REI Co-op - Quarter Dome UL

TLDR - Old nylon tent seam repair advice? Context - I recently read A Walk in the Woods and have been inspired to get back into backpacking (which lead me to this subreddit). Its been several years and I am assessing all my gear. I have the "quarter dome UL" tent from REI which I purchased back in 2006. Heavy by today's standards at over 4 pounds... but I am hesitant to get rid of it. I pitched the tent in my basement and noticed the glue on all the seams is flaking off. Has anyone on here gone through the trouble to clean and reseal an old nylon tent? How long did it take? Any tips? I am trying to decide if its worth the effort. It would still work great for car camping, and some backpacking if I can't decide on a replacement (I am experiencing analysis paralysis on my UL tent purchasing decision).

After spending some time with chatgpt, I am not too optimistic that using this tent ever again is a great idea. Apparently the PU coating on my tent has likely degraded considerably over time and it probably is going to have a hard time keeping water out even if I repair the seams... oh well.

It's gone, not worth it. I had this too, realized it was futile.

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*.

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

I'd recommend the Dan Durston X-Mid 1P if you can find one used, they hit most of your requirements and are a lot lighter than the Tadpole. I switched to the Quarter Dome a couple years ago and haven’t looked back. There’s a ton of good budget ultralight options popping up these days too if you shop the used market.

The Quarter Dome was great for this (it’s what I use, actually, about to head out on nights 100-104 on that tent), but it’s out of production. They have a similar tent that’s a Copper Spur knockoff that seems decent.

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.

REI Quarter done is a good compromise. 2 pounds and double walled. I’m selling mine if you’re interested.

Most people don't need a 4 season IMO. My REI quarter dome has handled -10°F and 50 MPH winds/blizzard conditions well enough (winter storm on Shasta), though it needs regular tending to in those situations (like making sure your pitch and anchoring is solid and knocking off snow), as well as rain days and 100°F+ days. 4 season tents are really 1 season tents IME and suck for the other 3 seasons, on top of weighing 2x as much. Your sleep system and clothing are much more important in true 4th season situations and the money save on a tent is better spent there. If you truly need to regularly deal with extreme cold, wind, and high altitudes (14,000'+), then get a 4 season plus a cheaper/lighter option for the other stuff.

That's what I use up there. I have a little REI quarterdome that made it the whole JMT, for 2 weeks in Patagonia, and all over the Cascades / Tetons / Rockies. Still use that tent all the time and it is 15.