Two people and a dog - light tent suggestions?

[Spirit Walker]

We want to start doing some backpacking with our large GR, but a) don't want to add a lot of weight, and b) don't want to spend a lot of money. Any suggestions for a good 3 person tent or roomy 2+?

[Studlintsean]

Subscribing to thread as I might also be in the market shortly.

[HooKooDooKu]

The thing I see with a light-weight tent is that it will be made with very thin material and therefore more prone to damage by the dog's claws. Plus, the lighter the tent, usually the more expensive it is.

So my thought would be a slightly heavier tent that would be a bit more rugged than the typical ultra-light tent, and the price will be cheaper.

The first tent that comes to mind is the Kelty Trail Ridge. I've owned other Kelty tents, and I've liked them for their durability (simply because of heavier weight fabrics). The Trail Ridge 3 is 88"x72"... which might be a little small if you are tall. The price is only about $220, and the weight is only 6lbs.

Otherwise, I don't know the details of the Trail Ridge. My personal 3-person tent is the Gunnison 3.1. It's about a pound heavier but also has lots more room (93" x 97"). The current Gunnison is also a little bit more expensive (about $260). But OMG the amount of room it has.

[Slo-go'en]

Light and cheap are mutually exclusive when it comes to gear and tents in perticular. If you want cheap, get a colleman tent from a big box store. Split between two people it won't be too bad. If your just doing weekend hikes weight isn't nearly as big a factor as it is when going long distances. Plus as noted by HooKooDooKu, a cheap tent will be more durable in the long run and if it does get trashed, your not out much money.

[Spirit Walker]

We're looking at longer treks, so a 6 pound tent won't cut it. It's okay for a weekend, but not for a week or more when we're carrying food for us plus a hungry dog.

[Almost There]

Well you have a problem if you want cheap and light...which don't exist, unless you find used gear. My recommendation would be the Big Agnes Seedhouse SL3...under 4lbs, but will run you between $350 and $400. This is about as light as you're going to get unless you go Cuben Fiber, which will also increase your cost. I use it to hike with my dog and another person. I also hike with the MSR Mutha Hubba as it's floor is sturdier (but it's around 6lbs), but I've used both with the dog. I've also used the Seedhouse to hike solo with just the dog, and had no issues carrying it in my Exos 58. Good luck with it all.

[Mobius]

You might check out the Tarptent Stratospire 2. You'll find a few reviews online from folks using it with 2 people and dog(s). It's under 3 pounds. I think it's weight/price ratio is pretty good. It does require two trekking pole (or separately purchased poles) to set up. I've used it in continuous rain (setup, sleep, take down) and was quite impressed. The interior never got wet.

[nastynate]

Maybe the SMD Lunar Duo Outfitter? Tougher polyester material, 3.5 lbs, and $160.

[OCDave]

Spirit Walker,

It seems someone nearing 2000 posts would have a better idea of what they needed in equipment. For example: I have been using X and I like 1,2 and 3 features. I am interested in other's experience with A, B and C.

What have you tried? What have you ruled out?

OCDave

[MTn music]

You might check out the Tarptent Stratospire 2. You'll find a few reviews online from folks using it with 2 people and dog(s). It's under 3 pounds. I think it's weight/price ratio is pretty good. It does require two trekking pole (or separately purchased poles) to set up. I've used it in continuous rain (setup, sleep, take down) and was quite impressed. The interior never got wet.

I've used the Tarptent Stratospire 2 with 2 people and a dog and it was great! The weight is about 2 lbs 8 ounces (I used my trekking poles instead of regular poles) so it's not bad at all. I'd highly recommend it.

[HooKooDooKu]

We're looking at longer treks, so a 6 pound tent won't cut it. It's okay for a weekend, but not for a week or more when we're carrying food for us plus a hungry dog.

There's plenty of people who go on "longer treks" taking 3 pound tents with them. So when you divide the weight between two people, 3 pounds/person is NOT very heavy.

As for the hungry dog, I would assume that he could at least carry his own food... perhaps even some of the communal gear to make carrying a heavier tent more palatable.

