Tent

[birdman2003]

Are there any camping aficionados who could direct me to a good 1 or 2 person tent?
I'm going to be motorcycle camping so weight is not as big of an issue as it would be if I was backpacking.

[sol]

Tents are highly personal items, with hundreds of designs that trade off between space and weight and convenience.  Finding what works best for you is probably going to time.  I can guarantee you that my ideal tent and your ideal tent do not look much alike.

Other than not worrying too much about extra weight, can you provide any additional details?  How long will you be using it, in what kind of weather and bug conditions, with how much stuff?  Will there sometimes be two people, or only ever you and you just want the extra space for gear?  Do you want to store your bike in there with you?  Do you just need a place to sleep, or also a place to change clothes and cook dinner and play cards in the rain?  Are you very tall? 

You can find lots of $50 tents at places like walmart but I'd strongly advise against them for anything but the most casual of camping.  A reasonably stout 2 person tent will probably run you about $200 new but will last for a thousand nights if properly cared for, be easier to set up and take down, weigh half as much, and actually keep you dry when it rains.

A place to start:  http://www.rei.com/c/tents

[Mr. Frugalwoods]

REI brand tents generally hold up well.  For your use case I'd just get a basic dome tent.  Maybe get one sized for 3 people just for the extra room.  Since you aren't carrying it on your back you don't need to look for ultra lightweight stuff.

Nice thing about REI is they often have "garage sales" where they sell returned and closeout gear for really cheap.  I'd frequent one of these or keep an eye out on craigslist.  Lots of people get a tent for one trip and then are looking to unload it for cheap.

[MayDay]

We have a simple Coleman tent from Cabelas. Very waterproof, easy to use, etc. But, we use it maybe ten nights a year.  We bought it with the intention of getting a bigger one if we had lots of kids, but so far we still fit. 

Like the PP's said, it depends a lot on how you plan to use it. REI has a good return policy and if you go when they aren't busy, my experience has been that they are happy to answer questions and help you set one up in the store.

[El Limon]

Sports Authority carries a tent I use called Alpine Solitude 1. Its very compact and lightweight; I used it to hike Mt. Whitney. It goes for $35-$40 and you can always find a 20% off coupon for Sports Authority.

[samburger]

My tent strategy is to buy the cheapest one that'll keep me dry in the rain. I lose a tent every 4 years on average to storms (I live & camp in tornado alley), so I don't worry too much about ~investing in a lifetime of camping~.

I think my current Coleman came from Target for like $30.

[Grateful Stache]

I've spent a lot of time in a tent. REI makes good products, so you can't go wrong there. Eureka also makes good, well-designed tents for the money. There are definitely cheap options at Wal-Mart. I've slept in a few Wal-Mart tents and they aren't horrible, but don't expect them to last very long.

[sunnyca]

Sierra Trading Post's website is also a great place for tents. I have a three-man, three-season Marmot tent that I bought for about $150 on sale.  The site generally has overstock and last season's items that you can purchase at a steep discount, and they always have additional coupons and shipping deals. Plus, they have a fantastic return policy. 

A one-man tent is really tiny. I'd at least consider a two-man, if not a three.  I'm a fairly small person (5'0" Asian female) and my tent fits me, my dog, and my gear without much room to spare.

[amha]

I have a North Face Tadpole 23---it's a three-season, two-person tent that I got as a gift five or six years ago. I've taken it on week-long trips in the Sierras, winter camping in the Adirondacks, bike touring... it's great!

http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/sc-gear/tadpole-23-bx.html

[MrsPete]

Lots of good tents are available at budget prices on eBay.  We have a great three room tent that has served our family well for years, and I think it cost about $50 (new) on eBay. 

If you're fine with a one-person shelter and need small size for a motorcycle trip, I'd suggest you consider a bivouac sack instead of a traditional tent. 

