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Thread: Tent Advice!

  1. #21
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    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008P...EML&ref=plSrch

    and there are lighter and cheaper tents out there.

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B019F...cking+tent+1lb

    for lighter. For cheaper start looking at Chinese clone tents.

  2. #22
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    Under a hundred dollars:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01L1..._1502731060053

    And another clone tent: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06XX...ID=51RkHjifMFL

    gets you in the area of the new LL Bean tents.

  3. #23
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    That said, you need to stop for just a minute.

    An easy way to pay a thousand dollars for a tent is to jump early and then jump again and then again.

    Every tent has compromises.

    At the end of the day most people on a budget will end up with a quarter dome or a tarp tent or something similar (see my next post).

    https://www.rei.com/product/110817/r...er-dome-1-tent gets used by a lot of people.

    https://www.tarptent.com/store/notch

    When you compare, start with looking at these two.

    Then ask yourself what you like and what you dont.

    Then you look at the Solong and the Big Agnes tents.

    You have plenty of time and no no need to buy anything just yet.

    Get out and section hike a little. Look at everyone else's gear.

    Read trail journals.

    A tent should be last on your list for what you buy.

    But first to start thinking about.

    Hope that helps and isn't too cluttered.
    Last edited by Ethesis; 08-14-2017 at 13:41.

  4. #24
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    For more accurate statistics than my off the cuff statement:

    https://thetrek.co/appalachian-trail...-hiker-survey/. (Is not limited to budget choices).

    For a decent review of tents (better than mine):

    https://thetrek.co/2017-best-tents-for-thru-hiking/

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    Thanks, Ethesis, but I do note that you posted links to only 1 other tent that was lighter and under $100 - a $99 very short (81" nominal*) Chinese clone, hardly a mainstream choice. The others were $120-$130 (another Chinese clone, apparently), $285, $279, $395, $289. Moldy claimed that one can do much better for under 100 bucks. I'm not sure I'd agree that a Chinese clone (any meaningful warranty?) under $100 is "much better" than a 4.4 lb MSR. They're lighter, for sure, but I'm not sure they're better in any other sense of the word.

    * Nominal measurements are generally stake-to-stake and in my experience they overstate usable interior space by about 16" in length, once you account for the fact that the stake is outside the tent at a slight distance, that the walls slope in, and that one's feet and head thus intersect an inwardly-leaning tent wall at a height such that the interior length at that height is narrower than it is at the base.

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    I'd say spend a bit more and get the reasonably priced LHG Solong 6 and rest assured. I have an LHG Solo and it is very well made.

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    I'm reading a lot of suggestions for cheap $100 ballpark knock-off tents.

    The cheap knockoffs are fine for weekend and occasional use, but zipper and seam reliability is seriously compromised to make the price point on these.

    I would not consider saving a couple hundred dollars on my primary shelter a bargain when my long-term daily stress, comfort and safety could be so dramatically hampered by gear failure on a long-term hike. . . and I'm the guy that is always using a tarp instead of a tent.

    But, tarps don't have zippers, and, in most cases, a damaged tarp pitches a lot more easily and reliably than a damaged tent. . . actually, I haven't had to deal with anything more than torn grommets on cheap tarps, and I've had cheap tents with failed zippers, torn pole sleeves, self-destructing seams, and fabric that wasn't anything close to waterproof when it should have been. . . of course, all those problems are attributed to only two tents since I eventually learned my lesson the hard way. RELIABLE TENTS ROCK! Tarps rock even more.
    I'm not lost. I'm exploring.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bansko View Post
    In fact, my Elixir 3 is closer to 7 pounds than 6. Where is this 4 lb., 4 oz. coming from? I swapped out the original crappy stakes with groundhogs, but that's a wash, since they weighed about the same as the originals. I also added side guylines, but at most that's two ounces. Why the 3 pound difference?
    I'm noticing that the specification for the Elixir 3 are 4#4oz for fly/footprint pitch, while the packaged weight is 6#13oz.

    To the OP... are you going solo?
    I ask because the Elixir 3 looks like a huge tent for one person... it's 84"x68".
    As a point of comparison, the CS UL2 I claim has ample room as a solo tent has average dimensions of 88"x45".

    If you are planning a trip as a couple, the Elixir doesn't look all that bad... as the current model CS UL2 has a packaged weight of 3#1oz. That's 6#2oz if two people were each carrying their own. That's not that far off from 6#13oz.
    But if you are planning a solo trip, that makes for a pretty darn heavy tent.

