Quarter Dome SL 2

I upgraded gear gradually when I found it inadequate for my needs. I had an old kelty tent that got flattened and flooded in a rainstorm…quickly upgraded to a REI sl2 tent for car camping. Started getting into backpacking and my 20yr old sleeping bag was too bulky and heavy, so I upgraded to a quilt. If you’re a fair weather camper there’s not much need to change your setup, but you could keep a lookout for gear sales and pick up stuff when it’s discounted

IMO this is based totally on personal preference for comfort/tolerance for discomfort both with sleeping comfort and pack weight. My personal experience (myself and other couples we've backpacked with), plan to share a tent. My spouse and I have done both 3p and 2p. The 3p tent wasn't particularly light (as in split up between our packs), but was comfy for sleeping on the trail, and we've had a couple different ultralight 2p backpacking tents. We had a Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 tent for a long time with only one door that was a pain in the ass and so tight for 2 people, and both being around 5' 9" we were literally head to toe crammed in the tent, but we were so exhausted most nights backpacking that we didn't really care, and at the time, the total packed weight of under 2lbs was a big deal for us. Then we "upgraded" to an REI Quarter Dome SL2 that has a bit more space and 2 doors, for a little more weight (just under 3lbs I think?), and have been super pleased. We have our own sleeping pads & bags. So... ultimately my advice is to try with the tent you've got, maybe for a shorter trip and see how comfortable it is for you before making any new gear purchases, but definitely plan to share a tent! They also have "2+" tents out there designed for 2 with a little more space, without going up to 3p. Have fun!!!

Same exact tent here and we love it.

I would go with a 3-person tent even if you mostly camp solo because it gives you room to breathe and lets you bring gear without feeling cramped. I tested the 2026 REI Quarter Dome SL 2 last season and it held up great in a downpour, no leaks, and the setup was super fast with the color-coded poles. It's not the lightest but it's durable and worth the extra weight for weekend trips. If you're into backpacking later, you might want to look into the MSR Hubba Hubba NX but for now, the REI tent is solid and has good ventilation.

Honestly the half dome is clutch. I’m 5’10, my husband is 6’8/6’9. We use a SL 2+. Comfy enough with our two big sleeping pads. Sleep/comfort >>>> a little extra weight any day in our eyes.

Honestly the half dome is clutch. I’m 5’10, my husband is 6’8/6’9. We use a SL 2+. Comfy enough with our two big sleeping pads. Sleep/comfort >>>> a little extra weight any day in our eyes.

Honestly the half dome is clutch. I’m 5’10, my husband is 6’8/6’9. We use a SL 2+. Comfy enough with our two big sleeping pads. Sleep/comfort >>>> a little extra weight any day in our eyes.

Honestly the half dome is clutch. I’m 5’10, my husband is 6’8/6’9. We use a SL 2+. Comfy enough with our two big sleeping pads. Sleep/comfort >>>> a little extra weight any day in our eyes.

Honestly the half dome is clutch. I’m 5’10, my husband is 6’8/6’9. We use a SL 2+. Comfy enough with our two big sleeping pads. Sleep/comfort is worth a little extra weight any day in our eyes.

Honestly the half dome is clutch. I’m 5’10, my husband is 6’8/6’9. We use a SL 2+. Comfy enough with our two big sleeping pads. Sleep/comfort >>>> a little extra weight any day in our eyes.

Honestly the half dome is clutch. I’m 5’10, my husband is 6’8/6’9. We use a SL 2+. Comfy enough with our two big sleeping pads. Sleep/comfort >>>> a little extra weight any day in our eyes.

Honestly the half dome is clutch. I’m 5’10, my husband is 6’8/6’9. We use a SL 2+. Comfy enough with our two big sleeping pads. Sleep/comfort >>>> a little extra weight any day in our eyes.

All these "3p or you'll regret it" people are blowing things out of proportion in my opinion. 2p is totally fine as long as the tent has sufficient vestibule space for your gear. You only need to go to a 3p tent for two people if you want to keep your packs in the tent. My wife and I have always used a 2 person tent when backpacking (Cabela's XPG2 IIRC, followed by an REI Quarter Some T2). I have used the same tents with various friends, plus a 2 person North Face Lenticular in winter. The only one that has ever presented a challenge was the North Face because it narrows significantly at the foot end and I brought a long wide NeoAir Trekker pad, so our air pads overlapped at that end. Even then, it was fine. In snow you can get bonus vestibule space by digging a hole underneath the vestibule. Then you can store an 80L pack *vertically*.

My personal tent is a Big Agnes Copper spur 3 person that I got on sales at the end of the season. I use that for Scout events and backpacking. Our family tent is a Coleman 6 person we got at Costco. Sometimes I bring my old 2 person REI dome tent and stick one of the kids in that when we do family camping. The Cots fit in the Coleman. It's hard to set up the larger tent by myself, with a little help it is pretty easy especially not that my son is taller than me.