Head to head
Big Agnes Blacktail Hotel vs REI Co-op Half Dome 2+
The REI Co-op Half Dome 2+ gives each person more floor — 17.9 sq ft against 16.5, which is the difference between roomy and standard. The REI Co-op Half Dome 2+ is the lighter carry at 5 lb 1 oz, and the Big Agnes Blacktail Hotel is the cheaper of the two at ~$350.
 Big Agnes Big Agnes Blacktail Hotel | REI Co-op REI Co-op Half Dome 2+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Backpacking | Backpacking |
| Rated capacity | 2-person | 2-person |
| Floor area per personestimated | 16.5 sq ft (standard) | 17.9 sq ft (roomy) |
| Floor area | 33 sq ft | 35.8 sq ft |
| Vestibule area | 37 sq ft | 19.2 sq ft |
| Peak height | 42 in | 42 in |
| Minimum trail weight | 5 lb 9 oz | 5 lb 1 oz |
| Packed weight | 6 lb 10 oz | 6 lb 4 oz |
| Weight per personestimated | 44.5 oz (trail weight) | 40.4 oz (trail weight) |
| Pad fitestimated | 2 × 25 in pads fit | 2 × 25 in pads fit |
| Fits sleepers up toestimated | 7ft tall | 7ft 2in tall |
| Doors | 2 | 2 |
| Freestanding | freestanding | freestanding |
| Poles | aluminum | aluminum |
| Wall type | double wall | double wall |
| Season rating | 3-season | 3-season |
| Floor hydrostatic head | 1,500 mm | — |
| Packed size | 21 x 7 in | 22.2 x 7.5 in |
| Approx. price | ~$350 | ~$369 |
Big Agnes Blacktail Hotel
Same tent as the Blacktail, with one side's vestibule blown out to 28 square feet on an extra pole — a covered porch you can put two camp chairs under and sit out a rain shower in. That is 37 square feet of vestibule against the plain Blacktail's 18, for nine ounces and $50. If you camp anywhere that rains for a full day, it is the single most useful $50 in this catalog; if you are counting grams it is the wrong tent entirely.
Best for
Rainy-region camping where you need somewhere dry to sit that is not inside the tent.
REI Co-op Half Dome 2+
REI replaced the Half Dome SL with this in 2025 and went the other way on weight: thicker fabrics, a bigger floor, and 80.8 ounces minimum against the SL's 63. The floor is 35.8 square feet on 92 by 56 inches, which is long enough for two six-foot sleepers and wide enough for two standard pads with gear between them, under 42 inches of headroom and two doors opening onto 19.2 square feet of vestibule. The footprint comes pre-attached in the box, so $369 is the whole price rather than the starting one. Buy it for the space; the ultralight crowd left this weight behind years ago and is not coming back for it.
Best for
Two people who want floor space and a footprint in the box, carrying it a few miles rather than a few hundred.
Rows where the two differ are tinted. Specs are the makers’ own; floor area per person, weight per person and pad fit are our arithmetic on them.