I鈥檇 love to say that I鈥檓 a backcountry broad who can set up a tent in three minutes with one hand while filleting a rainbow trout with the other. I鈥檓 not. When I arrive at campsites, it鈥檚 usually after a lot of driving鈥擨鈥檓 grumpy, I鈥檓 tired, and I want to set up as fast as possible so I can actually enjoy being there.聽Enter French gear giant Decathlon鈥檚 2 Seconds , the answer to all of my camp-setup woes. The 2 Seconds is part of Decathlon鈥檚 hiking and camping line, named Quechua after a group of indigenous tribes that live in the high Andes of Peru.
Let鈥檚 be clear: this is not a tent for the habitual backpacker. When not in use, the 2 Seconds contorts into a round disk about two feet in diameter and can be clunky to walk long distances with.
But for car camping, I鈥檓 a diehard fan, because, true to its name, it takes seconds to set up. Simply unclip four buckles, step back, and聽watch it pop into shape (with the rain fly already attached and the frame built in). After taking another minute or two to stake it down, you鈥檒l have plenty of time to relax聽and reflect on how you ever put up with tent poles.
Made entirely of polyester, with a tarp-like polyethylene floor, the 2 Seconds is waterproof and can withstand winds of up to 30 miles per hour thanks to an internal, flexible fiberglass frame. On a recent trip to camp in the White Sands backcountry of New Mexico, a friend and I spent a聽comfortable night聽in the tent, despite 25-mile-per-hour gusts of sand and two wiggly dogs (the tent fits two humans easily鈥攁n additional two dogs make it snug).
It鈥檚 also surprisingly durable. Since I got the 2 Seconds about seven months ago, my mutt, Beep, has, in her enthusiasm, pawed at both the inside and the outside of the tent on every single trip. While a friend鈥檚 tent ripped after a dog scratched at it in a similar display of excitement, the 2 Seconds has consistently stood up to the test of Beep鈥檚 joy.
But the best part is Decathlon鈥檚 notoriously low prices. You can buy the tent for $60. For people who have limited gear dollars like me but love the outdoors, that鈥檚 about all you can ask for.