4. REI Half Dome SL+: Best 2-Person Backpacking Tent
Where the Quarter Dome trims and nit-picks features to reduce weight, the REI Half Dome SL+ maximizes your space and comfort and doesn’t shy away from that fact.
With vertical side walls to improve headroom, mesh pockets nearly everywhere you look, and enough interior space to make you feel like the king of the castle, these tents have everything you need—and they’re really reasonably priced (for tents, anyway).
But, a large tent at a low price point does come with its disadvantages—and in this case, that disadvantage is its weight. The one-person tent is a hefty four pounds, two ounces, and the two-person tent is four pounds, 15 ounces.
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A lot of that weight is coming from the 70-denier nylon floor fabric—but that’s not entirely bad. The extra thickness significantly improves the overall durability of the tent. Combine this with generous storage under the 40-denier nylon fly and impeccable waterproofing, and you’ve got yourself your own wilderness fortress.
The extra weight is well worth the unparalleled comfort this tent offers. If you’re looking for something middle-of-the-road between the Half Dome and the previous ultra-light options, I have a few more options for you.