I'm looking for a lightweight (7 - 9 lbs) 4 man tent for taking on canoe trips. Weight isn't everything. Mostly I need the extra room. I hate cramped tents. And I hate being wet in a leaky tent. I've been looking at the REI Half-Dome 4 which seems to be what I'm looking for but want to here what others use. Thank you in advance for your help..

I use Big Agnes Manzanares-4 and can attest to its qualities, including light weight, plenty of room and ease of set-up. We camp in it for 4 years with our son, since he was 2 years old, and the tent withstood all abuse and is still in perfect shape. Never had a drop of water inside.

The Big Agnes Copper Spur 4 (I think mine is a HV for high volume) is a tall, roomy tent that is under 6#, easy to set up and very dry and sturdy.

Have had good experience with REI half-domes, have two 4's and a 2.
Also check out Alps Mountain brand, can get on various discount sites, like
the one I have and have used extensively.

Banksiana: "The Big Agnes Copper Spur 4 (I think mine is a HV for high volume) is a tall, roomy tent that is under 6#, easy to set up and very dry and sturdy."

+1. Best tent I’ve ever owned. It feels huge and it’s about as light as you can get.

StLouisPaddler: "

Banksiana: "The Big Agnes Copper Spur 4 (I think mine is a HV for high volume) is a tall, roomy tent that is under 6#, easy to set up and very dry and sturdy."

+1. Best tent I’ve ever owned. It feels huge and it’s about as light as you can get. "

+2. The BA Copper Spur 4 is an awesome tent.

I have a Mountainsmith Genesee 4 person tent. We use it for 2 people and is is plenty big, doors and vestibules on both sides. It is 90% as good as some of the $700 tents and you can buy it now for $149. I find their equipment to be excellent quality at a great price. I also have the 2-person model and love it.

My only complaint is the mesh on the doors only goes halfway down, so not much breeze on really hot days.

Chuckles: "I have a Mountainsmith Genesee 4 person tent. We use it for 2 people and is is plenty big, doors and vestibules on both sides. It is 90% as good as some of the $700 tents and you can buy it now for $149. I find their equipment to be excellent quality at a great price. I also have the 2-person model and love it.


My only complaint is the mesh on the doors only goes halfway down, so not much breeze on really hot days. "

That looks like a great deal! Under 7#, alloy poles. You could get 4 for the price of the Copper Spur.

Banksiana: "

Chuckles: "I have a Mountainsmith Genesee 4 person tent. We use it for 2 people and is is plenty big, doors and vestibules on both sides. It is 90% as good as some of the $700 tents and you can buy it now for $149. I find their equipment to be excellent quality at a great price. I also have the 2-person model and love it.



My only complaint is the mesh on the doors only goes halfway down, so not much breeze on really hot days. "

That looks like a great deal! Under 7#, alloy poles. You could get 4 for the price of the Copper Spur."

Yes, and it has the quality and design elements of higher-end tents. Very pleased.

I have also had great success with my REI tents. One is around 20 years old now and still keeps rain out wonderfully. The only issue I had was I was using it in the mountains in the California in higher than rated wind. The tent flattened and still has a bent pole. Definitely not the tent's fault.

My Eureka has also been good, but customer service left something to be desired. They sent me replacement poles, only problem was the pole had some asymmetry to them and needed re-elastic ing.

Someone mentioned Mt Smith and I know plenty of people like em. My experience is that some of their gear has had zipper issues in recent years. We had a batch of them at an outfitter. They definitely weren't outfitter rated by any means and outfitting is an "above and beyond" use for most gear. That said, 80% of the Mt Smith tents had zippers fail within a two month window of each other which points to a common fail point. I can't say whether that issue still exists or whether it was just one model, but the rest of them retired since we couldn't trust the doors.

I have always liked the Big Agnes tents.
Durable, roomy, stable, well made.

I am in the market for a new tent. I have the Copper Spur UL2 and UL3. Fine tents. Had them for over 10 years now. But I am getting old and tired of crawling in and out of these. Sadly, I don't see anything on the market that is gonna solve my problem unless I want to schlep a 25# tent around.

If you are tired of crawling in and out of tents. . . get a hammock. Our group is made up mainly of guys in their 60's and every one has moved to a hammock. Our gear is kept either under the rain fly, or under the large group tarp.

I can't imagine carrying around a heavy tent vs one lb hammock

ockycamper: "If you are tired of crawling in and out of tents. . . get a hammock. Our group is made up mainly of guys in their 60's and every one has moved to a hammock. Our gear is kept either under the rain fly, or under the large group tarp.


I can't imagine carrying around a heavy tent vs one lb hammock"

Your hammock, rigging and rain protection is 1#? Wow.

