REI Co-op - Half Dome 2 Plus Tent

On our first use it rained, and white it kept us dry as far as no leaks, the way the rain fly and doors are set up, you very easily bring water that was on the rain flap in with you. Also, the rain fly became discolored the first night. I have attached pictures, it was sorty of rusty looking when wet, and now sort of a dull brown compared to the gray it should be. We were not under any trees and were with a group of 3 other tents and none of them had issues, so it was not due to the environment. This tent has entrances on both sides of the tent, which is night for people who get up in the middle of the night, you don't have to crawl over/around the other camper. On the flip side I think that makes it colder, two doors with an opening between them and the rain fly.

My dog and I went out on our first backpacking trip this weekend with the REI Co-op Half Dome 2 Plus Tent. The weather can change in literally an instant in the Roan Highlands. We went from perfectly calm, clear, Carolina blue skies to a beautiful sunset, to watching a storm coming in, to a heavy thunderstorm with CRAZY winds, to calm and quiet, and a beautiful, clear sunrise. I am giving a HUGE thumbs up to the #REI Co-op Half Dome 2 plus tent. There were times I thought I was going to be the new “Dorothy” but it held up perfectly and without a drop of rain inside. Awesome tent!

Now that the kids are older we’re moving from car camping to backpacking. This tent was our first big step. I’m used to our giant Hobitat 6 tent for car camping, which is great, but it’s always an ordeal to put up. We put the half dome up in 5 minutes. Five. Also, we got a good storm last night and not a drop made it inside the tent or the vestibules. The DAC poles held up great in the wind. Plus, of course, I always dread rain before breaking camp. It was not a problem at all. Quick shake out and we were good to go. I’m buying another one before our next trip and leaving our big six person at home.

Great tent for car camping. Ive owned dozens of tents, from large car campers to ultralight backpacking tents. This tent is great to setup. My only issue was the 11 snags in the bug mesh netting. As others have said, tent pole is weird to stoy away, and tent doesn't come with enough stakes for proper guyout setup in wind.

I was excited to get this tent, a replacement for my old faithful 20-year-old REI backpacking tent. It has a lot of nice features my old tent didn't (like working zippers). 'Lots of space, storage, ties... But I am very disappointed. It's quite a bit heavier than advertised. It has a setup area way too big for what it is - you'll never find this much space in the backcountry. It doesn't come with enough stakes to properly guy. And the materials are my biggest disappointment - way less quality than my older tent. One night out, and I have three holes in the netting, and the floor seam tape is peeling. I should have spent the money to replace my old zippers.

I just purchased the REI Half Dome 2 plus tent for my boys. We went on a Boy Scout trip and found the tent to be a bit heavy and large but it was as specified in the description. The test was very easy to set up for my 12 year old boys. I did notice that there were not enough stakes provided to properly set up the tent and rain cover. It did rain all night and we stayed dry. Some water came in via the vents on each end (where the zippered entries are) but I think that came in via the mesh vents not the tent fabric itself. Not sure if we set something up incorrectly or what. So overall pretty happy.

Overall, a good tent. Not too heavy, substantial and good in the rain. But at the bottom of the grand canyon, we had wind. DIdn't have anything to measure it, but my guess would be between 30 and 40 knots. The side of the tent caved to the wind. I had to use a rope to tie one end to a tree to keep it stable. I'll be taking it back, or at least talking to REI about why it happened. Other than that, easy to put up and roomy for two.

Ridge pole joint plastic snapped in a minor storm, rendering the tent unusable. REI does not replace tentpoles.

While I do not personally own this tent, my backpacking partner and I have always used his during our multi-day backpacking trips. It fared extremely well in the Elwha Rainforest in Olympic National Park, and that's saying something. With almost constant rainfall for nearly five days, this tent kept us dry and warm in the Washington backcountry. While it is not the lightest tent on the market, for two guys under 6 feet tall it was plenty spacious.

I have read about some people liking the old system better, but try this out with the new system pole. Take the the middle section in your hand and hold it up high parallel with the ground. All the other sections magically lock into place. then connect each section into the middle and you have the complete pole system together and ready to connect to your footprint. This takes less than 10 seconds and is free standing to attach the tent and fly. When collapsing, hold the middle section and fold each section onto itself (not crossing the middle). This makes for the tightest fold for getting in or on your pack. Love it!

I just got home from my first outing with this tent and must say I'm impressed. My last HalfDome 2 Plus was by far the best tent I've ever owned. It was a trusty shelter for 10 seasons of extensive use from the Redwoods of North California to the Oregon and Washington Cascades, snow camping in Yellowstone, a few nights in the Rockies, Eastern Tennessee and North Carolina. It was a sad day when it finally met its demise in an extreme gale on a remote island in the Berry Island chain in the Bahamas (that I had no business trying to camp through...). It was light, rugged, easy to set up, never leaked and was roomy enough for some long rainy days of Fall Camping in the Pacific Northwest.

Hi everyone... Johnny here. I have used this tent over the last five years and have decided it is the best all around tent on the market The quality of this tent is top notch. The two doors and vestibules are very convenient, with ample gear lofts and quick and easy set up. Check out my full review on youtube @ Bound for Adventure. Remember, everything is better when you're bound for adventure.

I gave my son my Limelight and I thought this tent would be a reasonable lateral move or a step up.

I am pleased to report on the stormproof capability of the Half Dome 2 plus. Last weekend a group of 5 tents camped for two nights in North GA. Both nights we experienced heavy thundershowers. Moreover, the first night’s storm was coupled with high winds so strong that it broke the legs of a picnic canopy we had staked out. Gusts of wind would hit my tent so hard that the shock corded poles would momentarily bow in and press down on my sleeping bag, but immediately return to their proper position after each gust subsided. We thought that maybe a tornado had been nearby. Come morning everyone else’s tent had experienced leaks or puddling. Not my Half-Dome 2 plus! I was bone dry!

