{"id":199420,"date":"2025-03-21T19:15:45","date_gmt":"2025-03-22T02:15:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=199420"},"modified":"2025-11-21T09:57:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T17:57:04","slug":"half-dome-tent-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/half-dome-tent-history","title":{"rendered":"Design That Only Gets Better with Time"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We expect a few simple things from our tents these days: a domed roof; two vestibules, two doors and two vents for two people; poles that guide you through easy setup without the need for a physics degree. But when these configurations hit the market over the years through several iterations of the REI Half Dome line<\/a>, starting with the very first in 1980, they were rare\u2014and occasionally revolutionary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSometimes you create a new product in a category,\u201d says David Mydans, a former REI senior product designer who shaped the way tents were designed at the co-op for decades. \u201cSometimes you just change the category itself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The Half Dome debuted in the spring 1980 REI catalog. A major redesign came in 2001 when Mydans introduced two doors, two vestibules and two vents. Photo courtesy: REI Co-op Living Archive.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the first Half Dome, which is an impressive (mile) marker in itself. So, too, is the tent\u2019s stake in putting REI on the map as one of the innovators in designing, and not just selling, gear. But all that’s just the icing on our s\u2019more. We\u2019re raising our YETI Ramblers to the countless memorable nights<\/a> in the backcountry that the Half Dome has facilitated, from camping with the grandkids to weathering unexpected snowstorms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll of the iterations have been in service of livability,\u201d Mydans says. \u201cWe just want to help people get outside and to make it as wonderful an experience as we can for them, so they do it more.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What\u2019s the secret behind the Half Dome\u2019s longevity? \u201cIt\u2019s a Goldilocks,\u201d says REI Co-op senior design engineer Shon Hancock. He worked on several iterations over the last decade, including the 2025 updates: Half Dome 2<\/a>, Half Dome 2 Plus<\/a> and Half Dome 3<\/a>. \u201cIt has a great utility across a broad range of camping pursuits.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Video: The Half Dome Tent Turns 45<\/h2>\n\n\n\n