pick tent for me!

I know there are hundreds of threads saying what the best tent, but i want a tent for me my specifics,
- want 2 person tent
-want for hot and cold weather
- and most importantly need's to be easy to set up,
please recommend me one. price range cant spend more then 400 looking for tent to last a while! never been camping alone always with family and we have huge tent and hate setting up tents but want to learn but want something simple,

How waterproof do you need it to be? Size/weight restrictions? Stakes or no stakes?

I have this Alps Mountaineering "Mystique" tent that weighs 5 lbs, sleeps 2 + a dog, and folds down to about the size of a lantern, or about twice the size of one of those green propane canisters. Amazon says it's a 3 season tent. It does a great job blocking wind driven rain and I actually got flooded once in it - the tent kept out 4 inches of standing water all night (sometimes the flattest part of a campsite is below sea level ). It was like upgrading to a waterbed - gear dry. $142... spend the difference on a sleeping pad/sleeping bag. And you'll need a ground tarp too.



http://www.amazon.com/ALPS-Mountaineering-Mystique-Lightweight-Backpacking/dp/B000PKFRNA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1337977438&sr=8-5

The big negative for this tent is that it requires stakes in the ground to keep it standing. It will not stand up if you try to set it up without stakes. For some people this is a big problem but works fine for me. I've used it in everything from sand to rocky soil without an issue. Also visibility is pretty poor when the tent is all zipped up. Im thinking about buying a backup one of these honestly.

I recommend the REI Quarter Dome T3 Plus with the footprint. Everything is color coded (match all the silver ends to the silver pole and orange ends to the orange pole). Removable fly, self supporting, lots of airflow with the fly off. Also, REI is still in their anniversary sale so they have a 15% off coupon.


Jeff

My vote is the REI Half Dome for all the reasons listed above.

Actually, any REI branded tent that suits your needs...they are a very good value: dollar vs. quality.

Code:

 
-want for hot and cold weather 
- and most importantly need's to be easy to set up,

Tarp tent by Henry Shires!!! The Scarp2 is available with a solid interior and a netting interior for hot or cold weather.
It is very easy to set up!!

Coleman 2 person. $49 at Walmart...put the rest in your tank.

Rei half dome 2 plus. Great size and weight for camping on bike. I have used mine solo and with my gf camping. Love it!

Don't forget the footprint for any tent you decide buying

I just bought a Marmot Limelight 3p (2012 version) for the wife and I for bike camping. Haven't used it yet, but looks to be real nice. Easy set up. Great online reviews. I purchased it from REI and it was actually a bit cheaper and appears nicer that the REI branded ones. Comes with a footprint too.

This is a 1 person, but the rest set up about the same

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if you don't mind the larger pack size of the Catoma tent, it is the easiest to set up, great tent, but like I said pack size is large.

If not needing a two person tent for two people, just the extra room then the Big Agnes Seedhouse 2, packs down very small and sets up easily. Packt he tent pole seperate and the tent in a compression bag is about a 6" round ball. Plenty of room for one and extra gear inside. I'm 6'2" and find it a good fit.

Marmot Limelight 2
Just came back from a two week trip that we camped for 10 nights.
Pros:
Easy set up
Plenty of room for gear inside
Breathes great (3 season tent with lots of mesh)
Average size and weight
Cons:
Door hinges on the bottom( new version has side hinge)
Fly is a little short and may let water in if it was windy.
I really like this tent. Best one I've had yet.

bit more than $400.00 but if you like doing repairs out of the rain then this is the go!

http://redverz.com/

I have a Eureka 2XT tent that is four-season ready. You can go to the Eureka outlet-store and order it directly for shipping. I have bought two tents through the outlet - amazing prices and quick shipping! You will have to watch the outlet store regularly as their available-product changes from day-to-day - what might be available today will not be there tomorrow. Some days I have seen 3 or 4 tents available and other days I have noticed 30 or 40 tents available. As of this morning, I only saw two choices ...

I really like my Tadpole 23 (North Face) when I'm on my own. It's a 2 person tent, but very tight for 2 with no room for any gear except in the vestibule. I love the quick setup and vestibule that create a place to get out of rain to take off muddy shoes before getting in the actual tent.

The more I use mine, the more I appreciate the space. +1 on the Redverz.

REI Half Dome. Good starter tent, easy to setup, lots of support, good basic design.

Take a look at the MSR Hubba Hubba. I wanted one for years and just decided to open my wallet after I got wet in my tent I was using since 1988. List is over $300 but I found it for $237 including shipping and went for the footprint for another $35. Backpacker magazine rated this number one a few years ago. Sleeps two,two side doors with a vestibule for each,pole system is connected by elastic cords and once you connect the ends to the tent floor you use clips for the rest of the tent. If the poles are not connected by elastic they are a pain in the ass. My last tent had sleeves you had to feed the poles through and trust me the clips on the MSR are way easier. Other than floorspace, compare how vertical the walls are which will give you more usable space to situp inside. This tent is designed for backpacking so it is light and packs down small. You can check it out on YouTube as there are quite a few reviews.

I also like Marmot tents, they're well made, easy to setup, have many nice features, and an excellent warranty and customer service. You can find deals at Campmor.

Now the best tents money no object are the Hilleberg tents, top kit!
http://www.hilleberg.com/home/products/2-person.php

One of the limiting factors to all my tent buying is packed length of the poles. I can do a MAX length of 20 inches to fit inside of the TT box. I'd get that measurement set for whatever you are using. I used to pack things over the back seat. Huge duffell and all, now everything goes in the panniers or in the tank bag. I want to walk away from the bike with no worries on casual theft.
I had an Mountain Hardware single wall that was absolutely perfect for moto camping. They don't sell it anymore, but I spent not less than a year between summer long trips in it. It finally passed it's due date. Bought that Marmot Limelight and did many nights in it last summer. HATED it. Returned it to REI.

Big Agnes gets good reviews here, I've been fond of Sierra Designs and the HT2 seems to be good on paper, The Mojo 2 is VERY tempting. (single external pitch) I've got a Black Diamond single wall coming next. Already wondering if I made the wrong decision.

Like the poster above, my primary objective was the pack length of poles. I needed under 20 inches to they would fit in my panniers. I can get my entire camp kit (tent, bag, mattress, pillow, etc) in one pannier, while my clothes and cooking kit go in the other. My panniers are small because I ride dual sport bikes. This has worked for me for a number of years. My tent is a Marmot EOS 2p, which is an ultra light I bought on close-out at REI a few years ago.

Today, I would change my priorities. I need more comfort and a tent that is a lot easier to get in and out of. That means taller than the 38-42 inches that most 2P tents are. I also want to be able to sit out rain for hours inside the tent comfortably in my Kermit chair. Lastly, while my Big Agnes air mattress is most excellent for comfort, I think I need a bigger air pillow as well.

If I am going to continue to camp, I want at least 50 inches in height. Maybe 60 inches! Those tents are typically 3P-4P capacity and pack a lot bigger.

Either that or I will skip camping altogether and just use motels as I have been doing most often. If I'm motelling, I don't even need much luggage capacity, which is a nice benefit.