Gear Reviews: Tent

Quarter Dome T2

Manufacturer: REI

Reviewed by: MrBucket

The REI Quarter Dome T2 vents well and stays dry without any problems. I've slept in it in conditions ranging from 5 degrees and snowing to 75 degrees and raining. It's a little chilly on cold nights because of the all-mesh canopy and I would want to guy it out completely with heavier snowfall, but it held up just fine. That mesh canopy also means it allows for a decent amount of airflow on warm nights. 29.7 square feet is a pretty small footprint for two people who aren't dating, but the vertical sidewalls make it feel bigger than it really is. Four people could play cards in it no problem. And I can't complain about carrying a 3 lb 12 oz. freestanding tent for two. It is also nice to have two doors when you or your tent partner wakes up in the middle of the night to answer mother nature's call. It's a little tricky to crawl through the doors without getting wet unless you roll and bungie them, but that's one of the consequences of small, lightweight tents with two doors. The vestibules are a little on the small side, but they'll fit your shoes and a small (as in less than 50 L) pack if you can't leave it out at night. Once inside there are pockets everywhere and it's a pretty easy tent to live with. The pole setup that allows this tent to have verticle sidewalls does make it a little difficult for one person to set it up, though, but two people can have it up in under 2 minutes. The setup creates a flat surface and finding the right pitch is a little funky, but I've never gotten wet in this tent. There is a way to set up the tent without the tent body but it's already pretty light. It's fully seam-taped and I haven't found any reason to be concerned with the quality of the construction or materials over the past year. Plus, it's from REI so it comes with their magical return policy, should you ever have a problem with it.