Best freestanding solor or 2 person tent?

Black Diamond First Light

Jay Eggleston wrote:

Black Diamond First Light

Yeah I've seen them, a friend swears by it,..haven't been able to find a sale on them or a good, well-taken care of not abused, used one as of yet!  ha!

just picked up a Big Agnes Rattlesnake, and got to use it once backpacking. 

So far I would say its a pretty awesome tent for the prodeal price they have it listed as, althought the mountain glow feature is kind of a sham... I am super happy with how big the vestibules are on the rainfly as well as how roomy it is for a two person tent. That being said I dont think it would really excel in the mountains, it is much more of a weekend backpacking tent.

Mike-Mayhem wrote:

just picked up a Big Agnes Rattlesnake, and got to use it once backpacking. 

So far I would say its a pretty awesome tent for the prodeal price they have it listed as, althought the mountain glow feature is kind of a sham... I am super happy with how big the vestibules are on the rainfly as well as how roomy it is for a two person tent. That being said I dont think it would really excel in the mountains, it is much more of a weekend backpacking tent.

Thanks for the insight.  Yeah I think in the long run the mountainglow feature on those tents is going to just become a bunch of extra junk that will end up breaking anyway after repeated packing/unpacking.

So, you'd say not the greatest for backpacking?  Ok,.. bummer,.. but thanks

Copper spur 2 had served me well in the cascades in summer. Dual door/vestibule set up is awesome for a partner. Enough coverage to keep both packs dry and cook while you're in tent. 

Not recommended in very high winds, but none of the light double walls are.

Thanks Nick

You're looking at the right ones for ultralight freestanding, Big Agnes/Nemo etc.. 

I wouldn't get a solo unless you're a tiny person and like small spaces, especially a freestanding dome design with the angled walls. Most people enjoy a 2P shelter alone, 3P with a partner. Worth the extra few ounces. 

Don't get a Firstlight for 3-season camping, you want double wall + waterproof. Plus the Big Agnes and Nemo are lighter. 

Copper spur 3 (just right for two) is an awesome tent for summer use.

Nick Drake wrote:

Copper spur 2 had served me well in the cascades in summer. Dual door/vestibule set up is awesome for a partner. Enough coverage to keep both packs dry and cook while you're in tent. 

Not recommended in very high winds, but none of the light double walls are.

I also recommend this tent; I just used mine for the first time and I love it.  I bought a brand new one from a guy from Canada for $250 and saved $200 off retail!  It was plenty spacious for my wife and I, and my dog.  I'm 6'2 and she is 5'10 so we aren't Small by any means.  It sets up in about 3 minutes.  I do recommend buying the footprint though, which I got at Campsaver.com for $60.  The material is very thin so the footprint is a must.  It also has multiple gear pouches inside that are very convenient.  The vestibules are pretty big, and the tent packs down to an extremely small size/weight.  9/10 would buy again (so far).

No I was saying that the rattlesnake is a great backpacking tent, but not really suited for the mountains as the first light would be

Mike-Mayhem wrote:

No I was saying that the rattlesnake is a great backpacking tent, but not really suited for the mountains as the first light would be

Ah ok,.. that makes sense!  Thanks!

First Light is a single wall tent. It's really ideal for high alpine environments where rain is highly, highly unlikely. If it rains, it's going to soak through the tent. Of course, that doesn't matter to anyone using the Firstlight for its intended usage, because if it's raining you're probably packing up and going home anyway because the climbing simply isn't gonna happen.  It's not a good choice for backpacking at all.  That said, for winter alpine climbing, it's fantastic.

I've been using the Stormbreak 2. it's inexpensive and quite light, and so far holds up well during wind, rain, and snow. 

Big Agnes Copper Spur 1 is a great solo tent that I like a lot, and the 2 or 3 are good options if you want to go bigger. I know people who like the Big Agnes Fly Creek instead. We have the Rattlesnake 2 which works well for us when we go backpacking together and I like it a lot. Of note - I thought the MtnGlo was going to be a gimmick, but I actually really like and appreciate it.

If you want to save some coin and don't mind a little extra weight REI has some good options as well, I've always been happy with my REI backpacking tents.

I'll add my big thumbs up for the Copper Spur UL2. Great for solo! Fits 2 people fine, but gear kind of hangs out in the elements if there are 2 big packs to stow. 

Kyle Elliott wrote:

I've been using the Stormbreak 2. it's inexpensive and quite light, and so far holds up well during wind, rain, and snow. 

I have seriously wondered about the Stormbreak 2 by TNF,... I could have sworn I read two or three reviews all agreeing it wasn't exactly very waterproof in a good downpour??  I may be mistaken

Copper Spur UL 2. Camp Saver recently had a deal, tent and footprint for $275 shipped. Got one and the thing rocks.

Eric wrote:

What is your price range? 

up to about 150--175...give or take a little

JasonSH wrote:

up to about 150--175...give or take a little

I would take a good look at the REI tents then. I've had a half dome for ~15 years and beat the hell out of it every year but somehow its still fine. Never had it leak on me or really given me any issues. 

My 15yr old half dome is basically what the REI passage is now. Very basic design which is super easy to set up even if its dark and you're drunk.