Tents, Hammocks, and Tarps

If you’re thinking about buying a camping hammock or looking to upgrade, the length of a gathered-end hammock can make a big difference in your comfort. The 4 foot rule of thumb Most hammock experts recommend getting a hammock that is 4 feet longer than your height so you can …

The Tarptent Bowfin ($309) is a 1 person double-walled tent with two large, well-ventilated vestibules that weighs 37 ounces. It requires a long but lightweight center pole to pitch, making it remarkably fast and easy to set up. It comes with a mesh inner tent that has plenty of interior space for …

The Hilleberg Niak is a bomber, 2 person, lightweight tent designed for three-season use in remote wilderness conditions. Weighing 3 lbs. 5 oz. it has a dome style architecture with two cross-poles that slot into sleeves, not clips, making it much more wind and weather worthy than most lightweight and ultralight …

The My Trail Company Pyramid 3 Tent ($299) is a three-person pyramid shelter with an optional inner tent. The design is basically identical to the Shangri-La 3 tent (click for review) originally made by the bankrupt ultralight backpacking manufacturer GoLite and now produced by My Trail Company with few noticeable changes over the previous …

The Sierra Designs Divine Light 1 FL Tent is a trekking pole tent that weighs just 2 pounds and 7 ounces. It takes the best features of Sierra Designs’ groundbreaking Flashlight UL 1, Clip Flashlight and Tensegrity tents and combines them in a new solo shelter that’s roomy,  easy to …

The Thermarest Slacker Hammock Bug Shelter has a large zippered opening and floor making it easy to enter and exit, while protecting your gear, shoes, and clothing from bugs and creepy crawlers at night. It also works with any camping or backpacking hammock, including the Hummingbird Ultralight Single Hammock (shown …

The REI Quarter Dome 2 Person Tent ($349) is a lightweight backpacking tent with two doors that weighs 3 pounds 4.4 ounces. Newly redesigned, the Quarter Dome 2 sports a number of desirable features including much enlarged side vestibules, more vertical walls, and higher ceilings above the head and foot ends …

The Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 2 is the latest generation in the ultralight Copper Spur line of tents, boasting increased interior volume and livability by integrating steeper sides walls into the inner tent. The result is an outstanding balance of comfort and function in what I consider one of …

What are the best backpacking tents recommended by backpackers? We surveyed 600 backpackers to find out what tents they use and their top picks include the Big Agnes Copper Spur, the Big Agnes Fly Creek, the MSR Hubba Hubba, the REI Quarter Dome, and the REI Half Dome, among others. We found …

The Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL 2 is the latest generation of ultralight Fly Creek line of tents, boasting increased interior volume by using a steeper door and side walls. How significant is the change and what other improvements have been made to this backpacker favorite? Gear Weight vs …