    My two pieces of advice:
    1. If you want to look for a new solo tent and want to perhaps get the most bang for your buck, look into TarpTents. As much as I like the Copper Spur, I'm contemplating a future JMT thru hike with one of my kids. When I saw the full retail price for a CS UL3, I went looking elsewhere and quickly realized that TT are a lot cheaper, are well known (at least here on WB), and very light for the floor space.

    2. If you're not picky about exactly what tent you are using, wait until after Christmas and watch sites like Campsaver and SierraTradingPost... see what tents go on sale.
    I bought my CS UL2 that time of year for $275 (with ground cloth) because the next year's model was getting a makeover.
    Same thing happened when I wanted a 3-man tent for camping with my sons. The Kelty Gunnison 3.1 was getting a makeover to the 3.2 (with the newer model being a heavier tent). I purchased a 3.1 for about $130 when the full retail on these tents are $250.

  9. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by cmoulder View Post
    I'd say spend a bit more and get the reasonably priced LHG Solong 6 and rest assured. I have an LHG Solo and it is very well made.
    exactly.

    There is a lot to be said for the brand names.

    Some of the cheap clones are good, some are so defective that the homeless won't use them without an extra tarp.

    REI garage sales are always a fun place to look.
    It is a huge morass right now.


    But don't be the guy with the thousand dollar discount tent.
    Last edited by Ethesis; 08-14-2017 at 18:24.

  10. #30

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    Quote Originally Posted by OkeefenokeeJoe View Post
    Lightheart Gear SoLong 6, and don't look back. Not enough space here to write what a wonderful tent it is.

    https://www.lightheartgear.com/index.php/shop-now/tents

    OkeefenokeeJoe
    Interestingly, I'm the exact opposite. There isn't enough space to write how much I hated it. To each their own.

  11. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by capehiker View Post
    Interestingly, I'm the exact opposite. There isn't enough space to write how much I hated it. To each their own.

    Which is why experimenting with things is important.

    I love the way that Altras feel on my feet. They throw my knees out. If I hadn't done some hiking in them I could have discovered that in a really bad place.

    Tent preference is the same.

    I really liked this tent: https://mytrailco.com/collections/te...nt=20147804867

    My wife hated it. We obviously now have a different tent for our section hikes.

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    Whatever one might not like about LHG products, at least they are a known quantity with a solid reputation.
    Over the years I've used a bunch of tents... All-time fave and #1 go-to is the Duplex, but even that one is not the best for all occasions. As with packs, most of us are going to end up with more than one in the gear closet... often a LOT more!

  13. #33
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    The joy of owning and using a quality product lasts long after the pain of the initial expense. The joy from savings for buying a cheap inferior product is always temporary and followed by regret.

    Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
    “He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.” –Socrates

  14. #34

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    Quote Originally Posted by Engine View Post
    The joy of owning and using a quality product lasts long after the pain of the initial expense. The joy from savings for buying a cheap inferior product is always temporary and followed by regret.
    Very good advice!

  15. #35
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    I have the LHG Solong6 for sale. I just posted it. That is what you need.

  16. #36

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    Bring the tent, and send it home when it gets warm, and/or you accelerate ahead of the pack. Then get it back with your colder weather stuff later.

    If you own it, it's free, and the $300 you'd spend on a new one can buy you a lot of gorp, bus rides to GA, etc.

  17. #37

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    REI has the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 on sale right now I think, or Google it for prices and find it on sale. It's 2.5 ish pounds I think. Use Tyvek housewrap for footprint material, it's much lighter, buy some cheap titanium triangle stakes to drop a couple more oz.

  18. #38
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    Duplex - buy once cry once.

  19. #39

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    4 lbs, 4 ozs is the fly and a footprint weight only. the whole thing is like 7.
    Not an option to use

  20. #40

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    If it is useful to anyone I just put my never used REI Dash 2, a UL 2.5 pounder up for sale on GearTrade for $200 with Ti Stakes, new REI footprint, and already seam-sealed. I have three because I like it alot and it was cheaper than the Copper Spur UL 2 with basically the same kind of setup and around the same weight. I've been on here off and on for YEARS mostly lurking but I've changed my info over time, so I couldn't list it for sale on here. (so please don't ban me, I am not new here to take advantage of people, thanks)

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