Looking for advice on a tent

[Crash]

I do not know a lot about tents/manufactures but I do require a new tent and need some help choosing the right one

It will need to be able to survive a thunderstorm and possibly hail.

Typically we do not see much for large wind storms i.e. thunderstorms are the biggest source of wind

Where I will be camping will always be camping where there is plenty trees for added protection.

I only get 2-3 months of summer weather a year so a good portion of the time I will be camping in spring/fall where snow/cold weather is a possibility.

hottest temperatures seen will be around 33 degC (once or twice a year)

Coldest temperatures would be around -5 degC

My main requirement is that I do not wake up wet.

looking to keep the tent price under 220

Will probably be used for 20-25 nights a year

Will be doing a lot of fishing/mtb biking

only 1-2 people will use the tent at one time

Was thinking of a 3 season, 4 person dome tent.

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

[gr8brew]

Re: Looking for advice on a tent

Hey Crash,

Great list of your needs. With everything you have listed I think the Cabellas Alaskan Guide is a good choice. I would spend the extra for the aluminum poles over the fiberglass.

There are other brands the make 4 season tents that cost significantly more Hilleberg, Nemo, Mountain Hardware ect. all pushing 800.00 900.00 bucks


http://www.cabelas.com/browse.cmd?ca...MCcat105590880

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PylrnSDprIM

[wiiawiwb]

Re: Looking for advice on a tent

gr8brew's recommendation is good. The Alaskan Guide Tent is bombproof. You'd want the 4-man version which retails for $349. I'd advise against aluminum poles if money is an issue. Kindly know this is NOT a tent you can backpack with. You'd need to transport it by car, ATV, canoe, snowmobile or sled in the winter.

I have the Alaskan Guide 6-person tent and can vouch that it will keep you dry. You might be able to get it for less than $349 if you live within driving distance of a Cabelas store. Each store has it's own Bargain Cave from which they sell returns or floor models. The Cabelas in Connecticut did have an Alaskan Guide 4-person tent in their bargain cave about 2 weeks ago. Others I'm sure do as well. Just go to Cabelas website and do a store search, find the nearest store and call them.

This would be your best choice, in my opinion, as it will have more space than the other two I will suggest below.

If your $220 is firm, then I would look at the Eureka Mountain Pass 3XTE. It has very heavy coatings on both fly and floor so it should provide tremendous protection from rain. It is a 2-person tent with a little room for gear. It lists for $249 but you can get it for $200 or less. Look for sales and discounts. I almost pulled the trigger on the tent at ~$198.

http://store.eurekatent.com/mountain-pass-3xte-tent

One other tent is Alps Mountaineering Extreme 3. I've seen this tent in action as two buddies of mine have it and love it. It lists for $299 but you can find it deeply discounted. SteepandCheap.com is one such place. I think Backcountry.com had it for ~$209.

http://www.alpsmountaineering.com/al...-tents/extreme

The weight of the either of two above is less than 8lbs so you could split that up between two people and backpack it in to a location. That is not doable with the Alaskan Guide tent which weighs in at 23 lbs with fiberglass poles. However, neither of these two will enure what the Alaskan Guide can endure.

[MacGyver]

Re: Looking for advice on a tent

If you're not adverse to factory seconds/used/display tents, Eureka has a nice outlet with nice discounts. There are different family and backpacking tents that are constantly changing, depending on what they have in stock. I check the site a lot because 5 tents just aren't enough and my pockets aren't that deep. Gotta get me an even half dozen. :he:

[toedtoes]

Re: Looking for advice on a tent

If you're not adverse to factory seconds/used/display tents, Eureka has a nice outlet with nice discounts. There are different family and backpacking tents that are constantly changing, depending on what they have in stock. I check the site a lot because 5 tents just aren't enough and my pockets aren't that deep. Gotta get me an even half dozen. :he:

Mmmhmmm. And when you get that half dozen, you'll gotta get yerself an even dozen...

[tplife]

Re: Looking for advice on a tent

If you can follow auctions, you can do even better! We've bought 3 high-end tents off Ebay for 60% off MSRP. Brands like Sierra Designs, Big Agnes, NorthFace, Mountain Hardwear, Marmot, etc. have seasonal sales, model closeouts, etc. with new-with-tags and Ebay customer satisfaction guarantees. Brands like Kelty and Eureka! offer some great products, but they do mix in low-end, featureless, dated models to capture market share, so BUYER BEWARE.

[MacGyver]

Re: Looking for advice on a tent

Mmmhmmm. And when you get that half dozen, you'll gotta get yerself an even dozen...

Oh - I NEVER had THAT thought. Never! :lol:

[MacGyver]

Re: Looking for advice on a tent

tplife - you must have a different eBay than me. I regularly browse there, too. I've yet to see a high end tent listed for anything even close to 20% off much less 60%. And, once again, tents you consistently call "dated" might still be around because they're tried and true and still work for those of us who aren't camping in Nepal.

