The perfect workhorse, this do-it-all two-person shelter is light enough for summer, sturdy enough for shoulder-season storms, and big enough for a pair of tall strangers to share. The stable pitch is drum-tight and condensation-free, and two doors and vestibules make for easy living. While its 40-inch peak height isn’t best-in-show, the inner space feels XXL due to Marmot’s bent-knee pole system and “brow” poles that pull walls nearly vertical. In the Grand Canyon, the Aeolos comfortably fit two guys and hid our ten-person group’s food bags from the canyon’s marauding mice. We also like the cheery colors. 5.6 lbs; www.marmot.com
Bonus: Rock-solid pole structure can handle a snow load.
Bummer: For the weight, vestibules could be a tad larger.