How to Choose a Backpacking Tent
REI Co-op Half Dome 2 Tent
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Lightweight, weather worthy and strong for 3-season use, the REI Half Dome 2 backpacking tent offers generous headroom, storage and easy access for 2.
Shop newer version- 2 side doors; 2 vestibules
- Color-coded poles and pole clips for easy setup
- 4 adjustable, high-level ceiling vents mitigate condensation
- Waterproof bathtub floor with sealed seams
- Door zippers allow for smooth, 1-hand operation
- No-wick welded construction seals out moisture
- Durable polyester rainfly resists UV degradation and maintains a taut pitch
- Create a minimalist shelter with the rainfly, footprint (sold separately), poles and stakes
- Includes guylines with tighteners; stakes and pole repair tube; tapered, easy-to-stuff compression stuff sack, pole- and stake bags
- REI Co-op brand is certified to The Climate Label; we actively fund efforts to reduce carbon emissions across our business and support climate projects around the world
Imported.
View all REI Co-op Backpacking Tents| Best Use | Backpacking |
|---|---|
| Seasons | 3-season |
| Sleeping Capacity | 2-person |
| Minimum Trail Weight | 5 lbs. 2 oz. |
| Fly / Footprint Pitch Weight | 3 lbs. 13 oz. |
| Packaged Weight | 5 lbs. 10 oz. |
| Packed Size | 6 x 21 inches |
| Floor Dimensions | 88 x 52 inches |
| Floor Area | 31.8 square feet |
| Vestibule Area | 7.9 + 7.9 square feet |
| Peak Height | 40 inches |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors |
| Number of Poles | 3 |
| Pole Material | DAC aluminum |
| Pole Diameter | 8.5 / 8.7 / 11.1 millimeters |
| Canopy Fabric | 40-denier ripstop nylon / 20D nylon mesh |
| Floor Fabric | 70-denier nylon taffeta |
| Rainfly Fabric | 75-denier polyester taffeta |
| Footprint Included | No |
| Design Type | Freestanding |
| Sustainability | From a Climate Label Certified brand |
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Most Helpful Favorable Review
Spot on!!
Daniel Conner12 years ago
I cant say enough about this tent. All of the other high quality tents I looked at were above my budget and I think the only real advantage they held was their weight. This tent can set up in under 5 minutes with one person. Its a snap to put up and take down. On a recent trip to Zion we were in 25 degrees weather with 40 mph winds and it hardly moved. I am sold! I could not be happier with this purchase.
Daniel Conner
Corpus Christi, Tx
32 people found this review helpful
Most Helpful Critical Review
Don't buy if you want to stay dry
gonnadiehiking12 years ago
While this is a very roomy and comfortable tent, I would not recommend it if you ever plan on being in the back-country and may encounter a storm. It is also very heavy for a backpacking tent.
This past 4th of July I was at Rae Lakes in the Sierras and a thunderstorm hit; small hail, heavy rain, but no wind. It leaked through the tarp fabric (not the seams, the actual fabric), tent footprint, tent floor, our sleeping pads, vents in the tarp, and pretty much everywhere. I ended up stuffing all important items into water resistant bags (sleeping bags and cloths) and hiding under two ponchos to stay dry for 6 hours. It was AWFUL! Needless to say I returned this tent.
I would only recommend this tent if you are using it as a car camping tent and don't expect rainy conditions.
gonnadiehiking
Costa Mesa, CA
9 people found this review helpful
Customer Images
Boredbum
Vegas
Great Bang for Buck
12 years ago
For the price, I think this is an excellent tent! Took on a 5dy/4nt backpacking trip through the Enchantment Lakes and held up very well. The footprint also integrates well. I loved the mesh pockets and there was more vestibule room than I expected. A couple of notes: In cold temps (30s for this trip), the tent does not keep heat well if the rainfly fully staked-out and pulled away from tent. On the two cold nights I had to rig the rainfly so that it was as close to the tent poles as possible. Also, the packaging DOES NOT include enough stakes and cord for the rainfly. Make sure you do an inventory before you go and plan accordingly
Yes , I recommend this product
SectumSempra90
Seattle, WA
Not too bad
11 years ago
I camped for 8 days across Mongolia with my dad and took this tent with us. I enjoyed how easy it was to set up. After a 14 hour day of navigating a rough and unforgiving country like Mongolia, the last thing you want is a tent that needs long instructions. The wind in Mongolia is awful. Huge guts and massive dust storms. The tent stood up against the wind surprisingly well, but it really didn't keep the wind out...or the dust. And the closer we got to Russia, the colder that wind was. I think this is a great tent and I will definitly keep using it in the future, but if I ever do that in Mongolia again, I was something that seals up tight.
