StratoSpire Li

I'll give my two cents because I recently got my wife into the camping/backpacking scene. A lot of two man tents are a bit tight even if it does accommodate 2x25" pads. My wife is quite small, but it was still a tight squeeze in my two man. Personally, if you don't think she'll really be into it I'd shoot for the two man of your choice and just enjoy the extra space if you take it solo. I would also maybe look into the stratospire by tarp tent (or the dipole 2) since you can get the former with a smaller inner if you want a bit of flexibility and weight savings when your 1 v. 2 people.

I had the Tarttent stratosphere Li (same brand, different model), and I hiked over 5.500 km with it before the Dyneema was done. Still didn’t have any problems with any other pieces of the tent. I love love loved the tent. Heard also only good things about the Double Rainbow. It’s such a good brand and the owner replies quickly to emails. Depending on how many nights you’re outside per year, I would opt for a Dyneema tent.

I'm currently using the **Durston X-Mid Pro2** and the **Tarptent Stratospire Li**, and I really love them both. The X-Mid is great, but the Tarptent's double-wall design is fantastic for keeping condensation off the inner mesh, and its basic geometry just feels noticeably more stable and storm-worthy. (I've had both tents out in separate storms, but never the same storm, so I could be wrong about the difference!) My main dilemma is the Achilles' heel of trekking pole tents: **staking them out on difficult ground.** I keep running into campsites where the ground is too sandy to hold a stake, too rocky to penetrate, or (the worst!) covered in moss where stakes just won't bite. This is making me think seriously about moving to a **freestanding tent**. I've always avoided them due to the traditional weight penalty, but I really want to keep that reassuring **double-wall construction** and storm protection. So, my question for the community is: 1. **What am I looking at in terms of cost for a lightweight, double-wall, 2 person, freestanding tent that is comparable in size to the X-Mid/Stratospire Li?** 2. **Which specific models (2 person) should I be looking at?** (I'm aiming for maximum storm-worthiness and the condensation-free inner, without a massive weight increase.) **If the weight penalty isn't huge now, I'm ready to switch to a 2 person freestanding design**

Xmid 2 (or Tarptent Stratospire2 if got at a good price). We've used both extensively in the Pyrenees. They do well and you get a little more ground space and sitting up height than a heavier tent like the Hubba Hubba, though a little less volume at the ends. Lanshan 2 is a good lightweight cheaper option, but not as quick to erect or as protective from wind . My friend has one, and I've had to help her erect it in windy conditions recently, and it's definitely more faff to set up than Xmid or Strat.

One handed PCT thruhiker '22 here. I had the tarptent StratoSpire (2?) Li Amazing tent and you get used to pitching it. First the corners and then you carefully place the trekking pole where it belongs and then pull the whole thing up. Tarp tent also sells poles if you only use less than 2 trekking poles. No matter what tent you're using: practice with a friend to figure out the logic of steps to pitch it. You will find a way I'm absolutely sure. Don't let a tent stop you! Also not pitching a tent is amazing! Doesn't matter how many hands a cowboy camper has. Happy trails my friend!