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Best Backpacking Tents Reviewed & Rated for Quality
Standout Picks
Criteria Used for Evaluation
Weight
The biggest thing to look out for when buying yourself a backpacking tent, is to make sure that it is very light. You will probably be carrying this tent over some very long distances, and it is important to make sure that the tent won't be the thing that is weighing you down too much. The way that tent makers achieve this is by making sure that the materials that make up the tent are very light so that the tent is easy to carry around. The higher the rating in this category, the lighter that the tent will be. Other things that will keep the tent light is how much material is actually involved in the tent. Most tents will be made up of the tent's fabric, the poles, and a fly. Anything more than that will add weight.
Size
Another important factor in backpacking is the size of all the things that you are carrying. This impacts you in many ways. Your backpack, and you, can only carry so many things. There is only so much space to put things. When going camping, you are going to need room for food, clothing, toiletries, and all the tools needed to have a comfortable time in the wilderness. The tent is often the largest thing that you will be bringing with you. The tent and the sleeping bag will usually make up more than half of what you will be carrying size-wise. You want a tent that will comfortably strap itself to the bottom or top of your backpack and won't make your profile too large or top-heavy.
Capacity
Once the tent that you have chosen can comfortably fit on your back, as well as be light enough that you are confident that you can carry it for a long time, now it is time to make sure the inside is large enough for your needs. The first thing to think about is how many people you plan on fitting in the tent. These backpacking tents can hold up to three people on this list. The fewer people fitting inside the tent, the smaller the tent will be. A convenient way to keep the size of your tent down is to buy one of the tents on this list that come with a vestibule so you have a shelter for your supplies. This will save some space, without sacrificing room inside the tent.
Comfort
It is important to make sure that you have enough room inside of your tent that you can feel comfortable. It is well and good that it is small enough to carry around, but if you feel too cramped to get any sleep when you are inside the tent, then there isn't much value to the tent anyway. The best way to go about finding a comfortable tent is to check for small features in the tent that will make it easier to move around in. Being cramped in your tent is against the point of being outside in the great outdoors. Make sure there is enough room in the tent that you can sit up inside of it, this measure will usually be on the tent's store page. It will also help your comfort if there are multiple ways to access the tent, such as if the tent has multiple doors to get in.
Ease of Use
When using your tent, one of the things that you will notice is that you will be spending a lot of time setting it up and taking it down. If your trip has multiple legs on it, and more often than not it will, it is wise to make sure that it is as painless as possible to put the tent together and take it apart. Putting the tent together is always the worst part of camping, so try to find a tent that comes with as few poles as possible. There are many design decisions for tents these days that make it easy to put your tent together and take it apart in minutes, so check around on this list for the one that fits you best. However, a quick word of warning; make sure to read the instruction manual that comes with the tent before you take it out. This will save you a lot of time if you buy a tent with a foreign kind of set up system to the one that you are used to.
10 Best Backpacking Tents
1. Big Agnes Copper Spur
The Copper Spur is a great product that does a great job of being able to conquer all kinds of climates and challenges that you are sure to face in the outdoors.
Secure Construction
The Big Agnes has been designed to give you as much interior space as possible, but without taking up too much space in your pack. The poles of this tent bend outwards in a way that allows for even more room on the interior of the tent. This helps you feel less cramped while you are spending time inside. The fly and the flooring of the tent are also made of extra durable materials that won;t rip or tear when rubbed against the sharp spurs of nature.
Weatherproofing is Important Too
This tent is designed to be both breathable, and to do a good job of securing you against the elements. The seams of this tent have all been sealed in with a tight-fitting tape that makes sure that you won't have to worry about any kinds of moisture getting at you from the outside world. The inner material of the tent is made of a breathable mesh so you can avoid that steamy, stale feeling that always makes it so terrible to stay inside the tent in the morning.
Cost and Value
The Big Agnes definitely costs more than your run-of-the-mill tent, but the improvements will become immediately apparent when you take it out with you. This tent will give you a secure and comfortable home base that will help you feel prepared for the outdoors. It also comes in many kinds of sizes so you can better decide on the kind of tent that you would like.
2. Nemo Dagger Ultralight
The Dagger is a very light, but also very roomy choice for anyone wanting to buy themselves a backpacking tent.
Lightweight Construction
The Dagger is designed with the smallest profile and lightest weight in mind, so that you don't have to worry about the size of your tent when you are taking long trips out in the woods, or countryside. It is made of very lightweight materials that make it possible to take anywhere with you. It does all this without sacrificing having a roomy interior that won't make you feel cramped.
