How to Buy the Right Backpacking Tent
Backpacking tents come in many sizes and shapes. Here are some tips for choosing a tent that will keep your backcountry nights comfortable.
HOW IMPORTANT IS WEIGHT WHEN CHOOSING A TENT?
A backpacking classic that remains a good value, the 2017 two-door REI Half Dome 2 Plus Tent ($199, rei.com) pitches quickly and easily (even on dark, rainy nights), thanks to a hubbed-pole system, and it holds up in wind as well as most competitors. It boasts a roomy 38 square feet of floor space and a 42-inch peak height, plus vertical walls that create more headroom. Tradeoff: At a little more than 5 pounds, it’s almost twice the weight of the lightest two-person freestanding tents, and its’ bulky to pack. 5 lbs. 1 oz.
Considering all the hours and trail miles you’ll spend carrying your tent, you should pay careful attention to its weight. Look for the lightest gear that performs the way you want it to — and that you can afford.
For example, an ultralight tent is a great pick to keep weight down, but it might not be as spacious or as strong in wind as you need. Be sure you understand the tradeoffs of each kind of tent and get what you need.
When you want a lightweight tent that won’t tap into your savings too much, look at the Marmot Tungsten UL 2P ($299, marmot.com). Barely north of 3 pounds, this two-door tent delivers more floor area than almost any comparable freestanding, three-season, two-person tent — and costs less than virtually all competitors in the category. Pre-bent poles maximize headroom, color coding makes pitching a snap, large doorways make coming and going easy, and lots of mesh ventilates the interior well — even with the doors sealed tightly. 3 lbs. 4 oz.
Consider questions like:
Will you typically spend most of each day on the trail? Consider opting for a lightweight tent over one with luxurious extras.
Will you be spending most of your day in camp? Think about comfort and convenience features like gear pockets, extra doors or a cool design.
Will there be severe weather? Go for a tent that will keep you dry in rain and stand up to extreme wind.
In the exclusive club of freestanding tents with two doors and vestibules that weigh fewer than 3 pounds, the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 2 ($450, bigagnes.com) stands out for its balance between low weight, good living space and ventilation, and strength. The secret lies in a 40-inch peak height, 88-inch length, large doorways and a hubbed-pole structure that creates steep walls, making the tent feel roomier than its 29 square feet. 2 lbs. 12 oz.
LOOK AT THE TENT’S DETAILS
The first step in gear shopping is reading reviews and looking at products online. Tent specs can tell you a lot when you know what they mean. Here are some frequently used keywords.
Capacity: Backpacking tents usually range from one- to four-person models. Be careful; sizes aren’t universal. You and your buddy might not sleep comfortably in a two-person tent.
Square footage: This number will tell you how much interior space you’ll have. For instance, less than 28 square feet might feel snug in a two-person tent, while more than 30 should offer some elbow room.
For a family hitting the trail on multiday hikes, there’s hardly a better value than The North Face Talus 4 ($299, thenorthface.com). With two doors and vestibules that will store boots and mid-sized packs, this freestanding four-person shelter has durable but lightweight poles and a fully seam-taped canopy and floor — and weighs fewer than 7 pounds. The 50-inch peak height affords plenty of headroom. Tradeoff: The 50 square feet of floor space is a tight fit for four. 6 lbs. 10 oz.
Peak height: Less than 40 inches might mean taller people will brush their head against the ceiling.
Vestibules: Not only will these porch-like sheltered areas double as storage space for wet gear and packs, but they also provide the best design feature for preventing condensation inside: cross-ventilation.
Freestanding: This makes it easier to pitch (and shake out dirt), but can also add weight. Remember that many non-freestanding tents are just as sturdy when properly staked and guyed out.
If car camping in pleasant weather is the plan, there’s no reason to spend a bundle on a tent. The freestanding four-person Kelty Discovery 4 ($150, kelty.com) sets up easily with two classic dome-style crossing poles and clips, has a generous 56 square feet of floor space and offers a 58-inch peak height. Unlike many inexpensive, big family-camping tents, it has a seam-sealed, full-coverage rainfly — so you won’t get wet if it rains — and it’s reasonably light and compact for this category. Tradeoff: It has only one door. 10 lbs. 7 oz.
