User Review: REI Half Dome 2

REI Half Dome 2
Above: The current Half Dome 2, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed January 19, 1997 by beenie1@...

Rating:
Design: 3 Season
Sleeps: 2
Ease of Setup: Very Easy
Weight: 5#
Price Paid: $100

This is a great tent! It sets up easily in about 10 minutes, 5 if you're rushed. I've had mine through blizzards and rain storms and only once did it momentarily "cave in." A gust of wind caused one of the tent poles to momentarily invert. This was during a fierce storm that turned out to be the tail end of Hurricane Ineke.

I'm 6'1" and I can sleep flat against the side without having to sleep "diagonally." The tent is big enough for 2 without gear. I usually pack my own tent, so it fits me, my gear, and my two large dogs who are both about 80#. I use my tent as a 4-season tent though snow does sometimes blow in because the fly doesn't come down far enough in the front or the rear. Though it has steep sided walls, wet snow does stick to it, causing the fly to press against the tent wall. This reduces all ventilation between the tent and the fly causing lots of condensation. The aluminum tent poles slide through the guide sleeves both ways without snagging, making takedowns a snap, too. The tent anchors at each corner. The fly uses Fastex-type clips to attach to the four corners and also uses a shock cord on each side. Additionally, the fly attaches to the tent via Velcro fasteners to the tent poles and a small hook on each side of the tent. The tiny hook helps keep the tent walls "pulled out." Though snow has occasionally blown in, rain has never been a problem.

The interior has four loops at each corner near the top so you can rig a gear net. There are also two pockets on either side of the tent for things you need quick access to. The floor is coated with some kind of thin film rubber. I've used my tent heavily for over 5 years and the coating has yet to show signs of peeling or wear. The zippers for the doors and windows are high quality. Because of my dogs, the zips have seen hair, ice, mud, etc. and they have yet to fail. The window flaps are secured with Velcro and the door is held open with a small nylon web strap.

The tent comes with a nice stuff sack. There is a sack for the tent spikes (which are the cheesiest things about the tent but they still work great), the poles, and the whole tent itself. Also included is a small tube used as a repair for a bent/broken pole. The cord lock on the stuff sack is useless and crapped out the first trip I used it. It jammed with dirt and never worked again. This is no biggie since the sack is overly long anyway.

The only thing I wish it had was a vestibule. The tent will get wet or filled with snow if the snow is blowing toward the door. Again, this is partly because of the high rainfly profile.

If it sounds like I'm nuts for this tent, it's because I used a $20 pup tent for 4-season 'packing for 10 years before I finally decided enough was enough. That said, YMMV.

John

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