Rei Co-op Half Dome 2 Plus Tent - 2017 Review
REI One-half Dome 2 Plus Overview
Let's be honest — most ii-person backpacking tents look you lot to squeeze in next to each other like sardines in a tin tin. The tent walls threaten your head and feet with condensation if you dare stretch too far, an all-dark battle ensues between y'all and your sleeping buddy over the non-existent neutral zone between your sleeping pads, and if you lot ringlet effectually too much you'll end up pressed against the door mesh where mosquitoes will accept a field day on your face up.
The REI Half Dome 2 Plus eliminates all of those threats with its incredibly spacious interior. Why sleep in conflict when yous can choose to slumber in comfort? With a floor area of roughly 38 anxiety, the Half Dome 2 Plus is nearly x inches longer and six inches wider than most comparable tents. It also happens to come up loaded with numerous interior storage options, every bit well as dual doors and vestibules.
Given its space and ease of use, nosotros've chosen the REI Half Dome 2 Plus tent as our Archetype Option for the Wilderness Backpacker.
REI Half Dome 2 Star Rating
- Sleep Condolement
- Durability
- Ease of Setup
- Space
- Vibe
Summary
The REI Half Dome 2 Plus is a cavernous tent that can legitimately fit two adults, of whatsoever size, which is not true of most other "2P" backpacking tents. It has excellent features like star gazing, venting, and optimized headspace, and is made with high quality materials. It weighs more other tents, only for the space and quality information technology's hard to beat, specially for the price.
REI continues to update this line of tents, so it always has sparkly new materials and thoughtful design. Ditch the tin can for this luxurious tent. You lot're not a fish, you're a hiker! And you deserve to sleep like ane.
Read further to larn more about the super roomy REI Half Dome 2 Plus.
Update: The REI Half Dome 2 Plus line received an update for Spring 2018. Information technology includes a slightly revamped pole architecture for more headroom, more than mesh in the top of the tent for stargazing, and actress internal pockets for storing gear. The pelting fly doors are angled better for easier access, and the fly now has four propped vents in the ceiling, rather than ii. The biggest change is that REI is no longer offer a non- "Plus" size of this tent — the Plus sizes are super pop, and REI has done away with the slimmer version. The Half Dome two Plus (and other person sizes) are offered in some absurd prints, and take a greener manufacturing process equally well. Overall nosotros beloved these changes, and think it builds upon the standout tent we reviewed.
Half Dome 2 Plus Specifications
| Feature Blazon | Characteristic Specs | What This Means |
|---|---|---|
| Packed Weight | five lbs. 7 oz. (2.46 kg) | Fairly heavy for a backpacking tent today. You get a lot of size and condolement for this weight, so we feel information technology'southward worth it for some people. |
| Type | Freestanding | Freestanding tents stand entirely on their ain, meaning they don't need to be staked out for support. Almost tents are freestanding. |
| No. of Doors | 2 | The REI Half Dome 2 Plus has two large doors that open fully. |
| Sleeping Capacity | 2-person plus | Comfortably fits two people of well-nigh whatever size. Most people could likewise fit a domestic dog or child in this tent. It's huge! |
| Seasons | 3-flavour | Best used in Bound, Summer, and Fall. A large mesh acme means it's not the best for winter camping ground or farthermost cold. |
| Packed Size | 21 in. x 7 in. (53 cm x 17.8 cm) | Doesn't pack downward tiny. The length includes the poles, so if y'all pack those elsewhere you can reduce the overall size. |
| Floor Dimensions | 96 in. ten 56 in. (243 cm x 142 cm) | This is a monstrous flooring size. Y'all can fit ii 25-inch pads next and still have room to spare. The actress length means you can store gear, a dog, or a kid inside the tent. |
| Floor Area | 38.1 sqft | The average expanse of a backpacking tent is 30 foursquare feet, give or take. The Half Dome 2 Plus is simply huge. |
| Peak Pinnacle | 42 in. (106.vii cm) | This is an average pinnacle height, which is how high the highest role of the tent is. Not enough room to stand up, but plenty of room to sit crosslegged or on your knees. The design is well lofted, too, then there is a lot of room to sit in the whole tent, not only in the superlative acme. |
