REI Half Dome 2 Plus Tent

Comments about REI Half Dome 2 Plus Tent:

Shame on you, REI -- a Seattle company -- for marketing this tent. The Half Dome Plus is designed so that rain falls directly into the tent every time you unzip the door of the fly to climb in or out. There is no way to prevent water from coming in. Result: Wet floor, wet sleeping bags, wet sleeping pads, wet gear. What is a tent for if not to keep out the rain, especially in Seattle? Evidently REI never gave this tent even a simple hose test, let alone testing it in the rain.

If rain is not a concern -- i.e., for tall people who camp exclusively in J Tree or Zion, this tent may be just the ticket (except you shouldn't be carrying a 6 1/2 lb. tent to camp in a largely rain-free area). The Half Dome Plus is long and wide, with an interesting pole configuration that bows somewhat outward, creating even more room inside.

Setup is more time-consuming than the average tent in this category (e.g., BD Mesa, Marmot Aura). And REI's attention to detail is non-existent in comparison to those other tents ... but that's why the Half Dome is less expensive.

I bought this tent two weeks ago because it is long enough for me. My wife and I spent all of last week on Mt. Rainier, with a fair amount of rain. Though we are used to camping in the rain and on top of our game as far as keeping things dry, this tent doesn't help a bit. We plan to return it ASAP.

Bottom line: There aren't many tent choices for tall people. This one is worthless to me.

REI, it would not take much to alter the fly design to keep water out. Please do so!

Comments about REI Half Dome 2 Plus Tent:

At 6'2" I was overjoyed when REI came out with this new, longer model. I immediately bought one even though I already owned last years model. Finally long enough to stretch out in without smashing my bag or head up against the inside. The few inches gain in width is perfect for two as well.

I first took the tent on a raft trip down the Deso Gray portion of the Green River. Very easy to set up, well-made. I think even lighter with a lot of mesh to keep things cool. In what the River Ranger later described as "epic winds," it performed flawlessly, immune to over 60-mph gusts, dust, whatever. And relatively quiet as well. Very impressive!

A month later, I took it on a trip down the Middle Fork of the Salmon, and that's when I found the problem I had feared. The fly zipper no longer runs along the ridge of the vestibule, where you could open it three-quarters of the way without rain or condensation getting into the tent. Now it's been re-designed to run directly from the apex right down to the corner of the (very nice) bathtub floor. What were they thinking? As soon as you open the fly, even just six inches, you've opened a seam directly over the edge of the tent floor. Rapping on the fly first helps some, but there's still no way to keep water out of the inside - which is what you need the fly for, right? I can't imagine the rationale for this design, but it's a blunder!

I hope they get it fixed soon, because otherwise it'd be my dream tent.

Comments about REI Half Dome 2 Plus Tent:

This is a great tent and a significant improvement over last year's model (which was also a great tent).

First, this tent feels very large and airy. My wife and I are both very tall, and until now we had never been able to find a tent long and wide enough for us. But the REI Half Dome 2 Plus is perfect, and the vertical side walls create so much more room for almost no additional weight. Other "2-person" tents on the market are actually "1-person-plus" tents: in other words, you can fit two people inside if you really have to, but you'd better like each other a lot and not have claustrophobia! Not with this one, though. Kudos to REI for designing a real two-person tent, and for realizing that some people are taller than others.

Second, it's very lightweight for its size. This tent weighs only 3 ounces more than last year's Half Dome 2, but is a LOT roomier. At 5 pounds 8 ounces minimum weight, it's one of the lightest tents in its category per square foot of interior space. I was impressed at some of the weight-saving tips REI has used compared to the previous model (more mesh, fewer plastic toggles, lighter fabric, etc.). Sure, there are many lighter options out there if you don't mind sacrificing some space and durability. But if you are looking for a real 2-person tent, and you are willing to carry a few extra ounces for extra livability, I recommend this tent.

Other general notes. The setup is very easy, especially if you watch the REI video and practice assembling it once at home; my wife and I are able to set it up in less than 5 minutes. Condensation can be a bit of an issue, but I have found that staking out the head and foot of the rainfly and opening the side vents mostly takes care of that problem.

Overall, I highly recommend this tent. If you are tall, you know how frustrating it can be to find backpacking gear that fits. For the first time, I can stretch out in a tent and not touch both ends. Keep up the good work, REI!

Comments about REI Half Dome 2 Plus Tent:

I used this tent through two full pacific northwest rain storms, and the rainfly design kept everything completely dry including our packs in the vestibules.

I'm 6'4" and the length of this tent is perfect with a few extra inches at both ends. Plenty of width for two to sleep comfortably.

The fly has built in vents with a stiff velcro "openers". I have not had any condenation issues even during winter camping.

This tent is a very easy to set up, I usually can set it up by myself in less than eight minutes.

