I think I have narrowed it down to two tents and would like to hear what you all think.

One quick note.... in this thread, I am not looking for suggestions on other tents but feel free to post that in this thread https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...9145-Tent-info Not trying to be rude but tent selection can be mind boggling and my mind is fried.

*I have not seen any of these tents in person yet. Thats the next step once I fly back into town*

First tent: https://www.hilleberg.com/home/produc...nammatj2gt.php

I love the design, room, and storage room. Wish it was freestanding or at least have the option of being free standing. I watched the video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxZ0A_O2s7Q) and it seems like it takes a while to set up. Not a bad thing per say but just a concern. Also, it bugs me there is no mosquito netting (like a screen door). I get hot at night a lot of time and love windows open in my house and would not want mosquitoes to come in.

Second Tent: https://www.rei.com/product/827801/re...e-t3-plus-tent

Nice little tent. I wonder if it would be long enough for me.... 6 foot 4 inches. Vestibules are sorta small but again, only going by pictures.

Things I am looking for in a tent:

Room for myself. I am tall and a big boy.

Enough room for my panniers and stuff

No leaking

Customer service

Weight to some degree

Room!

Easy to set up

Would like to be able to sit up


I am open to thoughts and comments.

Thank you!

Things might change and clarify when you see them in person.

Information overload can leave one dazed, and it can only go so far.

I have looked at highly recommended tents (and other gear), only to find them completely wrong in person. Conversely, there have been unknown, unheralded, unreviewed, or overlooked units that really had something special in person.

Sounds like space and ventilation will be important to you. Might as well get them.

REI has excellent return and exchange policies, if that helps. They are unusually good about these things -- truly so.

It is so nice to be able to bend over and walk into a tent.
Same when coming out of it.

Didn't mean to suggest that a tent that looks good at this point couldn't also turn out to be just the thing in person.

Good luck.

And please let us know how it goes.

there was a guy on the CTC forum selling his perfect namag 3 gt fantastic tent not sure if its still there but would be worth a look.
heres a tent might interist you,for solo stuff https://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/pr...8.asp?PageID=1

I am 6'2" and the length of the T2 plus is great (same length as the T3 plus). Lots of extra room... You'll be fine at 6'4" with the length. The width you can only truly figure out by checking out the tent in the store. Or at least measure out the width and lay in that space with your wife to see if it seems doable. You'll love the height of the tent (44 inches). That's no small concern for a tall person.

Rei has excellent customer service. You'll also get 10% back as an annual dividend. 15% if you use an REI credit card. With certain offers the credit card sometimes comes with a $50 or $100 gift card

suggestions?

Thank you Niles. I totally understand. I plan to go to REI once I get back.

That would be a dome tent. I use a Coleman 7' X 5' summer tent, Well ventilated, with no sleeping bag.

Would not be good for cold weather.

We just picked up a REI Quarter Dome T3 Plus Tent. We got it at one of the REI Garage Sales, so it is slightly used. We have only set it up once in the yard to look it over. It looks great and is quite a bit lighter than our other tents. We probably won't get to use it until next year, but it looks like a great touring tent for two people.

We had been using a old REI Taj 3 tent. It's a comfortable tent, very sturdy in weather, but heavy! 9 lbs.

How tall are you? Do you think it would be good for a 6 foot 4 inch person?

I know what you mean. I put more thought into buying my tents than I do a car.

Given these two options, the REI tent would be the clear winner for me. Here's why:

1) The REI tent is free standing, while the Nammatj 2GT isn't. I find that free standing tents are generally faster and easier to pitch plus they give you more placement options than non-free standing tents. I've camped in places where the ground was so hard it was impossible to get a tent peg into the ground! Nice to be able to erect the tent, then move it around... or open the door, hold it vertically, and shake all the dirt out of it Having used both types of tents, I would never buy a tent that wasn't free standing

2) The MSRP of the REI tent is significantly less than that of the Nammatj... especially if you wait for one of REI's 20% off sales

3) The REI tent has a lot more floor area than the Nammatj. The flip side of this is that the Nammatj has quite a bit more vestibule area. You'll have to decide which is more important to you. I tend not to use much vestibule space. Bugs and varmints can get into the vestibule and the ground can get pretty swampy when it rains. I might leave a muddy pair of shoes in the vestibule, but tend to keep most other items inside the tent.

