REI Co-op - Half Dome SL3+

Half Dome for me

I have the SL3+. Love that thing! I got the sky blue model. I carry it with my backpacking gear set as it’s my lightest tent.

I have four tents: - my small REI half-dome SL3+ (the light blue one) for backpacking and smaller campsites - my Cabela’s Alaskan Guide 8-man all season dome tent. By far my strongest tent and a fortress against bad weather, seriously that thing blows my mind the beating it can take. Plenty of room in there - my Coleman 8-man Skydome Darkroom tent. By far my favorite of all of them and my usual go-to. Tons of room in there and I like the dark room tech to block out the sun - my 10-man Columbia two-room cabin tent. By far my largest tent but also the biggest pain to setup. But once it is, I have a small “house” for a tent for sure. I use this guy for longer trips So no. You’re not alone at all in using bigger tents. I’m right there with ya!!

I would go with the REI half dome sl-3. The pole design seems better (specifically the junction where the two main poles criss cross).

I think it depends on your use case and what characteristics you value the most.  Car camping or backpacking?  Kids and/or dogs?  Durability and warranty or lighter weight materials and size?  I have both tents (except SL2+ version) for different purposes.

I have both, and I personally prefer the Half Dome

REI Co-op Half Dome SL 3+, easy to carry, super big inside space, good breathability function, two doors with excellent sealing performance, what's most important- MADE IN AMERICA

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.

Of the two, the Half Dome is lighter, has 10" more width to the floor area, and the pole system is one continuous setup, so there is no possibility of losing the cross piece, unlike the Mountain Hardware. But you could find the MH at retailers other than REI for less money than what they're selling it.

Our 3 person REI tent is great for us and our dog to snuggle up. I guess it just depends if you like your space or not

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.

3P half dome from REI is solid choice. Can typically find it 20% off a few times per year. If you get a 3P and use it for 3 people, you will be tight on space for gear.

I use my Durstan X-Mid 2 as a solo. Way too many critters and crawlers in TX to leave my gear out in the vestibule and not expect to find a scorpion in my backpack. For actual 2p I have a 3p REI half dome. Split the weight between two bags and all set!

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.

I have an REI half dome sl2+ and I love it. About 3.5 pounds.

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.

I like the rei half dome plus. It’s about $370 which is out of the price range but you could wait to an rei sale like Labor Day or get a used one on eBay.

My REI dome tent has done great in the rain

+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.

REI’s halfdome and quarterdome are great affordable, durable starter tents. 

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 Halfdome is probably the best mix of quality/value

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

Not at that price and weight. I like the fly creek UL 2 as a light option, but it’s more expensive. On the cheaper side is the half dome or quarter dome but they are heavy and prices vary. A good tent will last you many years, so factor that into your decision.

My favorite car camp tent is the REI half dome. It’s actually comfortable. If you want a cheaper option, the Ozark Trail tent from Walmart is pretty decent, but doesn’t have aluminum poles. The half dome can do backpacking, but it is on the heavy side. When I care about weight, I bring my Fly Creek from Big Agnes. Copper Spur and Nemo Hornet are also great options. The fly creek is crazy light, but you really have to like the second person if you’re going to fit two.

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.

The price spectrum is a bit of a bell curve on this question I think: At the cheapest end, I have a Coleman that I bought at Target for about $40 a decade ago. It’s.. fine. Camping near home in good weather I take it because the footprint is larger and the ceiling is higher. But I’ve had it leak in afternoon thunderstorms and had to patch it in various places after scrapes with sticks or rocks in the ground that really seem like they shouldn’t impact a non-ultralight tent. On the mid-priced part of the spectrum, my parents have been using the same REI Half Dome since it was released sometime in the 1980s, and I’ve been using a newer edition of it for at least 15 years. I’ve never been leaked on, and it’s stood through serious windstorms. Great for car camping. At the expensive end, I have an MSR ultralight backpacking tent that I treat like a baby. It cost a small fortune, if an ant looks at it sideways it tears, but it’s sure nice and light. It’s for sure not BIFL despite the price tag.

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.

It is. I had a Half Dome from 2000 and it only had 3 nights on it. Fly was completely delaminating, seams, etc. Inner was good but locating a fly was impossible.

We use rei half dome and love it, not too heavy to split between 2

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!

I’m on my 2nd REI half-dome tent, had the first one for over 10 years. It’s not the lightest thing out there but it’s super easy to set up, has enough room for 2, and has been extremely durable

+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.

REI half dome tent. Alps Mountaineering makes a decent sleeping bag for the buck as well.

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.

A budget would be helpful. I’ll give you some recommendations in a range: Overall, I believe Durston tents represent the best all around value on the market. You could go X-Mid 2 if you are comfortable with a trekking pole tent or X-Dome if not. Check the specs but I believe the x-mid 2 is 52” wide so it can hold two wide pads. It is storm worthy, durable, has some nice features like the magnetic door toggles, etc. It is a premium quality tent at a lower price. My go to if solo (I have the x-mid 1). I think the X-Mid 2 is around $300. Unsure if the x-dome 2 is actually on the market yet but price should be around $400. EDIT: X-dome 2 is out and is $469. Big Agnes Copper spur is a mainstay that is widely used. It’s a nice blend of light and durable but it isn’t cheap. Nemo Hornet is another option similar to the Copper Spur. I think these are generally $400+ but are a very nice tent intended to stand up to regular use for a decade or more. The REI half dome is very popular and is a good value if you buy it on sale. There are better tents out there but this one is a good entry level option that is durable, just light enough to backpack, and won’t break your wallet. I have one and use it when freestanding is the best option. You can find one under $250 during REI sales. I’ve heard great things about Tarptent double rainbow. You can customize it a bit with the poles in carbon fiber or aluminum. It falls at a mid price point, $300-400, something like that. On the cheaper end, I’ve heard good things about the naturehike and featherstone tents but know little about them. I think they are around $150 or so IIRC.