Did REI make the best tent of all time?

Most of us remember our first love, someone who you saw and instantly knew would be important in your life, but far fewer of us remember the first piece of gear that left us infatuated. As a hopeless gearhead, I remember my first quite well; it was a set of small and seemingly flimsy sheets of nylon that formed the REI Quarter Dome SL. 

Three days into a fourteen-day trip down the Bloodvein River in Ontario, I became all too familiar with the beauty of the Quarter Dome while carrying packs across days of mile-long portages en route to the height of land and Artery Lake. Each pack held a normal REI Half Dome tent, except one noticeably lighter and heavenly sought-after pack, with the Quarter Dome. 

Following this trip, one of my first trips was to REI to get my hands on my own, making it immediately one of the nicest pieces of gear I owned. Giddy to get it out in the proper wilderness but confined by the trappings of school and work, I immediately set it up in my backyard. 

First impression: fear and awe. 

The nylon of the rain fly felt like Kroger shopping bags as I stretched it drum-tight over the wishbone skeleton of the tent. As I clipped the fly into the erected body of the Quarter Dome, I fully expected to hear the nylon rip away along with my dreams of an ultra-light future. That said, much like many good things in life, the beauty of the Quarter Dome lies on the other side of that fear. While the weight considerations of the tent make it an elite choice for those looking to haul a little less on trail, weight is just a small piece of the mosaic that is the Quarter Dome.  The wishbone pole system creates a sturdy frame that has served me well, withstanding winds up to 50 miles per hour while camping in river canyons in Iceland. On rainy mornings when other tents would flood, the bathtub footprint has kept me high and dry, with a waterproof floor that reaches 2 inches above the deck of the tent. Finally, the double panel vestibule system allows for partial coverage while opening one panel to stargaze or chat to neighbors. 

This tent has been a cornerstone of my expedition kit that has carried me to all corners of the country and the globe, making it an elite addition to any explorer's repertoire.