Featherstone Backbone 2P Trekking Pole Tent

Recently went on a High Uinta backpacking trip. It rained everyday and I was so pleased with how dry I stayed.

I’m 63 and wanton do part of the Colorado Trail with my 38 Year old daughter. I knew I could no longer carry a heavy pack. I knew I needed to cut a lot of weight and figured the tend was the best place to start. I quickly got discouraged when shopping for a lightweight two person tent. I wanted to stay under 2 lbs, and figured a trekking pole tent was the best option.

I came across the FeatherStone brand and was very pleasantly surprised by the cost. I made the purchase through Amazon because other fenders were out of stock.

When I received the tent I was very happy with the weight. I spent time inspecting the tent and set it up several times in the yard for practice. I found the tent to be easy to set up with one person. I also was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the zippers, doors, guide line adjustment points and overall workmanship.

I did a couple backpacking trips solo, and with the grandkids to gain experience and hopefully confidence with the tent in field conditions. I was pleased with how the tent stood up to 25 mph winds (although loud) the tent stood up well to wind and raid.

The tent rode very well in the top of my pack, and was very compressible.

I would strongly recommend this tent to budget minded thru-hikers, as it provides exceptional quality, durability and lightweight. I am a fan of Featherstone.

I was drenched! Day one condensation and rain had me absolutely wet beyond belief. By the time I crawled out, it looked like I had a shower. Sleeping bag drenched too.
Day 2, to make matters worse my pole broke so thankful I had tape! I had to rig my floor mat as a tarp, still wet but not as bad as night 1. The area that the tarp couldn’t reach still got very wet.
I gave 3 stars because Featherstone offered to make things right by crediting me for my tent.

Had to set my new tent before I take it out on the High Sierra Trail in a few weeks. It was VERY easy to set up, similar to any standard tent. Perfect amount of space for 2 sleep systems and an outdoor vestibule that’s perfect for my pack. Glad to be upgrading to this tent!

Great option for tall people! Just got back from a 3 night trip using this tent and am extremely pleased with my purchase. For the sale price especially I think it would be impossible to find a better option. I do recommend a practice day if you have never used a trekking pole tent like me, but after that it was maybe 5-10 minutes to setup each day. I slept at an angle to have enough head room with a tall pillow, and it worked perfectly (6' 4"). Vestibules and inner pockets are great to hold your gear Inside and I had almost 0 condensation at ~8,400 ft.

When you’re looking at sub $200 backpacking tents, you usually expect to make a massive sacrifice somewhere, whether it’s a weight that breaks your back or a build quality that feels like it’s made of tissue paper. The Featherstone Backbone 2P manages to sidestep the budget trap by offering a surprisingly robust, thoughtful design that actually holds its own against the big name brands.

Is it the lightest? No.
Is it the most spacious? No.
Is it the best value for a beginner or intermediate backpacker? Absolutely for certain.

The first impression of the featherstone backbone, slippery fabric and light weight. Despite the fact that it was a windy day at the first set up, it was relatively easy. Initially the tent was secured at the corners, it was upside down. Tent turned around, secured at the corners, walking sticks attached, vestibule expanded, guy ropes tightened and the tent was good. So the tent is easy to set up. Tent is spacious, also the verstibule. What I especially like is that the headboard is partly double-walled. In case your head or belongings are against the cloth, you have no problem in the case of condentation. A point of attention is the loose connecting cord for the vestibule. You can easily lose these. I attached them to a tent peg. Folding the tent with a strong wind is difficult because of the slippery fabric and the weight. Overall I am very satisfied with this tent.

This is my first trekking pole tent and I love it! The design is fantastic. The tent will easily sleep two full size adults (I'm 6'1") and is a palace for one. It just feels very spacious inside. I love the pockets near the head for small stuff like phones & headlamps. The foot area was very well designed with vertical supports to keep the fabric off of your sleep system. It's very well ventilated, but as with any single layer tent, condensation may collect inside. Access from both sides is easy, the zippers are smooth & flawless and the vestibules are huge. Setup is quick & easy. I really like the color & I think it's just cool looking tent. In my opinion, for the price, weight & performance, the Backbone 2P tent is a huge bang for your buck.

