Trekker Tent 2V, 2-Person Trekking Pole Tent, Backpacking Tent

I am a relatively new hiker/backpacker, who – like most, I imagine – are wary of spending loads of money gathering their initial gear set up. I stumbled upon the River Country Trekker 2V while researching “lightweight” backpacking gear. Though there were very few online reviews of this model at the time of my purchase, I rolled the dice and purchased this tent. I am *mostly* very happy with my purchase. My first trip was a modest 7-mile hike with my girlfriend in Providence Canyon, GA. The tent was a breeze to set up and strike down, and even though the packs of very loud coyotes gave us a nervous night’s sleep, we felt secure in the tent, even through a light drizzle of rain in the morning. I was despondent, however, when I noticed a hole in the tent floor after my first use. I must be very clear here: I did NOT do a thorough inspection of the tent floor before I took it out on the trail. I have no way of knowing whether the hole was already there, or if something in the ground tore a hole in it during our use. I patched this hole with some silicone sealant and a tent repair kit from Walmart. Our second trip was a rock-climbing excursion to Sand Rock, AL, where we set up the tent on an uneven surface. I was initially weary of setting up a non-free-standing tent on uneven ground, but found it to be quite secure. I was worried that the prickly materials on the ground would cause more tears in the tent floor, but I have found no further damage thus far. While I have only used this tent twice, I am confident to give this product 4 stars due to several reasons: first, it is difficult to find any gear even remotely close to this price range that provides the pack size and weight; and second, even as a novice backpacker, I had very little trouble with the setup of the tent. My only concern is from the hole that appeared in the tent floor. While I am willing to give this company the benefit of the doubt – and yes, I will admit that I did not take extra measure to put together an appropriate footprint/groundsheet to accompany the tent – I wonder if the materials used are sturdy enough to weather the wide variety of conditions outdoors. For this price point, I am willing to spend an extra few dollars buying a waterproofing spray to fortify the rain fly and tent body, and I will likely purchase a Tyvek sheet to fashion a homemade footprint. Even including these costs, I will safely remain under the $100 mark for this shelter system. I am absolutely okay with that. From a design standpoint, I do wonder how the back, lower end of the tent will hold up to high winds and strong rain. I wonder if the start of the mesh material is too low – where wind can cause the fly to create space where rain can start hitting the mesh tent body. I cannot confirm this until I have used this tent in that kind of scenario. Overall, I am pleased with this product, mainly due to its cost. I am looking forward to spending more time with this product over the next several months, and I hope to be able to give a more thorough review in the future.