Ultralight tents - and wind...

We are looking to upgrade from our almost 15 year old REI quarter dome tent -  and will be using it for 2 person backpacking as well as for some climbing approaches (Heading to the Tetons this summer - so will probably have it up on Mt Moran and in Garnet Canyon up high). So would want it to be reasonable in moderately windy conditions.

Any thoughts on:
- Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2  (lightest of the 3 at 2lb 3oz - but weakest in the wind??)
- Big Agnes Copper Spur HVUL2 (roomiest of the three but heaviest at 2lbs 14oz)
- Tarp Tent Double Rainbow (2lbs 9 oz. Does it taper too much at the top and feel TOO cramped for 2? Super easy to set up in rain.  Said to be quite stable.
- Others? (would love to stay under 3lbs. Already can go w our sturdier tent if we REALLY need wind stability.)

We have a 3 person tent- I know 2 person tents are small for 2 people, but we are looking for small and light.  Just don't know if these give up too much wind stability. Thoughts?
(Don't have time to order a zpacks tent by our trip this summer)

locusgear.com/items/djedi-d…

I own the last generation copper spur UL2, in winds of 20-40mph it fared ok. When the gusts got above that shit hit the fan. Was up on bugaboo spire last summer when a minor thunderstorm rolled through. Pole snapped in half and pierced out the rainfly of our tent. Other lightweight tents did not fare well either though, a few had bent poles. Mark Smiley's BD Ahwanee ripped off it's guy lines and went flying into a creek.

Double rainbow has mesh all the way down and you feel any draft, might as well rock an actual tarp if bugs aren't an issue IMO.

If you're going to be above tree line and there is a possibility of high wind gusts I wouldn't opt for any ultra light 3 season style tent personally. A taught tarp seems to fare better. 

Tents are expensive. If you're like me, you only really want to have one. But one tent isn't really enough. So I have a tent and a tarp. My one tent I want to be able to backpack in most conditions as well as be a car camping workhorse. The tarp is for bug-free, good weather situations where you just need a backup in case the forecast is wrong.

The Big Agnes Copper Spur HVUL2  is freakin awesome. It's light enough to not really worry about bringing in your pack while having plenty of headroom and features for good livin' even when you're not minimizing weight. I use the footprint for car camping but leave it at home when backpacking.

The Copper Spur has stood up to some strong winds. But I will say that an earlier version of the tent was flattened by some truly nuclear winds in Patagonia. But I don't think wind like that (can't talk, can't hear, can't stand up, doesn't stop for days) really exists in the lower 48. And in any case wind can and should be mitigated by good campsite selection. Lesson learned.

I own the Copper Spur plus a siltarp for truly light missions where I know bugs won't be a factor, such as the JMT in late summer. Together, these are a good compromise for my needs.

The North Face Mountain 25. Not super lightweight....but is very robust.

https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/camping-and-hiking/4-season-tent/the-north-face-mountain-25

+The North Face Mountain 25 is a top-notch expedition and winter camping tent that is easily among the most robust models in our review. It's best for applications where storm-worthiness, versatility, and ample livable space are appreciated, and its heavier-than-average weight is less of a big deal. Its lighter than several other of the most classic expedition models like the Trango 2 and the Tarra. It is heavier than the Hilleberg Jannu or the Black Diamond Fitzroy but more spacious and livable than either of those models and costs $300-$400 less.

Half the weight of TNF Mountain 25 and about the same price. https://rab.equipment/us/latok-summit

Paul Morrison wrote: Half the weight of TNF Mountain 25 and about the same price. https://rab.equipment/us/latok-summit

Hey Paul, That RAB tent isn't very comfy if you are as tall as me (6'2) you can't even sit up in it, and forget two people. But if you are small it might work pretty decent. I don't own the RAB, but got into one at the OR show in 2016. Nice products for smallish people.

Buck Rio wrote:

Hey Paul, That RAB tent isn't very comfy if you are as tall as me (6'2) you can't even sit up in it, and forget two people. But if you are small it might work pretty decent. I don't own the RAB, but got into one at the OR show in 2016. Nice products for smallish people.

i wouldn't say, "forget two people," but you might want to forget two people for more than, maybe, two nights. It's been a good compromise tent, in that it's light enough for me to carry on a long-ish trip when I'm alone, and still just barely manageable for two people for a night before and after a mission where you're already loaded down with ropes and rack and don't want to add 8 pounds of shelter to the pack.

