Gossamer Gear The Two Tent Review
JUMP TO: SPECS | PROS & CONS | HOW IT PERFORMED | FEATURES | ACCESSORIES | SUMMARY
Author: Sam Brilleman | Updated: Jan 30, 2023
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Gossamer Gear’s The Two is a spacious and durable ultralight shelter at a price far below most competing two-person tents. Don’t assume the tent’s excellent value translates to unnecessary bulk. Boasting a packed weight of under 2 pounds, The Two is no ultralight slouch either.
The Two is available with either a full nylon construction (reviewed here) or a nylon/Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF) hybrid construction. The nylon version is 3 ounces heavier and slightly less packable than its DCF counterpart but is significantly cheaper.
With a durable build, solid weather resistance, streamlined design, and luxurious vestibule space, The Two is a high-value tent for couples or solo hikers seeking a well-rounded shelter fit for nearly any three-season adventure.
SPECS
WEIGHT — Tent body only: 23.5 oz / 666.2 g
WEIGHT — Tent body, stuff sack, stakes, stake sack, guylines, and tensioners: 31 oz / 879 g
INTERIOR DIMENSIONS — L x W x H: 84 x 48/42 x 43 in / 213 x 122/107 x 109 cm
PACKED SIZE: 11 x 5 in / 28 x 12.7 cm
MATERIAL: 10D Nylon Ripstop
PROS
Tremendous value at a competitive price point
Comfortable and liveable thanks to a roomy interior and dual vestibule design
Durable nylon build: partial DCF design is also an option
CONS
Single-wall nylon design prone to condensation and sagging
Setup requires trekking poles or purchasing (expensive) tent poles
Fly and door design limit versatility and airflow options
HOW IT PERFORMED
SETUP: Like any non-freestanding or semi-freestanding tent, the experience of setting up The Two varies widely depending on the terrain. Rocky or frozen ground can be challenging, but on flat, soft surfaces the tent goes up in minutes.
Its simple and intuitive build requires little explanation: the four corners get staked down, and two trekking pole tips fit into two grommets, with the handles fitting into either end of the ceiling. From there, it is a simple matter of staking and adjusting guylines as needed.
There are lineloc adjusters on each of the four corners, to help tension the tent during setup — but like any trekking pole tent, setup is much easier on flat ground.
WEIGHT AND PACKABILITY: The tent itself weighs less than 24 ounces. The addition of 6-8 stakes and the tent’s stuff sack push its total packed weight closer to 2 pounds. The Two Pole Set will add 5.7 ounces if you use those instead of trekking poles.
The tent’s nylon body is somewhat bulky when packed down. But if shared between two people, the weight and packability of The Two are still impressive, especially given its price.
DURABILITY: The 10-denier ripstop nylon shell and bathtub floor strike a practical balance between weight and durability. It is sturdy enough for most typical three-season applications and should outlive the lightest two-person backpacking tents, further bolstering the exceptional value of The Two.
Like other Gossamer Gear products, the Two’s stitching and overall build quality is solid — and the seams come fully taped to ensure waterproofing.
VENTILATION: The single-wall design of The Two is naturally prone to condensation. Two doors and the large vestibules help mitigate condensation issues in most conditions, but with some frustrating limitations. Both vestibules have a clip on one flap: if you want your vestibule half open to increase airflow, you can’t choose which flap is rolled up to increase airflow and which one is staked down to shelter your gear.
It’s a minor drawback, but this design choice limits options to customize your setup to protect from wind and rain while still maximizing ventilation.
Only one flap on the vestibule has a clip for securing it to the stake — so if you want your vestibule “half open” (i.e. one flap rolled back, the other flap staked down) then you can’t choose which flap that will be.
WEATHER RESISTANCE: The tent’s solid nylon construction has taped seams and a waterproof coating. It delivers excellent protection from rain, wind, and even light snow. The sharp-angled walls and ridged roof effectively dispel rain, but as the nylon gets wet, it can begin to sag, potentially leading to water-collecting pockets if the tent is not perfectly tensioned and staked out.
LIVEABILITY: The capacity guidelines of backpacking tents are often more aspirational than practical. The Two is guilty of this, but not quite to the extent of many other ultralight tents. Shared with another person, The Two is snug but entirely workable, thanks primarily to its massive vestibules that eliminate the need to store any gear in the tent’s interior.