[stripey]

I got a Macpac Eclipse second-hand on eBay about ten years ago and it's held up brilliantly. It's 3-season but has coped with a foot of snowfall overnight acceptably well. It's probably on the heavier side nowadays (2.3kg) but I still manage to lug it whilst hiking fine. Macpac cost a bit, but all their gear lasts FOREVER. Or, something approaching forever. The tent is at least fifteen years old and shows no signs of giving up with hard use.

[Mr One Wheel Drive]

Get a tarp to hang over your tent if you are going places with trees that you can attach your tarp to. A cheap way to make rainy days much more enjoyable.

[ohyonghao]

I found an outlet in Portland, OR called Next Adventure which sells blemished (aesthetic) goods.  I got my Eureka two person tent for about $50, and an inflatable mat for maybe $25 (makes a huge difference and rolls up small).  Do get seam sealer and set it up in your living room before using it and seal all the seams just to make sure that it is all water proof.  We have used my tent 3 times so far, the first time in a downpour, and stayed dry each time.

With two people there is a little room (I'm 5'10 and wife is 5'6) for gear at our feet, but by myself it was very nice to have the extra room.  Couldn't stand in the tent myself, not sure if that is something that you require.  It has a nice loop in the middle to hang an LED lantern from which lights up my tent perfectly.  I can't find mine exactly but it looks similar to the Eureka Apex 2.  They couldn't have made the tent any easier to setup.  Aluminum poles which go on plastic hooks on the outside instead of trying to push through sleeves, and one corner is gold which matches up with one on the fly so you can't really go wrong with putting it together.  It's square and about the size of the tarp we use on the ground.

[SDREMNGR]

I see a butt ton of them at the local auction houses that I sometimes go to.  Check out proxibid.com  I find them in San Diego at the Fischer Auctions.  They have a lot of sports equipment.  Really cheap.

http://facauctions.com/

[MountainFlower]

I have a North Face Tadpole 23---it's a three-season, two-person tent that I got as a gift five or six years ago. I've taken it on week-long trips in the Sierras, winter camping in the Adirondacks, bike touring... it's great!

http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/sc-gear/tadpole-23-bx.html

I have a 20+ year old tadpole that is still awesome.  It has never failed in the worst of storms. 

We bought a 6-person kelty tent a few years ago for family car camping.  It is a great tent, but it claimed to already be seam sealed.  Well, their definition of seam sealed and mine must be different because in a crazy downpour, it leaked at the top of the seams.    My recommendation is to  Get some good seam sealer and seal your tent before you use it.  Once we sealed the Kelty, it never leaked again.   We used seam grip, not the cheap stuff. 

[Spudd]

We used a North Face Rock 32 http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/sc-gear/rock-32-bx.html on a month-long bike tour, and it worked fantastically. Highly recommended. It has 2 doors, 2 vestibules, a gear loft, and multiple pockets for storing little things like your headlamp or whatever. For 2 people it's perfect.

[TheFrugalFox]

My two cents:

Unless you planning to do some high altitude, high wind and snow camping, a dome tent gives great internal room as well as being free standing  which makes it quick to set up and easy to position. Mind is a dome with and extra 1/2 pole over the entrances.

If it's for two people, buy a 3 person tent. Occasionally you might be caught in the rain for a couple of days and spending a day or two in a tent with your partner can be quite enjoyable, but you do want some room to move.

Lastly, for hot weather two full doors are great - you can get a bit of air flow (tents can get quite stuffy) as well as you then usually get two storage areas (under the flysheet but outside the inner) - great for dirty pots, smelly shoes and empty boxes of wine. As an added bonus you and your partner can answer any late night calls of nature without waking the other. Tents do get hot and although most can be erected without the flysheet it is still probably best to check - using it as a mosquito net keeps the heat down and the insects out.

Someone did mention Macpac - great tents with a fantastic ground sheet - bet heavier than others though. New Zealand brand found in Europe - not sure about the states. But a good tent last many years - so don't skimp too much. If you going to buy cheap though, buy fibreglass poles. If the break they can be taped up and still work ok. Cheap aluminium cannot be taped up and will often rip the fly when they break.