Yes , I recommend this product
Shinndig83
Hooksett NH
Great value
11 years ago
I purchased this tent after countless reviews and handling of different tents. Although I found it to be a little on the heavy side, I decided that the price and features was worth the extra weight. I have carried a friend's tent which was 2lbs lighter and didn't notice much difference the first time out. I found this tent to have lots of headroom due to the vertical wall design. The poles are strong and setup is easy. The only design issue is in the stakes. They are kind of cheap but are easy to upgrade later. I have put this tent to the test from car camping to trailside backcountry spots in the White Mountain National Forest as well as through all the weather New Hampshire can provide( minus heavy winter) and it has done its job of keeping me dry. The doors on both sides make setup in tight spots easy since you can access on both sides. I have recommended this tent and will continue to do so.
Yes , I recommend this product
UncleTravelingMatt
Houston, TX
Exactly what I wanted!
11 years ago
I picked up a this tent at the REI Garage Sale here two weekends ago. I've been coveting a Half Dome 2 for about 3 years now and could finally justify getting a new tent. I couldn't be MORE pleased!! I am about 6' tall, and about half legs, half torso. I can sit up in this tent AND take off my shirt without feeling like my elbows will go through the roof. It's long enough for me to lay out (and stretch out) and the open mesh design makes it nice and cool at night, even on a central Texas mid-August excursion. Setup is a BIT counterintuitive, but once you know how it's supposed to go it sets up (with footprint and fly) in about 8 minutes, one man. That's a win in my book :-)
Yes , I recommend this product
junipash
TEXAS
first impressions
12 years ago
I've just used this on my own land but it was very easy to set up and very sturdy in wind. It fits together very well and is sturdy. The materials and finish feel really good. I returned a different tent and chose this one and am very happy with it. There's not too many negative things I can say about this tent. The pole set-up is a little unintuitive but once you know how it fits together it's easy to set up very quickly with just one person. The included tent stakes are fine but if I would upgrade anything about the tent, it would be them, and to include a groundcover. These are small things. If you are thinking about buying this tent, do it. A great value and a great product.
Yes , I recommend this product
migrator
Georgia
Nice tent.
12 years ago
Used this for 5 nights on the Appalachian Trail. Had two nights of rain/thunderstorms/hail and one night of snow. Was dry inside every night. Super easy to set up. Lots of room inside for me (6'2") and all my gear at night.
Yes , I recommend this product
motorider
Denver
Great for hot dry climates
11 years ago
I've owned two of these tents. The first one performed pretty well, but was lost a couple years ago. I replaced it with an identical tent this summer, which I used for two days - where it rained lightly about half the time. The replacement tent was easy to set up, light enough for the price, but the fly was very leaky. I was forced to pack it wet for the hike out and try to dry it out in my garage, where I found that the fly had discolored. I returned it to REI for a refund, but I think I just got a lemon because my experience with the one I owned previously was good. Therefore, I would recommend it to a friend, even though I returned it and didn't have a great experience myself.
Yes , I recommend this product
NorthTexasRedHead
Southlake, TX
Very Pleased!
12 years ago
Tried out my new tent at Camp Doris in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. Easy setup, 5 minutes max including rain fly. This is my first tent so it's easy for a novice. It's made for two people and so I had lots of room for my big sleeping bad and the rest of my stuff plus there are nifty little pockets to tuck things into. Comes woth everything you need including guy lines if you're going to be in wind.
Yes , I recommend this product
bug
New York, NY
Excellent value
12 years ago
Excellent tent for the money. Light enough to carry on a backpacking trip and is easy to set up. It's enough for 2 large adults in sleeping bags and felt comfortable.
Yes , I recommend this product
Noel Kaufman
San Francisco, CA
Put to the Test
11 years ago
Bought the tent in late July and immediately took it our for a two-week backpack in the Alaskan wilderness, so other than setting it up once in the garage to make sure everything was there, my first experience with the tent was on a riverbank 150 miles from Anchorage in the wilderness. During the course of the two-weeks, we faced a wide variety of conditions including heavy rain and strong winds. The Half Dome performed really well throughout: it was easy and quick to set up, comfortable for two (the built in gear pockets are very nice as are the velcro tab vents in the fly that can be opened from inside the tent), and kept us warm and dry (literally not a drop of rain in the tent). The two vestibules and doors are a huge plus, though you do need a decent-sized space to set up the tent given the required dimensions. One night in a heavy wind the flapping vestibule eventually rotated the hook stake and the guyline slipped off causing the vestibule to collapse, so I'd recommend getting additional, higher quality stakes. The stock tent only came with 6 or 8 stakes total and two additional guylines, which proved insufficient in howling winds. I'd recommend also carrying extra guylines. That said, I was really really happy with this tent and would recommend it highly as a relatively affordable three-season option for anyone other than the superlight folks.
Yes , I recommend this product
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