We spent three nights in the Pecos Wilderness bear More Flats in northern New Mexico last July with a group of 10-12 people. It rained every night and a few times each day (as expected in July). My sister-in-law gave up on hammock sleeping after the first night and ended up bunking with me (my daughter wanted to swap anyway); we’re both a little “fluffier” than we used to be. We fit very comfortably together in this tent along with all of the extra clothing she, I and our two daughters brought (mainly socks and jackets, we do pack ultralight for backpacking trips). Everything fit with a little room to spare. The dual-entry was really nice, especially in the middle of the night when nature calls. (Think: two post-preganancy gals with tiny bladders...) The rain flaps over each entry also provided a great space to store several pairs of boots on each side. This was a lifesaver as some of the others in our group, and their gear, were soaked the first night. They took advantage of the mid afternoon sun and were able to dry out their sleeping bags and clothes; but, the second night anything extra went under our rain fly. Highly recommend this tent...

Bought this for a week long canoe trip with my son and his scout troop, wanted a little extra space w/o a huge weight penalty. Lots of great features (venting, mesh pockets, vestibule door space and openings) in what has been a durable and highly functional package. Tent performed very well in our 1 night test outing and the 7 night trip itself. Son will use with his boy scout buddies going forward. Highly recommended.

I used this tent on a backpacking trip this past weekend. It was easy to set up, take down, and repack. I was by myself and had it set up in less then 10 minutes. The tent offered me plenty of room to include my 50L pack. If I had a second person with me there still would of been plenty of room. The zippered doors on each side made for a nice feature. Not only does it allow each person their own exit and entrance, it provided good air circulation relative to the breeze. I will enjoy this tent for many of years.

The Half Dome 2 Plus tent is a great tent for two people. It's design increases the interior space because of the almost perpendicular walls and the two doors and two spacious vestibules that lets each tent mate have space for organizing their gear and entering or exiting the tent without disturbing the other person. Set up is relatively easy though one might want to practice working the poles before being rushed by a rainstorm in the process. Four corner mesh pockets low and two high are helpful for storing small items and the special mesh pockets for storing the doors when they are open keep them completely out of the way. The vents were easy to open and seal from outside, though the cold temperature of my two nights at the shore made it impossible for me to judge their effectiveness. Rain showers that came and went did not get any water into the tent and I would anticipate that it would be secure in most kinds of weather. It is an excellent tent for two campers, but if you are a solo camper like I was on my trip it has great space and utility for you. I also bought the optional ground cloth for the tent and it was easy to pitch with it and fit it well.

I've had the last two versions of this tent. I had to exchange the 2017 version because one of the poles split. It looks like they've fixed that problem and made a few other improvements. The tent has the same footprint, but more interior space to move around in...and, yet is slightly lighter than the previous version. They claim a "trail weight" of 4lbs. 14oz. Packed with all its stakes and guylines, and sacks, it comes in at 5.3lbs, which is about .25lbs lighter than the previous version (and more than a full pound lighter than the versions before that!). The vestibules have more space again. I say "again" because they had gotten a little smaller in 2017 to make them run off rain better. The vestibule zippers off to the side instead of down the middle is a huge improvement. Those are the big changes, but there are a few other little touches, which if you've had previous versions of this tent you'll appreciate. The corners of the fly now snap into buckles rather than having to share the tent poles. There are finger loops for the eyelets at the top of the tent and fly which were very difficult to get a hold of before. And the double guylines on each side of each vestibule door is a nice upgrade.

I had the opportunity to test this tent out for the past week and I'm in love. I must admit that I've always been hesitant to use a two person tent. Mainly, I feared that the tent would be too small for comfort and I'd be sleeping next to my tent-mate like sardines in a can. I was so wrong about this assumption and I can honestly say that the Half Dome 2 Plus is going to be my go-to 3-season tent from now on.

I was very impressed with this tent. Very light weight and packable. Spacious for one or two people. I like the extra head or foot room for storage. This really held up well to wind. I am in Texas and the wind can get very strong and this tent didnt budge. I saw a lot of other tents that day flying around the campground.

So I grew up with a half dome 2, had it since I was in the fourth grade and used it until last year (04-17 half dome 2 was great and after it wore out I replaced it with the two plus. And in not even a whole year of use roughly 30 nights in the tent in 12 months and already the bungie has completely worn out on the poles. Which is pretty frustrating. This makes set up a pain in the butt, because I’m having to try and shove the elastic cord back inside the poles every time I set up the tent.

We recently purchased this tent and footpad for my daughter to go on a scout backpacking weekend trip. The temperature dropped on Saturday and it started snowing heavy wet flakes...in April. Her tent was one of the few in her campsite that had not collapsed under the weight of the snow and was perfectly dry on the inside. The tent dried out quickly and we were able to roll it up again in the bag that afternoon. We are looking to buy another one for my husband and me.

I bought this tent to have for my backpacking trips. Everything is good. However on the mesh parts of the tent, i counted 14 snags in the mesh. Thats 14 spots itll rip a hole if its pilled a little too tight. 14 spots that could allow for the bugs to come in! Spending $230 i would hope for not 14 snags.

Bought this tent almost three years ago and we never had a chance to use it due to time conflicts and my wife's significant health issues. My wife finally was able to use it to go on a hiking trip on the North Country Trail and she was looking forward to using it for the first time. On the first night, the cords were not tightened properly and one of the poles was cracked at the end. We had to use a stake to keep the poles somewhat attached to the plastic Y retainer. We will never buy another REI produced tent due to poor quality. So now we are stuck with a tent that is useless despite it being brand-new. To add to this review and to give you an idea of how poor quality this tent is, we've had an older Sierra Designs tent that withstood about 10 years of abuse, a puppy, hundreds of storms and mishaps. The Sierra Designs tent still stood strong and proudly .

I was quite happy with my Half Dome tent until one of the pole ends split and then crimped in two years of normal/proper use. The splint won't help for this kind of failure and REI doesn't make replacement poles, so the tent is essentially useless. After the one year warranty period has passed, REI won't help you. Unless you want to take your chances on a poor quality tent with a short lifespan, I recommend you look elsewhere.

Very nice tent for size, weight, utility. However it leaked at the top from the first time we used it. It was ok in a drizzle for a while if you kept things away from the leak, but eventually things started to get wet and we had to suspend a sheet of plastic over it. By the time I got around to doing anything about it we were past the return date, so I have been trying to repair the fly with several products. Most recently my daughter took it with her on a school camping trip. She slept with a friend in our new Nemo 2 hiking tent, while two others were in the Half Dome 2. When it rained all night, all four girls ended up in the tiny Nemo, which managed to stay dry surprisingly

Amazing tent. I have used it on 2 backpacking trips in the Smoky Mountains so far. On the first trip, it thunderstormed for the entire 2 days. We were kept completely dry for the entire duration of the storms.