Convenient Features
The Nemo Dagger has obviously been designed by someone who has done a lot of camping. The other focus of this tent is making for the roomiest and most convenient type of time spent inside of it. There is a large amount of room inside the tent so you have lots of space to put your backpack and all of your precious gear. There are also two entrances so you don't have to awkwardly crawl into and out of the tent.
Cost and Value
The Nemo is comparable to the Big Agnes in price. This tent is more focused on keeping the weight of the tent light to make it easier for you to take it anywhere that you might need. The many convenient features are just a happy bonus for anyone looking for a backpacking tent.
3. MSR Hubba Hubba
The Hubba Hubba is designed to be alike to its name. This is a great tent for traveling couples with just enough for the both of you.
Cozily Designed
This tent is designed to give you enough room for all of your things, and to avoid the cramped feeling that often comes from smaller tents designed for backpacking. It has thirty square feet of space, which is more than enough for sleeping with some extra space for all of your gear. It also has a high roof, which gives it a roomy quality where you can still comfortably sit up.
Designed for Travel
This tent has been designed so that it is easy to take with you on trips out into the country, or anywhere in the outdoors. It weighs just under four pounds all together so you won't even notice it when it is hanging off of your backpack. The final size of everything when it is packed up is only eighteen by six inches, which is a very convenient size for packing to the top or bottom of your bag.
Cost and Value
This tent is a little cheaper than the previous two tents on this list, but it is still a reliable and convenient option for anyone who wishes to find themselves a portable tent. It is made of strong and durable materials that will survive the outdoors, but is light enough that you can take it anywhere. This tent also comes with a two-year warranty so you don't have to worry about not being happy with it.
4. Hyke & Byke Yosemite
The Hyke & Byke is a very reliable, and very lightweight, option whose claim to fame is the great price that it can be bought for.
Lightweight with Space to Spare
This product is very lightweight so it can be brought anywhere with you on your back. Despite that, it is still designed to be durable enough for trips out into the bush. It has enough room for you, and perhaps a buddy, to have more than enough space for sleeping and sitting upright. It can also be packed into a very small size so that it doesn't take up any precious room for you.
Protective Features
This tent is also great because it will do a good job of keeping the elements out. It comes with a waterproof fly so you don't have to worry about any unexpected rain on your trip. It is also designed with a mesh that will keep any kind of insects out, no matter how small. Another great feature about this tent is that it comes with a footprint so you don't have to worry about your tent getting scratched up by the great outdoors.
Cost and Value
The Hyke & Byke costs a lot less than other tents on this list. It can be an expensive hobby, going camping, so it is nice to be able to save money where you can. Don't be worried, though, this tent has been designed with your safety in mind. It also comes with a lifetime warranty, so you know that the designers are confident in their product.
5. The North Face Stormbreak
The Stormbreak has been designed with some clever little twists to the classic tent formula so that you can have an even better experience with the outdoors.
Clever Features
This tent has been designed in a way that will impress you with the thoughtfulness put into its design. It has breathable mesh at both the lower parts, and also in the higher parts of the tent. This makes for a larger amount of breathability, which is ever so important when spending some time in your tent. The other clever feature is the extra easy way that it can be set up. You'll never spend more than a minute or two getting this one ready, as long as you read the instructions first.
Roomy and Spacey
This tent has also been designed so that it gives you more than enough room to get anything you might need done when you are inside of this thing. It has been designed with a lot of head room in mind so that you can sit up comfortably while inside the tent. It also has some other features that help you feel comfortable, such as having two doors so you can better access and egress the tent when you need to.
Cost and Value
This tent is more than the Hyke & Byke, but still rests comfortably in that price range. It has been very well-built and easily lives up to the pedigree of The North Face. This makes this a great choice if you are camping on a budget, but also need the assurance of a well proven brand.
6. Marmot Tungsten
The Tungsten is a uniquely shaped tent that provides a lot of lateral shape due to its unique design and the way that it is set up.
Unique Shape
Most of the options on this list are designed to make the most use out of their length so that there is a lot of space for people. This option is different in that it is quite dome-shaped, like a traditional tent. This gives the user a lot of extra space on the sides for valuables and other important things, but it does it without adding any extra weight to the light traveling backpacker.
Convenient Features
This tent has other great features that make it a good buy for any aspiring outdoors-men. This tent comes with two doors, which makes it easy to move through, and have access to all of your things. It has also been designed with durability in mind and has had its seams taped down so that it has improved waterproofing, in case of bad weather.