Just a few thoughts before you buy.

First, test out the tents to see if you'll have enough room or too much room. This is not an option. Sometimes, two tents look almost identical but one feels much better inside than the other. While you're doing this, listen to suggestions from the staff at the store. They may have suggestions you haven't yet considered.

Second, have a look at the tent as it is packed for transportation. Check the weight and size. When you're touring by bike, you're responsible for every gram. If a tent is heavier than you would like, you'll be reminded on every hill. That said, do not sacrifice adequate room for weight.

Third, the vestibule is a great place for your shoes when you're inside the tent. (I will always take my shoes off before entering the tent, just to protect the tent floor.) I normally don't use the vestibule for anything else, although at times I have had one or two waterproof panniers there. So the size of the vestibule is not a huge factor for me but the length in the tent is a factor.

lol! After three days... and now going on a fourth day.... my mind is fried of thinking about tents.

Thank you for that info. I sent you a pm so when you get a chance, take a look please.

Are you also using the vestibule to cook under too when it is raining and you need to eat?

The Nammatj is a winter tent. You said this tent doesn't have a mesh door, but it does. It also has a mesh door for the vestibule, and mesh for the vents. It also has a solid fabric that can go over that when it really needs to serve as the winter tent that it is. There is less mesh than usual in this tent because it'll be too cold to have such a breathable tent when you're supposed to use this type of tent. It has an inner tent made of solid breathable fabric that serves to reduce air flow and stop spin drift (blowing snow dust). As a winter tent, it's not made to perform well in warmer weather. Some winter tents aren't even water proof since it's only meant to keep snow out, and they'll do that very well.

As you might have noticed from the video, it's a superior design for pitching in foul weather. The first two stakes are put into the side in the wind, the poles are inserted and laid on the ground and then the other end is pulled out and the other two end stakes are put into the ground. Now the tent is up. There was no concern about throwing a flappy fly over the tent, or rain soaking the interior of the tent before the fly is thrown over because the fly is always over the tent.

If you want a tent that falls somewhere between your two selections, check out the Tarptent Scarp 2. It's a form of a tunnel tent like the Hilleberg, so it has the same advantages when setting up in foul weather. It comes standard with a mesh inner tent, but you can also buy a solid fabric inner tent for winter camping. It also has extra poles that can be used to make it more resistant to heavy wind and a snow load. Tarptent has a great rep for great customer service. Fwiw, their tents are made in America. The one downside is that you have to seam seal the tent yourself. Permatex Flowable Silicon Sealant is good for this as it doesn't require any diluting. I don't believe Hilleberg seam seals their tents either.

I have to say that based on dimensions, the REI is the better option for chefisaac because of his height.

However, I am not a fan of tents that are complicated by having more poles than they need. The REI, judging by the pictures, has a couple more poles for the "vestibule", and those add weight and the possibility of being lost.

The Helleberg misses out because there would only be six inches of space between head and toes and the walls when chefisaac is stretched out, even less if he points his toes in a big stretch.

Other differences that I think I see between the two is that the Helleberg is a four-season tent and the REI a three (and unless you intend camping in high winds and snow, then the Helleberg is overkill); and the mesh inner on the REI, which does have its advantages so long as the outer also is adequately ventilated.

I should point out that in most circumstances where we or I have camped, freestanding is not a particular issue. In all the nights camping out with both freestanding and non-freestanding, I think I have had to "freestand" three times. We currently use a tent similar to the Hellleberg without the big vestibule, and there have been no issues whatsoever with it -- in fact, it's probably a tad faster to erect if we are inserting the appropriate number of pegs for each tent.

