Today we will be reviewing REI’s Half Dome 2 Plus Tent. (with additional footprint)
When we are looking for a new tent we look for a few different qualities: durability, ease to set up/take down, size and weight I will begin with durability. We have primarily used this for car camping and have once broken it down to its ultra-light setting and taken it on a trekking trip into the backcountry. *Note REI also makes a Half Dome 2 that is a bit smaller, we opted for the plus because of camping with our dog.
Cost: $200 (tent) + $25 (footprint)
Durability 5/5: So far we have had 0 problems with this tent. We have used it on trips in Colorado, Texas, Wyoming, Montana, Missouri, and various places in Washington. Our dog also stays in the tent with us at nights. It has performed above and beyond what I was expecting for a tent that is made out of pretty thin material. We have not had a rip or a failure in waterproofing yet. The tent also comes with a pole repair kit which consists of a piece of aluminum pole you can slide over the dented tent pole.
Ease of Set Up/Take Down 4/5: This tent is incredibly easy to take down. The only issue comes while setting up the tent. It can be difficult with only one person because the tent does not offer any seems for the poles to go through to help with stabilization while trying to secure the poles in each of the corners. Instead of inseams REI opted for hooks that clasp on from the tent material to the poles with a pole-less fly to go over it. It is because of these hooks that make it so quick to pack up. I also love the pole less fly because there is no way you can mix up where the poles go. The tent, fly, and footprint also have color coordinated tabs on each corner that correspond to the bottom color of the pole so you know how to set it up ensuring that the fly door matches where the tent doors are. I would just recommend practicing setting it up before you take it on your trip, especially if you are arriving at night (but this could be said with every tent).
Size 4.5/5: First off I am 6’ 2” and use a long bag and pad. My wife and I and our 30 pound dog all fit in the tent with our sleeping bags, pads, and two backpacks with some room to spare. In addition to the cabin portion of the tent there is room between the fly and the tent itself for you to put additional bags, coolers, or shoes outside and keep them zipped up under the fly but remaining outside where they won’t track mud in. This might be one of our favorite aspects of the tent. Its nice to know you can leave your shoes outside without running the risk of them getting wet, drug off by an animal, or have a spider climb inside of them.
Weight 4.5/5 and 5/5: The reason this gets two ratings is because of the ultra-light setting. First off for car camping it works well. The tent folds up into a self-contained sack and weighs only about 5 ½ lbs. In this setting it is usable for backpacking as well. If you feel like saving a little extra room so you can carry a heavier pad or backpack you can go with the ultra-light that uses only the poles, fly, and footprint (this is why you should purchase it) Here the weight goes down to just a touch over 4 lbs.
Overall 5/5: The tent exceeds expectations and the quality you get for the price is unbeatable. I almost forgot to mention another great part about this tent is it has two doors and two vestibules which allows for either person to get out of the tent with having to do the climb over one another dance, and helps eliminate the awkwardness if you are just sharing a tent with a friend. I would most certainly recommend this to a friend. Kudos to you REI on a great product.
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