I recently purchased and had a chance to test out, the REI Half Dome 2 Person Tent, and here is my review.

I have been in the market for a smaller, lighter, backpacking tent for some time. I’ve been camping with a cheap, 4-person, Walmart tent for years and that’s been working perfectly when I’m able to drive to the campsite.

Now that I’m planning a longer, through-hike, where I’ll be carrying my gear on my back, I needed to purchase a tent that I can carry in my backpacking bag.

I did a ton of research and landed on the REI Half Dome 2-person tent.

*This page contains affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a small commission for purchases made through the links provided at no cost to you.*

Purchasing the REI Half Dome 2 Tent:

Available only at REI.com, the tent comes in at around $350 (as of 1.5.2024).

I actually got incredibly lucky when purchasing this tent and got a big discount. I had originally purchased another, less expensive tent, and then received an email a few days after my purchase stating that REI no longer had the tent I purchased in stock. They provided me with a refund and a discount coupon for purchasing another one, which ultimately put this tent in my price range.

Tent Specs:

• Available colors – Blue, Orange, and Green
• Use – Backpacking
• Seasons – 3-season (spring, summer, fall)
• Capacity – 2 person
• Footprint – Yes, comes with it.
• Rainfly – Yes, comes with it.
• Floor Dimensions – 90″ x 54″ (7.5ft by 4.5ft)
• Peak Height – 42 inches (3.5ft)
• Pack Weight w/Footprint – 4lbs 11oz
• Style – Freestanding

Why I chose the REI Half Dome 2 Tent over its competitors:

I looked at reviews of over 30 tents and spent a lot of time online trying to decide which tent was for me. I knew I was looking for something lightweight, less than 6lbs, that I would feel comfortable carrying in my pack. I was looking for a tent that was easy to set up and tear down as I often travel alone and won’t have an extra set of hands. I’m not a professional backpacker, so I was also looking for something that would fit into my budget. I wanted a tent that came with a footprint too, even though that wasn’t a dealbreaker for me.

I read numerous reviews of this tent and overall, people were very satisfied. I made sure to find reviewers who had camped in high winds, rain, and both hot and cold temperatures. Many tents were ruled out in this process.

As mentioned in the beginning, I initially purchased a different tent before REI mistakenly ran out of stock. The tent I initially selected was my 2nd choice tent to the REI Half Dome 2, so I got really lucky with the discount provided to me so I could purchase my #1 choice.

If you’re curious, I almost purchased the MSR Elixir 1 Tent, which you can also get at REI.com or on Amazon. It would also be a great choice for backpackers coming in at around $260 and similar specs. The MSR tent only had one door and was quite a bit smaller, which is why the REI Half Dome 2 got my #1 spot.

My First Night in the REI Half Dome 2 Tent:

I chose to take my new Half Dome on an overnight camping trip to Buescher State Park during the winter break (the last week of December). I know it’s only rated 3 seasons, and that doesn’t include winter, but I just got it and wanted to test it out.

Setting it up

The tent came already attached to the footprint which was really nice and made for easy assembly.

I have to be honest, I did NOT read the instructions when setting up the first time which resulted in me setting it up incorrectly. I had the door poles facing the wrong direction so I had to tear it down and start over. All in all, it took me about 18 minutes to get it set up (twice).

Now that I know what I’m doing, I’m confident I’ll be able to set this tent up in 10 minutes or less on my next trip out.

Camping experience

Once the tent was set up correctly, I climbed inside and got myself comfortable. There was plenty of space in the tent for my 5’2″ self and all my gear.

I do believe you could fit two people in this two-person tent, but backpacks will have to go outside under the covered space.

The campsite I set up on was pretty rocky and the tent material felt thin, but it held up and I didn’t have any issues. I did use the footprint.

My night was very cold (around 32 degrees Fahrenheit) and very still. My sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and heated vest kept me warm throughout the night.

I enjoyed the ease of set up, the interior space, and the option to put my shoes or other supplies outside the tent, but still have them covered. There was ample storage for my needs inside the tent including a mesh shelf at the top and two side pockets.

If you’re interested in the other gear shown in the image above, read the post below that I wrote:

Field-Tested: My Latest Hiking Gear Purchases Reviewed For You

My Review. Would I Recommend?

Based on one night’s use, I’d recommend it.

It’s super easy to set up. However, I do advise reading the instructions because I initially set it up incorrectly which resulted in me having to tear it down and try again. This could have easily been avoided if I just read the instructions.

Once I did it correctly, it took less than 10 minutes in total to lay the footprint, stake in the tent, and put on the rainfly.

However, before I implore everyone to go out and buy it, I’d like to test it out in rainy or windy conditions. Whether or not a tent can survive the elements is really what makes or breaks the tent’s quality. I’ll be sure to come back and update this post whenever I experience those conditions.

Some things to note:

The tent material feels super thin, but as mentioned above, I stayed on very rocky ground and I didn’t notice any rips or tears.

There was quite a bit of dew on the ground in the morning after my night’s rest and the tent floor was still dry.

The stuff sack that the tent comes in is not backpacker-friendly. If you want to take it backpacking, which is what I’ll be doing, you’ll want to find a different bag for it that provides more compression. I’d advise taking the tent poles out and storing them separately in your pack and then putting the footprint, tent, and rainfly in a compression sack.

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