I have an MSR Hubba solo tent that has been great! Light, compact, easy to set up, versatile, good head room to sit up in (I'm 6'-3"), rainfly w/ vestibule, and not too expensive. You can even set it up as a tarp shelter with the fly on the frame without the tent. If you need more room you can get the Hubba Hubba 2 person tent. REVIEW

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I got this one for around $100 at REI in 2008. Still use it on my annual summer tours.
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I have a Black Diamond Lighthouse (single walled) made out of Epic fiber and have used it for a few years. But on the Trans Am it failed in long hard rains and am looking to replace it.
My requirements are free standing two person, double walled tent, ~4 pounds and a height of at least 40 inches. I have narrowed the possibilities down to two;
Traptent Scrap 2 and Big Agnes Slater UL2. I am leaning towards the Big Agnes at under 3 lbs. Both, however, are over $300.

lighter costs more , and at $300 they already lowered the labor to sew it up by using the Chinese workers.

The virtue of this style tent is it only really needs two stakes to pull out the vestibules, and even there it's optional. Some campsites are too sandy or rocky to use stakes.

I got a Big Agnus Copper Spur UL2 - deeply discounted. It's easy and fast to set up. I'll let you know how it works out on the long tour.

I use a Eureka! Solitaire.
It's fairly light and rolled up with my sleeping pad and quilt, it takes up less space than a sleeping bag.
I hang it between my drop bars. I've camped in high wind and rain with it.

Pros:
Regularly goes on sale at Academy Sports for $69.99 (online, it's usually $90 - $120, which is not horrible)
Sets up quickly.
Sturdy.
Built-in waterproof fly.

Cons:
Is not free-standing. Stakes or tie-outs are required.
Waterproof fly is built-in. In some climates, it would be nice to leave this at home.
Both of these "features" mean it could be lighter.
The small end has no screen option. This would increase the ability to cool off in the summer.

Hmmm--here's a one man tent that, at the cost of some extra weight, has a vestibule large enough for a bike and gear: http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/st...210-40620-0004

I'd also suggest Tarptent. Unlike everyone else, my experiences with the company (and Henry in particular) have been pretty ****ty, but that doesn't stop me recommending them. I've had two Sublites (in Tyvek, which failed catastrophically - but isn't relevant to silnylon tents) and a Rainshadow 3 (which I don't particularly like - but again, not relevant). I'll probably get a Double Rainbow or something smaller one of these days.

If going with Eureka the Spitfire is a much nicer tent IMO. It isn't freestanding but can be pitched with two tie out points for those times you ant to pitch it under a picnic shelter or whatever. It is available in 1 and 2 person models and is also inexpensive (~$100 for the 1 person). I have happily used the 1 person model a lot and like it better than a lot of tents costing much more.

That does look roomier than the Solitaire. And I like that the rain fly is a separate piece.

The Spitfire also has nicer poles and pitches with fewer stakes.

I do like that the Solitaire can have the fly zip out of the way and be easily redeployed if the weather turns. I also like that the top can open for easy entry and exit. That said for me the Spitfire does win out between the two (I own both and never use the Solitaire).

Truth be told, I use an ultralight bivy and tarp or bug bivy and tarp most of the time and leave the tents home. With stakes, lines, and all those setups are about a pound.

Alps Mountaineering make very good tents at fairly low price. It is a small company that doesn't have huge marketing expenses so they can offer quality tents for a good price. Last year I purchased the Mystique 1.5 (close to $100) and am very happy with it. It comes in larger sizes as well. It is not free-standing which for most of my purposes is fine.

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I am also a Tarptent Scarp1 user - Its small and lightweight, but two people can sleep inside of it, so there is extra room when solo camping for your gear etc. Also freestanding - can set it up virtually on any surface - and even pick it up and move it to another spot. Gives it some extra strength/tension in windy weather too.

I use the double rainbow. Can't go wrong with a tarptent : ) light, very strong in the wind. I don't have it set up to be freestanding, but if you carry an extra set of stakes you'd be set for anything. I used the stock stakes and I've had issues getting the easton nails into the rocky stuff. They're just too wide. I see the advantages of freestanding tents, I just made my choice to go without.

What are the major disadvantages of cheap brands, e.g., this one for $30 http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trai...s-1-2/22659694
even if it lasts 3-4 times less than the $200+ tents?

Failure in use. Let's say you are a couple of days away from shelter (or even hours) and your cheap tent falls apart in a storm. This means you'd be wet and quite possibly cold until you find relief. Then, when you find shelter, you'd be several days to a week without a tent and several hundred dollars poorer for having to buy a decent tent the second time. Sure, you might not have a problem. Not everyone experiences storms all of the time. But I think it prudent not to skimp in the tent department because the downside is pretty bad. Hubba Hubba and Copper Spur are quality, well made tents that will give you years of dependable service. This is especially true if you plan to be out for months at a time and/or make multiple trips. Not everyone can justify an Allak, of course, but a $30 tent (unless it is a lightly used Hubba, Copper Spur, or Allak) would be trouble waiting to happen.

My opinion, soon to be dissed.....

There are "cheap" and then there are "good value for your money" tents that will cost more but will not break poles and such, not to mention lasting for years. Sure the ones costing less will weigh more, but over the long run the reasonable cost more than a 30$ tent will be outweighed by it lasting longer.
Think too if it breaks, you might have to pay for a hotel, or at the least buy another tent. Really cheap tents tend to get wet inside also in heavy rain, so another factor to consider.

I am looking at the double rainbow. How big of a deal was the non-free standing aspect on the Transam? What did you do when your friends camped under shelters? Any issues with the single walls? Overall impressions, likes, dislikes? Thanks.

I picked up a Nemo Esprit 2p and put it to good use bike camping throughout 2013. It's handled the wind and the rain like a champ. Using it alone, I have room to spare. Might be a little too cozy for two, though. After a year, the things I like most are:
1) The mesh "ceiling" type thing gives me a place to hang things inside if the weather outside is foul.
2) Comes with standard fly door and vestibule door. The vestibule door helps keep panniers sheltered.
3) Freestanding