I'd reccomend a couple extra stakes (MSR ground hogs) and some additional guy line (Kelty Triptease) to allow more flexibility in setting up the fly. (A good plan for any tent actually)

Comments about REI Half Dome 2 Plus Tent:

I am a 6'7" guy (yeah "a TALL drink of water") and I stressed originally when looking for a tent that was going to be relatively light and compact, yet still able to be big enough and verstatile to fit my needs (I am a comfort camper by heart but dabble in backpacking once in a while).

I researched around and found good yet mixed reviews about the half dome plus so I was a little concerned it be a good match. However, after going through it was one of the few tents of it's type that would fit my height needs.

I purchased the tent and the footprint set it up a few times in my apartment complexes courtyard and was pleased with the construction ease of use and comfortability.

I took on a annual trip I make to Southern oregon in the coastal range that is a rainbow familesque gathering of queer people, I came in the middle of a pouring rain and after a intricate setup process, got it up quickly with another person.

I was concerned because many of my friend around me complained about alot of flood of their tents and I had not come as prepared for it minus the tent.

Well after a good 4-5 days of rain and finally clearing up into a beautiful oregon spring sunshine, the tent was till bone-dry inside and I had another person hanging out with me and they were utterly surprised that we fared so well (I made another REI fan in the process).

On top of that with the rainfly on correctly I had no condenstation the rainfly never seems to come in contact with the tent walls and everything was bone-dry even with a few days pouring rain.

my only real complaint is that the tent does not insulate that well and I was hoping to not have to stay completely cuddled up in the sleeping bag when in the tent all the time but otherwise it is a solid tent choice for us taller than even the average tall guy.

Comments about REI Half Dome 2 Plus Tent:

Light and totally livable for the price. Two poles make this tent a dream to set up in any weather. The best all around 2p tent I've seen. Kudos to REI for the extra 8 in.!!!!! and only 3 extra ounces... totally worth it!!!

Comments about REI Half Dome 2 Plus Tent:

I normally would not rate a product before using it but since this tent was pitched next to the Mountain Hardware Skyledge I went to buy at my REI, I decided to do a comparison. I am a diehard Mountain Hardware fan so this is not easy. The first thing I noticed is the REI Half Dome Plus has a bathtub style floor with no seams. The Mountain Hardware Skyledge 2 or 3 had a full length seam running down the middle of the floor. Although sealed and taped, why take a chance. The pole ends on the REI were machined metal, on the MH, hard plastic. The REI had wide reinforced webbing at the corners with a metal grommet for the pole ends. The MH had a hard plastic piece fixed to a nylon reinforced rope about the diameter of a thick boot lace. Did not look like something that would hold up for long before breaking.The REI has very few seams overall and the MH has several just on the tent itself and not including the fly. Not to nit pick but this contributes to added weight, cost and potential leaks. Speaking of cost, the REI Half Dome Plus was [$] and MH Skyledge 2 was $350,Skyledge 3 was $425.00. It just goes to show that even today, you don't have to spend a lot of moneyto get a good product. I expect after I first use my tent, I will be changing my rating from 4 stars to 5 stars.

Comments about REI Half Dome 2 Plus Tent:

So let me start out by saying I have an aversion to tents. Don't ask me why, not sure, but just do. I wanted to learn backcountry skiing and camping and a seasoned friend offered a crash course in both. I bought this tent on the advice that a good 3 season can do backcountry winter just fine. This tent did the trick for us at 10k feet in 30+ wind. I had to stake it down with my skis and poles, but once down it was solid. The "fly first" design is something you don't find on a lot of tents. This means you can set the poles, and footprint up first, then the fly, then finally the tent under the fly out of the weather. This level of versatility is what will make this non-tenter into a tenter. The ability to do fly only with the poles and footprint will give you the airy yet sheltered camping experience I like from using tarps, p-cord, and trees in the past.

Looking forward to many more nights in this fine piece of kit!

Comments about REI Half Dome 2 Plus Tent:

It has been some time since I had a backpacking tent, so it was about time to step my game up and what a step! The REI Half Dome 2 Plus Tent met and exceeded many of my expectations. Set up was fast and could easily be done by one person, it is very roomy with enough room for a double sleeping bag and extra clothes, the rainfly can be positioned at least three different ways, two very generous doors, a roomy vestibule, great ventilation lots of stash pockets and a very simple yet sturdy three pole design. It is no wonder that this is an award winner! It is the perfect sized two person tent.

Comments about REI Half Dome 2 Plus Tent:

I have looked at the regular Half Dome 2 in the past, but did not feel it was large enough for my use. I'm 6'2", 280 pounds, and love to backpack. The extra ten inches in length makes this tent a perfect fit for me and a partner. I would recommend purchasing the footprint, as it it works very well with the tent. Setup is a breeze with color coded tabs. After purchasing, the tent, I found small mesh pockets (8 of them) all over the tent. These work great for flashlights, glasses, etc. I feel that this tent was a great value for the price I paid, and will highly recommend it to others.