So easy to set up and sooo much room for my dog and I! By the way I bought the Seattle Mist thinking it was white and burgundy but it’s actually grey and burgundy. And the burgundy has sort of a plum tint. It’s beautiful! I almost didn’t get t because I thought white would get too dirty, flipped a coin because I couldn’t decide. But the grey is beautiful!

Bought this tent in December when I was getting ready to reserve my summer camping trips. Out previous tent lasted from 1979 until last year and so we needed something for that once a year, annual car camping trip. This had lots of great reviews and when I played around in the display it was a great size for a single person who would be going with the family. Regrettably when I tried it out as soon I got home the poles were too long for the rain fly. Still looking on the hunt for a similar bargain of cost meets size. Hopefully, it works better for you than it did for me because there so many more positives but the function of one piece forced the return.

Bought this as a Black Friday deal to upsize my current “2-person” tent after reading through other reviews. I wanted a roomier tent and this is the perfect size for two people (one 6’ 4”) and it’s stayed dry in wet climates. Only downside is I didn’t think it was as warm as my previous tent, but not a deal breaker. Easy set up, solid 4 out of 5, will camp again.

The tent is designed well but Quality Control is lacking. I returned it and checked 5 others in the store-all had snagged mesh. Beware and check before you buy.

The Half Dome 2+ is a versatile tent that is at home on car camping trips and shorter backpacking adventures. Setup is quick and intuitive. The hub pole system is easy to put together and eliminates the worry of losing pole segments.

Overall, definitely satisfied with the tent. The pole system is intuitive and easy to setup, allowing a spacious interior. Haven’t gotten to sleep 2 + the pup yet but it feels like enough space. Only issue I had - it comes with 8 stakes but requires 10 to make both sides tight.

The set up is so easy with this tent. I have gone on 4 camping trips in it so far and it is great. I can get it put together with rain fly in less than 10 minutes. It stays fairly warm with the rain fly in the cool weather, especially with the body heat of two people. There is tons of airflow without the rain fly for warmer temperatures. I was worried about stories I had heard of 2 person tents not being roomy enough which is why I opted for the 2 Plus. There is so much room. I wouldn't trade it in, but it is so roomy I feel confident that a traditional model would have been fine for me. I have camped in forest and beach settings, campground and backpacking sites, with and without rain and have not felt lost without an additional footprint or tarp underneath. I like that there are doors on both sides and lots of pockets sewn into the interior. If I could do anything, I would make it lighter, but that's the trade for so much space.

I use a lot of tents and go hiking for weeks at a time. I was excited to upgrade to a half dome 2 from a 1 person tent but it BROKE after the second use. The cross bar broke rendering the tent useless. Really bad design of the internal structure. Will be very weary of buying REI branded products again.

For the most part, I'm loving this tent. The roof vents seem to do a way much better job at ventilating the tent than any of my Big Agnes tents. And while the tent kept us dry during a rain storm, I've got a few concerns regarding rain: 1. While it was raining, I could every now and then feel a spray of water hitting us. Not sure if it was splash on the rain fly entering the ventilation holes or what. 2. The rain fly collects pools of water. Fortunately, it's not very much, but I don't know if I had left it alone if the water would have eventually soaked through the rain fly or not. On the side of the rain fly with the words "REI Co-op", the water was pooling just above the seams that are located at the same height as the vents at the top of the tent.

I bought this as my first nice backpacking tent rather than a wally world special. I really love the tent, it's roomy, great quality, large vestibules, easy to get into and setup. Really the only thing I don't like about it is the pole style. I didn't know what a hub was before buying and didn't think to research it, but all the poles are one giant folding and handful of poles and it's awkward to set up and hard for my little hands to hold all the poles in one go as I try to collapse them. It sets up easy, yes, but that's really my only complaint. I love all the color options and how the tent is laid out, very nice.

This tent is not good in high winds, at all. Especially when the wind comes from the side. I spent a night a few weeks ago in the tent during a severe thunderstorm with high winds and I had to hold the tent up or it would have collapsed. What made it worse was while I was holding the tent up those stupid vents in the rain fly were spread open by the wind and water poured in the tent. So I had to alternate between holding the tent up and trying to keep those vents closed.

In setting up this tent the first time the center pole broke and we needed to replace it. The shock cords also seemed over stretched and in some places thin.

My last tent (not an REI) lasted 25 years. I replaced it because it wasn't waterproof any longer. The shock cords in the poles never stretched or wore out. Now, after barely 2 years, the REI shock cords have completely lost their stretch. I had to carefully push the cord into the pole in order to set up the tent. REI would not replace the shock cord. I had to purchase it. Completely unacceptable!

I have been looking at this tent now for a month, finally went ahead and bought it along with the footprint. I set it up today at my house. I am 6'7 205 pounds. This tent fit me well with room to spare by my head and feet. the vertical walls are a nice touch and makes the tent feel more roomy. Plenty of storage pockets. Way more than I need. Love the all around mesh for star gazing. Only big complaint is the pole system. I do not care for it at all. Apparently there were issues with the 2017 half dome 2 plus poles splitting, but from what I have read REI has fixed the issue with better materials. I just think it is very awkward to set up and especially annoying to fold correctly to put away in pole bag. I do keep in mind that this is my first time doing it and it may take some getting used to, but still I rather have a 2 or 3 separate pole system.

Ive had this tent and loved it for 3 years but the quality is not great. the elastic in my poles needs to be replaced and the plastic has snapped in the pole attachment part. It would be very easy for REI to sell replacement poles seeing as this such a popular tent, but they have gotten rid of this option. This seems unreasonable and not environmentally sustainable.

This is the second version of this tent I have owned. The first lasted 12 years before needing to be replaced. The newest design is a big improvement with a roomy interior and simple features to make the tent more useful like lots of pockets, door ties, and a stake-out to allow one-handed zipper operation of the fly. The tent is unsurprisingly bulky, relatively heavy and best for car camping or splitting between two backpacks.

