Tents, Hammocks, and Tarps

The Paria Outdoors Zion 2 is a spacious, freestanding two-person tent with two doors ($155) that can actually fit two people with room to spare. It comes complete with aluminum poles, a footprint, and good quality tent stakes. With a trail weight of  4 lbs 2 oz, the Zion 2 …

The REI Quarter Dome SL 1 is a one-person double-wall tent that only weighs 31 oz. Despite its low weight, the interior is remarkably livable, with vertical sidewalls, numerous internal pockets to keep you organized, and a roof vent to help minimize internal condensation. A large vestibule provides plenty of …

The LanShan 2 Tent is a two-person trekking pole tent that’s become very popular with campers and backpackers because it’s lightweight, inexpensive, and reasonably well made. It’s available on Amazon, AliExpress, and eBay and sold by a number of resellers including 3F UL, Meir, Flames Creed, etc. for anywhere from …

The SlingFin Portal is a highly-livable and lightweight two-person tent with a spacious dome-shaped design that’s ideal for three-season use. But what sets the Portal apart from other tents is its strength and ability to withstand high buffeting winds, with virtually no added weight. At 2 lbs 13 oz, that …

The Zpacks Free Duo is an ultralight, single-wall freestanding tent made from strong, waterproof, Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF). Built for two people, this tent weighs just 29.6 ounces and has two doors and two vestibules. It has two separate H-pole units that allow the shelter to truly stand up on …

The Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL 2 is an ultralight double-wall tent that only weighs 2 lbs 4 oz. It has two doors, making it ultra-convenient for couples, or as a palace for one, with dual vestibules for gear storage. But the star of the show on this tent is …

The Six Moon Designs Skyscape Scout (SMD Scout) is an inexpensive 40 ounce, one-person, trekking pole-supported tent. It is a great option for scouts (hence the name), kids who are ready for their own tent, and anyone who wants a little extra durability, as well as people who want to …

The Zpacks Pocket Tarp w/ Doors is a one-person tarp weighing 6.1 oz with guylines attached. It is constructed from 0.55 oz/sq. yard Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF), a fully waterproof material that doesn’t stretch or sag when wet. I purchased this tent primarily for use in the desert southwest where …

The Gossamer Gear DCF Two is a single-wall, two-person ultralight trekking pole tent that weighs 20. 8 oz and costs $589. While it has a Dyneema DCF rain fly, the floor is made with a 7 denier Sil/PU nylon, an innovative combination that reduces the price of the shelter and …

Kammok’s Mantis Ultralight All-in-One Hammock Tent (“Mantis UL”) is a  complete hammock shelter system that includes a hammock with an optional full-length zippered bugnet, integrated ridgeline, tarp, hammock suspension, and stakes that pack up together into a roll-top stuff sack for a total weight of 2 pounds, 3 ounces. The …

SlingFin’s SplitWing Shelter bundle is a 1-2 person, ultralight, three-piece modular shelter system with a tarp, mesh body with a solid floor, and an optional vestibule. This setup allows you to have one system that you can dial in for different 3-season conditions, and save weight by leaving the extra …

The REI Flash Air 2 Tent is an ultralight two-person tent with two doors and two vestibules that weighs 1 pound 15 ounces if pitched with trekking poles (regular tent poles are also included). It is a single wall tent with lots of ventilation options to mitigate condensation. One of …

The Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL3 is a lightweight two-door, two-vestibule, three-person tent that only weighs 2 lbs 10 oz. While it is large enough to fit three people, if you don’t mind crawling over one of your tent partners to get in and out, it’s lightweight enough to use …

The Six Moon Designs Haven Bundle is a lightweight (34 oz), two-person, double-wall, tent that includes the company’s Haven Tarp and Haven NetTent. It checks a lot of the same boxes as comparable tents, and the price point comes in below many of them. The Haven Bundle is exceptionally easy …