REI’s Half Dome 2 Plus Tent Receives Outside’s “Gear of the Year” Award

REI’s Half Dome 2 Plus Tent was selected as an Outside magazine “2010 Gear of the Year” award recipient, the magazine’s top honor. Each year, Outside’s editors award products they deem to be the very best in outdoor adventure gear for design and value.

“This tent has one of the best architectural designs and price-points we’ve seen for a while,” said Sam Moulton, Outside gear editor. “We thought it was the best overall package in all of the tent categories we tested, and we were especially impressed with its strength.”

REI’s new Half Dome tent series “Plus” version was designed with an extended floor plan that adds 10 inches of additional length and four inches of additional width to the standard new Half Dome 2. The tent’s expanded/extra room allows for added comfort for taller outdoor enthusiasts, for gear, or even the family pet. The strong, lightweight, weather-worthy backpacking tent maximizes livability, entry/exit access and storage space.

“Winning an Outside ‘Gear of the Year’ award is a great honor for REI,” says Lee Fromson, vice president of REI Gear & Apparel. “This tent series continues to win industry accolades which validate our team’s commitment to offering our customers innovation, quality and value.”

The Half Dome’s predecessor, the award-winning Half Dome 2HC, a best-seller for almost a decade, was redesigned in 2010. The updated design adds strength and additional living space for the same price. REI’s Half Dome series tents are available in stores and through www.rei.com. Pricing starts at $179 and is available in three styles (two-person; two-person plus and four-person).

Outside’s editors spend more than six months field-testing thousands of outdoor products and select only the top “killer values” – product providing great performance and design for the price – for their biannual buyers guides. REI’s Half Dome 2 Plus tent is featured in the current issue of Outside’s Spring/Summer Buyer’s Guide, available on newsstands from May 4 – Oct. 5.

About REI Gear & Apparel

REI’s in-house REI Gear & Apparel team designs and develops award-winning gear and apparel for camping, hiking, cycling, urban lifestyle, travel and general outdoor recreation. The REI and Novara brands are sold exclusively through the co-op’s retail stores, online at www.rei.com and through its catalogs. REI is a national outdoor retail co-op dedicated to inspiring, educating and outfitting its members and the community for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship. Founded in 1938 by a group of Pacific Northwest mountaineers seeking quality equipment, REI is committed to promoting environmental stewardship and increasing access to outdoor recreation through volunteerism, gear donations and financial contributions.

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