I would imagine that you are going to need to scout the sales to get a quality tent for under $200. Stick with the mainstream manufacturers who all stand behind their products and you should be ok. I use to obsess a lot over tent specifications but I don’t think it’s worth the time. It’s all about good quality materials and workmanship.

I like tents that are self supporting (don’t require stakes to stand up) for a number of reasons. A good tarp can often extend the season on a lightweight tent and makes camp life a little more pleasant. Some of the forum members like to use tarps as their primary shelter and forget the tent.

My newest tent is about ten years old. I bought it on some sort of close-out sale. It is made by Sierra Designs and is a three pole dome tent. Very spacious for two people and will fit three in a pinch or even a stray dog. I like the dome or arch type tents that allow you to sit upright inside them. If I was going for a new tent I would probably get one with mesh sidewalls for lots of warm weather ventilation and openings on both sides with a rectangular floor plan.

I have a Mountain Hardwear “Room with a View” that I love. Unfortunately they don’t make them anymore. I’d check out the Light Wedge wich puts you $35 over budget but is probably worth it in the long run. There are a few Sierra Designs tents that fit your budget as well.

Light Wedge tents are simple backpacking tents for two or three. Featuring Mountain Hardwears patented tension shelf for strength and storage, the 70D nylon and mesh canopy has a single, D-shaped door, two mesh ceiling vents and one rear vent. Atlas 7001 poles are strong and light.  Guaranteed watertight construction.  Superlight option:  pitch with fly and Pitch Light footprint to shave pounds. Footprint sold separately.

 

• Tent Capacity: 2
• Number of Doors: 1
• Guaranteed watertight construction with fully taped fly, taped perimeter seam, welded corners and welded guy clip anchors. Rain room tested with 1200″ of rain in 24 hours.
• Atlas 7001 pole system is strong, lightweight, durable, resistant to corrosion and dents, and easy to service by hand in the field
• Pitch Light configuration allows user to set up a superlight shelter using only the tent fly, poles and footprint (sold separately)
• 2-pole wedge design is lightweight and roomy
• Large dry entry vestibule with a strong aluminum brow pole provides ample head room
• Tension Shelf provides strength, support for vestibule pole, and 3-D storage
• Full-size mesh door with dual slider zipper for easy entry and ventilation
• Reflective guy-out loops, starter points and zipper pulls for easy set-up at night
• Superlight 1/4″ buckles and webbing reduce tent weight
• Color coded pole loops for easy set up
• Number of Vestibules: 1
• Floor Area: 34.9sq ft / 3.2sq m
• Vestibule Area: 8.6sq ft / 0.8sq m
• Interior Height: 3.57in / 109.2cm
• Body Fabric: 68D Polyester Ripstop DWR
• Fly Fabric: 75D Polyester Taffeta 1500mm PU
• Number of Poles: 3Number of Poles: 3
• Minimum Weight: 5.1lb / 2.3kgMinimum Weight: 5.1lb / 2.3kg
• Pitch Light Weight: 3.7lb / 1.68kg
• Packed weight: 6.1lb / 2.8kg

   

The Drifter gets you in under budget at $194 and is also a nice tent.

It comes in a two man version as well for $164

The Mountain Hardwear or Sierra Designs stuff is far and away better than TNF, Kelty or big box retail stuff. You’ll be happier with a good tent. I wouldn’t much worry about the difference between 2-3 season. It’s not until you expect several feet of snow and 50mph winds that you need to upgrade to the $600+ 4 season tents.