Hi Cybrok,
I am familiar with a couple models you mentioned, but not all. After spending years playing with stuff, and some excellent advice from backcountry guides, I have the following features I look for when looking for any tent.
Fly
It should cover as much of the tent as possible. If water can run off the fly and hit a tent seam, pass on the tent (unless you want to sew fabric yourself). Taped seams will eventually fail (or not be perfectly sealed from the get go; that is why most companies supply seam sealer). The best solution is to not have water hit the seams in the first place.
The "average" dome tent that has a little tiny vestibule over a door 3 feet off the ground is typical of weekend campers. They leave the entire door/zipper and lots of seams exposed. They are for campers who end up packing up when the weather gets bad.
Storm Loops mid fly
First, where the fly has storm loops, it should also attach to the tent frame. When the winds get above 40 mph your storm tie downs need to be attached to structure. If it is only attached to fabric, it will eventually lead to failure. Not only of the fabric, but of the structure to withstand high winds.
Unfortunately, even at its high cost, the MSR Mutha Hubba does not have this feature. Such a tragedy for an expensive tent. Big Agnes is famous for not putting these on either.
You can always add them yourself, but I have issue with buying a $400 plus tent, and then having to fix it before I use it.
Storm loops at the bottom of the fly
There should be enough of them, and in the proper location that when the high winds hit them, the side of the fly does not collapse in. I will try to explain what I mean by "proper location."
If you have two poles, and a big seam at the bottom, an example of poor placement is to have 2 storm loops 1/3 and 2/3 of the way in.
First, the most important thing is to bisect that area of the fabric, and have one in the center. If the fabric span is short, that will be enough. If the fabric span is longer, and you need more, they should continue to divide the remaining area in half. It is the strongest way to support the fabric.
Those storm loops are the easiest to add yourself after the fact, but many tents come setup nicely. It is a good feature to look for.
Hubs
I don't understand the latest rage in using hubs, like on the MSR tent. If the hub were to fail, or the pole to break right at the hub, you are DONE! Your tent will no longer stand up, and I can not see an easy way to field repair it. For that reason alone, I do not like that hub style.
If you look at the REI Quarterdome series, it has plastic hubs, but they are meant to hold the poles together at a certain location, and for convenience of packing. If one of those hubs break, 1 foot of string can lash the poles together so that they cross in the proper location. A pole break anywhere can be fixed with the supplied oversized tube. Bottom line, the hub is not critical to the tents survival.
For me, I look for a tent that if it does have hubs, they are not critical for the structure to survive.
Like Tal mentioned, the REI quaterdome's are a good example that has all these features. Ironically, a lot of more expensive tents do not. I don't mean to recommend a specific tent. Just features to look for. As that Black diamond tent pictured above looks awesome. But, I have not seen or used it first hand. I have heard excellent things about Black diamond tents. But, if you know what to look for, you should be good with any.
Just remember, any tent works well when it is nice and sunny. Look for the features that are going to get you through when it is down right rotten out.
Just my thoughts,
B
, the more answers the better.
