How to Choose a Backpacking Tent

Ounce-counters, meet one of our lightest and highest-performance tents. The freestanding REI Co-op Flash 2-person tent is designed for backpackers seeking livability, durability and comfort.
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View the REI Co-op Flash Product LineView all REI Co-op Backpacking TentsBest Use | Backpacking |
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Seasons | 3-season |
Sleeping Capacity | 2-person |
Minimum Trail Weight | 2 lbs. 13.2 oz. |
Packaged Weight | 3 lbs. 4.2 oz. |
Packed Size | 7 x 18.5 inches |
Floor Dimensions | 88 x 52/42 (L x W head/foot) inches |
Floor Area | 28.7 square feet |
Vestibule Area | 6.9 + 6.9 square feet |
Peak Height | 40 inches |
Number of Doors | 2 doors |
Number of Poles | 3 |
Pole Material | DAC NFL aluminum |
Canopy Fabric | 20-denier nylon mesh (bluesign approved) |
Floor Fabric | 20-denier recycled ripstop nylon |
Rainfly Fabric | 20-denier recycled ripstop nylon |
Footprint Included | No |
Ultralight | Yes |
Design Type | Freestanding |
Sustainability | Contains recycled materials From a Climate Label Certified brand |
From feedback to field testing, all of our gear is dialed-in by REI Co-op members. Their adventures informed every stitch and detail—making for better, longer-lasting gear.
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This is very lightweight tent that is constructed very well with quality materials. It is a lot lighter than my existing 2-person tent – by two pounds! It is also very compact in its stuff bag and the poles collapse very short as well. DAC poles (with a repair sleeve included) are used and also DAC mini v-shaped stakes that weigh barely anything. Ten stakes are included along with four guylines, so you have everything you need from the start. All cords, guyline points, zipper pulls, etc are reflective as well. When I un-rolled the tent inside, the colors looked too pastel-like, but outdoors, the colors look good. I set it up in my yard first to learn the setup and check the space inside. It was a super easy setup with color coding and can be accomplished by one person in just a few minutes. I really like that the fly buckles to the tent corner straps. The fly goes to about 6” above the ground. Each vestibule fit a pack and boots and they stayed dry when it rained. The zippers are smooth and if you go slow through the bottom curve of the door, can be done one-handed without issue. No material ever got caught in the zippers. The pole structure really does provide vertical side walls and a high peak height. Two adults sat up next to each other without issue. The two vents in the fly can be opened and closed from inside through the doors. The vents come with a stiff Velcro piece to prop them open. One ding on the inside – zero pockets! This is a lightweight tent but just one small pocket on each side is really needed. As for floorspace, 2 adults (5’9” and 5’4”) fit comfortably, but if I used my large pad (25” wide), it overlapped the other 20” pad (both rectangular) at the foot of the tent slightly. 1 adult plus one young teenager was really good as well. No issue with two 20” wide pads. I also like that this tent is light enough that my kids can carry this one for themselves. It also makes a great solo palace! On the first trip, I learned that the tent floor is extremely slippery on the footprint! Once the tent and fly was setup, I would re-stake the head of the tent and pull it as taught as I could to try to take up any tent floor slack. This mitigated the issue, but if you are on any slight grade at all, you will still slide. A guess that is the tradeoff for such lightweight materials. With vents open, there was no condensation during 29 degree nights. I also got to use it during a rainy night. Zero leaks and no drips from the vestibule door go in the tent body. The head and foot of the tent do not get covered by the fly, but those areas shed water and as it dripped, it did not get onto the footprint. I also had to tear it down in the rain which can be done fast and the material sheds water when shaken off.
After getting burned on my last solo trip not having a tent that could double as a shade structure, I pretty much made it a mission to get one that was lightweight enough to go solo yet still have the upside of having enough room for a partner who doesn't mind getting cozy. I knew double doors/vestibules (with double zips) and near vertical walls would add a lot to liveability. I tested setting it up at home first & other reviews are correct, it was not intuitive on first few attempts & got good at maybe after the 5th try. While at a campsite on less even terrain, I could have gotten away with not staking down the tent at all & realized if you want maximum floor space, staking down the corners helps a lot. Overall, I do feel the tent is well built. I wish the footprint was more precisely sized, I found out to ensure the footprint stays on, it works better to loop the inner tent loops *over* the footprint loops. The rainfly clips on & since they insisted on using clips (which I do fear stepping on and cracking), they put clips on both the inner tent *and* the footprint (thus making it possible to create a shade structure or pitch rain-fly first if you arrive at the campsite while raining and want to keep the inner tent dry). I did find a corner of the tent that had shoddy stitching (see photos, it's night & day). I do question where the pole pokes at the front, it definitely adds more stress to the material than I would like (esp if you don't make a point to ensure the black material buffers). There is also a seam going down the center of the bathtub floor - Id rather have a solid floor for obvious reasons & haven't rain into a rainstorm to test how leakproof the tent is overall yet. The tent storage bag is rather large - so it does make it trivial to get the tent back in the bag. I tried taking the poles & stakes out & found it was super simple to compress into a 8.5L sleeping bag compression sack - I could easily see it being compressed even more to 6L or less. I'm pretty happy with the tent overall - I do feel I need to baby it a little bit but this is to be expected given how lightweight the material is (esp the tent floor - footprint is a must!)