[Almost There]

There's plenty of people who go on "longer treks" taking 3 pound tents with them. So when you divide the weight between two people, 3 pounds/person is NOT very heavy.

As for the hungry dog, I would assume that he could at least carry his own food... perhaps even some of the communal gear to make carrying a heavier tent more palatable.

Great point, as I never take my giant Aussie (72lbs) out for more than a week he always carries his food, treats, bowls, and water. The beauty of a dog is they'll drink from any water source and it is easy to vaccinate them from Giardia and Chrypto. Whenever we hit a creak or stream Sam goes swimming and drinking. When we did Grayson Highlands my wife and I carried our Mutha Hubba. She's only 5ft2, and she carried the rainfly and one section of poles, while I carried the rest of the tent. It really wasn't a big deal at all...just saying.

[SawnieRobertson]

Have a footprint to lay inside the tent. That will protect the floor, which can actually be made of a more durable fabric than the sides. My dog would unintentionally knock the Lekis down, which would make my tent collapse, so I plan to buy one of Heartfire's spider looking thingies. And I suspect that her silnylon creation would be lighter than most others. What price comfort? Have fun, you two.

[Spirit Walker]

Thank you for the suggestions. I have been backpacking for 28 years, including several thruhikes, but have only done one trip with our dog. It's a different world. I was hoping to hear from people who actually backpack with dogs, because we have a lot to learn.

Our last tent was a Henry Shires, and I know he makes a light-weight 3 person tent that is under $200. Lightheart doesn't seem to have a 3 person tent. Nor does Six Moon Designs. I had seen a previous recommendation for Big Agnes. We'll have to check it out. Anybody else?

[MDSection12]

The thing I see with a light-weight tent is that it will be made with very thin material and therefore more prone to damage by the dog's claws.

Someone on this site recommended 'DogBooties.Com' booties for my dog's sensitive pads, and I've found them equally valuable as a way to protect my tent or hammock when I take him along.

[MDSection12]

Forgot to mention they work fabulously for protecting his pads and are dirt cheap. Buy a couple sets since shipping is cheap regardless of quantity and they will wear out eventually... And get bright colors; they will occasionally fall off, and this makes it easier to both check if they're on and find them when they're not. Highly recommended.

[Venchka]

Tyvek floor liner inside the tent. Henry has a newish 3 person tunnel tent with doors at both ends. Over $300.

Wayne


Sent from somewhere around here.

[10-K]

Lunar Duo. Room to spare for 2 and a dog.

[Sarcasm the elf]

The thing I see with a light-weight tent is that it will be made with very thin material and therefore more prone to damage by the dog's claws.

It's interesting that I see this warning posted a lot on site, but I can't recall seeing a single post from someone who's actually had their tent floor damaged by their dog's claws. I'd be interested to know if anyone here has ever personally experienced a problem.

We have put about 40 nights on my tents while hiking with dogs and have never had a problem with them wearing out the tent floor (just never leave them alone inside with the doors or bug netting zipped up as they're likely to paw at it when they want to get out of the tent) YMMV

[HooKooDooKu]

It's interesting that I see this warning posted a lot on site, but I can't recall seeing a single post from someone who's actually had their tent floor damaged by their dog's claws. I'd be interested to know if anyone here has ever personally experienced a problem.

We have put about 40 nights on my tents while hiking with dogs and have never had a problem with them wearing out the tent floor (just never leave them alone inside with the doors or bug netting zipped up as they're likely to paw at it when they want to get out of the tent) YMMV

What kind of tent (and foot print if applicable) are you using?

While not having to deal with a dog, I recently had to setup my Kelty tent on gravel with two young boys inside... but because of the toughness of the tent and foot print, I didn't worry much about it.

By contrast, I recently purchased a Big Agnes Copper Spur for solo use... and I find that I'm spending more time setting this tent up because I feel like I've got to make sure I'm getting all the things out from under the footprint that might puncture the material... and in some cases, I've had seed pods (with some sharp edges) that have left an indentation in my footprint. So I can't imagine what things would be like if I had a large dog (Lab or German Shepard) on top of that material.