Don't you wish you could buy about 10 tents and try them each out on a 2-week tour? It's hard, when you're in the store, to anticipate all the issues that will come up.

I started with a Eureka Timberline - the XL version they sold about 15 years ago that was 8' x 5'. I'm 6'4" tall, so I thought I needed a larger tent that I could stretch out it. It was great for stretching out, it never leaked (after I seam-sealed it), and it was durable. I still have it today, and I still use it every once in awhile. However, it was heavy. I think it weighs about 10 lbs. When I developed a spoke-breaking problem that spoiled my fun, I vowed to get lighter equipment.

My next touring tent was a Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight, which I still use today when I'm by myself. I couldn't imagine having 2 people sleep in it, but it works great as a single. It is a little short for me - when I'm lying in bed reading, something is always rubbing the walls of the tent - either my head or my feet. I can sit up straight, but only if I'm right up at the head of the tent. It is usually dry, although this summer I was in an all-night downpour and a little water came in by my feet. I had a newspaper in the tent with me. I put it at the bottom of the tent and it soaked up the little water that came in and my sleeping bag stayed dry. It also doesn't have much ventilation. On hot days afternoons you really can't stay in it, unless you have the fly off and the bugscreen door open. But one reason I want to go in my tent during the day is to get away from mosquitoes, so the Clip Flashlight really isn't very good for that. It also isn't freestanding. That has never been an issue for me, but I can anticipate times when it would be. The good thing about the tent is that it is really light and packs really small.

I also have a Taj 3 from REI. I bought it in hopes that my wife would go touring with me. It's heavy but if we share the load I don't think it will be bad. I also bought it for backpacking with our dogs, because there's a little extra room on each side, just enough for a dog (we have 2). We haven't used it yet, but I think it will be an excellent tent - a bit heavy, like I said, but not bad for 2.

I've been looking at the Big Agnes Seedhouse - the lightweight 2-person one. I'm looking at it because it's light, and because the tent itself looks like it's pretty much all mosquito netting. It seems like it would be a great tent to have on a warm afternoon with lots of mosquitoes. You could hide out in it and not be overly hot. I also like that it's more roomy than my Clip Flashlight. I'm guessing that it stays dry in serious rain. It's light, and it's free-standing. I don't know how compactly it packs up. The bad thing is that it's 5 inches shorter than my Clip Flashlight, which is already a bit short. That might be a dealbreaker for me.