Before I dive into tent research, I thought I would first rake the minds, and opinions, of the community for product recommendations. I have tried tarps and hammocks so please exclude those options in this post.

Requirements:

- usage: early fall to late spring. below tree line
- occupants: 2
- interior width: at least 60" head to toe
- interior length: at least 80"
- price: under $500
- weight: minimal, of course

Thanks!

Edited by nkline on 05/24/2012 13:03:50 MDT.

I assume the dimensions you gave are for interior (sleeping) quarters? If that's the case - you will have hard time finding something light. All the truly light-weight options are smaller than 60x90. There are some that are close, some that match or exceed, but they are not super-light.

If you want very light - MSR Carbon Reflex 2 or Big Agnes Copper Spur UL 2. BA is slightly bigger, but it's floor is tapered at the feet area. There are people on here who have one or the other and love them. I'm using MSR Hubba (1man) tent for solo, but it weights same as MSR CR2, yet has less space.


There are some other choices, but they are less common and i'm not sure about their warranty terms. I've seen people contact Cascade Designs (MSR manufacturer) and get great service and even free part repair or replacement for out of warranty issues. Don't have any first or even second hand experience with service at BA though.

I have a new MSR CR2 for sale by the way in case you are interested in one.

60 X 90 is as wide and longer than a queen-sized bed. So "minimal" weight probably won't happen. Maybe smaller interior space, with generous vestibules for gear storage, etc?

Hilleberg's Anjan 3 is fairly close if a bit over budget. "Light" will be a bit subjective with a footprint that large.

If you are over 6ft tall and use a 'long' sleeping bag, your feet will tought the sloping canopy of the Anjan. Although listed at 87" long, the usable length is considerably less. A design flaw in my opinion.

SMD Lunar Duo interior is 54" wide and 90" long, pretty close to what you're asking for. 41 oz without stakes and it requires trekking poles:
http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/tents/LunarDuo.html

Tarptent Rainshadow is more than wide enough (trapezoidal with with 64" at narrow end and 78" at wide), but is only 84" long. Their Double Rainbow is 50" x 88" and the Stratospire 2 is 52" x 88". All around 40 ounces, Double Rainbow doesn't require trekking pole.
http://www.tarptent.com

You might look at the REI Quarter Dome series (T2, T2+, T3, T3+) and the Big Agnes Fly Creek and Copper spur tents in the UL2 & UL3 sizes. These all come pretty close (to varying degrees) to your floor size specs.

Nicholas,

When you say "interior length: at least 90", I'm guessing that's based on some sort of preconception/past experience regarding the tent geometry. Floor length means very different things for different geometries. Inwardly sloping walls cut off usable length so a 90" length in a sloping geometry can actually be quite a bit shorter than a 84" length in another with more vertical ends.

-H

Both the Kelty Gunnison 2.1 and the Mountainsmith Morrison come close to your dimensional requirements. The 2.1 is 58" x 92" and weighs a hefty 5lbs 9oz. The Morrison is 56" x 92" and weighs less at 4lbs 11oz. The Eureka Zeus 2 Classic is 58" x 89" and weighs 3lbs 14oz. There are several other tents in the Eureka line that meet the floor dimensions you seek. They are all pretty heavy.

I have an old Eureka Rainier tent that has those exact dimensions (60" x 90"). It is a great tent for two over 6' footers that aren't too keen on "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" type snuggling.

Edited by FlytePacker on 05/24/2012 13:54:57 MDT.

StratoSpire 2

BA Fly Creek UL3

Somebody also mentioned the Lunar Duo.