This 12 months, the REI Co-op Half Dome tent turns 45. To have fun its legacy, we requested REI Co-op Members to share their favourite Half Dome reminiscence. Many recounted their inaugural journey of their backpacking shelter—a cross-country journey, backcountry trek or, in a single member’s case, an in a single day close to an airplane runway. Some shared relatable misadventures with their tent, like hiding away throughout a torrential downpour or waking as much as snow in June. Virtually all mirrored on the various methods their tent has grown with them through the years by offering house for private adventures like new love, contemporary breakups, increasing households, a profession change and extra. Learn on for 13 member tales—then share your individual within the feedback.
Title: Leo Smith
REI Co-op Member Since: 1980
When my spouse and I began relationship, we spent a couple of car-camping journeys sleeping at the back of an outdated SUV. In 1991, after we married and our daughter got here alongside, we purchased a Half Dome tent. Can’t keep in mind what we paid, but it surely couldn’t have been a lot as a result of cash was tight on the time. We have now an image of the three of us from July of that 12 months on one among our first tenting journeys with the tent. Just a few years later our son was born.
Our little household has camped everywhere in the Northwest with that tent: car-camping journeys, a three-day river rafting journey, fishing journeys, weeklong bicycle excursions, yard sleep-outs. It has been faultless as a shelter, defending us from mosquitoes, subfreezing temperatures and one really torrential thunderstorm. Not solely has our household used it, however now we have loaned it out to a number of kinfolk. We have now a more recent REI Co-op Quarter Dome tent now, however whether it is simply me and weight just isn’t a difficulty, I benefit from the Half Dome as a result of there may be sufficient room for my getting old physique to sleep on a cot in there. After greater than 30 years, the Half Dome nonetheless has no holes or tears, the unique poles are nonetheless in fine condition and all of the zippers function like new.
In 2022, we took the Half Dome on a household tenting journey alongside the Huge Sur coast in California. We recreated the image from 1991 (31 years later) with our lovely daughter—this time along with her two little boys. I felt fairly smug shopping for that tent in 1991, as a result of I felt I used to be getting one thing of higher high quality than I used to be accustomed to as much as that time and since I used to be anticipating the adventures available with it. I didn’t know the half of it!
Title: Michael GriffinÂ
REI Co-op Member Since: 1998
I’ve had three Half Dome tents during the last 20-plus years. I’ve obtained so many reminiscences within the tent, a pleasant assortment of vignettes from totally different life chapters, totally different landscapes, totally different relationships. Like waking up in the midst of the night time as a result of an early-season snowstorm dumped a foot of moist snow close to the tent, urgent the edges of the shelter into my face. Or watching capturing stars over Three Fingered Jack the night time after excitedly catching my first fish whereas backpacking close to Marion Lake in Oregon.
One other time, whereas asleep in my Half Dome after working the North Umpqua Path 50K, I used to be woken by a noise solely to discover a deer licking the tent’s bug display—the encounter terrified us each, and the deer fled into the forest. There are infinite different much less dramatic reminiscences of feeling comforted and at house in a tent I’ve identified for half my life.
Title: Cyndi Gyugyi
REI Co-op Member Since: 2010
This tent was initially bought in 2005 when my oldest son was in highschool and preparing for a backpacking journey to Kings Canyon Nationwide Park. It then obtained used often by my third son for Boy Scout tenting journeys. His troop primarily used tarp tents, but when they have been required to have a closed-bottom shelter, he would use the Half Dome. Then I began utilizing it if I wanted a two-person tent. I did find yourself shopping for a one-person backpacking tent however would use this one for automobile tenting if I simply wished the additional room. Luxurious!
One among my favourite reminiscences and images of this tent is from a tenting journey in Joshua Tree Nationwide Park. I lit up the tent and obtained an image of it at sundown with the silhouetted Joshua timber and the celebrities simply popping out!
This tent has primarily been used all through California, however not too long ago obtained used at Guadalupe Mountains Nationwide Park, the place it survived a horrible windstorm. It has weathered rain, snow and scorching warmth through the years, and it’s nonetheless in service and awaiting its subsequent journey! Thanks, REI, for a top quality product.