| No. of Vestibules | ii | The Half Dome 2 Plus has two full vestibules. They offer weather protection and gear storage, and can exist used to cook meals in poor weather. One of both sides makes for comfortable living. |
| Vestibule Area | 10.2 sqft per vestibule | Average-sized vestibules. Not gigantic, but enough room to store a backpack, hiking boots, and other small items. Plenty room to cook on a small stove if necessary. |
| No. of Poles | 3 | In that location are technically three poles, but the pattern is ane big hub, so all them are connected. This makes assembly very piece of cake, and you won't lose a pole by accident. |
| Pole Material | DAC Pressfit Aluminum | This is standard material for backpacking tent poles. It is not ultralight or high-terminate, but pretty sturdy. |
| No. of Interior Pockets | 8 | At that place are two big ceiling pockets, ii small-scale ceiling pockets, and iv big depression corner pockets. Plenty of storage for ii. |
| Pelting Fly Material | 40D Nylon | The rainfly is pretty sturdy. forty-Denier textile is not the thickest or the thinnest. Average weight and durability. |
| Floor Material | 72D Taffeta Nylon | This is a tough floor. We all the same recommend using a footprint or some sort of basis textile, merely in dirt environments you don't take to worry much about this floor. |
| Mesh/Trunk Textile | 40D ripstop nylon/20D nylon mesh | The tent torso is the same as the wing, only with ripstop material. This means it'due south tougher. Pretty solid, only also non the lightest on the market. |
| Rainfly, Fast Setup? | Fast Setup Possible, Half Dome 2 Plus Footprint ($34.95) | If you buy the footprint by REI you can do a fast setup. You attach the rainfly directly to the footprint and don't use the tent trunk. This gives yous a very large area that can be used for shade, sleeping without mesh, or for setting upwardly the tent in pelting without getting it moisture. |
| Manufacturer Warranty | Limited Lifetime Warranty | REI warranties all of its products confronting manufacturing defects and workmanship problems for their lifetime. This tent is solid, so if something is broken immediately be sure to get in contact. You tin also render the product within one year of buy, no questions asked. |
| Retail Price | $219 | A surprisingly reasonable price for such a large, quality tent. It's hard to get wrong, particularly since REI puts it on sale a few times a year. |
Gear Review of the REI Half Dome 2 Plus
Origins: Easing You In
Mountains and valleys have tremendous impact on the weather, specially the temperature. Any hiker who has walked along a windy alpine ridge and so dropped low into a boiling dale tin can testify that terrain plays a primal role in climate.
That's exactly what I experienced equally I led my father and sister into the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest on their get-go backpacking trip, a journey I partially described in my review of the Kelty Cosmic Downward twenty sleeping bag. That offset nighttime we spent on the ridge was freezing cold, but as we descended into the river valley nosotros were inundated with a muggy rut.
Backpacking in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Woods.
The beauty of the Rogue River was astounding. It was hard to relish, though, as my sister was hit hard by a bout of heat exhaustion early in the twenty-four hours. We pulled off trail around apex and hung out along the absurd river h2o. Rafts and jet boats passed by, their occupants waving at the states while nosotros soaked our anxiety and ate lunch.
My sister struggled to cool off, so we decided to phone call it a short mean solar day. Afterwards a long break in the shade we fabricated it a few more miles downriver to where we set upward military camp under a canopy of alder and oak copse. Dad and I pitched the One-half Dome ii Plus for my sister to use. She rested in the shade for the remainder of the mean solar day with the Dome'southward vents fully open for the evening'south cakewalk.
The Half Dome ii Plus fully assembled.
Revelation: The Moment I Knew
That night I shared the Half Dome 2 Plus with my sister. She had recovered from the worst of the heat exhaustion, but it was a warm night likewise. We rolled back the rain cover so that nosotros could cool down as much as possible. This was perfect. It kept usa cool and allowed us to stargaze — the Half Dome ii Plus' rainfly rolls back specifically for night heaven viewing. But mostly it was perfect for laughing at the bloodthirsty mosquitoes that desperately clung to the mesh ceiling of the tent.
