I have a bunch of tents I've bought, looking for perfection. I'm tall. My first tent had plenty of room but weighed about 11 pounds. After breaking a bunch of spokes on a west coast tour I decided to downsize everything. I bought a Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight. It was really light, but just a bit too small for me. I tried a Eureka Backcountry 1, but it was like sleeping in a coffin. It was long enough, but too narrow. I couldn't lay on my side and read. Then I bought a Microlight 2 from L. L. Bean. I love it. It's the same shape as my Clip Flashlight, but a bit roomier in all directions. And since it's made out of lighter materials, it weighs about the same.
If I was more normal sized I'd still consider the Clip Flashlight. It's light and you can find them fairly cheap. I also like the REI Halfdome and the Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2, although it''s expensive. The ones Adventure Cycling carries look good too - I think MSR? There are lots of choices.
Here are my personal guidelines:
- Get as light a tent as possible that still affords the room you don't want to be without.
- Get a tent for the number of people who will be using it. If you're going to be alone sometimes and with your partner sometimes, better get two tents.
- Make sure it's absolutely waterproof in a big rainstorm. The fly must completely cover the tent with all the drippings going outside the perimeter of the tent. If it drips off the fly onto the tent, it's bound to leak.
- Freestanding is nice, but not as important as 1., 2., and 3.
- Ventilation is really nice. If mosquitoes are a problem and you have to hide out in your tent, you don't want it to feel like a sauna. I like a tent where the body is all bugscreen. It's not great in winter camping, but I don't go winter camping. If I did I'd use a different tent.