[frank6160]

Re: Looking for advice on a tent

tplife - you must have a different eBay than me. I regularly browse there, too. I've yet to see a high end tent listed for anything even close to 20% off much less 60%. And, once again, tents you consistently call "dated" might still be around because they're tried and true and still work for those of us who aren't camping in Nepal.

Me either! They may go for a bit less than retail.

[Crash]

Re: Looking for advice on a tent

Thanks for all the suggestions. Right now its just trying to find the right deal and catch the sales when they start.

I will add a couple more points that might help with narrowing down the choices

1. I will basically only be doing car camping, at the most it might only be a 5 km hike/bike to a spot. Because of this weight is not really an issue, and I have no concerns about weight (hauling 60 pounds on a bike 5 km is not something that would kill me)

2. Currently live in western Canada so getting items shipped in from the states can be a bit of a hassle

3. My main pool of stores to choose from are

http://www.cabelas.ca/
http://www.wholesalesports.com/storefront/index.ep
http://www.mec.ca/Main/home.jsp (Looks to have the best selection)
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en.html
http://en.atmosphere.ca/index.html

Will be running around to all theses stores today so I can actually see the tents set up and get a better idea of what I will need. Currently it looks like I might downgrade to a 2-3 person tent just to keep the wallet a little happier.

[tplife]

Re: Looking for advice on a tent

Many moons ago, we bought from places like Sport Chalet and REI before at their summer "clearance' prices but didn't get much more than 25% off MSRP. These are great ways to cut costs, and hopefully others do better than we could here in San Diego. With the advent of the internet, we have bought three top tier tents, 3,4, and 6-man, at different times, and two sleeping bags, at 60% off MSRP. Granted, following auctions for weeks on end for high-end model closeouts is not for everyone, and can be a royal PIA. Let's face it, in the USA, we want to click on Amazon.com and just order the thing, sales tax be d*mned! I'm willing to invest the time on Ebay to get the deals - with a family budget, there's only so much money to go around. I think that the "dated" tents are still around because many features like Hubs, Continuous Door Zippers, and SwiftClips are patented - the companies using them have to pay royalties that they pass on to their customers. Those who don't pay get pin-and-ring assembly, cheesy thin poles, and difficult push-n-rip sleeve setups - you get what you pay for.

[MacGyver]

Re: Looking for advice on a tent

Those who don't pay get pin-and-ring assembly, cheesy thin poles, and difficult push-n-rip sleeve setups - you get what you pay for.

Your persistent posting of your take on the "dated" gear compels me to keep posting mine.

This early 1990's tent has never been in Nepal, but has done quite well here in the U.S. Even before I got into tarps, it's seen dozens of soaking rains, more than a few serious thunderstorms (including one particular nasty event with tornadoes in the area) and even a few decent snowfalls. AND, all of this before today's forms of waterproofing were even thought of. Not bad for a tent that, today, would cost about $100.

(Picture taken about 2 years ago)

[hwc1954]

Re: Looking for advice on a tent

I just got my Marmot Eclipse 2P for 38% off retail. Current model.

I'd say that Sierra Trading Post's deal are pretty consistently the best around. Mostly close-outs or, in the case of tents, models from international markets that aren't sold in the standard US line -- even though they are the same. For example, they've got the 2P Marmot Thor 4-season expedition tent under a different name for $285 (with their 35% discount code). That's 46% off the Thor's retail.

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/mar...colorFamily=01

I find ebay to be largely disappointing these days. It's mostly retailer auctions and no better than you can find elsewhere. The key, IMO, is not so much eBay, but finding sales on discontinued models.

[MacGyver]

Re: Looking for advice on a tent

I just got my Marmot Eclipse 2P for 38% off retail. Current model.

I'd say that Sierra Trading Post's deal are pretty consistently the best around. Mostly close-outs or, in the case of tents, models from international markets that aren't sold in the standard US line -- even though they are the same. For example, they've got the 2P Marmot Thor 4-season expedition tent under a different name for $285 (with their 35% discount code). That's 46% off the Thor's retail.

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/mar...colorFamily=01

I find ebay to be largely disappointing these days. It's mostly retailer auctions and no better than you can find elsewhere. The key, IMO, is not so much eBay, but finding sales on discontinued models.

Definitely some sweet deals there. Congrats on a good score!

I'm going to REI today for one of their sales. They've got 30% off their dome tents and the 4 person tent is looking like something I "need".

[Denni2]

Re: Looking for advice on a tent

I just got my Marmot Eclipse 2P for 38% off retail. Current model.

I'd say that Sierra Trading Post's deal are pretty consistently the best around. Mostly close-outs or, in the case of tents, models from international markets that aren't sold in the standard US line -- even though they are the same. For example, they've got the 2P Marmot Thor 4-season expedition tent under a different name for $285 (with their 35% discount code). That's 46% off the Thor's retail.

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/mar...colorFamily=01

I find ebay to be largely disappointing these days. It's mostly retailer auctions and no better than you can find elsewhere. The key, IMO, is not so much eBay, but finding sales on discontinued models.

Sweet tent.