The rainfly on the Half Dome 2 Plus rolls back conveniently for stargazing. The mesh walls allow yous to stare at the night sky while keeping the bugs away.
Having a door and anteroom on both sides of the tent was convenient, allowing each of u.s. to shop our backpacks and smelly shoes far away from one another, notwithstanding shut at manus incase nosotros needed to take hold of something in the middle of the dark.
The big vestibules don't merely look good — they store backpacks, shoes, and anything else you lot need. Highly functional.
The large interior storage pockets kept our iPhones and other vital necessities within arm'due south attain.
There are eight pockets overall, both on the ceiling and near the floor. Tons of storage on the inside as well.
These features combined with the amount of space inside the tent left me feeling like I was sleeping in the lap of luxury. That's what this tent is: luxury without the high price tag. It'southward like I was in my own comfortably cool bedroom at home with the stars of the night's sky shining through the roof.
Excavation Deeper
I was so content that I didn't care when I was woken in the center of the night by a beast that pounded at the metal bear box merely up the hill. And so what if all of our food was in there? It was a locked deport box. Everything was going to be merely fine.
In the morning I constitute there wasn't a scrap of nutrient left to call my own. The comport had pushed the box off its foundation and broken open up the door, leaving but its calling card behind— a fresh pile of blackberry-filled scat.
When a deport gets your food…
Luckily the beast never disturbed our camp and a friendly group of rafters nearby cooked us breakfast after hearing our woes.
The sturdy structure and durable walls of the Half Dome two Plus may not take been able to concord back the bold conduct if she decided to come over to say hello, merely for a backpacking tent this thing felt similar a castle. The massive flooring space spreads to 96 x 56 inches, which is almost broad plenty to fit a third sleeping pad (if they are all xx inches wide), and with 42 inches of height there'south plenty of sitting room.
The interior of this tent is massive.
The removable rainfly makes this a double wall tent, meaning that it will exist better at protecting you from the elements than unmarried wall alternatives. The fly too comes in a variety of colors so y'all tin add a little bit of your own pizzazz to the wilderness.
The REI Half Dome ii Plus with, and without, the pelting fly. REI offers dissimilar color rainflys, which you can cull at purchase.
When nosotros broke military camp I piled the polls in a bundle and rolled up the tent, sliding all of it into the slightly oversized stuff sack with ease. The whole packet packed abroad efficiently and strapped down tight for piece of cake conveying.
Back at home, the One-half Dome ii Plus laid out. Y'all can pack the poles separately if you desire a smaller overall package.
Sleep Condolement[icon type="star"][icon blazon="star"][icon type="star"][icon blazon="star"][icon type="star"]
The ventilation options are through the roof (literally). I loved the roll-back feature of the rainfly, which was ideal for a warm night nether the stars. Most tents make yous take off the rainfly entirely to view the stars through mesh, but the Half Dome 2 Plus allows you lot to roll it back halfway and so you can see the dark sky without having to completely remove your rain protection.
View from inside the Half Dome 2 Plus. Lots of mesh, first-class ventilation, and plenty of room all make for comfortable sleep.
The excess floor infinite allowed me to keep off the tent walls without invading my sister's personal bubble, leading to a comfy night for the both of us.
Durability[icon blazon="star"][icon type="star"][icon type="star"][icon type="star"][icon type="star-empty"]
The nylon fabric and DAC aluminum poles seem like they would hold up for a adept while with regular use, equally would the thicker floor material. Everything else from the stakes to the guy lines are standard and solid.
The poles, hooks, body, fly, and mesh of the tent are all solid. They aren't the highest end materials, but they are durable and built with functionality in mind.
Cipher stands out equally subpar, merely zero is over-the-pinnacle either — well, except for the rainfly, that uh…goes over the acme of the tent I suppose.
