Best 2 person backpacking tent???
Hey guys, i need help knowing what tent to purchase. I've never been backpacking, but I have all the gear other than a tent. I've tent camped my whole life, even through the winter, which would have to be my favorite. This tent will get 4 season use. It will probably see more car camping than backpacking, but I have limited storage space, so 1 tent will have to fill several roles. I believe in "buy once, cry once" so I'm looking for a tent that will suite my needs for a long time, and that I won't outgrow (weight, build quality, or usability) for a long time. Also, I am frugal, so I don't want to blow a bunch of money on something I don't need. Anyway, most of my other gear would probably be classed as light weight, but not ultralight... the friends I'll be backpacking with are all across the board (16-60 lb loaded packs) so I don't really have that as a guage to go off of, other than somewhere in the lower half of that range. I'll mostly be using this tent with another person, but there's a good chance I'll be packing it in, so I don't want something crazy heavy. I'd like to order one before Memorial Day in hopes of getting it on sale. Any recommendations? I've heard really good things about Nemo and Big Angus, but don't have any specific models that I'm looking at from those two brands. I've also heard excellent things about the REI Half dome, but it's heavier and about 2x the cost as the Kelty Grand Mesa 2 which has sort of caught my eye. It's on sale for $100, and seems like an excellent deal given that it's about 4 lbs, but I guess I'm wondering if there is a better tent in the $300-400 price range that I'll be happier with longer? Any help is greatly appreciated!