Very waterproof. I was camping at Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada when a very heavy rain occurred. There was running water going through my campsite and water had risen two inches on the bottom of my tent. Somehow, it remained waterproof. I was able to get out of the tent, remove the stakes and pull the entire tent uphill to ground that was not standing in water. I was soaked from being out in the rain, but the inside of the tent only had a few drops. That was likely from when I exited the tent. Very lightweight. It is my understanding that this tent was only offered for a few months and will not remain in the lineup.
Great cost-conscious product from REI. Replaced a Teton Sports Altos 2 person tent that had traveled with me for many years and delivered in the backcountry but needed retiring. I cross-shopped against the Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 but decided the 14oz savings was not worth the additional $200. What I like most about the tent are the two doors and two vestibules. My Teton only had a single entry which was awkward and inconvenient for my wife and I climbing into the tent and it only had a single vestibule which meant that we had limited space to shelter gear from the elements. The fabric feels extremely thin and light but we spent three week hiking through the backcountry setting the tent up and taking it down every day and the tent emerged unscathed. The tent is also very stable in wind. One night we had to deal with sustained winds of 30mph with gusts to 60mph and the tent hardly budged. The stakes are great-- light weight but very strong and we didn't bend a one in three weeks. The included stake "remover" is a nice feature as well. Our only quibble with the tent is that set-up is not entirely intuitive and can take a while if you are doing it alone. I could set my Teton up in less than 5 minutes. The Flash 2 required at least twice that amount of time with 2 people and triple the time if erecting it alone. Overall, great value for the money. If you really need to lose those extra 14oz then buy the Big Agnes but I would rather be carrying around the extra $200.
This review for newbies who want to learn Tent set up. Rei named this tent "Flash 2" another tent by Rei is named Flash Air 2" how confusing is that and the two tents are so different. Most of the online ratings and videois are for "Flash Air" including "set up" Videos which REI has not done. Rei please post a setup vidoe for this product. why are the two tents named so close which is highly confusing for most people. there is not much of value online about Flash 2. I am open to changing my review if REI provides a set up videos for this tent. the other tent is a completely different model and not free standing. Flash 2 is a beautiful tent and i recommend the tent itself though i have not used it outdoors i plan to use it in two weeks. It is 40% off until July 4 for $239 ( 2 person) it is light and weighs around two pounds. i am excited to use it.
Great lightweight, free-standing tent. Took this on two separate week-long treks through the Wind River Range and Yellowstone in the middle of July. Double-door layout is fabulous. Roof height is perfect for me and my mate (me 5'11" and she 5'8"). Vestibules were large enough to keep items dry in the rain (which was live tested). We didn't keep our packs in the vestibule (just a preference I have for keeping critters away from the tent) but we did keep our shoes, boots, and other equipment we might want in a pinch underneath. We purchased the companion footprint and I would not recommend using this tent without it. We had a pretty good windstorm hit us one night in the Winds and the tent remained very stable.
Disclaimer: I solo camped in the 2-person tent, because I find it more comfortable. It feels like a true 2-person, which meant that it had plenty of room for me and my stuff, but it would be pretty cozy with two people. The tent retains heat well--sometimes a little too well--which meant that it was nice when temps dropped lower than I was expecting, but with two people during the summer months, it would have been pretty hot and potentially uncomfortable. Ventilation is good but not great. It's so lightweight, which I loved. Shaved ounces off my pack that I didn't miss! Tent itself seems to be made of the same material as the rainfly, which meant that I really trusted the sides during a rainstorm, which is nice because the rainfly doesn't necessarily come all the way to the ground on the sides. The lightweight fabric felt like it might snag or tear on something, but I haven't had a problem with it--it seems to be really sturdy. It wasn't super intuitive to set up, which was a little annoying. Things are color-coded and the directions are clear, but it's a little complex. Definitely worth practicing at home. Easy to get by the second or third time though.
Very impressed with this lightweight, easily pitched and packable tent. For a light weight tent it has a number of features that are found in heavier weight tents. Cross ventilation and bathtub floor design keep it cool and comfortable. Very easy to pitch, however I do recommend pitching it before going on the trail. Haven’t had any water or condensation issues. It is definitely a three season moderate to high temperature tent. Not sure its design would keep you warm in shoulder seasons in temperate or boreal environments. This would be a great bikepacking or through hiking tent.
This is one of the roomiest two person tents I've ever experienced. The design is extremely well thought out and quality of manufacturing is top notch. The amount of space provided for a little more weight than some of it's peers is truly impressive. You get a lot for your money!
Last tent I bought was the half dome 2+ many years ago. I needed a new tent as that one had some issues and I decided to get something that could also be used for backpacking. Went with the coop flash 2 and was pleasantly surprised by how easy the pole setup was despite having 3 poles (and not reading instructions). Spent the night with my 5’1” daughter and we were both very comfortable and didn’t really miss the extra room of the half dome. The fly had two vestibules and entrances which made me happy. I am exited to take it out back country and give it a real test.