I would certainly agree with Art about avoiding the extremes on the price/quality spectrum. On the low end you get junk (still) or at least less value for your bucks, while the high end has specialized qualities that most us who will never establish Camp VI on K2 will ever need to use. On the high end, there is a certain cachet, as seen by the tasteless advertising logos so thoughtfully provided by many purveyors. You don't need that either.

This relationship applies to a wide range of other outdoor consumer commodities, as well. You often find your best value somewhere in the mid-range, especially if bought from a reputable source. It also pays to watch for sales.

The best way to buy is to either rent (REI is great for this) or go out with someone else, using their gear. When I made my last large pack purchase, I rented, had it properly fitted in the store, took it out for a long, hard weekend, thought it over and then returned to the store and plunked down serious coin for that model with all the appropriate bells and whistles. Over twenty years later, that same pack has been used a lot and still serves just fine for a variety of trips, although lately I am not doing the expeditions that I used to.

These days it is fairly easy to get reasonably impartial evaluations of gear from a wide variety of internet sources - just be sure they are truly unbiased and impartial. And the best places will have a reasonable return policy. If you do your homework properly, you will never need to use it.

There is a big difference between a tent that is used just for car camping and one that will be backpacked. The backpacking model needs to light, strong, and durable - expect to pay an honest price for that. Weight doesn't matter for the car camper, and durability isn't as critical. I got a perfectly adequate car camping tent at Costco for a very low price, and it has served quite well for that purpose. It will never get very far down the trail, unlike my backpacking models.