The Featherstone 2P Backbone Trekking Pole tent is pretty awesome and has everything I need. It took me a few months to decide which tent to buy. Many, if not all, ultralight tents are expensive. Since I’m a beginner in backpacking, I didn’t want to purchase an expensive tent. The 2p backbone tent fit the bill and it offered a lot of the features I was looking for: lightweight, roomy for 1 person, lovely color, pockets, hooks, and waterproof. I got all of this for under $200!

I used it for the first time yesterday on a backpacking trip with friends. It fit my friend and I (5’1 and 5’8) and it wasn’t as tight in space. It was just the perfect amount of space to keep a few of our essentials inside the tent though we couldn’t fit our backpacks inside. I love the two hooks and two pockets on each side. There is an option to add a clothesline inside as well which can come very handy when hanging clothes, lamp, or other things.
Aesthetic-wise, I love the color of the tent! Fabric feels fragile. I haven’t really had a situation that tested its sturdiness. I used a tyvek ground sheet just to be safe. It is very light and packs easily.

Other things I appreciate:
- Enough space for headroom
- The zippers zip up easily
- Lots of hoops for guy lines
- I LOVE that the tent opens on both sides.
- I can fold and clip the doors intact.

It is 4 stars for now because I haven’t tested it in strong wind and rain yet. Looking forward to using this in my next backpacking trip!

I have now used the tent on two overnight backpack trips. Its size and weight are a game-changer. I recommend watching a video on how to set up the tent for your first use. The tent does need to be staked to stand up properly, so this might not be a good option in the desert. This tent does breathe well. It has two doors with a screen and a screen around where you lie your head. This tent wouldn't help insulate you if it gets cold. It is a 3 season tent as advertised. The middle of the tent does sag a bit. There is a spot on the outside that you could pull the middle out, but that adds an extra step. The floor of the tent is thin. I am not sure how long it will last, but that is a trade-off to weigh. You can store your gear outside the sleeping area, covered by the doors on each side. I would purchase this tent again. For the price point, I think that value is there.

This tent is lightweight with ample interior space and is extremely easy to set up. I actually found this tent easier / quicker to setup than a traditional tent pole style. It’s roomy on the inside with a ton of mesh that allows air to breeze through. The material is high quality and I have had no issues with wind / rain. I’ve tried 5 other brands and styles of trekking poles tents, but this one is by far my favorite! The colors are also really nice in person, and the guidelines are a bright red which contrasts with any style of ground you set up on. I also like how small this tent packs down for backpacking trips, and it’s only around 2 pounds! If you’re interested I wouldn’t hesitate to pick one up, you won’t regret it!

This is one heck of a tent! Easy to setup once you test it out the first time and love the weight and the space you get from it. I am extremely impressed! I did fit 2-25in pads in it no problem

I purchased my Featherstone backbone two person tent, just a couple weeks ago and have been on trail for five days using it for four nights starting from Acton to San Fransisquito.

So about the tent, we had cold nights hot days, lots of wind, moisture throughout the night and one good night of rain. The tent has been holding up well I would say so far the only complaint I have is the zipper is a little bit rough and when it rained obviously because it is a seal nylon design, there was some sagging, which should expected. It does have some cool features with the extra side pockets so far my phone and items that I don’t want wet were able to stay dry. The hooks for hanging lights and drying sweaty clothes we’re also very handy. The vegetable is big enough to cook in during the high winds.

So far this tent has worked out great it may get a better rating as I go along the PCT. It only has a few nights on it and it has held up great but it’s gonna have to withstand another 50 nights. I hope I can trust it.

Easy setup and held up great in steady Pacific NW rain. Very compactable and light weight for all your backpacking adventures. Lots of room and the two vestibules allow for even more. I'm very happy with my purchase, its really hard to beat this price. One thing to note is that they never mentioned that this newer version does not need to be seam sealed on the head end of the tent.

easy to set up, needs way to take bow out of foot section to keep off body, and to not collect water

Can't find a better trekking pole tent for the money. Even compared to higher priced tents this one can hang. 113% would recommend.

Great value, and good quality. Got it on trail for one night. Never set up a trekking pole tent prior to this, but it wasn't anything too difficult. Lightweight and easily packable.

Definitely looking forward to using it more.

I set it up in my yard before the trip so I had an idea of what to do on trail. Highly advise doing this.

Outstanding tent. Great weight, ease of use, quality and price balance. Used over a couple trips and zero issues with performance.