In October I'm driving to Alaska with my wife for a week (or 3...haven't decided yet). It's a newly started yearly tradition and last year led me to some truths about road trips. This has led me to believe I need a new tent...but me being me would like to kill as many birds as possible with this stone.

One of the peeves I have about tenting on a road trip is the possibility of having to continually set up and take down a tent in the rain day after day. I've had more than my share of mopping up the interior of the tent from the rain which came in between tent set up and fly coverage...in a good solid rain it doesn't take long. Then the same thing happens in reverse when you pack up which leaves you with a soaked tent when you set up at your next destination.

I've searched the forum but couldn't find any tent advice which fit my situation so for the millionth time, somebody asks about tents.

Here are the criteria as I see them (and if you think I'm wrong, speak up by all means!)

• 2-3 man sized
• Light enough to be packed by 2 people sharing the load.
• Single wall design for cooler weather and ease of rainy set up/tear down (ie: keep the inside dry when setting up in the rain)
• Well ventilated to reduce condensation
• Fairly well sized vestibule (which covers the door completely...I hate it when it rains in the tent because the vestibule doesn't cover it properly)
• Must be sturdy enough to handle light snow
• Must not cost a fortune (In an ideal world, I'd like to keep the cost under $200 but I'll go higher for a real deal)