REI Co-op - Half Dome SL3+

Half Dome for me

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.

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 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 both, and I personally prefer the Half Dome

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 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!

depends on the use, I have an REI half dome 3-4 person which is perfect for 2 or 3 with two vestibules (storage covered area that’s part of the fly) for car camping and use a 3 in memory foam pad that fits perfectly and an Big Agnes ultra light 2 person I got during the REI garage sale that I use for backpacking and light camping. The half dome I think I used my dividends and 20% off. Love both

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

Not sure what your budget is. Coleman is ok (we have one) but... I've had this REI Half Dome for *ages* and it has been awesome and a great value. I got a lot more features on par with higher end tents for a lot less. Features; Proper full coverage rain fly, with guy lines galore and decent vestibule. Gear loft. By extrapolation, I suspect their larger tents could be equally good values. At a quick glance the Skyward 6 might be worth checking out. Depends on if you think you're gonna use it enough times to justify the price. Of course something like a Coleman Sundome is less than half the price. The only downside is the lack of a full rain fly I guess. With my REI, I never have to worry about getting wet but with an exposed door like the Coleman or a Kelty Discovery you would probably want / need a tarp. Maybe for light, brief rain it is ok IDK. Seems like the good outdoors stores carry Kelty, Marmot, Eureka, North Face and others. I have no personal experience with them though. But those names have been around a long time.

I have a Big Agnes Copperspur 1 for solo backpacking. I have a Half Dome for backpacking with my daughter. And I have what we fondly call the party tent, for car camping with my husband (who refers to himself as the Great Indoorsman!) and/or the whole family. It’s an REI Wonderland 6 and is cushy as hell.

+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.

We had a half dome (still do) and used that for years. After we had our daughter we found a 6 person base camp as a return at REI. It’s been a life changer, being able to stand up and move around, bigger sleeping area and storage. 100% worth it IMO especially for longer trips.

We also have an rei half dome, used a lot when bike camping. We progressed to car camping long trips and bought a north face tent that my spouse ( and me too) can stand up and move around in. Fantastic!! On multiple day stays we love it. we took the little tent too and if just getting somewhere late and moving on the next day we used that. The bigger one has a porch and in bad weather having that space and more inside space is so good.

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.

Highly recommend a 2-person tent, even if you'll never share it with anyone, unless you plan on doing any backpacking with it and weight is a concern. 2-person tents don't take up much more closet space than a 1-person, but you'll appreciate having a little extra room when you're trying to change your clothes in a busy campground or store gear out of the rain. That being said I've been really pleased with my REI Half-Dome. It has lots of nice features, it's well-designed, the construction and materials are good quality, it's quick and easy to set up, and it's relatively inexpensive. Whatever you end up buying I recommend getting a footprint and a few extra stakes/guylines.

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.

I camped forever with a half dome, ostensibly a 2 person tent but really a solo tent, and even brought my kids a few times. Finally bit the bullet and bought a 6 person tent (north face wawona) and the only question I had for myself is why I didn't do it sooner.

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...

Yes. Been camping my whole life. 43 y/o married father of two kids (10, 8). We have 4 tents for different occasions. I use the Half Dome for solo trips (or my bivvy if going lightweight). Use the Camp Dome for all 4 of us if doing a quick 1 or 2 nighter. Will use our massive Wonderland tent if going for many nights. My wife and I love the extra space, but the bigger tents are really only worth the hassle if out more than 2 or 3 nights (we’ll go out for a week at a time - love the long trips). So, yes bigger tents are nice, but more work, and often only worth if staying long.

Same. Upgraded to the Base Camp from my Half Dome once I became a family man. Kids got bigger now we have a roomy REI Wonderland. Up to 4 tents now (and a solo lightweight bivvy).

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.

i used to use a half dome, loved it easy setup roomy for a 2 person, easy find a flat clear spot. Now the wife glamps with an air mattress in a gazelle T4. T4 is worth the money if you want a big tent the size of a 10 sleeper, and can fit a 6ft tent in your vehicle.

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.

Nemo Aurora for extended stays, Big Agness Tiger Wall for backpacking, REI Half Dome for everything else. If I could only pick one it would be the half dome all day. I've had it going on 8 years and it's a great, versatile tent. It's a little too heavy and big when packed for backpacking unless you're splitting it with someone imo but other than that it's a winner.

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.

Yeah, if you must own a tent and have 30 bucks I guess this is for you. But I wouldn't trust the durability of a $23 tent, and I certainly wouldn't use this for backpacking. Generally an REI dome tent is going to be the entry point for a solid backpacking tent.