Quote Originally Posted by KabyMom
Can't decide on a tent.... I'm looking at Eureka Mountain Pass 2XT, Eureka Pinnacle Pass 2XTA, REI Clipper (on Ebay), Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight 2. The Eurekas on campmor.com are a little less expensive than the Flashlight but I keep reading what a great little tent it is. The Clipper looks like a nice tent too....$109 + $19 shipping on Ebay. Any input on these?
Re: tents...I always prefer tents that can be freestanding (that is, it's not necessary to stake them in order to put them up). They are typically (though not always!) easier and faster to put up and you can unstake and move the tent around if you need to. They should be staked even though they are freestanding, for the reason SK mentions above (bye-bye gear!). I also hate tents that you have to slide the pole through a sleeve to put it up. I want to be able to put my tent up fast in the event of bad weather.

Another thing to consider: it's really nice to have 2 doors!

We have both Eureka and Sierra Designs tents (I think we have 5 tents total plus a couple of bivy sacks!). I have complaints about all of them (!), but like both brands well enough. Can't go wrong with either, I'd think.