Nicely made tent...if my spouse were not 6'4' it would b great. I set it up in the living room, so he could check it out...he went in an immediately lay down angled to take up the whole floor, and proclaimed, " this is great!". Not great for me as I would have to be squished in a corner. It went back. We will need a 3 plus size. The sales guy at our local store was great, very knowlegible. The floor size of this is about 5 inches shorter in width and length as it says, when you actually set it up.

The Half Dome 2+ replaced our half dome from 15 years ago... Love the set up, love the space, much better than the older tent, love the door/vestibule arrangement. But we didn't love that we were much colder in mid 30's temps this weekend. Is it due to more mesh walls? We also have a new sleeping bag set up but we weren't as cold last fall in our old tent. Go figure. We may need to re-think which tent we take if temps go lower than 40... we'll see.

Our Venture Crew has used these now for about 6 years as a camping/backpacking tent. With small people you can squeeze in 3. Very roomy for 2. Our version was about 6 lbs. It has withstood at least 80 nights/days of use (one weekend a month with one to two week summer adventures). It is very easy to set up. Withstood several heavy downpours including a 2-inch-per-hour torrent in Kentucky. I cannot think of any negative aspect for this tent.

I bought this tent to go camping with my son in Big Bend. I needed something small enough to pack but large enough for two tall people to be comfortable in. It was nightfall by the end of our 3 mile hike to our camp site. I was able to set up everything for the first time in the dark. The tent is compact enough for hiking, roomy enough to enjoy being inside, and durable enough to take in rugged terrain. Simple set up and tear down was great! Dual side screens means no crawling over someone. We used the pop-up vents to keep condensation from building up. The tent is a good value for the price!

I have used this tent in Death Valley, Alaska, Colorado, etc. in snow and even torrential rain at the AT Trail Days. It is still like new. Set up is easy, even in the dark. Take your time and make sure the poles are connected properly and you won't have trouble with the ends splitting. Tons of pockets and vestibules are plenty big. Using just the fly as a minimalist option is great for spike camps during elk hunting season.

This is my second Half Dome 2 Plus. The first one was the best tent I ever had and had it almost 10 years. Bought the 2019 version to replace it. Well, it's shorter than the last version by a few inches. More mesh, more pockets, some nicer things...but the POLES!!!! Who the heck designed such a spider-webbed mess??!! Sure they are easy to set up.....but getting them back to where they can be packed away is impossible. I may return the tent and try something else. I've found zero instructions on how to refold them back up after use and have tried a million different combinations only to end up with a handful of a mess of poles that will never fit back in the bag with the tent. Sorry REI, but the poles need a redesign and they need to be split into separate poles...the whole hub thing for the whole tent is a mess and no amount of origami brilliance is going to fix that...

I first slept out in the 2017 version and then the 2018 one. Both were perfect for what we needed. Lightweight, easy to assemble and pack. We used them in warm weather with no rain or wind. Love the zippers on each side for ease of entering and exiting. I am going to buy another one this year so more of my family can come along.

Excellent tent, here it is in Mutawintji National Park. A roomier and more robust (not to say more colorful) cousin of the quarter-dome I have used for many years and now passed on to my daughter. What a shame that we will no longer be able to get spares for our tents following REI’s decision not to despatch to Australia.

Summary: This tent is packed with innovative stuff like a dual entrance construction, tear drop mesh doors and extendable rainfly stake loops. Everything seems to work really well and be of really high quality but it feels over designed for car camping and not backpacking. The main reasons are it has a very large footprint and its really heavy for a three season tent. It is only a half pound less than my Arete ASL 2 which I can take mountaineering. 
If REI got the weight and volume down I would hands down buy this tent over a competitor like Big Agnes for the sole reason that the zips on REI tents work really well and I can close them fast in rain or mosquitos. Compared to Big Agnes where I have to always use two hands intently to open and close anything.

I liked the tent, went up easy and had lots of shoulder room. Set up tent in wind and rain. Need about twice many stakes as comes with tent to tie down securely in wind, provided extra guy lines helped.

This tent is amazing for the value. Overnight hiked in Cloudland Canyon during thunderstorms. Light condensation inside but didn't get wet at all compared to others we were with. Rainfly easy to setup. Recommend getting additional stakes - need 10 but comes with 8 - MSR groundhogs is what we got. Does not come with footprint. Poles are one piece - so a little difficult to pack.

I bought this after borrowing a friend’s half dome tent during a Boy Scout campout. It is so easy and fast to set up! My two young daughters and I took ours out on a camping trip and the three of us comfortably slept in it together. It’s super light to carry and extremely easy to pack up and put back in the case. I’ve already recommended it to multiple friends.

This tent feels like it could easily fit three people. The airflow is great, and it's easy to pitch. My only complaints are that it needs a couple more stakes than it comes with to fully pitch, and that it weighs 5+ pounds. Splitting the weight between two people isn't an issue, though, so the second complaint becomes a moot point.

Took it out for the first time last weekend and it was just as good as expected. Plenty of room for two adults plus two full size dogs. Easy setup. Plenty of pockets for storage inside. Butter smooth zippers. Great functional rain fly. This will be our go to tent for backpacking and car camping. Couldn’t be happier with my purchase.

I have used my REI Half Dome 2 Plus tent for the past two months during a very wet northern California winter. We have had approximately ten inches of rain in the past two months that I have been using this tent. I have been amazed that the interior of the tent has stayed bone dry for the past two months. The poles flex duriing high wind, but the tent stays in place if it is properly anchored. This may be the best three season tent for under $300 that you can purchase today.

Just took my new REI Half Dome 2 Plus out for it's first trip. I loved the open view from inside. My old tent had a solid material shell, so it was amazing to be able to gaze at a billion stars at night. Super easy to set up. A ton of space inside and I love the pockets everywhere, especially the door pockets, which allow super easy in and outs. It was perfect weather, so I'll have to reserve final judgement for how it performs in a long, steady rain (and wind). With the double doors and corresponding rain vestibule, I'll really pick up a ton more space. Sounds strange, but looking forward to that first Sierra storm to see how the tent does when I really need it. The tent is so big, my buddies nicknamed it the Taj Mahal.

First time I used Half Dome 2+. It was easy to setup and comfortable in the cold.

I LOVE smaller tents for warmth, ease of finding a tent site, packing, and set up.