Ease of Setup[icon type="star"][icon type="star"][icon type="star"][icon type="star"][icon type="star"]
I had never used a hub-centric pole system before, so I was confused at offset. After a few moments of playing with it I figured out the trick (get me!). No excessive exertion was needed, every slice of the puzzle fit correct where information technology was supposed to. It's freestanding, so yous don't demand to stake it downward or tie it up with guy lines, but the options are at that place if you lot need them.
The hubbed pole system of the Half Dome 2 Plus. Connect the joints together, lay them over the tent, and in moments yous'll have the thing continuing all by itself.
I was able to put it together on my own in no time flat. At commencement, the positioning of the rainfly wasn't clear, though once I located the peak'due south grommets it all fell into identify.
At that place are even tensioners at the corners to brand the tent as taut as possible. This helps to go the full book of the tent, and to secure information technology in wind.
Infinite[icon blazon="star"][icon type="star"][icon type="star"][icon type="star"][icon type="star"]
If you're still wondering about space, you lot oasis't been paying enough attention! My sis and I — two adult humans in the five'10 range — fit more than comfortably in the tent. Tossing in a small child or domestic dog wouldn't have been much of a bother. The Half Dome ii Plus actually is "ii Plus."
Vibe[icon blazon="star"][icon type="star"][icon type="star"][icon type="star"][icon blazon="star"]
As a dwelling, the Half Dome ii Plus is the platonic wilderness living space as far equally I'm concerned. It has equally many ventilation options every bit an organ has pipes, as much lounging space as your best friend's couch, and better storage than your high schoolhouse locker.
Grievances
The wilderness luxury you're getting with this babe has to come up at a cost, correct? Well, the toll (a cool $220 at total retail) isn't bad, so what's the catch?
The packed weight and size.
The REI Half Dome two Plus is 5 pounds vii ounces, and 21 x vii inches packed (as shown in this picture). That's non exactly pocket-sized or light. You'll accept to make room for this in your backpack, and y'all will experience it.
Weight and size are all relative. I wouldn't say the REI Half Dome two weight and size are excessive for what you're getting, but realistically such a spacious tent means it'southward large and heavy. And you lot have to strap information technology to your backpack. Then bear it for a while. At five pounds seven ounces you're going to feel information technology.
It's a matter of give and take: farthermost comfort at camp ways putting more weight on your back than yous might normally do. The reality is, though, that the Half Dome 2 Plus is but a couple of pounds heavier than about ultralight ii-person backpacking tents.
And for those of y'all upgrading from a tent that'due south 5 years former (or more), yous'll probably notice that the Half Dome ii Plus is actually lighter than what yous have, and has style more than space. Not anybody, of course, but the tent game has really lightened upwards in the concluding few years.
For a weekend backpacking trip (or even car camping ground) this tent is worth its weight in golden. Not literally golden, that would exist style likewise heavy. I know people who have taken the Half Dome 2 Plus tent on massively long backpacking trips — I wouldn't recommend doing that. For extended thru-hikes I'd opt for something lighter, but for the more casual user, this tent but makes sense.
Terminal Word
The REI Half Dome 2 Plus is a two-person backpacking tent fit for a King and Queen and their corgi. Slumber similar a royal family out on the trail in a well-designed infinite filled with arable features and comforts. Now if only you could get a guard or servant to carry it for you.
Where to Purchase REI Half Dome 2 Plus
Nosotros tested the 2022 model of the REI One-half Dome ii Plus. This model has a "stargaze" mode where y'all roll back the rainfly to look at the night sky and unlike colored rainflys that y'all can option at buy.
The 2022 model has some upgrades from the 2022 model, and overall we think the tent is even better. You can find the 2022 version, the 2022 version, and the 2022 version with a unique print below.
Review Policy: We do not take payments or gifts from brands and vendors, and strive to provide unbiased, independent communication. Brands typically provide review samples which we return, and in some cases we buy the item and so nosotros can go on using it long afterward the review. Affiliate Policy: Nosotros support the hours that go into our reviews and testing through chapter commissions on purchases made through links in this article. These don't upshot the outcome of our reviews or selection of gear, as per our Review Policy.
Source: https://backpackers.com/outdoor-gear/reviews/rei-half-dome-2-plus-review/
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