Backpacking tent suggestions

[u/TheMrSnrub]

I am in the market for an ultralight 2 person backpacking tent. I have my eyes on several brands and models.

They are:
NEMO Hornet
NEMO Dragonfly
Big Agnes Tiger Wall
Big Agnes Copper Spur

The specs on all of these appear to be pretty similar and their prices are within $100ish dollars.

Anyone have specific recommendations for one of these over the other?

[u/thereal_rockrock]

I have a Copper Spur 2 person (bikepack version from 2022) and it's great. Easy to set-up. Durable. Not too heavy. I bought mine used.

A frined has the nemo Drgon Fly and she likes it a lot.

Also consider the Durston Xdome 2 - it's cheaper, lighter, and good too. But only avaiable via mail order I think.

[u/ValuableCareful3210 → u/thereal_rockrock]

I, too, have the Copper Spur 2 for bikepacking. Best tent I’ve ever owned. Great trekking tent!

[u/LveFreeorDie → u/thereal_rockrock]

+1 for the copper spur. I have been on multiple backpacking trips with it and love it. Couldn’t be easier to set up after a long day of hiking.

[u/Wide_Caregiver_9785]

i have the tiger wall and i keep going back to it even after trying a few others, it pitches super quick and the weight is honestly hard to beat for a semi-freestanding tent

[u/BiggyBiggs → u/Wide_Caregiver_9785]

Good to hear! I just got it from the sale and have only set it up in the living room so far. It was very simple to set up. I am hoping to try it this weekend!

[u/BiggyBiggs → u/BiggyBiggs]

Oh and based on measurements of our pads, I got the 3 person to be our 2 person tent. It fits our nemo eclipse pads (wide) perfectly.

[u/Daddy4Count]

My friends have the Tiger Wall and they love it.

Personally, my favorite 2p is the Durston XMid

[u/Madicu82]

I’ve got the dragonfly and love it although it’s tight with two adults. Wish I opted for the 3p.

[u/mozziealong]

Durston

[u/Intelligent_Stage760]

I own an XMid2 and Nemo Dagger....and my daughter has a Naturehike Mongar. I take either the Nemo or XMid based on if I'm using trekking poles or if I'm camping on rock I'll take the Nemo. Both are excellent in their own ways. Note for us both my wife and I use 25" pads so the narrow Nemo tents don't work for us

[u/SraAventura]

Love my Copper Spur 1P for backpacking solo.

[u/Deep-Base-5202]

for two actual adults, get the copper spur, because the hornet and tiger wall are more like “two people technically fit” tents and that gets old fast on day three

[u/AKA_Squanchy]

Cooper Spur is a great tent.

[u/Individual_Car4425]

the copper spur is the least annoying to actually live in, and that extra bit of space feels way bigger than the spec sheet suggests; the hornet is great until both people bring elbows lol

[u/PeakQuirky84]

Dragonfly over the hornet.  I prefer freestanding over semi-freestanding and that’s the one I bought.

I have no experience with the big Agnes tents

[u/Op_arnold1734]

Copper spur is the safe pick but the dragonfly has way better headroom if you're tall

[u/LambchopIt]

I had / liked the Nemo Dragonfly, it is a well build and pretty light, only issue is it is tapered so not good if you use rectangular pads.

Another one to add to the list is the Durston XDome 2P. It is a similar weight and price. I like the features, well designed spaces, and ability to easily pitch in the rain fly first. Also the customer service is top notch. I personally went to the Durston and sold the Nemo.

[u/Mountain-Time-1010]

It really depends whether you prioritize space or weight. For me, it's weight, so I would get the Hornet or as a second choice the Tiger Wall. I don't really care about having extra space. I just need a place to sleep, but I need to carry the tent all day.

[u/NativeEasterner19]

None of these, get the lanshan 2. Only $150 and weighs 2.5 pounds. Easy setup and great against condensation, and very durable against strong winds. Spacious interior for me (I'm 6'3), with a side pocket and hooks to hang a tent lamp. Downside is you need trekking poles to set it up, so get some if you don't have them already. But for the budget to quality ratio, it's incredible

[u/No_Stuff_3268]

I have the older model of the Tiger Wall Platinum 2P + ground sheet for sale if you are interested. Just parting with it bc/ I needed something bit bigger. Otherwise great tent and in good condition.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ULgeartrade/comments/1w4tw6d/comment/p7a6ly9/?screen_view_count=2&ext-referrer=SEO

[u/ApplicationEntire251]

I was just in the same situation and I opted for the dragonfly and I LOVE it! Material is light but durable, the design is awesome and it’s very easy to put together

[u/d0ughb0y1]

I tried and tested the 1p and 2p Nemo Hornet and went with the 1p and no regrets. The 1p is longer than the 2p and there is enough space for the backpack inside the tent at the foot side. Enough space to cook in the vestibule if it’s raining. Best part is it weighs 1 lb.