On the night of July 20, 2019 I got into camp at Lark Pueblo. It started to get windy so I made sure to set up the tent with all guy lines staked down and everything possible attached. That night was the craziest thunderstorm I have ever rode out in a tent. The wind was blowing and actually destroyed the marina in park and turned over boats. However, the tent stayed strong and not a single drop of water got inside. I was amazed!!! Not only is it roomy inside for a 2 person tent it is just solidly built and made to withstand the harshest weather! Wow!!!

I bought this to sleep in while backpacking with my son. The extra room is worth every penny I spent on it! He is a very restless sleeper, but we both had plenty of room, and if we’d needed to, we could easily have brought our gear in with us (we stashed both bags in one vestibule).

This tent cannot be setup in the fast fly configuration as it claims. The new fly can only attach via buckle clips and the current footprint only has holes for the tent poles.

This tent fits exactly what I need: 1) a tent that I can put my gear inside and still have enough room to hang out in if it rains. 2) light enough 3) and enough screen mesh to see all the stars above me.

I took this on a 6 day backpacking trip on the PCT. It was just me in the tent with all my gear. Perfect size! Super easy to put and and take down. Highly suggest purchasing the footprint too!

I used this tent for 6 weeks of camping in Alaska and I loved almost everything about it. Poles were sturdy, it held up in 20-30 mph winds, and it has great space and pockets. It did have some mesh matting, as previous reviewers have pointed out, but the major problem was that water collected in the rain fly on all three tents that I purchased for my research group. No amount of guying out could make enough tension to prevent the water from collecting above the seam on the top sides of the tent. The fly did not leak but several cups of water would regularly collect on both sides of the tent in the rain, which I'm sure is killing the seal and the seams on the rain fly. I returned all three tents.

Fast setup; would be easy to throw together in the rain. I'm comparing to my 2007 2 person MSR Hubba Hubba which has been great but we needed another two person tent for the boys. The Hubba is twice the cost. Couldn't figure out why this one felt and is heavier. It comes down to more material due to more surface area, an extra door/zipper and the stakes are much heavier (replace them).

My girlfriend and I purchased this tent for a month long road trip this past summer to be our home away from home. This tent was more than I could hope for. A cavernous interior with plenty of ventilation, but still light enough that we could split it up and backpack with it when we wanted to. It withstood some crazy winds and a week straight of rain. Such a great tent, and I cannot recommend it enough.

I've used this tent on multi day backpacking and kayak trips. A tad bit on the heavier side but great for the price. Plenty of space for two guys 5'11 and all our gear. Held up extremely well in crazy windy weather. Just make sure you guy that thing out properly. I haven't used a footprint and have gotten by but it'd definitely help increasing longevity . I just don't want the extra gear to carry ;)

I love this tent! Bought it as an upgrade as I move from car camping to backpacking. This tent is easy to set up, we have set it up many times in the dark (including the first set up). It takes 5 minutes or less and you don't have to feed poles through the tent or anything tedious. I like that the tent packs easily into the bag so you don't have to struggle. It is lightweight and perfect for backpacking with 2 people. The tent seems durable and works great with the matching footprint. We have not been rained on but it has been windy and the tent held up great. Going from a square tent I am not used to having minimal room on t he sides to set up sleeping pads etc, that has been the only difficulty. I think the plus edition is necessary of you like storing packs inside your tent. The additional space under the rain fly protects gear/shoes from dew which I like. Excited to keep using this tent!

I did a lot of research before I purchased my 2018 Half Dome 2 Plus. I am fortunate to live in an area with many specialty outdoor equipment stores including several REI locations. I was able to visit REI and see the tent assembled. I checked the tent size, weight and quality (assembled and stowed.) I was impressed with the roominess and quality of the materials. I felt the HD2+ was a good compromise for me - 50% larger than my 10 y/o 2 person dome, yet super-easy to setup and breakdown/stow. I purchased my HD2+ one week ago, spent 3 nights in a Florida State Park, 300 yards from the beach with mostly perfect weather. No rain, daily highs around 75 F., nightly lows around 60 F. Winds at night were 10 - 15 mph with some gusts up to 25 mph. I used the stakes and ties that came with the tent and had no trouble with the moderate winds. With the rain fly closed it was warm enough to sleep on top of my sleeping bag. The mesh roof is great, with plenty of small gear pockets. Setup/breakdown is super-easy. REI went over all of that with me in the store. I assembled the tent once at home before my trip and once on my trip - no issues. I plan to use it several times this year, mostly in state park campgrounds perhaps on NFS land in Spring/Summer/Fall.

This has been a great two person tent for me over the years with a decent balance of cost/weight/features. Not the lightest, but roomy enough, and doesn’t break the bank for other gear and has been reliable though the Cascades, hunting, and numerous trips up Mt Rainier. The second one I bought a few years ago uses the awesome DAC aluminum poles, but the shock cord failed after a few seasons with minimal use. It’s a cheap easy repair, but I get tired of having to make up for manufacturing shortcuts on goods that used to be great.

I bought this for my son who will be taking this on Scouting trips as his own personal tent. We used it this weekend and really like the space and the easy setup. My only complaint is that it comes with eight stakes when 10 are needed. We also replaced the stakes with the MSR Minihog's (This is a must do....) The basic stakes feel like they will bend too easily. Everything else about this tent is built really well. I wish the footprint was included even if the price of the tent needed to be increased. it is a real must have.

I had the same thing happen to me as the review from Perplexed. The inside of the fly had a white soapy film and moisture was seeping through. I called REI and they replaced the tent with no issues, so their customer service is great. I'm just waiting for a rainy day to see how the new one does and will post an update once tested. I have the Kabocha Orange model.

I also loved my Half Dome; I used about 8 times in 2 years. Easy set up; however, the pole split and the bungee cord was loose. It would be nice for REI to sell replacement poles.

THE 1st tent I've EVER used that stayed completely dry inside! (and I've been camping for 50 years!) It withstood gusty wind-driven rain near a summit in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, and held solid & dry for the entire month of the trip. one feature that was special with this tent was the rain fly could be rolled back half-way, perpendicular to sleeping so I could enjoy the night sky and still be partly shielded. Gear stayed dry in the vestibule too! Love, love, love this tent! Thank you REI for such a GREAT product!

