Opinions on tents

[maggot]

Howdy all

I am trying to decide on a tent to replace a 13 year old Kelty that has served me well. I have it narrowed down (I think) to 4 tents and am looking for any reviews or general opinions.

Kelty; Grand Mesa 4, Teton 4, and Gunnison 4.1 or the Marmot Den 4.

A little about my camping style. I generally camp 3-4 times a year for long weekends (3-4 nights) in moderate to hot temperatures although friends have been trying to get me to do a winter trip for awhile. Generally it is simple car camping, though I would like something reasonably light weight in case I decide to do some light canoe camping. As for the number of people; I am usually in the tent by myself, but occasionally have a buddy along and anything smaller than the 3-4 man tents make me a bit claustrophobic.

Quality is my main concern as I have heard many horror stories about trips going very bad because of a bad tent. My brother will never go camping again because he went with too cheap of a tent.

Thanks in advance for your insights and opinions.

[tplife]

If you're even considering Marmot quality I'd look at Sierra Designs. The only real difference in quality is nylon vs. polyester fly. Sierra Designs carry a lifetime guarantee and they offer real customer service. The difference in price, however is enormous because Sierra Designs are made in greater numbers, thus you can buy their products NIB off Ebay for almost 1/2 the cost. Look at the Bedouin 4 footprint if you're shopping for a large 2-person tent, or the Bedouin 6 if you will have up to 4 inside. There are probably other models that would work for you as well. If price was no option I'd buy Marmot, just like my sleeping bags. Just a suggestion, there's nothing wrong with Kelty, Eureka, or some others as well...

[renodesertfox]

Great advice here from tplife!