The 2 for 1 deal

I think most of us have learned that tent manufacturers list far more capacity for their tents than you'd really want to stuff in it. For me, I use a Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight. It's very lightweight and easy to set up. I use it for loaded touring but it works well for OKFW as well. It's rated for 2 people, but I can assure you, you'll need to know that 2nd person really well for both of you. But it's perfect for me and my gear. Very well ventilated since it's almost entirely made of mesh. Can it stand up to 70 mph winds? Not sure, but it stayed up just fine with me inside during the storms that hit Checotah last year. Just make sure you stake out the guy lines if there's any chance of wind. When it comes to tents, I've found you pretty much get what you pay for. A super low priced bargain tent will probably get you by for awhile if it's not too wet or windy, but you'll be sorry if it blows away or lets you and your gear get soaked.

In my many years, I've had tents of different quality and will NEVER buy a tent that's not from a reputable company. First, you should realize that most of the well known manufacturers (Marmot, Mountain Hardwear, Sierra Designs, North Face, etc.) guarantee their tents for life, including repairing the poles if they get bent in some of our Oklahoma winds.

I had a Marmot Swallow tent for 4 or 5 years that I had bought off eBay brand new. The rainfly had a problem an I sent it back to Marmot for repair. They couldn't repair it so instead I got a $349 credit and ended up spending more than that upgrading to a larger, heaver designed tent. When I owned a tent from Sierra Designs one of the poles got bent. It was returned and fixed within a couple of weeks.

Besides getting wet or blown over, you won't get this service from a tent you buy at Target, WalMart, Sears, etc.

Spend the extra money and you'll get a tent that will last for a LONG time and you'll not be afraid to ride out the storms during Freewheel.

Lee

Last year on OKFW we had a couple of really REALLY windy nights and I agree the sir MapDude that the Sierra Clipflashight is awesome! In those winds last year I survived inside my tent with just one slightly bent tent pole. After getting home, I contacted Sierra Designs and they repaired that pole, no questions asked and within a few weeeks all was straight again.

I agree with the comments, the Walmart Tent Shaped objects and the other not so well named brands may indeed be "cheaper" but if they end up being a one event use, it doesn't seem quite so cheap when they have to be replaced each year.

I love my Clipflashlight, it sets up in minutes, have NEVER gotten a drop of rain inside due to leakage and the quality is spot on. Plus, it packs small and fits into one of my back panniers.