After much review, this tent has been time tested for years as being dependable, durable and reparable. I could be an elitest and go for another tent makers product which is a little lower in weight but the differene in cost is hard to justify. I will make up the weight difference on something else in my backpack. - Blue Blaze

I call this tent the “me and my gear” tent. By time I put my mat in the tent, that alone took up about 65% of the width. If my wife had gone, she would have been sleeping on her side with no room for any gear. I returned it and bought a 3plus. I’m setting it up tomorrow. Other than the size (2plus) being more like for one plus gear, the tent was great. I put it together with no instructions in about four minutes. It is just so intuitive. Poles are excellent and intuitive to assemble and attach to the tent.

I like the 2018 half dome 2 plus tent. However, the minimalist pitching option described for this tent with the optional footprint does not in fact work. There is no way to attach the rain fly to the footprint without using the tent. A great tent but does not set up in minimalist option as advertised.

I went to back packing 3 times with my kids. This tent is good enough for myself together with 9 year old and 3 year old. When we had two people, we could even put the backpacks inside the tent. Setting up the tent is also easy. I have now Kingdom 6 for car camping and this one for backpacking.

If you need a moderately lightweight tent for general 1-2 person backpacking, you can't go wrong with the Half Dome 2 Plus. I have used this on various short trips throughout Northern California for the last year and have enjoyed it so much that I almost feel like buying another for no reason.

Let me just say this -- I wish I bought this a LONG time ago. I've been eyeing this tent for years, but I avoided purchasing it because I questioned the pole structure's ability to perform as well or better as its competition. I finally gave in and purchased the Half Dome 2 Plus in blue over the Anniversary Sale this last Memorial Day since it was 30% off and I had a $100 gift card from getting an REI credit card.

I purchased this for a backpacking trip to and around Mt Whitney. The tent is a bit heavy compared to others, so my brother and I split the weight by carrying different parts of the tent. We were almost always the first in our group to have our tent up because of how easy it is to set up. The color coordinated poles and clips make set up essentially idiot proof. The tent was spacious enough to fit 2 six foot tall men with our packs in the vestibule spaces on either side. On our 5th night we got pounded by one of the worst storms I've ever experienced. Rain at 1" per hour with off and on hail at 11,000 ft elevation. We set up quick and dug trenches around our tent. Even though I could feel water under the footprint, none of it soaked through. The rain fly kept us and our gear dry and warm through the storm. My only complaint is that the guy lines are not reflective. Even with a good headlamp, I tripped on them more than once. Otherwise, this tent served me very well on its first or many big adventures.

Love the half dome, my first tent and I am speaking for the version before 2018. It has proven to be easy to set up, spacious (one person and gear + space but can easily fit two ppl comfortably). I have spent about 50 days in my tent throughout California this year and the half dome has proven to be versatile. For my uses: extended car camping and beginning backpacker: it is a safe bet.

Bought this tent for my wife and I to go backpacking. After setting it up a few times at home to get familiar with the pole and guylines, we set a weekend to travel to the Sipsey Wilderness in Alabama and backpack a 20ish mile loop I had planned out. The day we left, we knew we were heading out into some really bad weather but we decided to go anyway since we already had everything else taken care of. We arrived at our campsite about 30 minutes before dark and set it up within 5 minutes. A few hours later it started raining. Light at first, then the wind picked up. Wind gusts were up to 40mph, and this tent took it on with no problem. Then the heavier rain came, along with the wind, and still the tent didn't budge. I woke up constantly through the night just to check to make sure we weren't taking on water anywhere, and every time, there was none. We woke up the next morning and got out to make breakfast and only then did we notice we had a very small amount of condensation from having the vents closed due to the rain.

I typically do ultralight backpacking, but on multi day river kayak trips camping on sandbars and on hot Everglades kayak camping trips, I take this REI Half Dome 2 plus tent and am very happy to have plenty of room for 2 grown adults of tons of dry bug free sanctuary space for solo trips. This is also

Excellent tent. 0 complaints. It's very light, the instructions are clear. The setup is so seamlessly simple. The rain flap is great and retains heat well when the weather is cold. It also has an entrance on two sides, which makes things easier, especially cleaning out dirt when you're packing up.

Literally the easiest tent to assemble! We put this up in the dark with wind howling. There are color coded tabs that match your single pole. The pole breaks down and set up quickly. There are tons of pockets, spacious inside, the doors are large, zippers sturdy. I am so happy with this purchase!

I used this tent over a 2 night hike prior to buying it. I loved it. Roomy for 2 and super roomy for 1 and the gear. Storage pockets in the roof, and sides, for both people. A great rain fly profile - kept rain and snow at bay. Easy to set up. I bought my own and set it up too. Still love it

This is a good tent for car camping, little light weight on the screen and netting, I wouldn’t recommend this for high adventure, I don’t think it would hold up to a heathy mountain blaster, especially if it’s heavy wind, But for my fair weather camping it’s great, nice and roomy

Love this tent: space, easy to set up and even did well in wintery conditions! I took it on a backpacking trip, but would not do that anymore, due to its weight. If you're stationary and go on day hikes or for just chilling out at a campsite, this tent is the bomb.

This tent was fantastic!! I took it backpacking on the Olympic peninsula (rain forest) in WA and we where dry and happy the whole time!! Packing a wet tent sucked... but the preformed flawlessly and we slept like baby’s threw all kindsa rain!

This tent is amazing! I just finished a 30 mile trip and the tent was nothing short of spectacular. Easy to setup and tear down. There are tons of pockets within the tent for storage for things like a headlamp. It has great ventilation.

This is an awesome 2P tent. Especially for the price!! REI has done a wonderful job of designing their own brand of gear that offer lots of bells and whistles at great prices. And if you watch the sales you can find their gear on sale. My 9 year old son and I have done many car camping trips with Cub Scouts the last few years and we have tried several different 2P tents and this is our favorite. We are keeping this one. The features that sold us are the length is long enough to accomodate our Exped MegaMats, the walls/pole structure create very vertical walls on the sides and a some on the ends which greatly enhances the livability of the interior space. There are lots of interior pockets to store stuff. The mesh doors unzip almost all the way around and simply store in a pocket above the door for wide open access. The fly has lots of vents and you can even roll the fly half way up from one end to ventilate the whole tent. It is very sturdy, yet of moderate weight. Overall we just love this tent and it will see lots of use over the next few year.

