New Ultralight REI Brand Backpacking Tents

[Eagledad]

53 minutes ago, 69RoadRunner said:

An advantage of most non-freestanding tents is that they set up "dry".  Freestanding tents typically have you set up the inner mesh first.  If it's raining, then the inside of your tent gets wet.

Only on tents with pole sleeves. LOL, Yes, I forgot to mention I don’t like backpacking tents with pole sleeves. My first tent with pole sleeves taught me to stay away from them because the inside of the tent gets wet while setting up. Freestanding tents also handle strong 3 am wind and rain better. 

Barry

Edited January 22, 2020 by Eagledad

[69RoadRunner]

8 hours ago, Eagledad said:

Only on tents with pole sleeves. LOL, Yes, I forgot to mention I don’t like backpacking tents with pole sleeves. My first tent with pole sleeves taught me to stay away from them because the inside of the tent gets wet while setting up. Freestanding tents also handle strong 3 am wind and rain better. 

Barry

Not all that set up inner net first have pole sleeves.  Many use clips.

Every tent, really every piece of backpacking gear has compromises.  Many trekking pole tents are very good in bad weather.  Mids in particular are very good in bad weather.  My son's Duomid sheds wind very well.  With the trekking pole connector, it also moves the poles to the walls, freeing up space.  Compromise is a little less headroom on the ends, but more headroom when sitting up.  It's also very easy to set up.  Make a rectangle staking the 4 corners.  Insert the poles.  Stake the door guyline and you're done.

But HYOH (Hike Your Own Hike) as they say.  Good that we have choices.

 

[DuctTape]

Almost all the ones with clips have a "fast and light" set-up option where one uses just the rain fly and poles. By setting up this way first, the inner can then be clipped from the inside.

At the backpacking course I teach (for adults), I recommend folks set up their tent this way as their SOP. In general, I recommend they have all their routines assume inclement weather that way when it does happen they follow their normal routine instead of trying to figure it out then. 

[Eagledad]

3 hours ago, 69RoadRunner said:

Not all that set up inner net first have pole sleeves.  Many use clips.

Yes, my tent is a slightly smaller version of the Marmot: Self-standing, uses clips, two accesses into the tent and a vestibule that provides a covered space by each entry. 

I developed those requirements over the years of experiences. Using hiking poles is a relatively new thing today, at least to me. I'm sure they work well and save weight. But, I have much better experiences in self standing tent, or I should say that I have bad experiences with non-self-standing tents, so I'm wiling to take on that little bit of weight of poles. I just give the poles to my tent mate to carry anyway.

Barry