[Happy Joe]

I see a few people are interested in tent recommendations and picking a tent.
Selecting a tent is highly subjective (depends on the user, their desires& expectations as well a how they camp so, IMO, there is no single best tent for camping.. I personally select from one of 3 options, depending mostly on the lengthof my projected trip, so even for myself there is no single perfect tent.
While surfing the web I started looking at "how to" articles pertaining to tents and found a relative few articles from a number of sources on tent selection. Note some of these are from stores or online vendors and this is in no way meant to advertise or recommend them, I provide these links simply to give access to the information that they provide and recommend shopping around both to increase folks' awareness of potential options and to expand their knowledge base, and thus hopefully make a better decision.

"How to Choose a Camping Tent"

"How to choose Tents for Camping"

"How to Choose a Camping tent"

I am certain that there are other articles that I have missed... feel free to surf the web for more articles & view points...

Enjoy!

 

[NJCoastal]

I own two tents, the Marmot Tungsten 1P (3 Lbs. 8 Oz.) for walk-in campsites more than 3 miles, and the Kelty Discovery Trail 2 (4 Lbs. 14 Oz.) for walk-in campsites less than 3 miles, both have footprints. The two tents can be assembled fast, are seam sealed and remain dry inside during rainy days and stay upright on windy days.

Plus, I have a Grab-n-GO Bag with a Yama Mountain Gear 8.5 Ft. X 8.5 Ft. SilPoly Tarp, a Redcamp 36 In. X 83 In. Footprint, and a OneTigris Bushcraft Mat 26 In. X 50 In. (emulating a tent floor) for a combined weight of (2 Lbs. 6 Oz.).

Video with the tarp and footprint shown (mat not shown): SilPoly Tarp + Footprint

 

[ppine]

Lots of articles written about tents sound like they come from an office in New York of some paid blogger. They suggest that tents like Coleman are the best to own.
There are two basic good kinds of tents. Nylon breathable tents with a good coated non-breathable fly and canvas tents. Quality tents are not cheap. A 6 man tent that costs $150 is made with cheaper materials that will not stand up to UV light.

I have a canvas wall tent that is 42 years old and still in good shape. I have a Sierra Designs backpacking tent that is around 30 years old and works fine. I like tipis, whelen lean tos, Baker tents and lots of other designs. Just bought a the small 6.5 x 8 foot Kodiak and will be trying it out next month.

 

[Happy Joe]

I have wanted to try a (canvas) tipi for years but the length, and number, of the poles has always stopped me... just one of the disadvantages of smaller vehicles...

Enjoy!

 

[ppine]

Good tipi poles are around 20-26 feet long. The best bet for hauling them is a trailer. I have used a canoe trailer with great success.

 

[Happy Joe]

A good thought; but a trailer with 20 - 26 foot poles is unlikely to be able to get through many of the Jeep trails that I use to reach the good camping spots. (Full size , 2 door, pickups often do body damage trying)..
Thanx for the info though...
I even considered making up some telescoping poles, however; the bundle would be difficult to pack into a 2 door Jeep, with all of the other stuff, at best.
... as the original users found; Tipis are a good idea for the open, near treeless, plains; not so good to transport through dense woods.

Enjoy!

 

[ppine]

I go into the woods to cut poles.