The tent is definitely roomy enough for couples comfortable with close quarters. And at less than 2 pounds, The Two would not be overkill for solo hikers seeking a little additional luxury compared to Gossamer Gear’s The One or any other one-person backpacking tent.
Like most backpacking tents, capacity guidelines for ‘The Two’ are more aspirational than practical... you’ll fit two people, but don’t expect the space to be similar to something like our favorite two-person backpacking tent — the Zpacks Triplex.
NOTABLE FEATURES
WATERPROOFING: The Two is seam-sealed, and both the main body and bathtub floor have an 1800mm waterproof Ultra Tear Strength (UTS) coating. This polyurethane-based coating will withstand constant driving rain and improves the tear resistance of the tent’s nylon fabric.
POCKETS: The tent has 2 interior mesh pockets. They are in the middle of the tent, right beside either door.
The pocket beside each screen door is decent in size — big enough to hold a 1.5 liter Nalgene bottle, shown here.
SCREEN DOOR: A bug liner is integrated into the tent’s nylon body. Each side has a screen door that zips open along the tent’s floor and up the middle of the side wall. While not as accessible or unobtrusive as half-moon style doors that zip down to the floor (like the Zpacks Duplex), the screen doors can be rolled up and secured out of the way to make setup and exiting the tent relatively easy.
VESTIBULE: The vestibules on either side of The Two are massive and significantly contribute to the tent’s liveability. Both vestibules have storm doors that can be rolled up to maximize ventilation. When rolled down and zipped shut, each vestibule provides 10 square feet of fully covered storage space.
The two vestibule doors on each side of the tent can be rolled back to maximize ventilation.
CATENARY CUT: The Two has what is called a catenary cut design. This creates the tent’s gently curved ridgeline. A catenary cut reduces the fabric needed for the tent walls and allows for a taut pitch that minimizes the nylon body from sagging when wet.
HEIGHT ADJUSTABILITY: It is possible to set up the tent with trekking poles measuring anywhere between 120 cm to about 150 cm. Increasing your pole length raises the ends of the A-frame ceiling to create an impressive amount of headspace.
Gossamer Gear’s The Two uses a ‘catenary cut’ and adjustable height to help maximise internal space and avoid sagging when wet.
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
The Two come with a stuff sack, 8 aluminum stakes, a stake stuff sack, an internal clothesline, attached guy lines and tensioners, and 2 extra lengths of cord. Some accessories to consider while rounding out your setup include:
GROUNDSHEET: A groundsheet will add extra puncture resistance and protection from the typical wear and tear your tent floor will inevitably sustain over time. Gossamer Gear makes an affordable and super minimal polyolefin film groundsheet. It can be cut to size as needed, and the transparent film even works as a solar still in emergencies.
TENT POLE SET: If you hike without trekking poles or plan to use the tent for bikepacking and other pole-free pursuits, grab a tent pole set from Gossamer Gear. The pair of aluminum poles work for both The One and The Two and add 5.7 ounces to your total shelter weight.
THE TOP SHELF: This tent attic adds an extra storage option beyond the tent’s side pockets. It attaches to the clothesline and is a handy way to keep your phone, electronics, headlamp, and other essentials organized and off the ground.
I hike with trekking poles — used for the setup shown here. if you hike sans poles, then you’ll need to grab a tent pole set.
SUMMARY
Gossamer Gear’s The Two is an extremely well-rounded tent. It is not the lightest of ultralight shelters, nor does its ease-of-use match top-end freestanding tents, but it does give the best in both categories a run for their money—at a very competitive price point. Other two-person tents can easily cost twice as much as the Two, all in the name of saving half a pound.
Combining an approachable price, durable build quality, and steady performance, you can count on The Two for nearly everything—from weekend overnighters and fastpacking missions to ambitious bikepacking adventures and summer-long thru-hikes. It is an excellent choice for newcomers to ultralight tents, along with anyone searching for a light and dependable three-season shelter.
DISCLOSURE
Gossamer Gear provided me with a free sample for this review – but the views expressed here are all my own. The review also contains affiliate links, which help us keep churning out more content.
MORE INFORMATION
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Happy hiking and take care out there in the wild!