Big Agnes Seedhouse SL 2 Person Tent - 2011

I spent years trying to find an ideal tent for my hiking adventures. Ive been camping since i was a kid and it countinued on into adulthood. As a young adult I started my hiking trips for more adventure. Things that you want to keep in mind on your long overnight trips might not come to mind at first.My first issue was shape when packed. My first hiking adventure I ended up bringing a pop up tent that was the shaoe of a large flat circle. It was light and was easy to set up. The only problem was that in tight spaces on a trail it would get snagged. It was also awkward to attach to my pack since it was too large t fin in my pack.Next tent was a single person super small tent. It weighed almost nothing and only used 1 pole. Sounds great until you realize that you can barely get stakes into the ground in some parts of the AT trail. I could not set it up properly and it was flimsy and smaller on its already tiny interior. I had to slide my feet in first so i could make sure I could get back out. Not only that it was not meshed and did not have a separate rain fly. It built up so much moisture on the inside on the cool nights that my body would rub against the moist sides. It was avery uncomfortable tent.My following tent was bigger, but still small. It was in the shape of a square. It was easy to put up and still light. The only problem with this is I has to sleep at a diagonal inside of it. It had just enough room, but my feet would touch the sides. I was on the right path, but still not there yet.Finally I bit the bullet and spent the money on the Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2. It was light, and self standing. It says it is meant for 2 people, but it is comfortable for 1 full size man. You can fit 2 people in the tent just for sleeping purposes, but you might want them to be your significant lover with the close quarters. I could fit 2 Thermarest sleeping pads side by side inside or just 1 and have room for my pack.It's rained and I have had no issues with water getting. I recently bought the loose fitting footprint because I managed to put my tent on an unseen thorn and poked a small hole in the bottom. No lightweight tent could have prevented that from coming through.

Have had the tent for a couple of hiking seasons so far and, over all, have been happy with the purchase.It's very light and extremely easy to take up and down, and also packs down very compactly. The material is lightweight but so far seems very durable. Small, but actually big enough for two people and a dog - could be a little taller, though.The two biggest problems are that the vestibule space is poorly designed - it's very small and zipping/unzipping the rainfly can be cumbersome. I've also noticed that it does get condensation - not sure how well it compares to other tents, but I wouldn't feel comfortable using a down bag in here during a rain storm.On the whole, I would definitely recommend this tent and, based on its performance, other Big Agnes tents as well.

I bought this product for a thru hike of the AT. It is crazy-light, and with a tiny puff of wind, it could be swept away if it is not staked to the ground. The tent sets up fabulously easy. The material is super light and thin, but very durable.

I've only had the SL2 out about 30 times or so but it's been in enough weather that I can formulate an opinion.Love. This. Tent.Pros:Set up is very quick and intuitive with fast pitch optionsConstruction is high-qualityVery light for what it offersFlexibility with the fly to allow minimal or maximum ventilation in accordance with the weatherNo issues of condensation to date. Has handled snow and rain very well.Excellent lightweight aluminum J stakes (11) and plenty of reflective guy lines.Solid in big wind.Freestanding with Jakes FeetPacks super small.Cons:The packed weight is under 3 lbs. for a reason. So while it's not really a 'con' you do need to treat the floor with some care to avoid punctures. I don't carry a footprint so a surface (relatively) free from rocks is sort of a must. I also make it a point to only come in to contact with my sleeping pad when I'm in the tent.Vestibule is decent sized, certainly enough for a pack and boots, but the angle makes it a little difficult to get to the zipper. I haven't cooked in it during weather and might be a little hesitant to do so.Also, this is one of those 2P tents that I couldn't imagine two people using comfortably. I use it as my solo tent because I like the extra room. It's perfect for that. I'd look towards the 3P model if you'll be camping with a partner.BA is pricey but, as it is with some gear purchases, you get what you pay for.

I took this tent on a backpacking trip and was looking for something very light weight. This was highly recommended among the tent recommendation websites so I went with it. upon opening the package I was very impressed with how small and light weight the tent was.Well it all made sense once I set the tent up. My buddy I was with had the same objectives as me and went with a north face tent. As soon as we got the tents set up I felt disappointed at how flimsy this tent was compared to the northface.I questioned the tents ability to hold water - now I know why it was so light.We'll that night it got very cold, and it rained pretty good. I woke up a couple times during the night and was very surprised at how dry I stayed. The tent seemed to do its job.Couple camp sites later I set the tent up in some windy conditions. The seem on the tent ripped. I guess I kind of expected the durability to be a cost of the light weight structure. I returned the tent and got a full refund. (Thanks amazon)If you want a light weight tent that will do the job - this works. If you are going to have snowball fights with your friends in their tent - this will break.The choice is yours.

light weight, easy to assemble and has sufficient volume. Actually slept three in tent but quite cramped.

I purchased my BA Seedhouse SL2 from HumbleOutdoors for about $305, it came with a free footprint.At just 2lbs 10oz the new Seedhouse SL2 has sure been put on a diet.

I love this tent. I've worked in an outdoor gear shop for a couple of years and have hiked the entire AT and this is by far the best tent I've ever had.

There's a reason you see this sameBig Agnes design year after year:It's because this tent is damn near perfect,and there's really nothing to improve.