A super roomy tent for me and my partner! All of our gear could fit comfortably inside with us. Easy to set up (even in the dark after a long day of travel) and super convenient stuff pockets inside for easy to lose items.

What a great 2-people tent. It had plenty of room for us both and the pockets came in very handy. We also appreciated that both sides open so either person can get out of the tent without having to crawl over the other!

Functional tent for the money. Easy to set up. Generally stable in high winds. No experience yet with heavy precipitation. My only significant complaint is the zippers snag constantly, especially on the rain fly.

I bought this tent for a paddling trip in Quetico Provincial Park this summer and it performed outstanding. Easy and intuitive to setup. Sturdy. Very well designed with the bug side doors. I love this tent!

This replaces my 10 year old Quarter Dome that had a fly disintegrating. Same great quality, same ease of pitch. I just finished an 8 day bike ride on the Erie Canal and it worked like a champ.

This tent served me well for sure. I camped for several days in torrential down pour and EVERYTHING in my tent stayed dry. I loved the vestibules on either side for gear. Definitely a great tent.

I used this tent for the very first time and love it. Camped at this year’s, 2019, Sea-otter Classic in high winds and the test preformed excellent! Used my REI backpack and gear too. Thanks REI.

I bought it and took it to Coyote Gulch. It had plenty of room for me and my backpack inside the tent and the vestibule outside has room on both entrances. Great value!!!

This tent is exactly what our scout wanted and needed! Easy to assemble, roomy and easy to repack!! Seems well made and a very nice color of blue! Great price also!!

Nothing bad to say, other than I was surprised when I opened the tent and there was no footprint. Sadly I was in the woods. Four stars for no footprint.

I was in the market for a new tent and looked long and hard before choosing this one. Only minus was floor was not as heavy as I would have liked.

I liked the half dome but REI does not sell replacement parts, i.e. the poles. Its really a shame for a company that prides itself on sustainability.

Plenty of room and easy to set-up. Like that it can be free standing. Used it for a motorcycle trip from Wisc. to Alaska and it worked great.

Very light. Sets up in minutes. Space for two 6' adults. Tons of storage pockets. Rain cover provides coverage for a full pack on each side.

I read reviews before buying but try to see if a problem is the tent, the user, or just a mismatch. I'm far from an expert, but not a novice. Years ago I developed health problems leaving pain, fatigue & cognitive problems. For years I thought camping was completely behind me.

This is a good tent was able to put it and take it down easily not to many frills nice storage pockets kept us warm on a cold night

Initial setup looks good. Have not had a chance to take out for an overnight camp. Looking forward to seeing how it holds up.

I hiked a section of the AT a couple weeks ago and it stormed. I was amazed at how well this tent performed. Great product.

I go camping with my mom quite a bit and every time this product works great.

Loved it! Perfect size, set up real easy. Loved the large amount of screen

My daughter & I took this tent for an 8 day trek to Isle Royale NP. Easy to set up & super roomy for the weight. But at 6#’s+, it was a little too weighty for longer backpacking treks. We traded it in for another, just as roomy tent, that was half the weight.

i purchased yet another one. i bike tour all the time. i beat these things up they are the best tents out there. i have 3 more with little nicks and bruises on them...it was on sale...so why not. the extra space is the place...

Bought this tent a couple weeks ago. Set it up in my living room to get the feel for it. Very easy setup. Took out for one weekend camp with the wife. Just big enough for the both of us. So far it’s doing exactly what I hoped.

All the Good has been said. I find in wind it rattles and squeaks all night even it guyed properly, with the extra stakes required to do it. The yellow is so bright from first light I swapped it for dark green...

I'm 6'5" and need the head space. This tent has alot of wasted space, but I won't have it any other way. I can sit up without hitting my head and work my way out of it without issue. Yeah it would be nice to have something that packed smaller and lighter, I want to be comfortable when I sleep so this works for me. (I've not had anyone share this tent with me, so keep that in mind when you read this). The pockets everywhere are a nice feature and setup and take down are fairly quick.

I was looking to buy one of these this year. In previous years this was the only tent that could accommodate my height. Now they have discontinued the half dome 2 and only make the 2+ except it is 6" shorter than in previous years. Since you already sell thousands of tents that fit normal size people please reinvent those instead of eliminating my only option. Very disappointed with this year's update and will be looking for a vintage 2+

Took the tent out for a weekend of camping and got to test it in a massive storm. We got 6" of rain in about 3-4 hours along with wind and lightning. Both the inside of the tent and my gear under the vestibules stayed bone-dry through the whole storm.

My son (9) wanted his own tent for a family camp out. He personally picked this one out. Then did a dry run of pitching it in the backyard BY HIMSELF. He loves it.

Our active Boy Scout Troop replaced our old tents with these. When the decision was made, I was leaning toward directly replacing our old tents with the more conventional models which were very, very good tents. We honored the boy's decision to go with this, more modern, and feature-rich design. We are very pleased. We just tested them one a three day camping trip. It was raining when we set-up, each night (including ice) and when we took down. There was mud and standing water everywhere. Everyone stayed high and dry through-out. At least, inside the tent. Very different outside. The vertical sides, the inside pockets, the two doors and the vestibules eased what should have been a very miserable tenting situation. I would also note that the tent look like they will survive the abuses that teenage boys throw at them. I believe that this is the best available tent that we could have purchased. These have much heavier fabric than comparable higher-end tents which will be far more important to us than any weight that this may add. Our last tents served 17 years and 150+ nights of camping and I am optimistic that these will do the same.

Used our tent in Patagonia. Not too heavy. Easy set up. Poles bent slightly in severe wind, but REI let us return it without any problem.

Excellent. Survived 50 mile an hour gusts with considerable frame flexing. Only negative is you need two hands to open fly from bottom.

This tent is fantastic and was completely waterproof and kept us dry when we were in an overnight rain storm that brought 4" of rain.

