Big Sky Evolution 2P
This lightweight, two-person tent is well-designed for wet, rainy conditions. The rain fly offers full coverage, and both the floor and the fly are made from the same silicon-coated nylon. And because the floor has a bathtub design, pooling water runs away from the bottom. Water won't drip through the roof or seep up through the floor of this tent. The Evolution also received high marks from reviewers for its ventilation, avoiding the usual trade-off between rain protection and ventilation that sometimes happens with inferior tents. Equally important are the tent's vestibules, which are so important to campers who need to keep their gear out of the rain. The Evolution 2P offers just over 8 sq. ft. of vestibule space--quite generous for a two-man tent.
Paha Que Promontory 8-Person Tent
This is a spacious, two-room tent that offers plenty of rain protection. The seams are all factory-sealed against leakage, and the tent buttons up tight. So, despite the rain fly not being full-coverage, the tent offers good protection. Better still, the structure is rated to withstand up to 50 m.p.h. winds. It is also airy, with a 7-foot peak and a 12-foot by 10-foot floor space. The result is that it offers good ventilation, even when buttoned down for a storm.
North Face Trailhead 8
This is a three-room cabin tent, with 132 sq. ft. of floor space. The tent earned high marks from reviewers for its wind and rain resistance; some even praised how easy the tent was to get up in a heavy rainfall. The vestibules cover a spacious 28 sq. ft., making them able to keep mounds of gear dry. The floor is a bathtub design, and in some ways more durable and water-resistant than the rain fly itself. The one drawback is that the storm flap zippers tend to snag easily, which can be a nuisance in a sudden downpour.
2-Person MSR Velo Tent
The main advantage this two-person tent has in a rainstorm is its gigantic vestibule. At 32 sq. ft., the vestibule is almost as big as the tent itself, and exceeds the vestibule size of many cabin and family tents. The main drawback is its weight. At 9 lbs. 8 oz., the tent is very heavy for a backpacker. A tailgate camper, meanwhile, does not need to worry about the weight so much and can simply get an all-around bigger tent. However, for mountain bikers (who are less concerned about weight than backpackers) the huge vestibule really shines, because it is large enough to keep bikes out of the weather.
