We expect a few simple things from our tents these days: a domed roof; two vestibules, two doors and two vents for two people; poles that guide you through easy setup without the need for a physics degree. But when these configurations hit the market over the years through several iterations of the REI Half Dome line, starting with the very first in 1980, they were rare—and occasionally revolutionary.
“Sometimes you create a new product in a category,” says David Mydans, a former REI senior product designer who shaped the way tents were designed at the co-op for decades. “Sometimes you just change the category itself.”
This year marks the 45th anniversary of the first Half Dome, which is an impressive (mile) marker in itself. So, too, is the tent’s stake in putting REI on the map as one of the innovators in designing, and not just selling, gear. But all that’s just the icing on our s’more. We’re raising our YETI Ramblers to the countless memorable nights in the backcountry that the Half Dome has facilitated, from camping with the grandkids to weathering unexpected snowstorms.
“All of the iterations have been in service of livability,” Mydans says. “We just want to help people get outside and to make it as wonderful an experience as we can for them, so they do it more.”
What’s the secret behind the Half Dome’s longevity? “It’s a Goldilocks,” says REI Co-op senior design engineer Shon Hancock. He worked on several iterations over the last decade, including the 2025 updates: Half Dome 2, Half Dome 2 Plus and Half Dome 3. “It has a great utility across a broad range of camping pursuits.”
That versatility is because the Half Dome tent balances need-to-have durability and convenience with nice-to-have features and creature comfort. With roughly 71 cubic feet of interior volume, the 2-person model provides a spacious haven—expected for car camping, luxurious for backpacking. On the flip side, its modest 4-pound, 10.3-ounce (minimum trail) weight suits those carrying it over long trails and delights those toting it from their SUV to the fire ring. On all 2025 versions, the full-coverage rainfly protects campers and their sleep systems from windy and wet conditions and rolls back for stargazing and ample ventilation. Setup is even breezier with color-coded poles and an updated hub design. And of course, the Half Dome’s signature attribute—two large, vertical, D-shaped doors—provides bunkmates with their own front door and vestibule.
“When someone comes into REI and says, ‘Hey, I want a really good tent to use for all sorts of things, especially backpacking,’” Hancock says, “the Half Dome 2 is a no-brainer.”
It’s not just the (admittedly biased) co-op designers who think so. “If we were to recommend a single tent for year-round camping in almost every climate,” Backpacker wrote in 2002 upon bestowing the tent with an Editors’ Choice Award, “this would be it.” Eight years later, Outside Magazine echoed that approval with a Gear of the Year Award for the 2010 Half Dome 2 model, adding, “It’d be a good tent at any price, but it’s an incredible tent at this [$179] price.”
A History of Tent-Making
The legacy of tent-making at REI goes back as far as 1938, when co-founder Mary Anderson hand-sewed tents for members in her Seattle home—at least when she wasn’t scaling mountains or creating the co-op’s mail-order business. REI historian Will Dunn says these early tents were likely two or three simple pup tent designs from patterns.
The first iteration of the Half Dome didn’t hit the market until the spring of 1980. Though the two-person tent had only one door and a window, members knew it was something special. That’s because the Half Dome numbered among the first tent models to adopt a curved roof architecture.
Though tent design trends were changing in the 1970s, the most popular options of that time remained pup tents, those doghouse-like A-frames with roots in military surplus, or wall tents big enough to stand inside. The former was lightweight with cramped living quarters, while the latter was spacious but bulky and heavy. Both used straight poles and tightly strung cords with waterproof fabric and weren’t the simplest to set up.
Developments in flexible, lighter yet still sturdy pole materials using fiberglass and aluminum extrusions made the dome silhouette possible. “This was a big step forward in making a tent that was literally for anyone,” says Dunn. This was a tent designed for recreational, not military or survival, uses. With the Half Dome, “we were focusing our energy on making sure that when you went outside, you were not only going to survive it; you might be able to enjoy it as well.”