Three nights in fair weather and not complaints. Lots of pockets,Like lots and lots of pockets. I liked rolling the rain fly to the center for good ventilation and still ready for rain. This tent appears like it will handle rain and wind, but neither were tested. The rain fly has built in lead tensioners that are small/light and worked well. Only four stars because it is silly that REI does not include enough tent stakes to secure all stake points

I had the previous version of this tent as well, no complaints about it's ease of setup or anything, in fact I really liked some of the new features... But my problem was with the cheap plastic clips that connect the fly to the tent at the corners. I broke one in two weeks, and I didn't even hit it with a hatchet driving the stakes in (which would be very easy to do if you are not careful). no problems with the return though, kudos to rei for that

I fell in love with this tent while taking it backpacking in Mongolia for six weeks. Not only was the tent lightweight and relatively easy to pack and set up (the poles take some getting used to for packing), but it was comfortable to sleep in throughout a variety of weather, including frost, rain, hail, and wind, and temperatures (temperature ranges from low 30's to mid 70's at night). What compelled me to write this review happened during one of our nights in the Mongolian countryside--while camping in the Mongolian steppe, a large storm (heavy rain, a lot of lightning, 50 mph+ winds) rolled in seemingly out of nowhere, causing us to wind stake our tents and hope for the best as we took shelter in the vehicles that we had with us. This tent successfully made it through that storm. Once we were able to check on the tents after the storm had passed, I was surprised to find that this tent was still standing without any damage, and nothing inside the tent had gotten wet. I highly recommend this tent to anyone looking for a reliable backpacking tent, especially if they know that their tent will need to survive rough weather. The weather in Mongolia's high elevations and steppe is not always the easiest for gear to survive, but I'm happy to say that my tent made it home without any damage throughout the entire trip!

it's a decent tent. I've not had any problems with it. it's easy to set up/take down. It is a bit heavy in the pack though. I like it but I think I'll keep it for short overnight hikes and get something else for the longer treks.

We got this tent before our very first camping trip, not wanting to go all out & spend too much money without knowing if we'd even like camping. Turns out, we LOVE it, & this tent deserves at least some of the credit. Everyone knows the old trope of the frustrated couple fumbling with tent poles, only to end with one person storming off & the other crying in the middle of a mess of nylon & broken fiberglass sticks. Not with this thing. The one-pole system makes it an absolute dream to assemble, even for a couple of newbies. We had it assembled, staked, & guyed out in less than 15 minutes on our first try.

I’ve been hiking and backing my whole life since i was a kid and have spent the last 5 years curating every piece of gear. When I decided on a new tent for an upcoming trip I had planned to the Southwest the one I really wanted was just out of my budget but after all my research I knew this was a great value tent for this trip. I thought I’d probably return it after the trip, thinking it wouldn’t be everything I was looking for.

Boy, am I glad I bought a 2017 before they ran out. The 2018 "revamp" shortened the length from 96" to 92". Ooops! Here's hoping they unmake that 'improvement' in 2019.

I found this tent to be exactly what I was looking for: super easy to set up and take down. Lots of room for one person, great little pockets inside and loops to hang a light and a fan. Very spacious vestibules and completely waterproof - as evidenced by camping in the rain with the inside of the tent as well as everything in it being perfectly dry! I was expecting good and it turned out to be great!

This is my third 1/2 Dome Tent from REI, and it's another great one. I mention in my title that the tent has a few problems, so there they are:

So the 2 you would think 2 people. The plus you'd think with extra room Its doesn't fit a two person air matress with out expanding the tent. Zero room. Doesn't even fit the 2 person air matress. It's swelling WAY too much from it. I would call it a half dome 1 plus.

I have had this tent since 2011. the first trip I took it on was to death valley, the first night there was very high winds and a pole snapped in half, lucky it comes with a tent pole repair kit so I was able to finish the trip with a little duct tape. Since then I have used it at least once a year. Last year I pulled it out to take to pinnacles national park and noticed the rain fly was tacky feeling on the inside. After a pretty heavy rain storm hit our last night I was happy to say it still held it's watter proofing and I didn't get soaked. This year we headed up to Idyllwild and I noticed that now the coating is flaking off and several of the Velcro straps on the inside of the fly have fallen off. I contacted REI with no luck. They told me if I could show them a receipt that o purchased the tent before 2013 when they changed their return policy they could help me, otherwise I was out of luck. I don't know about you but when I spend over $200 on a tent I expect it to last that is a really big purchase for me. One of the main reasons I joined REI was for their return policy and when they changed it I was highly disappointed. At this time I cannot afford to replace this tent. I was hoping REI would offer a new rain fly but nothing without a receipt, that policy sucks.

This is my first tent, I mostly car camp and this seems like it will be a great tent for my needs. The first time I set it up was in the dark with my headlamp and it was super easy, took only a minute or two and was ready to go. Plenty of room for two people with "stuff." Take down was a breeze too! Can't wait to get more use out of it!

I bought this tent as an upgrade from the Passage 2 (which I still have and still love!). Primarly, I was looking for more headroom and the extra gear pockets, etc. that the HDP2 offers. So far, after 5 nights in this tent, I am pretty happy with it. It sets up very easily. You need to buy the footprint separate (REI should include this with every tent they sell) and you'll need some additional stakes to guy it out properly (again, just give us what we need to start with REI!!). I've slept in the rain with it and no water inside at all. The big vents in the top allow enough air exchange to prevent condensation. My wife and I recently shared it for 3 nights and we had ample room inside. The vestibules gave us ample space for our packs and there was plenty of room inside. All in all, a good upgrade from the Passage 2 I have. For solo backpacking, I might still carry the P2 for the marginal weight saving, but the HDP2 would still work out well.

I enjoyed the openness of the tent without the rain fly. It was a little heavy weight wise & on the first morning I got soaked from all of the dew that fell from the open mesh.

It was strange. The first night out with our new tent was in the rain. We put it away wet and returned home. When we opened the fly that same day to dry out, it had this strange white soapy film on the inside of the fly. Not sure what it is and if it will affect the waterproofing for future use. Has anyone experienced this?

Enjoyed sales staff showing me how to assemble tent as it can be a challenge. Good reason to puchase , as I felt the assembly was important Tent was easy to set up and the tent was dry as it rained and howled in Burnet the night I camped . The foot print is also necessary as roots and rocks are not always visble .

Love this tent. It's light enough to backpack with but durable enough to use for car camping. I love the design of this tent. Plenty of time outs and tie downs to pull back the fly, great for ventilation and star gazing.