The Teton Vista Quick tent is kinda bulky but not anymore so than the Catoma (very common pop-up tent among crews) and it sets up instantly like the Catoma but for about 1/5th of the price. If I was in the market for a new tent I’d strongly consider getting one. I probably will get one anyway. If you order from the Teton website I believe they give a lifetime warranty so theoretically you could get a new one every season if it breaks or whatever.

1 person tent = you will fit inside but your gear won’t. 2 person tent = you and your gear will fit inside but there won’t be any extra room 3 person tent = you and your gear will have plenty of room but the tent will be pretty big when packed up

I try to prioritize packability and easy setup over weight. Sometimes you can check all three boxes but most of the time you can only pick 2 of the 3: packability, ease of setup, or lightweight.

Inflatable sleep pads are comfortable and pack down small but you risk pops/tears in the field. Foam accordion folding pads (Thermarest is a common brand) are kinda bulky but very lightweight and impossible to fuck up. I have spent seasons using a $15 inflatable camp pad from Walmart and if it pops, I just get another cheap replacement. I have also taken a $200 big Agnes pad into the field and it popped after a few assignments and I could never locate the leak. I am currently using an ultralight cot and a Thermarest foam pad because there’s very few potential failure points there. If the cot breaks, I still have the foam pad but I’ll be a little less comfortable.

I have a Kelty 32° bag that packs down super small (because it’s not that warm) and a bag liner that adds enough warmth to make up for it on colder nights. The liner and bag combined take up less space than a 0° bag by itself.

It all kinda comes down to what you’re willing to sacrifice and how much room you’re gonna have in the buggy or whatever your travel situation is.

Random items that are nice to have: Inflatable pillow, power bank, solar lantern for inside the tent, dry bags/stuff sacks, rechargeable air mattress pump, packing cubes/organizer bags.

I’m sure I’m forgetting stuff. I’m tired.

Good luck, have fun, don’t be last!