Guy lines are super important to the strength of a tent. If it has them use them. If it doesn’t then check if there are places to add them. The longer you leave the guy lines the better they will work

we just got a nemo dagger 3 p cause we wanted light weight and space. Haven't taken it out yet :-(. The 2 person is a bit tight for our extra wide pads but is light and well made.

HMG Ultamid would do reasonably well in wind if you insist on bringing a UL shelter to the alpine.

Buck Rio wrote:

Hey Paul, That RAB tent isn't very comfy if you are as tall as me (6'2) you can't even sit up in it, and forget two people. But if you are small it might work pretty decent. I don't own the RAB, but got into one at the OR show in 2016. Nice products for smallish people.

This one is roomier for an extra pound if you want a single wall mountaineering tent.

http://rab.equipment/us/latok-mountain-2

Look at mids and tipis   I have numerous and with a liner they are amazing.   I’ve used mine in high wind and in heinous snow storms in Alaska.  I hate the big Agnes ultralight tents-they really are only meant for perfect to mild conditions imo-in comparison when you look at Denali tipis are used frequently.

I have broken numerous big Agnes tents in the wind.  Never a tipi.  Plus you can’t keep our sand or silt out of the big Agnes tents cause the fly will only extend down to a certain point-while on a tipi you can extent the fly all the way down to the ground.  
Plus since you have no poles you get a much bigger tent with more durable materials for less weight.    
https://seekoutside.com/tipi-tents/

I really love my Tarptent notch. I actually have 2... Haven't used the double rainbow but a friend did on the JMT a couple years back. He was happy with it and loved all the room, though he was only one (relatively bigger) person. The combination throughout their product line of shaped tarp + bathtub floor + mosquito netting seems to me the ideal compromise as it covers the majority of any issues I've encountered in the hills at a minimum of weight.

Check out the MLD Duomid XL. It's a mid-style tent that takes a single trekking pole and sheds wind well. An alternative would be the MLD trailstar which the scots use for bomber wind protection. 

I haven't really read this thread, but I've got opinions. The Big Agnes Fly Creek 2-lb tent, as well as most tents with a single pole design, absolutely sucks in wind. They're terrifying in wind + storms + above treeline.

That's one of those things that's incredibly obvious but you choose to convince yourself otherwise when packing because it's so light.

https://www.bigagnes.com/Scout-UL-2

I have this tent and used it on the Grand Teton a couple years ago. It held up to the wind really well.

Upside: Really light (1 lb. 8 oz. trail weight). Roomy enough for 2 grown men with room for gear in between them. Relatively sturdy. Warm.

Downside: Has to be guyed out at multiple points to work (i.e. not freestanding)- can be difficult to set up on rocky ground (we tied it to rocks on GT).
Single wall tent-condensation was a problem.
Uses trekking poles as tent poles. Not a problem if you use poles anyway (unless you want to use them after the tent has been set up)

I like the Nemo Blaze - https://www.nemoequipment.com/product/blaze/

2lbs, 2 doors, 2 vestibules for 2 people: Convenient when you have to pee late at night and you don't want to crawl over the other person. :o

 Took it to the Wind River Range and Patagonia during windy and rainy season. Held up awesomely and pretty light.  Would recommend the footprint for longer use.

Cons: Not freestanding but have not had issues using rocks and trees.

Briggs Lazalde wrote:

I recommend footprints but absolutely never from the manufacturer. They're overpriced sheets of material($40+) with maybe a couple grommets on the corners. Go to home depot or Lowe's and order tyvek. Its much cheaper, lightweight,waterproof and strong... If a ground sheet is ment to take abuse buy something that's easily replaceable for cheap.

I bought a piece of Tyvek on Amazon for $18 and made my own footprint. Works fine and still light. Footprint from manufacturer is $70.

You won’t be disappointed with the Tarp Tent Double Rainbow. I have their 3 person Rainshadow, it’s the same weight but bigger and less wind resistant but it’s maybe my favorite tent I’ve owned