SlingFin - Portal 2

Slingfin Portal 2. I’ve been using it for the past two years and it’s lightweight, roomy, freestanding and bombproof in bad weather. I made a ridiculous spreadsheet comparing almost 20 tents and it was the winner. I rented a Nemo Dragonfly 2P last week. It was fine but a little smaller on the inside. Good luck with your search, there’s so many options

Haha. We did 3 weeks bike packing in the Highlands last year with our Portal 2. It rained and stormed for like 15 of 18 riding days. The stock tent was super solid, even in wind that was hard to ride through. We love it, and the livability is very high as well.

I only set it up once in hard rain. I was able to put out the fly first and work underneath it to get the tent erected. It didn't get very wet, but the operation was pretty awkward and I wouldn't do it if it could be avoided. Other days there were breaks in rain long enough to get it set up.

I use a portal 2 with my partner. The stability is unreal with the internal guy lines and there are numerous guyout loops for external stability. I've used the tent in 40-50mph gusts and it was outstanding although there was noisy flapping at the edge of the fly. In truly terrible conditions you can use trekking poles for more stability. It stands freely. You do need to stake out the vestibules with one stake each or they hang loose. We use rocks to weigh them down when we're pitching on stone. The 2p is average roominess for a 2p and feels slightly bigger than comparable big agnes tents. The ventilation is great and helps it feel bigger than it is but if you want extra space, do the 3p Condensation control is unreal. The portal series has a larger space between the fly and the inner than most other tents. This allows great ventilation and makes it almost impossible for the fly to touch the inner even in high winds. It is an extremely livable tent! I happily recommend the portal series to anyone who is expecting severe but not extreme conditions.

I have the portal 2 and it is so worth the extra weight and money!

Second the Slingfin Portal! Easy setup, comfy, effing bombproof!

Second on the HotBox. Although I end up using the Portal 2 (with pole upgrade) more often. It's a "3.5 season". Got hammered on Shuksan last year with 18 hours of wind/rain and it held up better than the BDs.

A friend used the Portal 2 on the PCT, and I have a Portal 2 as well. The Portal 3 is basically the same thing, just scaled up. It's a terrific tent. For what you're going to be doing, it will effectively be "weight neutral" if you each had individual 2P tents at ≈2lbs each. As a general rule, getting a tent "one person larger than will regularly be sleeping in it" is a good idea. So 2P for 1 hiker, 3P for 2 hikers, etc. So I've got no issue with your considering this, or pretty much any, 3P tent. Now, do you have other options? Yes. Do your homework. This is going to _be_ your home for months. e.x. BA Tiger Walls's are terrific. And **you can save 1lb of weight** with a Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL3. Ignoring money, don't prematurely dismiss semi-freestanding double-wall tents. You'll see a lot of them on trail, and for good reason. The Tiger Wall is a perrenial favorite. - - - - - - - **INDEPENDENT KITCHENS & INDEPENDENT WATER FILTRATION** Even if you are planning to share a tent, there is another area couples are often inclined to share gear, but you really shouldn't: * Carry indpendent kitchen set-ups. * Carry indpendent water filtrations. Because even if you hike together, independent systems will save you _time_ (because you can cook and filter simaltaneously...and that will probably give you 1mi-3mi of additional range every day). - - - - - - - **SEAM SEALING** If you do get it, seal the seams or seal them yourself.

A member of my tramily used a Portal 2 on the PCT. Unquestionably a great tent, but yes, it was "more tent than was needed" and he didn't have anyone to share the weight. * If he did it again, as a solo hiker, he would have gone with something lighter. (Obviously, plenty of space for 1 person.) * If he did it again, with another adult hiker, he would have gone with something lighter for the same square footage, or larger for the same weight. Folks don't appreciate how much a lower base weight translates into day-to-day ease until they're already a few weeks into a thru and value "that extra 6oz" differently than pre-trail. - - - - - - - OP (u/Loose_University_945): You get to the point where you and your wife would prefer to carry an extra 6oz of water or snacks rather than "more tent than you need". Even for couples sharing a tent, you're going to be spending vanishingly little time _inside_ the tent. Your time is going to be spent (a) walking or (b) preparing camp. By the time you get _inside_ your tent, you're just falling asleep. Your inquiry is really good. If you take anything away from the comments in this thread, let it be to avoid "taking more tent than you actually need". (And, really...on my PCT, in the first 700mi (desert section), I used my tent probably <10 days. You cowboy instead. You save time not having to break down camp (which lets you walk sooner in the cooler morning weather) when you cowboy and it is cooler too.) Good luck; it's a terrific hike.

I have one. It handled Iceland driving wind and rain fine. We had it in very exposed conditions and 50mph (legitimately, probably gusting to 60) a few times with no problems. There’s so many tie outs. And we also liked the x tensioners inside the tent. We’re planning a hike in Tombstone TP in Yukon and I’d take it. What I don’t like is that the floor tapers. I sleep weird and if I switch to a rectangular pad that’ll be curtains on the slingfin unless I go to a portal 3. I think the x dome is a tiny bit lighter, like 2 oz. I have not used it. I will likely at some point because of the floor being 52 all the way down. I’m not sure how to compare the poles on each tent. Durston is carbon Easton 3.9 and slingfin is aluminum 8.7 with a thicker set available if you’re expecting bad weather. Idk which is better for wind.

What would you like to know about it? I bought it (Slingfin Portal 2) and have done a couple of trips with it. Luckily they were mostly good weather (or drizzle) and I haven't used it enough to give a review on it (not used it long enough for a proper review, and I'm not someone who does first impression reviews) but I might be able to answer some questions. Mowser on YT made a review on the slingfin portal 3 so you could check that out?

I think it is roomy, but context is required as to why I think that. I bought my first tent (just a random 1p tent that somehow never leaked in 1.5 years of heavy use). It was heavy and barely enough space to fit me - I could touch both sides with my arms and the inner net was less than 10cm from my head when I lied down. I couldn't even unpack my pack because there was no space to fit anything. Now that I have a 2p tent, I think it is a PALACE. I've never owned a big tent like this so I LOVE how much space it has. Keep in mind the SP2 is the 2nd tent I've ever owned. I'm also shorter than you so it is enough space for me, although sometimes if I'm camping at a slight angle, I do slide down whilst sleeping and touch the bottom of the tent. If I was a tall person, I can see why people have concerns whilst lying down, but I think there is HEAPS of space when sitting down (but once again I'm comparing to the only other tent I've used and that one constantly touched my head if I was sitting down)

Slingfin Portal 2p is an excellent choice for Scottish weather

Rock solid. The design is exceptional. You can even get heavy duty pole set but honestly that’s overkill unless you’re in Iceland, Patagonia or the Scottish Highlands.

Slingfin. Bombproof, and thoroughly wind tested.

We have a Nemo hornet and a slingfin portal 2. No comparison between the two. The slingfin is definitely bomb proof, and I never have a moment’s concern when sleeping in ours. We’ve used it extensively in northern Ontario canoe country and canoeing in Yukon.