Title: Vera Wu
REI Co-op Member Since: 2015
Rising up in Taiwan, tenting wasn’t actually a factor for my dad and mom. So, I wasn’t actually an outside individual till I met my husband, who’s from Michigan. He grew up with all of the enjoyable tenting and fishing journeys together with his dad and grandparents. Figuring out that I didn’t have a lot outside expertise made him so excited to get all of the gear he wanted from REI to prep for our first-ever tenting journey. REI is his toy retailer. The tent he obtained was the two-person Half Dome, and it was simply what we would have liked for all our tenting journeys. We took that tent on so many highway journeys and shared so many reminiscences. Now now we have a three-person Half Dome to convey our canine with us for extra enjoyable journeys.
The Half Dome tent is so well-thought-out. It’s light-weight however very sturdy when it will get windy at night time. I like to have pockets inside to arrange all my objects correctly so I can have quick access, and this tent does greater than that. What I really like probably the most about this tent is that it’s tremendous straightforward to assemble!
I adopted my canine, Munchie, about three years in the past, and 2024 was the 12 months I felt assured and comfy taking her on some enjoyable outside adventures. Munchie and I had a lot room to play inside, retailer all our objects and sleep comfortably collectively. Munchie had a lot enjoyable and obtained so exhausted that night time. To me, this tenting journey is certainly one among my core reminiscences, and I actually can’t wait to take her on extra outside adventures!
Title: Liana Edwards
REI Co-op Member Since: 2013
In 2016, I did a university internship with the Nationwide Park Service. My loaner tent for the summer time was a Half Dome. I slept in that tent each night time for a whole summer time in Yellowstone and Grand Teton nationwide parks, and I used to be unhappy to return it on the finish of the summer time. Just a few years later, my mother obtained me a Half Dome of my very own as a commencement present. I slept in that tent for per week straight in my dad and mom’ yard! I took the tent to Colorado on a postgraduation journey. My favourite reminiscence is waking up within the tent on the summer time solstice with a pair inches of snow on the bottom. I really like my Half Dome tent!!
Title: Marjorie Randall
REI Co-op Member Since: 1996
About 9 years in the past, I purchased a four-person Half-Dome tent, a former rental, at an REI clearance sale. Screaming deal! It’s straightforward to arrange, and it’s so roomy that it permits luxurious house for me and as many canine as I wish to convey. For years it has been my go-to by way of rainstorms and deer invasions, yard outings through the pandemic, a full-moon campout subsequent to a tiger enclosure and arguments with smaller beasties over sleeping preparations.
Title: John A. Cywinski
REI Co-op Member Since: 2017
My Half Dome 2 Tent was a present from my mom again in 2016. I used to be dwelling in Chicago on the time and on the lookout for extra methods to get exterior.
Its inaugural journey was a canoe-packing journey on the Wisconsin River. Through the top of summer time, the sandbars on the river turn out to be uncovered, leaving you with your individual non-public paradise to drift downstream to. We’d float down the river, spot bald eagles alongside the best way and land on our little slice of house for the day/night time.
I’ve since moved west to Portland, Oregon, and I’ve taken my tent everywhere in the state, right down to California, into Washington state and past. Highlights embody tenting on the seaside in La Push, Washington, throughout a supermoon occasion and tenting off the 101 in Southern Oregon at a spot overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
What I really like concerning the Half Dome 2 is its measurement: not too massive however not too small. It’s snug for 2 individuals. It’s straightforward to arrange. Actually, one of the best half is it permits me to get nearer to the actions and locations I like to discover.
Title: Aparna Krishnamoorthy
REI Co-op Member Since: 2012
My partner, Jayaram, and I have been first launched to the Half Dome tent collection in 2013 once we obtained a two-person Half Dome tent from associates as a marriage present. We backpacked by way of Patagonia with the tent and have been glad we had it. The winds have been no joke on that journey, and we have been so glad we had a sturdy, tried-and-tested tent to guard us by way of the night time. Since then, now we have had many adventures with the tent all through america, together with in Maine, Grand Canyon Nationwide Park and California. In 2019, we determined to purchase a four-person Half Dome tent to accommodate our rising urge for food for brand spanking new adventures like bicycle touring and, finally, our rising household. In 2020, with our 15-month-old child woman in tow, we bicycle toured throughout Mexico (from Baja California to Cancun), bolstered by the arrogance that we had our tent to shelter us irrespective of the place we have been. It has served as a bouncy home on all our bicycle excursions and backpacking adventures so far with our now 6-year-old woman and 2-year-old boy.