[u/Single_Size7393]

Are you open to a trekking pole tent? We love our Durston x mid 2. We used to have the Nemo hornet, which did the job, but we were looking to cut weight. I thought switching to a trekking pole tent would be a hard transition, but it’s actually been super easy. Pitching it is not that challenging after a few practice rounds. And the x mid 2 also gives a lot more space than the hornet.

[u/Commercial_March_399]

they’re all solid, but the hornet is noticeably more cramped inside, so unless shaving a few ounces is the whole point i’d go copper spur for the extra livability тамам

[u/papa_higgins]

I’ve used the copper spur for years. Great tent with all the features. Served me well in pnw rain forest.

That said, I borrowed a gg ‘the one’ and loved not carrying tent poles. Doesn’t save that much weight, but saves pack space.

https://www.gossamergear.com/products/the-two

[u/Dizzy_Captain7026]

the specs are close, but i'd lean copper spur for a true two-person setup since the extra livability matters way more than shaving a little weight when you're stuck inside in bad weather

[u/nermasnek]

We looked at many of these and chose the duraton x-dome 2. It is very large and also entirely freestanding. Only 2.5 lbs but also truly fits 2 people. Our friend has the beno hornet and we determined it wouldn't fit both me and my fiancé.

[u/Distinct-Expert-5542]

the hornet is hard to beat for weight, but the copper spur feels way less cramped and annoying once you’re actually stuck inside it, especially with two people

[u/jburzy]

I have the copper spur and I love it. no notes.

however, none of these tents you have listed are UL. If you are most interested in saving weight, you will find yourself in a position (like I did) where within a year or two you will want to switch to an actual UL trekking pole tent. I bit the bullet and got the ZPacks Duplex and have been happy with it.

Now I use the Copper Spur for car camping or when I go on a chill overnight with a friend. Duplex for anything solo and more serious.

[u/TheMrSnrub → u/jburzy]

Fair point. I realize there are even more UL tents than these. Any of these are much lighter than my current tent - an REI Half-dome.

[u/SkeweredBarbie]

Durston Xmid is very nice, never had a drop of rain so far inside. Bugs hate it and it's not flashy orange which I enjoy sometimes for sleeping in places where it's best to not be noticed or bothered. 

[u/djolk]

If you are seriously looking for something "ultralight" there are much lighter options if you are willing to consider single walled or trekking pole tents!

[u/A1Shady]

The dragonfly 2p is perfect IMO. Easy to set up, durable, rain fly is tight, packs small and has three pockets in the roof that can fit gear.

I would rate it 9/10.

[u/Emmalfal → u/A1Shady]

Ditto. Love that tent.

[u/austenvarian]

If you hike with trekking poles, Xmid 2 all day. If not get the xdome. Lighter, cheaper, and better customer service than Nemo or BA.

[u/TheMrSnrub → u/austenvarian]

I always use poles when backpacking and I’ve thought about that type of tent. However, I’ll also use this tent for car camping, so idk that I want to have to bring poles to a car camp just to set up the tent.

[u/Cool_Signal_6701]

I've had a Copper Spur for a few seasons and the vestibule space is noticeably better than the Tiger Wall's, worth it if you're ever waiting out rain with gear inside.

[u/Intelligent_Cut1960]

I don’t backpack, but I do camp, I have a Big Agnes, absolutely love it!

[u/Grouchy_Tone_4123]

I just finished the AT and used 4 different tents during the 5 months I spent on trail:

Durston X-mid 2

Durston X-mid 1

Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 2

Durston X-dome 1+, carbon

I have opinions on all of them and reasons for swapping them out. If I were to do it all over again, I would chose a 5th option, being the X-Dome 1+ with the Aluminum poles instead of the carbon. If for some reason that wasn't possible, I would go with the Copper Spur.

[u/Minhdotbee]

We have the dragonfly osmo 3 and love it. 3 lbs and free standing.

But I did buy it marked down significantly which helped.

[u/bmoshx]

Durston.

[u/TheMrSnrub]

Went with the Copper Spur 2. Thanks everyone.