REI Half Dome SL3+ Assessment: A Do-It-All Tent

I’ve been rocking a REI Half Dome tent for half a decade, and whereas it’s stored me dry, cozy, and secure on almost all of my tenting journeys over the previous 5 years, my accomplice and I made a decision it was time to search out one thing a bit roomier for us and our canines.

We’ve been sleeping within the 2018 Half Dome 2 Plus, and that “Plus” seemingly doesn’t imply two folks plus three canines. Positive, all of us technically match inside. But it surely’s often extra of a vertical pile of our bodies than a snug evening within the woods.

Thus started our seek for a three-person tent. We automobile camp greater than we backpack however wished one thing that might work for each forms of journey. So, a super-spacious (and heavy) tent just like the REI Wonderland was out of the query.

That stated, area actually was an necessary think about our determination. We have now a full-size mattress topper from my SUV platform that we sleep on when automobile tenting. We wished that mattress to suit with room to spare across the edges for sleeping pups.

Finally, we settled on the REI Half Dome SL 3+, because the earlier Half Dome 2 Plus had been so dependable. The brand new model of the outdated tent is considerably lighter, making it excellent for backpacking. But it surely’s additionally nonetheless spacious for automobile tenting and made with high-quality {hardware}.

We weren’t disenchanted.

In brief: This summer time I examined the up to date REI Half Dome SL3+ on quite a few tenting journeys with my accomplice and our canines, evaluating it to my several-seasons-old Half Dome 2 Plus. As a result of REI prioritizes sluggish innovation over quick, flashy gimmicks, something that was already working nicely with the older Half Dome model has stayed the identical. It stays a easy, purposeful tent that’s lighter than the earlier generations and simpler to arrange. Practically every thing concerning the Half Dome has improved in 5 years — besides for 2 small issues I like much less.

REI Co-op Half Dome SL 3+ Tent Assessment

The “SL” within the new Half Dome SL3+ stands for “tremendous gentle.” This is among the greatest upgrades REI made to this tent — its weight. My outdated REI Half Dome 2 Plus had a minimal path weight of 4 kilos, 14 ounces, but was about 13 sq. toes smaller inside than the brand new SL3+.

We’re not fairly positive why REI modified the phrase “Plus” within the older model, to the image “+” within the newer one. However each have the identical that means: they provide barely extra room than customary two- or three-person tents.

Now, name me a creature of behavior. However once I began to check the newest REI Half Dome SL3+, I fell again into the easy pleasure of tenting. It was like speaking to an outdated buddy. To maintain myself sincere, and to verify I wasn’t simply falling for consolation, I arrange some sensible exams. I prioritized issues like time to arrange and take down, ease of use in comparison with different tents I’ve used, and the match and end of the REI Half Dome SL3+.

Setup and Takedown

I’m conversant in the Half Dome’s poles and fundamental setup. I clocked myself at nearly 4.5 minutes to set the SL3+ up and three.5 minutes to take it down. Neither of those instances included the rainfly. However independently, that took a few minute and a half to placed on and a minute to take off.

Once more, I’m used to organising tents, and this tent specifically. However these setup/breakdown instances ought to assist illustrate that with some expertise, this can be an easy and speedy tent to camp with. That’s not solely necessary within the backcountry: Everyone knows how unhappy taking down camp on a Sunday is, and the slower that course of goes, the extra dreadful it turns into.

The tent is simple to pitch and disassemble because of the singular pole design, which creates one thing like a big H form to attach corners and grasp the inside from. The clips snap simply and snugly to the poles, making it quick and steady to erect.

A superb improve within the newer model is the extra built-in footprint, which the poles now not connect to (an enormous annoyance with the older model). As a substitute, they connect to the tent itself with a easy hook and eye.

REI shipped the footprint and tent already related. I’m going to depart them that approach so long as I can as a result of it saves setup time and headache — although they are often indifferent for cleansing and so forth.

Consolation and Practicality

If you end up accustomed to backpacking tents, the REI Half Dome SL3+ looks like a giant tent on the within. And when you think about how gentle it’s (4 kilos, 14 ounces minimal path weight), this is a large tent for that weight class. And whereas dimension doesn’t equal consolation, when you might want to sleep 5 our bodies, that additional area is essential.

I additionally didn’t need one big tent that might solely work for automobile tenting and one ultralight tent that might solely be good for backpacking. I’d slightly my go-to tent work for each. This Half Dome does simply that. It’s an oz lighter than my outdated tent despite the fact that it’s considerably greater, its packed dimension shouldn’t be significantly bigger, and it’s even simpler to arrange.

Thinner Supplies, Higher {Hardware}

Clearly REI made some severe weight cuts to the Half Dome SL3+. From what I can inform hands-on, lots of the load financial savings within the new tent comes from thinner supplies and higher {hardware}. REI ditched the traditional tent stakes for slender aluminum ones, that are more durable to bend and simpler to make use of.

The ground materials is 40-denier ripstop nylon as an alternative of 70-denier. The rainfly additionally received lighter. It’s now 30-denier ripstop nylon, down from 40-denier within the Half Dome 2 Plus. And it beaded and repelled water way more rapidly than my outdated tent used to.

The Half Dome SL3+ additionally makes use of DAC PF aluminum poles. DAC, a Korean tent pole producer, is taken into account by many within the outside world to be the gold customary for strength-to-weight efficiency.

A Few Small Gripes

There are some bizarre issues that I are inclined to care about when assessing gear. One factor I feel the older Half Dome 2 Plus had the newer Half Dome SL3+ beat on was inside tent pockets. I’m assuming the newest Half Dome minimize down on a few of these for weight financial savings. However I beloved the sheer quantity and dimension of inside pockets on the older 2 Plus model.

That stated, the newer Half Dome far surpasses some tents in inside pocket storage. With two giant overhead pockets and 4 smaller sidewall pockets, there’s nonetheless ample storage in REI’s Half Dome SL3+.

One different desire for the older mannequin was the way in which the inside doorways zipped all the way in which round. The older door design may simply be tucked overhead and out of the way in which. That made it simple to get bigger objects out and in of the tent.

The most recent Half Dome doorways don’t do this. They zip simply to 1 aspect and might be rolled and secured with hook-and-eye closures, much like many rivals. That’s not inherently dangerous — I simply most popular the older doorways.

REI Half Dome SL3+: Ultimate Ideas

The REI Half Dome SL3+ is a strong improve to an outdated favourite. I’ve discovered my go-to tent for the foreseeable future. I hope this REI Half Dome serves me nicely for so long as the earlier mannequin did. After 5 full seasons of tenting, the one restore work that outdated tent actually wants is a brand new twine in one of many poles.

I’d confidently make an argument that the REI Half Dome SL3+ is the proper tent for many campers. It’s large enough to be cozy and spacious for automobile tenting with two or three folks. Or, it will possibly accommodate two folks and at the least a few canines. And it’s gentle and quick sufficient to work for backpacking journeys.

For those who don’t want all that area, REI additionally presents this Half Dome in a two-person SL2+ model. That tent is almost a pound lighter than the SL3+ and continues to be spacious for a two-person tent.

The newest Half Dome is straightforward, trendy, and purposeful. It maintains all its former glory whereas flashing refined enhancements the place essential.