Economical sleep system and tent at rei garage sale?

[Thomasj1107]

Our local REI is having a garage sale this week and I want to keep an eye out for any economical sleep systems or one - two man tents that I can use for my Midwest elk trip next September.... any insight on what brand or models to keep an eye on? Obviously would like to keep weight in mind, I just don’t know what sets the different brands apart and don’t want to waste money

 

[CBreeze]

Since your talking about your local and not camofire erc You should go shop new tents at your local REI prior to attending the garage sale, determine your top 2-3 tents as they’ll have about 20 set up on the sales floor and you can pitch them and pack them yourself to see how you like them. and keep your fingers crossed for one to show up at the garage sale.

MSR and mountain hardware tents are good Marmot sierrra Designs and rei tents are good also if they fit your needs.

I tend to want a tent that I can run with fly poles and foot print only and leave the tent at home. That’s a nice feature.

 

[Thomasj1107]

I tend to want a tent that I can run with fly poles and foot print only and leave the tent at home. That’s a nice feature.

Im not sure what this means? Leave the tent at home, but set it up?

 

[elkduds]

Im not sure what this means? Leave the tent at home, but set it up?

Some tents can be pitched w just the floor and rain fly over poles. Leaving the tent body out when not needed saves weight.

 

[Conrad101st]

He just pitches the rain fly and leaves the tent home or in the truck. Goes floorless and saves 2/3 of the weight. Normally you put the poles outside the tent and then stretch the fly over the poles. He’s just stretching the fly over the frame (usually).

 

[Piscatory_4]

There is a sale going on right now where you can get an additional 25% of one item in the outlet and there were some decent tents in there. 3 season 2-3 person.

 

[Thomasj1107]

There is a sale going on right now where you can get an additional 25% of one item in the outlet and there were some decent tents in there. 3 season 2-3 person.

What on there do you suggest? I don’t want anything too big that I can’t use for just myself for hunts... but I wouldn’t mind being able to squeeze my wife and I in there together if possible so I don’t need two

 

[Rob5589]

If considering floorless, @Newtosavage has a used Mountainsmith in the classified section.

 

[colersu22]

The garage sales are hard since you don’t know what they will have till you are at the store. I have 3 stores within 30 min of me so I go every once in awhile. I picked up a big angus 6 person tent for like 60% off or something like that at one a few years ago. You could make some good money just buying boots and selling them on eBay.

 

[Thomasj1107]

Wasn’t considering floorless, is the only advantage weight savings?

 

[wind gypsy]

Based on what REI carries, I'd look for Big agnes copper spur or MSR Hubba 2 or 3 person tents. Marmot or REI magma sleeping bags, and Neoair xlite or xtherm sleeping pads.

 

[Thomasj1107]

Based on what REI carries, I'd look for Big agnes copper spur or MSR Hubba 2 or 3 person tents. Marmot or REI magma sleeping bags, and Neoair xlite or xtherm sleeping pads.

What makes you like these? Do you have any personal experience with any of them?

 

[*zap*]

I tend to want a tent that I can run with fly poles and foot print only and leave the tent at home. That’s a nice feature.

If you like fly only pitch another option for it is to make a pitch kit out of 1" or so webbing and some tent pole grommets. Set up tent and make an x with the webbing, put grommets in both pieces of webbing at one end, put the new strap grommets on the tent pole bottoms, pull the webbing tight and mark the other ends for the grommets and put them in. You can put a snap connector where the webbing crosses. Now you do not need a footprint for fly only pitch. You can also put loops at the end of the webbing for stake tie outs if you want to or need them there. Stone Glacier sells the lightweight webbing that they use on their packs.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Some great gear reviews here. https://www.backpacker.com/

Most gear REI Carries is pretty good and will hold up to hunting use. Those brands and REI aren’t open supporters of hunting and don’t get as much love on this forum but I bet the backpacking community spends +10x the number of nights in the woods in REI grade tents and sleeping bags than hunters. REI brand, north face, big Agnes, marmot Nemo are all great bags. Tents too. You can stretch a 3-season tent to 4 seasons with a tarp overhead to catch snow. Plenty of good options to be had there.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Wasn’t considering floorless, is the only advantage weight savings?

I asked this question a while ago. Bottom line was (1) running a stove and (2) style preference. Not a knock on floorless options but by the time you add a ground cloth and if you have to run an inner mesh for bugs you probably end up close to tent weights.

For what it is worth, I prefer to sleep under tarps but if I am going to get heavy rain or deal with bugs then I will take a tent.

 

[S.Clancy]

Get an Alps Mountaineering tent and a decent 20-30 degree thinsulate bag of any decent brand. Your looking at max $250 if you do any sort of sale searching.

 

[S.Clancy]

Get an Alps Mountaineering tent and a decent 20-30 degree thinsulate bag of any decent brand. Your looking at max $250 if you do any sort of sale searching.

Alternatively do something like a SO tarp and same bag described above. For ground sheet look at gossamer gear. Still same $$$ total and much lighter.

 

[wind gypsy]

What makes you like these? Do you have any personal experience with any of them?

Tents are kind of the standard setters in the freestanding tents in the lightweight backpacking world. Good balance of weight/space/comfort. Big Agnes will be lighter and probably less durable/weather resistant. I don't own them because I use trekking pole supported shelters and would prefer the kuiu freestanding designs, but they are good options from REI.

I use neoair xlite pads, same deal as the tents. They have been the most popular option and balance of weight/warmth/comfort/durability for some time.

Don't own the sleeping bags because I own western mountaineering and nunatak but i believe materials and specs wise you get near top of the line stuff for much cheaper than what western mountaineering or feathered friends would cost.

 

[camelcluch]

I would go talk to those hippies before the sale. They will set you straight and give you a good idea of what to look for. It is worth the hour or so before spending money.

 

[Thomasj1107]

So update, I didn’t quite know how things were going to be laid out so I didn’t get to the camping stuff right away, but I was able to pick up a marmot never summer down 0 bag for over 50% off retail. It was brand new with the tags on still. Could have gotten a big Agnes tiger wall tent for about 70% off retail but read some reviews that I didn’t like about the durability so I chose not to get that.