Backpacking Tent

[Chipper]

I'm in need of a new backpacking tent, my old Coleman is just not up to it anymore. I have been looking at the Seirra Designs Flashlight, but I wasn't sure if it was all that great. Anyone have any ideas?

[gamarada717]

I've backpacked with Eureka tents my whole life, and I've loved them. Great for 3 weeks trails or a weekend trip. Do you want a single layer or one with a seperate fly? 2 or 1 person?

[spyderkiller]

I've also used Eureka, and have never had any problems with them. A buddy of mine has a kelty, and another has a north face. Honestly you can't see a whole lot of difference between them, unless you look at the price tag.

[chairman_mao]

I use a hammock tent and I love it. No need for flat ground, you never get wet, and it's way easier on your back than the ground. Also it is light and compact. I would say you could probably use it three seasons winter would be a toughy.

Here's a few links

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

[Muzikman]

Mountain Hardware and Marmot are my two favorite.

I would avoid Coleman tents, especially for backpacking as they do not pack well.

[gamarada717]

Mountain Hardware does make extremely nice tents, but they are quite pricey. Same with North Face...you're paying for a name, but you do get some extra nifty features or a few more cubic feet of room as well.

As for hamocs, I used one once, and the first night it was great. However, the second night, a thunderstorm passed through, and the stupid rain fly would flap in the wind so loud that I couldn't sleep. Also, if you have broad shoulders, they're kind of uncomfortable.

[Eagle]

I got a North Face Cricket a number of years ago and love it.

[Rooster]

Eureka Zeus EXO

Lightest tent I've ever found.

[maxama10]

Singleman:
Get an OR bivvy
or an MSR Zoid 1 or a Micro Zoid

Two Man: go with sierra designs rei or msr

[BobTheCow]

I have the Flashlight, and love it to death for what I use it for, light to moderate backpacking (~15 mile weekend treks, several ~60 mile weeklong treks). I love it, but you can get much smaller (and in turn, lighter) tents if you're going the one-man route.

Spend the extra cash for a fitted footprint.

Also try and check out hammocks, like a couple people have mentioned. I hammock fairly frequently as well, and generally enjoy it. Makes for less equipment to carry, and can be really comfortable, if you've got the trees. Not for everybody though, give it a shot once first before you invest.

[hAppy]

Look on www.rei.com, my friend got the REI Half Dome 2, same as Eureka Apex as far as I know.

I have the Eureka Apex 2xta, it's pretty nice. I scored it on Ebay for about $120 shipped.

Pros
-Very spacious
-Fairly cheap

Cons
-Not very light, 5-6lbs (a lot heavier then my generic tent)
-When packed, it still manages to consume a large amount of space in the backpack
-Does not come with a strong floor
-Recommended that you buy the footprint/floor saver addon, which adds a bit of extra weight as well

The generic tent I had, I had been using for 5 years just because it never failed me, it was an Ozark Trail dome tent, 2 man, bought from WalMart for $20. This tent was great for sunny trips, except I grew out of it like 2 years ago, and that it's not waterproof. It only weighed like 1 pound. I still think it was one of the best things I have ever owned for the price, even till this day it is in great shape.

That hammock really isn't a bad idea. But I dislike the idea of waking up with several mosquito bites on my eyelids, or ticks on my body. Seems a bit pricey as well.

[Noise Under The Bed]

I use a North Face Rock 22 and Its served me well

[personman]

Funny why you guys dont like colemans...

My dad and I use coleman cobras. So do lots of other people in my scout troop and we all love them. They have just enough room for two people and I've taken mine to philmont and all other sorts of places. They work great.

[matt-o]

my msr teton 2 works well

[hAppy]

My friend has a North Face tent, it's a dome 2 man, I am not sure what model, but I think that one is very similar to the Eureka Apex 2 and REI Half Dome, the only difference is the fly (vestibule).

I don't know why no one ever talks about Coleman tents, I know that people will buy just about anything else made by Coleman, but not the tents. Interesting topic.