StLouisPaddler: "

Banksiana: "The Big Agnes Copper Spur 4 (I think mine is a HV for high volume) is a tall, roomy tent that is under 6#, easy to set up and very dry and sturdy."

+1. Best tent I’ve ever owned. It feels huge and it’s about as light as you can get. "

Yep.

Consider a CCS Lean 3+. That thing is massive, and when you learn how to set it up, you will stay dry. No poles, 10 feet wide, 5 feet tall at ridgeline and weighs in at 59 ounces. Also considerably less expensive that a BA Copper Spur 4.

I have a Lean 1plus and just got back from a trip. On 10/11 a major storm came through in the middle of the night dumping considerable rain, pea to grape sized hail and 35+ mph winds. Everything inside the Lean stayed dry.

Banksiana: "

ockycamper: "If you are tired of crawling in and out of tents. . . get a hammock. Our group is made up mainly of guys in their 60's and every one has moved to a hammock. Our gear is kept either under the rain fly, or under the large group tarp.



I can't imagine carrying around a heavy tent vs one lb hammock"

Your hammock, rigging and rain protection is 1#? Wow."

Hennessy ultralite backpacker zip hammock. Total of 2 lbs including hammock, mosquito netting, rain fly and webbing straps for the trees.

I use a down top quilt and a down underquilt. 14 ounces for the top quilt (20 degree), and 16 ounces for the underquilt. 1.9 lbs for both quilts. Total for the hammock system and quilts is 3.9 lbs.

Hard to find a tent, sleeping bag, and insulated pad that will come in under 4 lbs.

OP asked about tents and I have preferred the BA tents.
But I have been using the hammock for a few years now.
On our last trip my buddy used my BA tent and I used my hammock.
The hammock is a lot easier on the back and knees.
I can adjust the rain fly to suit the conditions and that helps with overall comfort and utility.

Frenchy19: "

StLouisPaddler: "

Banksiana: "The Big Agnes Copper Spur 4 (I think mine is a HV for high volume) is a tall, roomy tent that is under 6#, easy to set up and very dry and sturdy."

+1. Best tent I’ve ever owned. It feels huge and it’s about as light as you can get. "

Yep. "

https://www.bigagnesstore.com/big-agnes-copper-spur-hv-ul4-tent-4-person-3-season/

Vango Banshee 300 for under £65. Just bought one for doing the Big Welsh Ride Thing last year

Unas10: "

Frenchy19: "

StLouisPaddler: "

Banksiana: "The Big Agnes Copper Spur 4 (I think mine is a HV for high volume) is a tall, roomy tent that is under 6#, easy to set up and very dry and sturdy."

+1. Best tent I’ve ever owned. It feels huge and it’s about as light as you can get. "

Yep. "

https://www.bigagnesstore.com/big-agnes-copper-spur-hv-ul4-tent-4-person-3-season/ "

Do NOT purchase anything from this site; it is a scam. There are PLENTY of sites to visit to check the viability of the big agnes store dot com site, and the place is a SCAM!

SCAM!!!

Frenchy19: "

Unas10: "

Frenchy19: "

StLouisPaddler: "

Banksiana: "The Big Agnes Copper Spur 4 (I think mine is a HV for high volume) is a tall, roomy tent that is under 6#, easy to set up and very dry and sturdy."

+1. Best tent I’ve ever owned. It feels huge and it’s about as light as you can get. "

Yep. "

https://www.bigagnesstore.com/big-agnes-copper-spur-hv-ul4-tent-4-person-3-season/ "

Do NOT purchase anything from this site; it is a scam. There are PLENTY of sites to visit to check the viability of the big agnes store dot com site, and the place is a SCAM!

SCAM!!! "

Thanks for the heads up. I was not aware. I just did a quick search and that popped up.

Unas10: "

Frenchy19: "

Unas10: "

Frenchy19: "

StLouisPaddler: "

Banksiana: "The Big Agnes Copper Spur 4 (I think mine is a HV for high volume) is a tall, roomy tent that is under 6#, easy to set up and very dry and sturdy."

+1. Best tent I’ve ever owned. It feels huge and it’s about as light as you can get. "

Yep. "

https://www.bigagnesstore.com/big-agnes-copper-spur-hv-ul4-tent-4-person-3-season/ "

Do NOT purchase anything from this site; it is a scam. There are PLENTY of sites to visit to check the viability of the big agnes store dot com site, and the place is a SCAM!


SCAM!!! "

Thanks for the heads up. I was not aware. I just did a quick search and that popped up."

Would be nice to get a $700 tent for $96! I contacted Big Agnes and await to her back from them. I would imagine I am not the first to reach out to them.

Edit: BA got back to me and said they are aware of this company and are actively trying to get it shut down.