I am giving serious consideration to purchasing a 2-man tent for my personal tent on future trips. I am looking for a lightweight, easy to set-up, tear down tent with enough headroom to be able to sit up enough to change clothes. Any suggestions are appreciated. I also want to spend less than $175 if possible. Thanks!

Welcome back.

(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
Close to your range, gear loft and footprint included (coupon code '10TOUR' )

I got this tent, (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links), real cheap in return for reviewing it.  On the plus side, it is light, well ventilated (for warm weather use), has two doors and vestibules, and is inexpensive. At the trading post, $99 is quite a deal.

Two negatives.  

There was a slight dripping coming through the door zipper in a rain storm.  I ended up hanging my rain gear on the outside of the screen door so the occasional drip was prevented from entering the tent.

There is one corner where the screening material pulled away from the seam making a whole the size of a pinkie nail. It is at a point of stress but seems limited to that point, it has not gotten worse from when it initially happened.  A small piece of duck tape now covers the spot.

Despite these minor problems, I really like this tent.

I might suggest the REI Half Dome 2 for your price range if you're after free-standing.  I personally logged over 150 nights in the BW & Quet. in an LL Bean Microlight.  Light and simple, and packs down to the size of a football, except for the poles.  It's not free-standing, so you'll have to be a little more selective of where you pitch and use some short cordage to tie to root, trees or rocks, but it's footprint allows more options, especially in the Quet.

I'd opt for either the Marmot LimeLite or the REI Half Dome 2.  

I've been using the Half-Dome 2 plus (an older verson than is sold now) for 6 years of canoe tripping (minimum of 14 nights out, maximum more like 30 per year).  Excellent tent.  Light weight, 2 doors/vestibules, overhead loft, free standing, small window.  I just happened on this tent at REI once ... on the clearance rack for $50 ... best $50 purchase of my life!  The ground cloth for the model was maybe $15.  This model is a tub-design, meaning no seam next to the ground.

On my last outing, I used my new Marmot Twilight 2P which I picked up from Sierra Trading Post for $130 (without ground cloth).  It has similar construction to the LimeLight, but used a more complicated one pole system with 2-Ys toward top and bottom and a cross pole in the middle ... all connected to 3 hubs.  This served me well on my 10 day WCPP solo and kept me dry despite some significant rain events.  This model is not a tub design and does have a seam close to the ground.  I did seam-seal the tent before my trip (I always do), and paid particular attention to the ground-level seam.  It passed with flying colors, but I don't think I ever placed the tent where the water had a chance to pool.  I did use a Marmot ground cloth with this tent, but I had to adapt one from another model because the tent seems to be a discontinued model.

While I do like the Marmot, one feature of the Half-Dome that might make me return to it is the zipper location for the vestibules.  The REI tent is slightly better in not allowing water to drip into the tent while you enter/exit if the fly is wet or its raining.


dd