Cost and Value
This tent is another one that is a good deal for anyone who is a budget-conscious traveler. It costs about the same as The North Face option on our list. This product does a good job of remaining lightweight, while also giving you a lot of space laterally so that you have more room to move around in. This tent is a great choice for any kind of camping you may need to do.
7. Kelty TN
This is a very convenient option that has been decked out with a lot of great features to make all of the steps in using your tent as easy and carefree as possible.
Convenient for Packing
There have been a lot of clever choices with the Kelty that make it easy to pack away and get ready for your camping needs. The poles have been designed to pack away a little shorter than other tent poles so that their profile is much smaller. The fly has also been designed to be very easily stuck onto the tent without any trouble.
Other Great Features
The Kelty has some other clever ideas that make it convenient even when it is in use and rolled out. The fly can be easily rolled up so that you can air out the tent at night, or if you want to easily look out of the tent's dome. The zippers have been designed so that they are completely quiet when you unzip or zip up your tent so you don't have to worry about waking anyone up.
Cost and Value
The Kelty is a premium backpacking tent at a completely reasonable price. It is similar in price to the Marmot and The North Face tents, but is also packed with many other great features that you probably haven't even thought of how much you needed them. Kelty's tent has been much beloved since it came out, and there is very good reason for it.
8. ALPS Mountaineering Lynx
The Lynx is an easy to set up affair that keeps it nice and simple for anyone who just wants something lightweight and portable for their outdoor trips.
Easy to Set Up
More poles may mean more ways to great space, but the Lynx is great because it works off a simple two pole design. This makes it very easy to set up. It will only take you a minute. The set up is as simple as crossing the two poles and then forgetting about it. It even comes with an easy to set up vestibule so that you have somewhere for your gear to stay protected.
Durable Design
The Lynx has been designed with durability in mind as well. It will often come to pass that you have some bad weather coming your way at some point in the trip. This tent does a great job of keeping you covered from both the wind and the rain. The fly is made of waterproof polyester so that you don't have to worry about ever getting wet.
Cost and Value
The Lynx is about as simple as a one person tent can get, but that is also its main strength. It gives you just enough space so that you have somewhere to sleep. It is also designed to be easy to set up for you and your gear. This tent also comes in at a very cheap price that makes it affordable to anyone who wants to buy themselves a solo tent.
9. Black Diamond Firstlight
The Black Diamond is a very light option with a charming design that reminds one of the Volkswagen beetle. It is made of high-quality material and is designed with travel in mind.
Charming Design
The gentle curves of the Black Diamond give it a stylish feeling that make it feel like a good place to call home for an evening or two. The design is actually useful for giving you some extra space as well. The Black Diamond's design emphasizes the largest amount of space it can afford to the camper, as well as emphasizing the lightness of its design.
Lightweight Build
The Black Diamond is designed to be as light as possible. It weight just over three pounds and can be packed down into a very small size which is ideal for bringing along on a journey. That weight is achieved through some important decisions on the part of Black Diamond. The poles are made of a very lightweight material that is very easy to carry around. The material of the tent itself is also designed to be very lightweight, and does all of its weatherproofing without a fly.
Cost and Value
This tent is quite expensive for its size, but this is also the tent that you want if you are very serious about backpacking with a tent. It makes some important decisions when it comes to really paring down the amount of weight that you will have to carry around with you from day to day on the trail. This tent is perfect for one or two travellers who see themselves spending a good deal of time carrying a tent around with them.
10. Mountainsmith Morrison 3 Season
The Morrison is a reliably built option that is designed to keep you safe and cozy in many kinds of weather.
Simple Design
The Morrison is a very simply built product that is probably recognizable to many people. It uses an everyday design, but does it all very effectively as well. This tent comes with two doors to make it easy to access your things that are inside of the tent. It also has a vestibule so you have somewhere to keep you gear safe as well.
Roomy and Lightweight
The Morrison is designed to comfortably fit two people. It definitely does this, as can be seen from the thirty-five square feet of room within the tent. You will never feel cramped inside this tent. It also packs up into an easy to carry bag that can be quickly strapped onto a backpack so that it is easy to carry around.
Cost and Value
The Morrison is a very cheap tent for what you get out of it, It doesn't leave you wanting in any area, and is built to be reliable and easy to use. This tent is great for both people who want to go backpacking, as well as people who just need a tent for the weekend at a campground.