The Mydans Touch
By the turn of the century, the Half Dome had become one of the best-selling products in the co-op’s lineup. (The Half Dome 2 and Half Dome 3 remain the No. 1 selling tent at REI today.) Mydans, however, applied expertise earned over decades of sewing his own tents (starting as a teenager) and countless nights camping to make the Half Dome even better. When he got the green light to introduce two vestibules, two doors, and two vents for two people, he created a Half Dome model in 2001 that was larger than its predecessor without compromising on weight (or price, for that matter). “We were paying attention to the space in the tent, the breathability of the tent, the ventilation of the tent and the doors and convenience of the tent,” Mydans says. “It always came down to livability.”
The positive reception from the outdoor community was tremendous. There was that Backpacker Editors’ Choice Award for The Half Dome 2 in 2002 (after testers experienced the tent’s competence in a surprise mountain tempest). Other awards followed, including recognition in the Backpacker Gear Hall of Fame as an all-time favorite. “The quick and enduring embrace of the Half Dome 2 isn’t just one thing,” Dunn says. “Its intuitive, robust design and accessible price make it everyone’s tent, but it’s the livability that makes it the easy choice for any camping experience.”
Backpackers and members, too, have raves and memories of their own. REI Co-op Member Cyndi Gyugyi first bought her Half Dome in 2005 for her son’s high school backpacking trip to Kings Canyon National Park. Another son later used it for Boy Scout camping trips. “It has weathered rain, snow and scorching heat over the years,” she shares, “and it is still in service and awaiting its next adventure!”
From Then to Now
Over the decades, the Half Dome has evolved along with materials technology and outdoor trends. The poles are now made with lightweight 7000-series aluminum. They feature HubCheck™, a quartet of small windows in the pole hub that shows if the poles are fully secured. The rainfly has been updated with rugged 40-denier ripstop nylon with polyethylene coating, which offers extra durability and protection. Colorways have ranged from bold teals, purples and a golden orange hue dubbed “lion” in the mid-2010s to today’s more natural palette—achieved in part through a water-saving solution-dying process–of stone green, earthen gray and golden sulphur.
The tent’s pocket sizes, location and materials have changed, too, to fit the needs of today’s backpackers and the tech they bring along. Meanwhile, the floor dimensions have expanded (without adding significant weight) to accommodate wider sleeping pads (or furry friends) with the Half Dome 2 Plus and additional campers with a 3-person version. Most recently, the entire Half Dome family introduced a far-easier-to-pack top-loading stuff sack, essentially a duffel bag with a cinch-down string.
Hancock likens the Half Dome’s evolution through the work of product teams to the artistry of a bonsai tree, which might be passed from gardener to gardener for hundreds of years. “Each designer who has been charged with the task of taking care of the Half Dome 2 has done so with the goal of preserving its beauty and utility,” he says, “while also recognizing that the things that we want in a backpacking tent are going to change as the way we enjoy the outdoors changes.”
To determine when those tweaks are necessary and what they should be, co-op designers turn to the ultimate advisors: its members. Why? Even though the designers are gear wizards who personally spend an impressive number of nights snoozing in tents, they want to know how members use their Half Domes and what could make the tent even more adventure ready. “Getting perspectives from customers,” Hancock says, “people who are in different conditions and have different desires and demands for the functionality of their tent, is an important thing.”
REI designers pore over customer reviews–taking both positive and negative comments into account–and talk directly with shoppers. Questions posted to REI.com about the products provide further insight into needed features, functionalities and instruction manual descriptions. So, if you’ve ever wondered if it’s worth taking the time to share your feedback on a product, the answer is “yes.” That feedback is what has kept the Half Dome line an easy choice for outdoorspeople of all kinds.
This spirit of collaboration over time, across designers and with member input, has shaped the Half Dome into what it is today. “The Half Dome family really gets at something that has been core to REI since we founded in 1938,” Dunn says. “It’s always been about focusing on community needs that ensure opportunities for everyone to spend time outside.”
What will the Half Dome family look like in another 45 years? It’s hard to say. Maybe designers will make it even larger but just as lightweight. Or perhaps they’ll use new fabrics that breathe better while keeping the elements at bay. What we know for sure? Just like our members, the team at REI will continue to not just think outside the box when iterating the Half Dome, they’ll adamantly, tenaciously think outside.
From March 25 through April 30, REI will donate 20% of proceeds from Half Dome tent full-price sales to the National Parks Conservation Association. Shop the Half Dome 2, Half Dome 2 Plus or the Half Dome 3.