+1 Tent Logic

[Gondor]

I agree with this and it is a smart move. You can never have enough room in those dedicated tents. And the weight addition for +1 count tent is considerably low.

 

[Yab9]

My tent has a hallway, big enough to store my gear. The hallway is also useful when you need to take your shoes off or for when you're eating and don't want to leave crumbs on your sleeping bag.

 

[EmberMike]

Depends on the trip. Family camping, you can never go too big in my opinion. Especially with kids. The more room for everyone to stretch out and not be on top of each other, the better.

I've managed in solo tents in the past, even without a vestibule, by either cramming my gear in by my legs or strapping my pack to a tree and covering it with a plastic bag. It depends on what kind of trip you're planning, how big a pack you'll be carrying, if you're hiking or just driving into a site, etc. Obviously for hiking trips you'd be packing as light as possible so you might be able to squeeze gear into a tent rated for the exact number of people you have.

 

[Grandpa]

When old dog and I go camping, we do fine in a 3# 2 man tent. When I take grandma, I use a 10 x 14 ft tent. Dog and I decided, we have more room to ourselves in the little tent.:tinysmile_twink_t2:

 

[Judy Ann]

Me and the old dog can share. 1.5 tent with plenty of room backpacking, but we need a 10x10 when camping for extended periods of time. Not sure where an extra person might sleep! Just kidding...:tinysmile_twink_t2:

 

[Blueberry1946]

I use a 6 man tent, even if its just me! Course this is not for backpacking, or below 40 degree camping, but good for the state parks and good for non-portaging canoe trips. I like the umbrella style as its so easy to go up. I get a pricey tent because I like to stay dry, and I like good zippers. I always look for how much coverage the fly has, and I always go with LL Bean. They once replaced a failed zipper for me, and that zipper outlasted the tent.

 

[Barney]

I never liked those small bivouac tents because if you get stuck in the rainstorm you're gonna be miserable for hours and it's impossible to change your clothes in them.

 

[Grandpa]

I never liked those small bivouac tents because if you get stuck in the rainstorm you're gonna be miserable for hours and it's impossible to change your clothes in them.

The long rainstorm is an IF. The 40 mile backpack is for sure, which makes the choice between an 8 lb tent and a 3 lb tent a no-brainer.