For two people, I use my "three man" Eureka Apex 3XTA (older version of Pinnacle Pass 3XTA, in loud yellow colors instead of muted greens like the P.P.). Aluminum poles, full length rain fly, dual exits. I have ridden out howling winds and thunderstorms in this tent bone dry. The Apex can still be found for about $120, the P.P. around $150. Make sure you get the "XTA", which has aluminum poles and full length fly. There's usually an Ebay seller with a good deal on these floating around, just plug in "3xta". There's also a 2XTA version, which is of course "two man" (barely).
For myself only, I take a Eureka Spitfire 1 Solo. Has plenty of room to sit up in for a solo. Aluminum poles, full fly, less than 3 pounds. Has worked well so far, but does collect condensation inside the fly sometimes. Interior of tent stays dry though. Setting it up oriented into the wind helps the vents do their job to prevent moisture build-up. Got mine on sale from Amazon for $80
I have a Big Agnes, Mad House ii and love it. I needed a bigger two person since my wife and I get crowded with three dogs in the tent. We take our dogs tripping if allowed so the extra room is needed. I have 18 ft canoe so a bigger tent makes sense.
REI Half Dome. Good tent, couldn’t beat the sale price, too. I still have my old tent, a North Face Coriolis, in case of company. Also have a Hennesey Hammock I bought years ago. He added an extra 3ft to each line, at no charge, either.
Hey Prairie Dog, I have the 5x7 Coleman, too, and it has withstood gale force winds and heavy rain without a problem. I paid $39.95 for it. Also have a one person Marmot back packing tent that would pack smaller for river trips.
Have choices Car camping I use a 45 year old Sears Ted Williams tent (canvas). Got a Noahs Tarp, Kelty tent (don’t know what model) for boat camping, and a Hennessey Hammock.
MSR Hubba MSR Hubba. One person. Honest 3.5lb (excluding ground sheet). Good reputation for construction and heavy weather. This tent is narrow (I would prefer if it was a bit wider).
Mostly free standing (needs two stakes for complete install but can make due with less). The tent is small enough to squeeze on platforms with other tents. The free-standing gives you more flexibility for set-up.
Would work for backpacking/bicycling. (I think I might go lighter for backpacking.)
Light Weight Pyramid Tarp Here is rainy Southeast Alaska we use a 26 ounce 80 sq feet pyramid tarp from Oware USA when the weather is marginal or the wind is blowing. Otherwise its our 10x12 tarp and bivy sacks. Combined, the tarp and pyramid weight under 3lbs and give us 200 sq ft of cover.
In summer in mild environments I can get by with my REI Bivy Sack and a 8’by10’ tarp.
On solo Spring and Fall trips I use a Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight Tent.
On Spring, Summer, and Fall trips for two people I use my Kelty Gunnison Dome with dual entry and vestibles.
Currently I don’t own a three man tent.
For winter use, and expedition use in high wind and rain or snow areas I use a Kelty Teton 2.5 man tent which is out of production. It has a single entry, three pole dome design with no vestible, but a rock solid rain fly with multiple tie down points, and 9mm alloy poles. The extra room inside makes up for the lack of a vestible.
In the past I have used REI Half Domes, Eureka Solitares, Eureka Timberlines, Plastic Tube Tents,and North Face VE-25’s Expedition Tents.
The best all around tent for two people I have found for space, ease of setting up, durability, waterproofness and cost is the Kelty Gunnison Dome Tent.
The best all weather tent I have been in is a tie between the North Face VE-25 and the Mountain Hardware Tango 2. Only reason Bibler isn’t here is, “Who can afford to buy one at over $550.” Single wall tents are great for weight and ease of put up but too pricy for my blood.
If you want durability for tons of use Eureka’s Outfitter Timberline Tent is worth trying.
Kuddo’s on the MSR Hubba-hubba (two person). Light, simple to pitch, packs and works well. Seems perfect for all occasions that I’d consider sleeping outdoors.
MSR Storm King I have a MSR Storm King. Great for all my canoe-camping needs. Tons of room for the whole family, gear and a dog. I have taken this tent out in all four seasons, and it has never let me down. It has seen the Boundary waters, lots of extented river trips, or weekends at the lake.
I had used a TNF Canyonlands for bicycle touring for many years. It was light, compact and served me well, but required a taught stake-out for shedding the weather. Properly staked it held up to two inches of wet snow in the WV highlands.
But last year in the BWCA it was a pain to stake. The soil is so thin in the rocky campsites that getting a taught pitch is difficult, and can only be done with rocks and logs. Far simpler to pop up a free-standing model and attach a few guys to trees to prevent kite flying.
Mountain Hardware Hammerhead 3 It’s my Taj Mahal on canoe trips and short hikes in. I carry a tarp for real backpacking. The Hammerhead is spacious with good headroom, durable, and an easy pitch and packer. You wouldn’t want to carry it for long mountainous hikes, but it is great for canoe trip, car camping, and short forays where you walk in four or five miles for some privacy. I got it to introduce my gal to the joys of camping and was surprised to find out how much I liked it and it’s versatility.
A zillion boy scouts can’t be wrong Eureka 4-man Timberline. I had mine from 1977 until it started to smell like baby puke a couple years ago, so I got a new one. Not supposed to be a 4-season tent, but I used it many winters.
i have a number… A large Kelty for when I am car-camping with friend (holds the crank blender for the frozen margaritas after a long hot paddle).
then a 4-man dome I got for $40 because the store manager wanted to close early for the holiday weekend. This packs to 6" by 18".
Then for paddle trips alone I have a tiny backpack temt that looks like a mummy bag. Found it at a yard sale. Seems the lesbian couple whop bought it believed the box when it said ‘2-person’. HA!!! Whatever the box says,. half it. Then they found that neither could se thte thing up so I bought it for $3 ($50 new) unised and put it up in 2 minutes the first time.
I love buying camping/boating gear from girls… they have grand ideas but flake out so often and need to sell their gear cheap. Got a couple kayaks that way. btw, this tent rolls to 2" x 10" and weighs less than my canteen so fits in a corner of the boat.