Tent recommendations

[longbarrel]

Anyone have a good 3 season/3 person tent to recommend? Something that will stay dry in rain, and still breath.

 

[kolob10]

I have had a Walrus tent for 15 years. It is a four season and held up well. I have a three season mountain hardware that has weathered well also.

 

[308jake]

I use the Eureka Timberline 4 and love it. Purchased new on EBay for $175 shipped.

 

[pjcalla]

I have a Sierra Designs tent that I bought ~15 years ago. Still going strong.

 

[packard]

Since you want it dry and breathable, a great choice would be something made of canvas. Dry, breathable and last a long time.

 

[Reno316]

Anyone have a good 3 season/3 person tent to recommend? Something that will stay dry in rain, and still breath.

Are you going to be carrying this thing on your back, or "car camping"?

What's your budget?

A *very* nice, light, solid, dry, tent: http://www.mountaingear.com/webstor...-Agnes/Slater-UL-3-Person-Tent/_/R-240974.htm

Bit pricey, though.

Cheaper, roomier (nice to bring in the dog or gear or firewood), but heavier: REI Camp Dome 4 Tent - REI.com

I own both. Love 'em both, depending on what I'm going to do (first is when wife and I go for an overnight backpacking hike and I have to carry a shelter; second is for car camping at a State Park with the two kids and three dogs, and the Jeep is twenty-five feet over there...)

 

[IndyGunSafety]

Are you going to be carrying this thing on your back, or "car camping"?

What's your budget?

Need to know this info. Donna and I have a Big Agnes Copper Spur Ultra Lite 3. I call it "the condo", lol! 4 Pounds without a footprint and under 5 with. It has huge vestibules on each side, so you're not crawling over each other getting in and out.

Here's out tent from one side, with half the vestibule rolled up. But they are pricey! You will find the lighter the gear, the more it costs.

Here it is on a gold sluicing trip in February. Plenty of room for me and all my stuff. Brought the whole 70L pack inside.

With the optional footprint you can set up just the fly in about 2 minutes for a quick shelter. Or on a nice night you can leave the fly off altogether. There's a closable vent on each end of the fly. It's only a three season, but the walls are much higher than many backpacking tents, and unless the wind was REALLY blowing, I think it would be fine in the snow.

Big Agnes, Mountain Hardware, and Kelty are all great names. I am not familiar with the REI brand tents.

 

[longbarrel]

car camping, no more than 100 yards from car. budget $300-$400

 

[den57]

Used Tents & Discount New Camping & Backpacking Tents | GearTrade.com?=

 

[IndyGunSafety]

There are so many choices at Cabela's for example, it takes a while to sort through them. For the budget you proposed you could get something MUCH bigger. But if you still want a three person there are many options by good companies, several I mentioned above. I wanted to throw Eureka in there too.

The problem I found in trying to decide on a good tent was online reviews. People seem to complain but not compliment as much (as with anything!) so it's hard to get a feel for what is really good and what isn't. I went with a good name brand and have not regretted it. With your budget you can do the same.

 

[Black Cloud]

Best tent I've ever bought for climbing is my Quest Preying Mantis, but they're no longer made. Got mine over 20 years ago, and it's still the go-to. My backup is a North Face Talus, pretty good, light tent.

 

[Zoub]

car camping, no more than 100 yards from car. budget $300-$400

Car camping = comfort. Take number of people x 2 so you need a 6 person tent. I have used large 3 season tents in single digit temps with a few extra tarps so they can be versatile. Hit campmor and REI. Both have deals but I saw a decent 6 person at campmor on sale for like $150. With your budget invest in a screen shelter as well. With more than 2 people rectangular shapes tend to work better then square on the large family tents.

You can also buy larger tents with a built in screen room. Problem is it's heavier, harder to set up, not as versatile. You can't use one without the other. We need a screen shelter for our patio but we can take it camping too or for a day trip picnic. You can also add tarps to screen shelters.

 

[kludge]

As already suggested, I've used a Eureka! Timberline in winter (deep snow and temps in the teens) and for the hardy, it is a four season tent. A good choice and in the budget. Also in the budget would be similar Big Agnes or REI tent. For a great tent that is easier on the budget look at Alps Mountaineering.