+1 on side entry doors. They make it so much easier in many different ways.

That is our tent's large door, providing easy access and spacious gear storage in the split vestibule. The rainfly is drying on a picnic table in the backgound.





A well made light weight tent (not UL)can pack down to a small size and weigh under 4 lb. We also have an UL tent that we use on bike tours, a REI Dash 2, that is very light, but I do not have the same confidence in it as I do the one pictured.

The tent and rainfly are in the blue compression sack. My sleeping bag is in the green compression sack, and a full length Thermarest Pro 4 is in the orange bag.



The tent, sleeping bag, Thermarest, compessible pillow, sil-nylon ground cloth/tarp, and Ortlieb waterproof rack pack weigh less than 10 lb. The same gear will fit into an Ortlieb Backroller (rear) pannier.