GET INSIDE THE TENT
Just like you shouldn’t buy boots or a backpack without trying them on first, be sure to get inside a tent before buying it. After doing some research and creating a short list of your preferred tent models, visit stores that carry them. Pitch each tent. Sit and lie down inside them — ideally with your tentmate(s) — to test it.
The Sierra Designs Sweet Suite 2 ($370, sierradesigns.com) is the ideal combination of lightweight and roomy. The semi-freestanding tent’s unique Y-pole setup means the tent provides better-than-average interior space — nearly 30 square feet and a peak height of 40 inches. There are also vestibules in front of both doors, offering another 18 square feet of exterior storage space for wet or stinky gear. Even better: All this weighs only 3 lbs. 10 oz.
The 1 man eureka solitaire 1s 70 dollars from campmor and its awesome
thnx, i need a cheap, solid tent
I noticed nobody mentioned the Eureka Timberline. Our Troop uses them and they are pretty durable. Eureka has the Forte out now, it looks like a good tent. Our Troop has ordered a couple for testing.
If you do a lot of summer backpacking, then you might think that a hammock or a bivvy sack are the way to go. Trust me, go with a tent instead! With a tent, you get more room, a floor, and you can store your gear with you, rather than leaving it sitting outside.
I have to disagree with you on the hammocks. I backpack out of a hammock. I sleep great and it’s light weight. Most of my gear stows in the pockets and the rest stays nice and dry under my tarp.
totally agree with you. Hammocks are the way to go. by the time the in the tent has stuffed his sleeping bag in the morning, my hammocks down a im ready to hit the trail (after breakfast of course).
For anyone thinking of getting a hammock, DO IT!
Here is some very important tent advise, after every camping trip you take make sure to set your tent up and let it dry completely also clean the dirt,rock particles,sand,etc…out of your tent because it will wear away your tent floor after extended use.
I was planning on buying the no limits kings peak tent for my brother and I.I was wondering how does the tent stand heavy rain and cold weather.
I have this tent and I am very happy with it. It is very good in rain. I spent many rainy nights in it and never felt a drop inside because the fly is good. It covers the entire tent and reaches down all the way to the ground. It is also a good balance of lightweight and durability. For the money, this is a much better tent than I expected to get.
I have a Serria Designs Clip 3 which I used for about 10 years. They don’t make this tent anymore, but they still make the Clip 2. The tent is very light weight (less than 5 lbs ) and very water proof. Our crew used three of these tents when we went to philmont. They were alot bettter than the a frame tents philmont provided.
dear penguin boy the coleman sundome should be a good 2 person tent for 50$ does any body know if a swissgear eiger hiker is any good or any of the marmots?
Colemans are allowed but disscouraged due to the weight. Marmots are good quality tents however again weight is an issue. SwissGears (eiger hikers) tend too be less durable and tear, which can be life threatening at Philmont if smellables are in the tent or if the tent is used at high elevations.
mountain hardwear makes the best tents ever i think anyting but a mountain hardwear is junk. i personly use a 4 seson muntain hardwear and wheighs 7 lb and thats light compared to the tents my troop uses by a lot. and it is very large inside compared to others . and its 2 person. the lightest mountain hardwear tent 2 person is 2 1/2 lb. mountain hardwear is the best lighest roomyist and most advanced tents in my opinion.
the info was very useful. im doing a trail in new mexico next summer and i need to find supplies.
I am going to Philmont next summer and our scout master said that we should bring our own freestanding tent instead of the one that they give you. Do any of you know of any freestanding tent under $200 that would support two people and survive the wear of Philmont?
Any tent will survive Philmont. I’ve been there 3 times, and all the tents I used (not Philtents, heavily discourage using) have not recieved a single scratch, that is, if you take care of it. REI halfdome 2, REI quarterdome 2, and ALPS Mountaineering Comet 1.5. It is illegal at Philmont for youth (not adults) to be alone in a tent except if there is an odd number of scouts, in which case crew leaders will choose who gets their own tent