I have been looking at rankings, reviews, and tent options on all different websites for the past week. I want a 2 person tent that will do well in the BWCA and will also pack up to take on backpacking trips.
Things I want in a tent: *floor space for 2 and volume for 2 to sit up in *rain protection *durable fabric that is still lightweight (under 5lb would be great)
What is everyone using for their trips?
Any tents to stay away from?

check the REI sale. We really like our Quarter Dome 3 for the 2 of us. It was recently redesigned with straighter sides and more head room as well as easier in and out with reshaped vest doors. (2 doors) Not as slight as the Big Agnes but also not as spendy! REI quarter dome 3

Grandma L: "check the REI sale. We really like our Quarter Dome 3 for the 2 of us. It was recently redesigned with straighter sides and more head room as well as easier in and out with reshaped vest doors. (2 doors) Not as slight as the Big Agnes but also not as spendy! REI quarter dome 3 "

Any problems with durability?

Look at 3 person tents instead of 3 person as you will have more room. Most 3 person tents floor room are about the size of a queen size mattress. As for brands if you plan on using it for backpacking too I would look at a Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3. It's light weight and packs down fairly small. Has two side entry doors and two vestibules. We have been using ours for about 5 yrs now and it has held up well for backpacking and canoe camping trips.

For big name brands I like to buy used or Ebay, some great deals if ya look hard.
Cottage Backpaking Suppliers if you like specific options.

Stay wary of website reviews, often a source to justify returning gear. What tents have you experience with? More specific with interior size and your comfort level. Cost range?

Weight and material durability rely more on your level of experience and maintenance capability.

"Any tents to stay away from?" Any with fiberglass poles!

butthead

Give some thought to three main issues: size, materials, and design. Size: many people desire larger tents than what the manufacturers rate their tents for, especially on the BWCA website. With a backpacking/climbing background, it is only the very small two man tent (e.g. 27 sq ft) that I start feeling cramped. It's important to evaluate how much room you want. Materials: most of the popular tents nowadays have mosquito net bodies with waterproof flies. The mosquito netting adds a lot of airflow (cooler, less condensation), but can be cold and airy during cold weather or storms. Also, if you're camping in dusty areas, the dirt will coat all the contents. Design: this is all personal preference, but related also to the ability of the tent to deal with the weather you're expected to encounter. How many doors do you want? How big a vestibule, if any, do you want? Is the tent self supporting (e.g. does it need stakes, and how many)? How well does the tent manage windy conditions (vertical walls vs more sloped walls, additional tie outs to stabilize the wind)? Do you even camp in windy conditions (even in 4 season mountaineering tents, I've lost a lot of sleep worrying about whether the tent will hold up under the winds I was experiencing, and these were in backpacking conditions)?

Lots of things to consider, and they're all personal decisions.

Think about a CCS Lean . I have a Lean 1 Plus, and it is big enough for my wife and me easily. It weighs 38 ounces. A Lean 2 Plus weighs 50 ounces.

Thanks for all your help! Your questions and ideas have added a new layer to my search. Volume and headspace are more important than extra floor space because of our hight and size we do not need the extra floor space. We like the idea of two doors with their own vestibules for storage. I also like the security of more durable fabrics with extra guyout points for the added structure on those nasty nights. I have been looking at a lot of tents and have decided to go with the Marmot Force 2p Tent. It seems like it has the more durable fabric than some of the other UL tents, good head space, and structure I am looking for in a tent. Thanks again for all the input!

brotherbear: "I have decided to go with the Marmot Force 2p Tent. It seems like it has the more durable fabric than some of the other UL tents, good head space, and structure I am looking for in a tent. Thanks again for all the input!"

I'm a bit surprised at your choice, given your original criteria: "durable fabric that is still lightweight (under 5lb would be great)." The Force 2 looks pretty small and I wouldn't call the materials durable at those light weights.

Related question, the hydrostatic head measurements for that tent seem quite low to me, 1800mm on the fly and 2000 on the floor. I hate the idea of water ever getting through a tent and I chose my equipment accordingly (my hilleberg has 5000 and 12000 respectively) but I'm wondering, are such low measures normal? If so, how often does the fabric wet out during rain storms?

Edit: I just did a quick check, and actually the Marmot is about average. Turns out Nemo Hornet 2P and BA Copper Spur 2 are both 1200/1200, and the MSR Hubba Hubba is 1200/3000. Crazy.

"LilyPond: I'm a bit surprised at your choice, given your original criteria: "durable fabric that is still lightweight (under 5lb would be great)." The Force 2 looks pretty small and I wouldn't call the materials durable at those light weights. "

The comments and questions to consider by both butthead and MReid helped me better paint a picture of what I wanted. My wife and I get to the BWCA for a week-long canoe trip once a summer. Other than that, we are backpacking. With this in mind weight became more of a concern. I also have an ALPS Mountaineering Jagged Peak 2p 4 season for certain situations. The space in the Force 2p will be just right for our use. About half our trips we will be using the tent together. The other half will be trips where only I am using the tent, or where my wife uses the tent and I use my hammock.
All this said I liked the balance between fabric construction and weight compared to other backpacking tents around the same weight constructed of lower denier fabrics.

TominMpls: "Related question, the hydrostatic head measurements for that tent seem quite low to me, 1800mm on the fly and 2000 on the floor. I hate the idea of water ever getting through a tent and I chose my equipment accordingly (my hilleberg has 5000 and 12000 respectively) but I'm wondering, are such low measures normal? If so, how often does the fabric wet out during rain storms?

Edit: I just did a quick check, and actually the Marmot is about average. Turns out Nemo Hornet 2P and BA Copper Spur 2 are both 1200/1200, and the MSR Hubba Hubba is 1200/3000. Crazy."

Low measured hydro-static head measurements are no big deal, this is but a small part of the term "waterproof" as used in shelters. It mentions nothing about abrasion, strength, and weight and other performance parameters.
Hilleberg has a great reputation for durable shelters but generally ignores more weight/space conscious users.
I've been using sil-nylon shelters for a long time in all seasons and weather without troubles. Yet they hardly rate in such testing. Canvas tents also never use this measurement, yet can be are very "waterproof".
Thread from Backpacking Light , hits both sides of the topic.

butthead

All excellent points, and that thread is a good read. Certainly hilleberg tents are heavy. I'm just surprised that if they can get 5000mm out of 20d nylon, the others are so much lower - just a quarter in many cases. I guess it's about priorities, and all that silicone adds weight (and cost, though many backpacking tents are nearly as much).

Anyway, sorry to hijack this thread, I learned something.

I guess the big difference is because silnylon is impregnated vs the multiple coatings applied to nylon in Hilleberg materials.
Hilleberg may be a bit of overkill for many consumers, but it sure is good to have the variety and choice.

butthead