In reply to mattbell:
What I look for in a Himalayan tent:
If going to an area that is subject to sand storms (eg Spiti) then it is best to have an inner tent where all the mesh vents can be closed with inner fabric doors.
A tough groundsheet, as many of the ground surfaces of campsites are abrasive. I would also use some form of groundsheet protector as well.
A tent that is easy to erect and strike. This can only be found out by trial and error, so I would either try someone else's tent or at the least put the tent up in the shop. Some pole sleeves are sticky and others are slick, for example, which can make a big difference when you are knackered and your head is mush from the altitude/heat.
A well ventilated tent. If possible, a tent with two doors that can give a through draught. You are likely to find yourself with a few extended periods mooching around the campsite, and during the day you might have strong sun and cool air - a tent with only one opening becomes a baking cave, but a more open tent can act as avery pleasant sun shade with a cooling breeze.
A tent giving a taught pitch. Some tents flap a lot, and other tents don't. This is down to quality of design and construction. Flappy tents are noisy and annoying, but the flapping also puts the fabric under more stress, weakening the tent.
Enough space. You can find yourself spending a lot of time in your tent. I like to have space to comfortably sit up or even kneel up, because this makes getting dressed much easier. But too much space and the tent is cold at night. It is also worth having space inside the tent for rummaging round your kit. There is a big variation in size between one 2 person tent and another two person tent. And the floor plan alone is not enough of a guide - the steepness of tent walls (including at the feet end) has a big effect on the usable room in the tent.
Strong fabrics. If you are out for two weeks or more, your tent is subject to a lot of wear.
Some websites give the tear strength of fabrics, and it is interesting to see how much variation there is in this. As a rule of thumb, silicon coated fly sheets tend to be far stronger than pu coated fly sheets. In general.
