hawk232 wrote:
I'm in the process of getting together camping gear to start overnighting with the TI. I have been planning to get an REI half dome 2+ for some time now. I was walking through wally world yesterday and saw a 2 person tent of roughly the same dimensions for 30 bucks. At this price they are relatively disposable and would not be expected to hold up for years and year, but is that a bad thing? saltwater (corrosion), shells, rocks all seem like things that would help the REI tent to not last forever either and it would sure hurt a lot more than replacing the cheap tent. obviously the cheap tent would be heavier as well, but does an extra 2-3lbs really matter on a TI?
what are everyones thoughts/experiences??
I have an REI half dome 2+, and I like it, but, that is what I would call a "cheap" tent at a couple hundred for last years model. It is a good tent. You do not have to destroy your tent on shells, rocks, etc.
Buy a ground cloth with it. You MUST have a ground cloth. Corrosion is not a problem, but I spray my zippers with silicon spray at least once a season, more if they get sticky. You pay $30 bucks for a super cheap tent, and you will get what you pay for. You may wish you had spent more, if, in 25-30 mph winds, your tent rips apart, putting you at the mercy of the wind, rains, and bugs. You can use an REI half dome 2+ for 2, 3, 4 yrs and more at 20-30 days a season. How much is it costing you per night for that reliable tent? The nice thing about a decent REI tent, hardly an expensive tent, is they have 2 doors. Sometimes the bugs (noseeums, mosquitoes) will gather at one door and not the other. Of course, with 2 doors you do not have climb over your partner to get out.
After some thought, I doubt a $30 tent will have noseeum netting. All you have to do is spend a night on a south Florida beach without noseeum netting and you will look like you have measles--really! The thing about the REI half dome 2+ is, it is about 80% netting--great for south FL beaches and warm weather. If it is cool, enjoy your sleeping bag.
Keith