Tent. I have owned this tent for 15 years. Did lots of family camping and kept us dry. Backpacking I just use the rei 1/2 dome. Seam seal it. However my hard core backpacking day are behind me.

Rei half dome. I'm a little tall for it at 6'4.5" but it's OK if I lay on an angle.

Comparing the Copper Spur HV UL2 to UL3: a 3 person tent will be about 25% heavier (12 oz, 35g), only marginally more expensive, and the extra space will help with keeping your bags inside. To me, the worst part is the extra weight, and the extra size of the tent would prevent it from fitting in the side pouch on my bag. But if you're strapping it underneath anyway, and you're not weight-constrained, maybe it's fine. I went with the UL2 because I think it's fine to leave my pack in the vestibule of the tent, only taking the essentials inside. You can possibly find space for it near your feet if you're not big people. After all, when you're at camp, all the bulky things aren't in the pack any more! I like my tent, but there are lots of good brands out there. You might find a better deal online, but check your local outdoor store to get a feel for how big/heavy they are. If feasible, buy it there, too! I liked my REI Half Dome tent but it was so much larger and heavier than the Copper Spur, and I'm glad I replaced it.

Hey OP, if you did have interest in the half dome I have one I'm trying to let go of. PM me or see my post on geartrade. It's a great tent. Mods hopefully this isn't against the rules to say...

rei half dome

I also have an alps mountaineering zephyr 2, it's more of a backpacking tent, sleeps 2, and has 2 doors. also, kelty makes a good small one. we have several because we each had one coming into the relationship. we bought the half dome together. we were lucky enough to get the mt rainier one.

Before I met my husband I had never camped before. I don’t remember exactly when our first camping trip was but I just immediately fell in love with being out in nature, hiking, the campfire, roasting marshmallows, making food… eventually we tried backpacking too. Although it was really rough (I was super slow and out of shape) I still enjoyed the experience so much! For backpacking, starting out he tried to carry as much as possible so my load would be light. Now I’m the one who’s planning all our camping and backpacking trips (but he’s still the most knowledgeable in terms of backcountry safety skills, navigation, etc from his Boy Scouts experience) I recommend picking destinations that are really beautiful. That’s the main draw for me at least. There’s nothing like seeing a sunrise over a lake, or the stars at night, sunlight filtering through a forest. We have had the REI half dome tent for a long time. It’s great! Finding a good sleeping pad is key. We got sleeping bags that can zip together into one giant one. We tend to just do 1-2 night trips, maximum 3 nights. That’s about as long as I can go without showering. I know some campgrounds have showers but I’d rather take a nice shower after getting home. Good luck!

+1 for the half dome,I actually use a three person version for 2 people, adds about half a pound, but a comfy 3 season tent that can stand the test of time, mine is 11 years old.

REI Half Dome - easy to set up, big vestibules and freestanding.

I've had a REI half dome tent for nearing 10 years. Had to replace the cords in the poles because they lost their elasticity but otherwise it's been holding strong over multiple backpacking trips and car camping in rain and snow. Not the most lightweight but it does the trick. Can likely find a used one too for <$200. They have options of 2 person and 2+ if you want a slightly bigger one.