Anyone have any history with this tent? Nice sale at REI right now but I don't know much about this for the BWCA. Thinking about it and the footprint for using solo and with a second person. Anyone like or dislike this tent?

This is my tent. It's great. Easy up and down, fairly light, good ventilation. Definitely get the footprint with it.

I have had mine since 2013. haven't had any problems with it at all easy up and down takes weather very well

I >think< I have one. We have an REI tent with the words "half" and "plus" and maybe "dome" in the name. My response is more about REI quality than type of tent.

After going through two Eureka Timberline tents over the decades (loved that tent), we decided to try something different. The REI was the right size, offered two doors (which we required), had sufficient internal gear pockets and loops for line inside the tent. I was leery of purchasing a store-brand tent. I thought it wouldn't have the strength or quality of a Eureka, Big Agnes, Marmot, etc.

I was very pleasantly surprised. Floor is tough, bathtub kept us dry in weeklong, nonstop rain on one trip. I was afraid that the fly wouldn't extend down far enough to keep some rain splash from hitting the screen above the bathtub floor, but the floor is high enough to prevent that. The tent material (aside from the fly, of course) is almost exclusively netting that is very fine but tough. Caution must be exercised, though, as I believe it may be a little sensitive to getting a run. Zippers are tough. One big shock-corded pole system, color coded for correct corner placement. Holds very well in strong wind.

My only complaint was the meager amount of vestibule space. It doesn't really have a vestibule, per se, but I though the fly would extend out from the doors enough to give me a mini vestibule. It didn't. I had become spoiled with my two vestibule system with the Timberlines.

I would recommend. Hope this helps.

Mike

Great two person tent. Enough extra space to bring some stuff into the tent. Does well in the rain. I would recommend tying guylines off the loops on the fly along the poles if you have to have it up in a storm. While we stayed dry, we had two of the poles bend in pretty significantly during a storm on Kawnipi a few years ago.

After much research our Troop decided to buy the REI Half-Dome 2's back in 2015. We bought 12 with footprints. They have held up well to teenage Boy Scout usage for years. The construction is well thought out. They are one of the few two man tents on the market that actually has room for two adults to actually sit up inside with being in each other's laps. Additionally, they have a nice deep splashguard around the base, roomy access from both sides, and are well vented with the design keeping rain splash and runoff out while having open vents. I've been super happy with them.

MikeinMpls: "I >think< I have one. We have an REI tent with the words "half" and "plus" and maybe "dome" in the name. My response is more about REI quality than type of tent.


After going through two Eureka Timberline tents over the decades (loved that tent), we decided to try something different. The REI was the right size, offered two doors (which we required), had sufficient internal gear pockets and loops for line inside the tent. I was leery of purchasing a store-brand tent. I thought it wouldn't have the strength or quality of a Eureka, Big Agnes, Marmot, etc.


I was very pleasantly surprised. Floor is tough, bathtub kept us dry in weeklong, nonstop rain on one trip. I was afraid that the fly wouldn't extend down far enough to keep some rain splash from hitting the screen above the bathtub floor, but the floor is high enough to prevent that. The tent material (aside from the fly, of course) is almost exclusively netting that is very fine but tough. Caution must be exercised, though, as I believe it may be a little sensitive to getting a run. Zippers are tough. One big shock-corded pole system, color coded for correct corner placement. Holds very well in strong wind.


My only complaint was the meager amount of vestibule space. It doesn't really have a vestibule, per se, but I though the fly would extend out from the doors enough to give me a mini vestibule. It didn't. I had become spoiled with my two vestibule system with the Timberlines.


I would recommend. Hope this helps.


Mike"

Thank you all for your input. Sounds like the quality and ergonomics do really well. The one thing I was a little nervous about was that it looked like a small vestibule space and from what Mike says above confirms my thoughts. I don't know that I need a big vestibule if I am solo but with two I definitely want that option. I may need to make the drive up to Madison WI to check it out hands on. I was looking at this as a better cost alternative to a Marmot or Big Agnes because of the REI sale price.

Vestibule space is not huge, but it's also not small. Just enough room to tuck a backpack if you want, although I usually bring mine into the tent or hang it on a tree to keep dry. Plenty of room for footwear, plus the advantage of have one on each side is a plus.

It may not help in your current situation with the half dome on sale, but I use and would recommend the REI quarter dome 3. It is great for 2 people but doesn't require much more space than the half dome. My tripping partner uses the half dome 2 and I use the quarter dome 3, which is larger and lighter. We found the quarter dome to be the more stable of the two in extreme winds such as the storms last June.

I'm a big fan of REI tents. You get a lot of bang for your buck. We were trying to decide between the REI and a Mountain Hardwear that were in the same class a few years ago, and ultimately went with the Mountain Hardwear because it had a bigger (but only slightly) vestibule. Really, the only thing we keep in there is boots and rain gear though. We have been known to cook some hotdogs under it when we were tent-bound for a day.