Good budget tent

Wireman07

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Apr 1, 2017
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Location
Watertown,SD
Hey everyone. I'm looking for a pretty cheap budget tent to start out with. I'm looking for a 2 man with enough room for gear(2 vestibules). I'm thinking free standing and looking to spend less than $200. Anybody have any experience with this sort of setup? Thank you!
 

Taudisio

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Jan 20, 2023
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Oregon
What conditions are you looking to use it in? You want a “2 man”, or you want to use it for two guys and gear? For two guys with gear, you’ll need at least a 3 man, probably a 4 man tent.
 
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Wireman07

Wireman07

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Apr 1, 2017
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Location
Watertown,SD
What conditions are you looking to use it in? You want a “2 man”, or you want to use it for two guys and gear? For two guys with gear, you’ll need at least a 3 man, probably a 4 man tent.
Well if I got a 2 man with 2 vestibules the gear could go in the vestibules. Weather could be cold to warm, snow to rain. Only going to be using as 1 or 2 night camp type deal. Don't plan on spending 5+ days in it.
 

Snowhunter11

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North Dakota
Cheap but you won’t die under normal conditions..

3 season northface Stormbreak 2 man
4 season alps Tasmanian 2 man
 

JF_Idaho

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Oct 1, 2023
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Treasure Valley
Gotta agree. A 2 man is tight for 2 people. With my wife I could barely make it work. We went to a 3 man. (Dragonfly 3p) but that's almost triple your budget. Definitely wouldn't be trying to sleep with another man in a 2p.

There's a bunch of 3p tents on Amazon, etc that'll meet your budget. They'll just be heavy and likely not as durable as higher end stuff.
 
Joined
Feb 1, 2018
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Michigan
Take a look at the Kelty Late Start. I think I paid less than $150 for mine and it has held up really well for being on the cheaper end of tents. Setup is super simple too which is a plus after a long day chasing bugles.


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Wireman07

Wireman07

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Apr 1, 2017
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Location
Watertown,SD
Take a look at the Kelty Late Start. I think I paid less than $150 for mine and it has held up really well for being on the cheaper end of tents. Setup is super simple too which is a plus after a long day chasing bugles.


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I came across that one a few times on the internet. Do you have a 2 man?
 

hikenhunt

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Jan 28, 2013
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Location
WA
Alps Zephyr 3 has worked well for me for a two-person hunt. It has double vestibules, fits your budget and if you're lucky, you can find it on sale too.
 
Joined
Aug 10, 2015
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2,705
I have an Alps lynx 4 man that is a pretty solid budget tent. Take a look at their other models.

But also to echo, even with gear out of the tent, two guys in a "two person" tent is a very close arrangement.
 

Snowhunter11

Lil-Rokslider
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Sep 16, 2022
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163
Location
North Dakota
Do you have any experience with either of these tents?
1st photo.. left out to test in ND valley. Over 2ft of snow in a month. Winds over 40mph. 1/4 freezing Ice storm as well. Slept in temps down to 15 degrees.

2nd photo.. top secret location( 7 days backcountry) over 10000ft two alps tents. Wind ~30 mph, light snow, freezing rain, normal rain 😉. Temps 20-35

3rd photo.. stormbreak
At this time only seen rain and sunshine. 40 degrees as the lowest temp. Maybe 30mph winds

Alps is heavy 127oz or just shy of 8lbs. $209 on sale.
We use a kuiu now when going deep to save weight..

Stormbreak is around 5lbs which is doable for packing. $129 on sale
 

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Snowhunter11

Lil-Rokslider
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North Dakota
Cheap and good are two words that don’t go together well especially with outdoor gear items such as a tent.
I agree there are much lighter/higher quality options out there. However not everyone has unlimited funds. Some people only spend a few days under a tent a year.. why buy a hilliberg for that.. My recommendation is to test your gear in similar conditions to your hunt before you bet your life on it! Or do damn good research! My 2c
 
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hikenhunt

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Jan 28, 2013
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Location
WA
Cheap and good are two words that don’t go together well especially with outdoor gear items such as a tent.
I believe this is true to a point, assuming good refers to quality. Weight is the third factor. You can find a low cost, decent quality tent, but it will be heavy. When working with a budget, you'll have to balance those factors to get what you need.
 
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