Title: Lydia Jennings
REI Co-op Member Since: 2012
I bought my Half Dome tent once I was an undergraduate pupil working at REI and getting ready to take my first area research course whereas an undergraduate. I selected the tent as a result of it was light-weight and fast to assemble, and in my area class we needed to assemble our tent in 5 minutes or much less. Through the years, I’ve come to like how straightforward this tent is to assemble, the way it’s spacious however not too heavy, and the various adventures it’s taken me on—from area sampling and music festivals to tenting and backpacking adventures with associates. I’ve additionally used it as a altering room throughout ultrarunning adventures. Most not too long ago, I used the tent on a cross-country transfer with my boyfriend and canine to start out my first college job. Irrespective of how my pursuits change or the individuals in my life change, this tent has been a gradual, nonprimary character in my adventures—and it nonetheless assembles in 5 minutes or much less.
Title: Donna Lee
REI Co-op Member Since: 1999
My Half Dome tent has been a trusty shelter for over twenty years, retaining me heat and dry over many, many backpacking and car-camping journeys. I typically wish to purchase a flowery new tent, however I can’t bear to take action till one thing goes mistaken with my Half Dome … however nothing ever does!
Title: Sarah Brown
REI Co-op Member Since: 2004
My REI Half Dome tent was an 18th birthday present from my mother and my sister. I used to be a busy, aspirational teen with little time to go tenting, however I had excessive hopes for an maturity stuffed with outside adventures. As I mirror on the 22 years of life which have handed since, I couldn’t be extra delighted by the multitude of how wherein the Half Dome tent has accompanied me, sheltered me and witnessed occasions that are actually my most cherished reminiscences.
The day after my 18th birthday, I handed the take a look at to turn out to be a industrial pilot and spent the next 12 months working laborious to build up hours of flight expertise. After I was 19, I flew solo from Western Oregon to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the annual AirVenture gathering of 10,000 planes. Most attendees camp out subsequent to their airplane, and that is the primary picture I’ve of my Half Dome in motion.
Quick ahead a couple of a long time, I nonetheless love airplane tenting, and I’ve footage of the Half Dome as current as 2020 when my husband and I camped out subsequent to a runway in central Oregon. The picture options our canine, airplane and my husband on his laptop computer taking distant conferences. Through the years, my Half Dome has enabled me to pursue mountaineering, beginning with a climb of Mount Adams. I used it at basecamp on the well-known Lunch Counter, an strategy about 9,000 toes up the mountainside.
The tent has been a light-weight, roomy and waterproof haven on backpacking journeys that grew longer and extra distant because the years glided by. It was my secure house for brokenhearted, lonely overnights after a breakup. It grew to become my canine’s favourite place to sleep. His enthusiasm begins the second we unfurl the bottom material! It was the shelter wherein my husband and I celebrated a cold New Yr’s Eve beside a frozen lake on the base of Mount Hood. The reminiscences go on, however the images are few. The tent doesn’t demand consideration. It blends into the environment, encouraging images of the surroundings, not the shelter. I owned this tent earlier than mobile phone cameras, earlier than model promotion and hashtags. After 19 years, the zippers started to really feel sticky, however they didn’t fail. Lastly, 22 years into Half Dome possession, I made a decision to go the tent alongside to a good friend’s teenage son, who dropped by our house this previous summer time and shared his pleasure about starting to discover the good outside. We informed him the zippers have been sticky, however the fly was nonetheless waterproof. He was as thrilled as I used to be once I first tore open the present wrap on my 18th birthday.
The publish Member Reminiscences: My REI Co-op Half Dome Tent appeared first on Unusual Path – An REI Co-op Publication.