Recommend a Durable Tent That’s Easy to Set Up

Q: I don’t have a tent, and we might need to camp a lot. Do you have some good recommendations?
— Jiale, Dublin, California

A: Hopefully, you’ll be camping a lot, and for that I recommend getting a tent that’s durable and easy to set up, and comes with a few helpful features.

Tents range from $30 to $5,500 — yes, some tents designed for Mount Everest expeditions cost $5,500.

You won’t climb the world’s tallest mountain on your first campout, so look at affordable entry-level tents, like the Coleman Sundome series ($30-$140, scoutshop.org).

A few tents I’ve tried out include:

• Six Moon Designs Skyscape Scout ($145, sixmoondesigns.com)
• Klymit Cross Canyon series ($200-$250, klymit.com)
• NEMO Aurora series ($250-$300, nemoequipment.com)

The one-person Skyscape is designed for backpacking, weighing only 40 ounces. It doesn’t come with poles, but that’s OK because you can use trekking poles to prop it up.

The Cross Canyon’s body is primarily mesh — you’ll feel like you’re sleeping under the stars. For privacy and protection, its thick rain fly easily attaches using snap buckles. The tent’s storage bag unrolls, so you can use it as a floor mat to help keep dirt out.

The Aurora’s steep walls provide plenty of interior room. The tent also features a few large storage pockets and a light-diffusing ceiling pocket for your lantern or cellphone to help illuminate the whole tent.