REI also has a good reputation as a seller, although I've never used them except to wander through one of their stores on a previous trip to the US.

So, that's it from my point of view. Yes, go and sit and lie down in the tents. Don't be embarrassed by the idea that people might be looking at you. Just loll around. Sit up, take your pullover off and put is back on, even borrow one of their inflated demo mattresses and put it in the tent.

You are starting out with touring. When I started back in 1997, I bought a $45 two-person tent from a camping disposal shop and it did me for a trip across the Nullarbor and much more.

Then I bought a tent similar to the REI on, but with only two poles, and that did me for more than 350 nights of sleeping out. It sort of started to wear out, and was only a two person.

The current tent has done us for well over 100 nights; it is a T3 without the big vestibule.

The worst conditions have been handled by all of them, including below freezing, prolonged heavy rain, and wind in the 40mph range.

I think with REI, you will likely get quite a few years service, and be happy.

In my opinion these two tents are in totally different leagues. Hilleberg is one of the more premium, boutique tent makers out there and their prices reflect that. The REI tent is much more of a every man's tent. Build quality is good and will last for decades if treated well.

Here is a collection of poorly structured thoughts about the different design. The Hilleberg has a MUCH larger vestibule. If you plan to travel in areas with lots of rain where your tent is your only shelter this could be a huge advantage, as you can cook and hang out in the vestibule while it rains outside. The REI will have better ventilation as others have mentioned. This can play a role with condensation build up inside the tent. I used single wall tent on a tour and had to wipe down the inside of the tent every morning before packing due to all the condensation inside. One is a tunnel design and the other is a modified geodesic dome design so it is hard to compare the theoretical strength of the designs. I would speculate the Hilleberg would be the stronger design in high winds and snow build up if properly pitched and guyed. The REI tent will likely be much faster and easier to set up, which isn't just a convenience thing. If it's raining or windy it's really nice to get a tent up quickly so you can dash inside and get dry and/or warm.

I think you need to evaluate how and where you plan to use the tent because I see these are two very different tents for two very different uses. I would consider the Hilleberg if I were in needed of the ultimate, go anywhere, light, bombproof tent for an extended adventure in areas with unpredictable weather, which probably represents like 1% of users. I would consider the REI for everything else.

I don't think this is the case. The Quarter Dome T3 Plus tent that Chef posted appears to be similar to other REI Quarter Done tents that I've seen: REI calls it a single "hubbed" pole, but it's really three poles with two different lengths. Since the poles are connected to hubs, you'll likely have all of them or none of them. As I recall, the vestibules need to be staked to maintain shape; they don't use any additional poles.

I have an REI T2 Quarterdome. Got it before the T2 plus was introduced (or wasn't paying attention). However, even the T2 is ok at 6' 4" in both length and sitting height, so expect the T2 plus to be even better in that regard. I also like the double doors. I don't use the vestibule for much other than putting my shoes outside. Rest of panniers and gear sometimes goes in the tent. I don't end up cooking inside the vestibule.

As other point out, it depends a bit on your use, but I'm happy with the T2 Quarterdome.

OK. There is a minor liability there with loss of the hub, if it's the same arrangement as a car tent we have. But stacked up against the other positives, as I see it, including that extra length, it's not really a deal breaker.

I also forgot... cooking in vestibules is not a good idea if you are in bear country. Which sort of negates one aspect of a vestibule.

The Hilleberg with the large vestibule/storage/play area shown in the linked video doesn't really make sense to me. It's extra weight, and the compromise is that you don't get any extra space inside the tent-proper.

If you are really paranoid about your bike, then maybe there is a plus there, or you carry a huge amount of gear, or you tour in consistently bad weather.

For mine, it's just extra fabric and poles and guys and pegs that have to be accounted for when packing up.

I'll suggest that cooking in the vestibule is never a good idea. Even if you're not in bear country, you'll attract unwanted attention from the locals (think: rats, mice, raccoons and other small omnivores). Plus there's the danger of the tent itself catching fire!