Good budget tent

Wireman07

WKR
Joined
Apr 1, 2017
Messages
318
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

WKR
Joined
Jan 20, 2023
Messages
623
Location
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.
 
OP
Wireman07

Wireman07

WKR
Joined
Apr 1, 2017
Messages
318
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.
 

JF_Idaho

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 1, 2023
Messages
286
Location
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
Messages
1,099
Location
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.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
OP
Wireman07

Wireman07

WKR
Joined
Apr 1, 2017
Messages
318
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.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I came across that one a few times on the internet. Do you have a 2 man?
 

hikenhunt

WKR
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Messages
431
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
Messages
2,431
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
Joined
Sep 16, 2022
Messages
120
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
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3532.jpeg
    IMG_3532.jpeg
    309.4 KB · Views: 16
  • 20230915_190437.jpeg
    20230915_190437.jpeg
    788.8 KB · Views: 15
  • IMG_7035.jpeg
    IMG_7035.jpeg
    191.2 KB · Views: 15
Last edited:

Snowhunter11

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 16, 2022
Messages
120
Location
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
 
Last edited:

hikenhunt

WKR
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Messages
431
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.
 
Top