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09-14-05 | 12:17 AM

#10

dvsabban

Sabbanides

Joined: Jun 2005

Posts: 12

Likes: 0

From: Seattle, Washington

Bikes: Bianchi Veloce, Trek 520

I just finished a long tour with my fiancee and am now a HUGE fan of the Sierra Designs Hyperlight AST. It's technically a 2 person tent, but at about 4 pounds, it's incredibly light. It is "free standing", has a really well-sized vestibule (perfect for your stanky shoes) and its odd, diamond/kite shape gives you a ton of space to put your stuff (on either side of you). My fiancee and I are both pretty small, so we probably take up about as much space as you do being over 6' tall ;-). This tent also has a nice and tall high point right at that perfect spot for you to sit up tall.

I worked at REI for a couple of years, so I am familiar with a lot of the backpacking-type tents out there. I used to recommend this one to tall people because there was no other tent that I found that was both in the "ultralight" category, and comfortable (read: long enough or tall enough) for taller people. It also has very muted earth tone colors, so you won't stick out too much. It's a bit more expensive, because it's a Sierra Designs tent, but having just lived in it for nearly 4 weeks, I have no desire to tour with any other tent.

If you're not into that tent, but are still looking for a good ultralight tent, the REI Quarter Dome is also really good (but you'll likely be touching your head and feet to the tent while lying down and probably also when sitting up)
The REI Half Dome is very great (and inexpensive too), as mentioned by "Thor29" above, and will certainly give you more room so you don't touch the sides, it's just a bit heavier.

The Clip Flashlight is a really great tent with lots of head room for sitting up, but it's not free standing, so you have that hassle if you're on hard or soft ground. (And if you don't mind a tent that's not free standing and less expensive than the clip flashlight, check out the REI Roadster tent for 1 person or the Coupe for 2 people...oops, looks like they don't sell the coupe any more, but if you live near an REI, they can definitely check to see if any stores have left overs, which will certainly be VERY INEXPENSIVE).

The Big Agnes Seedhouse that you mentioned looks like a nice tent too...lots of open space. I don't know this tent at all, but just by looking at it, it has a "hub" system in the poles, which is very convenient for setting up the tent, but doesn't allow the poles to break down into small-enough sections. The MSR Hubba & Hubba Hubba have a similar system.

If you're going to be in a really dry climate that's not too hot, one of the Mountain Hardware single-wall tents might do you well too. Or if you just have a huge wad of cash burning a hole in your pocket, the Bibler Ahwanee (now made by Black Diamond) rocks.

In the end, I'd just go for the SD Hyperlight AST.

I swear I don't work for REI, I just know their stuff really well.

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