tldr; Reddit highly recommends the REI Co-op Half Dome 2 Plus as a good quality, spacious, and relatively light freestanding tent, often praised for its value and ease of setup.
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Best praise vs top criticism for REI Co-op Half Dome 2 Plus
“Just like other people have said I'd go freestanding 2 person. I started with a similar tent. Eureka solitaire. Still have it and occasionally get some use. I'd highly recommend the REI half dome 2+ in that price range. Might be just a hair above but it is super solid and quality”
“Lots of options here. If it has to be free standing and you want something UL then I would probably recommend getting a 3P UL tent such as the Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL 3p or the Marmot Super Alloy 3p. These can fit two 25" wide sleeping pads side by side and will have a small amount of room for gear. If you want a bit more room you can go to the Marmot Tungsten UL 3p, Sierra Designs Meteor Lite 3p or the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 3p. Weights on these tents are a little bit over 4 lbs If you want a budget option the Naturehike CloudUP 3p would be a good choice for 2 backpackers if the single door was not an issue. If you want more room, but it will be heavier, the Mongar 2p is also a good choice, I would avoid the REI half dome due to weight and REI's sub-par 1 year warranty. MSR, Marmot etc have a lifetime warranty and can get you parts after the sale. REI does not repair gear and does not sell parts for tents. A trekking pole shelter, like the Durston X-Mid 2p, isn't that hard to setup with 4 stakes and two trekking poles. I can get mine up in 2 or 3 minutes. Trekking pole tents will save allot of pack size and will cut weight; which are important for backpacking. You will more than likely be carrying trekking poles anyway and this will cut weight in your pack on the trail. Most UL backpacking tents are going to be 20 denier fabrics. This is perfectly fine for most conditions. You can usually buy a footprint from the manufacturer to protect the floor from dirt, rocks and sticks. Otherwise if you want to increase durability you are going to drastically increase weight. For example The Durston X-Mid 2p is a 20 denier 2 person tent that can fit two 25" wide sleeping pads side by side and weighs around 37oz all in for a MSRP of $279. The Sierra Designs Meteor Lite 3p also has 20 denier fabrics, is a free standing tent and weighs 4lbs 10oz and costs a MSRP of $499 and a sale price of $399. The standard Meteor 3p can be had for a much cheaper for $185 right now, weighs 5lbs 6oz. At the premium end the trekking pole shelter will be a better value for the money i you don't mind practicing pitching the tent a couple times in your back yard. YMMV and everyone has personal preferences.”
112 Reddit opinions analyzed • Last updated 2/24/2026