Originally Posted by
Ty0604
How do you figure it packs down to much smaller size? The Big Anges tent pack size is 6.5"x16" (104 Sq Inches) and the Kelty is 11"x14" (154 Sq Inches)
The Big Anges minimum weight is 2lbs 11oz (43oz) and the Kelty is 4lbs 4oz (68oz). That means the Kelty is nearly 60% heavier than the Big Anges.
That's a fairly big difference in favor of the Big Anges.
Someone correct me if my math is somehow wrong there. It's not my strong point.
Originally Posted by
reppans
The OP said "shorter" not "smaller" and the BA spec of 4.5x18.5" is cylindrical so the volume should be 294 ci (~5 liters). The Kelty shows a rectangular packed shape in on its site, but without the third depth dimension - my guess is that it's 11x14x3or4" which is 462 or 616 ci (~7.5-10 liters). While the interior floor space is about the same, the BA vestibule is 8 sf, vs the Kelty at 20 sf (2x10) and a lot more useable, and clearly the headroom is better.
If you want to pack a tent as one piece, it is always better to keep the weight low in a pannier, with the less dense sleeping bag up higher on the rack (assume dry bag). But that said, the 18.5" of the BA are obviously the poles, so you can always separate just the poles for the top of the rack. Then again, I personally like everything tucked away into a bag for cleaner appearance, less fiddling/items, and quicker, easier on/off.
IMHO, the Kelty will be a lot more comfortable if holed up for a day or two in bad weather, but I do agree with others that there's a big weight/volume penalty for that. For perspective of the other extreme end of the spectrum, there're ultra-lighters like me who's entire "house" (tent, sleeping bag, pad, kitchen) is ~5lb/10L and it all packs into a single pannier, even adding another 12lbs of clothing, gadgets, food, and water. But I'm a just a short tourer typically out a week or less, whereas the OP sounds like he'll be nearly living out of his rig for an extended period of time.
Tough call, we all have our own priorities... good luck in your decision.
[MENTION=74388]reppans[/MENTION] covered it well. Also I'm not interested in the "minimum weight", but rather the full tent assembly with all components, because that's what I'll always have with me. I'm not in too big of a hurry here, so I'm taking my time and not ruling out anything within reason of course right now. Thanks all of your help and input, I really appreciate it. Clearly there is no perfect anything in this world, tents included, but while I have the luxury this side of the purchase to be extremely picky, I'll keep at this for a bit longer before dropping the cash. It looks like there's always some stupid trade-off manufactured into each tent. For instance, I don't understand why BA couldn't have just extended the front of that tent a bit more for a proper drip-line.