REI Half Dome SL 2+: Best Tent For The Price? - FULL REVIEW

[@johnhelmuth9718]

I bought it during that 1/2 off sale! Needed a 2-person tent that I would actually share with another camper. Used it once so far this past summer on a short in/out backpacking trip to Twin Lakes, Desolation Wilderness, CA. Will definitely be my go-to shelter when I plan to basecamp for couple days w/ company. When it rained, my 10 year old son and I had plenty of room to hang out and play cards. The tougher floor material and footprint also gave me some peace of mind. Kids can be less mindful and rough. LOL

[@packtravelhike]

The half off sale makes it a steal! Glad you are enjoying it.

[@johnhelmuth9718]

@@packtravelhike it's on the heavier side for backpacking, but I couldn't pass it up at that sale price. Only have one minor negative - rain can land inside the tent when opening the door because there isnt an overhang at the top. If you don't zip the door all the way up, then rain cant fall in. However, it's difficult to get in/out with thst smaller opening with out brushing your back against the wer door. When it stops raining, I can temporarily push the bathtub floor inward while shaking rainwater off from the fly. Still, small amounts of water or drip can get in. I just use a bandana to wipe up that up. My other tents have always had a better overhang.

[@barrowpup]

I've used mine four times and I love it. I am cutting my pack weight in other ways. This will have to be a luxury item for me.

[@packtravelhike]

It’s perfect when you need it.

[@nickslens]

Okay. Fine. "As seen from space" got me. Nicely played. Haha! I bought this tent when it was on sale recently but it's sitting at home and I haven't been home yet! I'll be using it soon! Thanks for the video!

[@packtravelhike]

That joke took longer to animate than I would like to admit 🤣 - You’ll love the tent. Let me know how it goes for you when you take it out.

[@henrypierce8010]

I just bought one today with my yearly 20% off. It meets my anticipated use cases of car camping and weekend hikes. Thanks for the review.

[@packtravelhike]

You won’t regret getting it. Great bang for your buck!

[@XCBen]

Thanks for the review. My wife and I are excited to try this one out. The Sierra Nevada one we had did us well. Time to retire it.

[@packtravelhike]

You’ll love this one! Thanks for watching.

[@homie-gtv322]

My $35 tent from Big 5 Sporting Goods has lasted me 6 years so far. I'm good where I'm at.

[@packtravelhike]

If it works for you, good on ya!

[@obchristo]

REI tents (and all REI gear for that matter) have 1 year warranties with no in-house repair or part replacement options. Compare that to other companies. That should be mentioned in every review of their gear as many people still think they have a comparable warranty to others- which they do not.

[@packtravelhike]

That is true. I will say, that there is a a convenience to walking into an actual store and swapping it out. But if you do have something fail after a year, there are less solutions. Thanks for the comment!

[@edwardenglish6919]

Good value for car camping. At 7" by 20.5" / 4.11 it is too large and heavy for backpacking. I continue to use the original MSR Hubba Hubba but my next tent will be ultra light and packable.

[@packtravelhike]

Sounds like we line up. It would do fine for the occasional one or two night thru-hike split between two people.

[@ryanwilliams2706]

My go to has been the REI flash air 2 love it but I was hoping to get a flash 2 freestanding tent before they discontinued it... So far REI has a quality product and their warranty is fantastic, I challenge any other company to match their service/warranty at that price point.

[@packtravelhike]

They may not be the lightest but they find themselves in a sweet spot for most people.

[@TogtherWeThrive]

Looks good! 👍

[@packtravelhike]

It is!

[@feline-n6b]

would this be a good tent for motorcycle camping

[@packtravelhike]

It doesn’t pack down as small as you would like for motorcycle camping. While more expensive, you may want to look into the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 Bikepack tent. I have a review on my channel of the non bikepack version. Tents tailored specifically to motorcycle camping usually pack smaller or more specific to the need, so I would recommend starting by searching for that.

[@daveman5150]

Can you please help me? There's a clip inside the Rainfly that is exactly like the clips which are attached to the footprint. What is the clip on the rainfly for?

[@packtravelhike]

Are you talking about the ones that secure the rainfly to the tent itself?

[@JobKaper]

Great review, thank you! I'm from the Netherlands. Can you also add European metrics next time?

[@packtravelhike]

Thanks for the kind words. Good suggestion!

[@AB-kg6rk]

thanx😅

[@joshuak9689]

This is pretty funny!

[@packtravelhike]

Thank you! Appreciate you watching.

[@Pipospipo]

deslike for not using kg too

[@packtravelhike]

Making the change going forward!

[@carolinesallings4281]

*promo sm*

[@davidnunnally8782]

Mine ripped on the initial setup. Rainfly tab tore off. Maybe I got a bad one. Overall, the components and fit seem stressed almost to max, too close to breaking, for my comfort. Impressive but stressful. I can handle a little more weight for less stress. Maybe the wrong tent for me.

[@packtravelhike]

Very odd. I’ve never experienced that and I’ve owned multiple ones!