Tents, Hammocks, and Tarps

Do you find the jargon and terminology around camping and backpacking tents confusing? This handy illustrated guide helps demystify tent terms and technology, so you can find the tent that best suits your needs. A-Frame Tent Classic pup-style tent patterned after old …

The Grand Trunk Hangout Hammock Stand is a portable, reasonably priced, and easy-to-assemble hammock stand so you can set up a hammock when there aren’t any trees around. It comes complete with a portable carry case that you can sling over your …

The CAMP USA Minima SL 1  is a compact double-walled tent that weighs 2.0 pounds. One step up from a bivy sack, it packs up impossibly small, making it an option when you need a waterproof shelter that doesn’t require much space …

The MSR Advance Pro 2 Tent is a two-person, wedge-style tent designed for mountaineers who are willing to sacrifice on tent comfort in exchange for light weight and a small footprint. Weighing 2 lbs 14 oz ounces, the single wall Advance Pro …

The UGQ Outdoor Winter Dream is a large hammock tarp with doors that snap close at the end to protect you from wind and rain spray. The snaps run down the length of the door along both edges and are a real …

I got hooked on using a bivy bag about two years ago, mainly as an adjunct to a tarp based shelter system, and originally to eliminate splashback onto my sleeping bag in the rain. Since then, I’ve expanded my use of bivy …

The Sierra Designs High Side Tent is a single person, double-wall tent that’s a big step up in comfort from a bivy sack. While it features excellent ventilation and a side vestibule, one of the stand-out features of this tent are its …

The Hammock Gear Bottom Entry Bug Net is a simple, inexpensive, durable and lightweight solution to protect yourself from bugs while hammock camping. It eliminates zippers which can snag or fail, and, per its name, uses elasticized shockcord on the bottom for …

TheTentLab MoonLight ML2 is luxurious as backpacking tents come, and a great example of when its worth trading weight for comfort. The attention to detail in its design is apparent in every thoughtful feature from its materials to its spacious interior and …

The EMS Velocity 1 is a lightweight, freestanding and affordable backpacking tent.  I think it’s an exceptional value, particularly if you plan on doing any trips where you need to camp on unprepared tent sites in the woods or other wilderness areas where …

The Ray-Way Tarp Kit is an excellent introduction to MYOG (make-your-own-gear) and for a reasonable price, makes a lightweight and highly-packable shelter which is flexible for many situations. I have used a Ray-Way Tarp as my primary solo and 2-person shelter since …

The Tarptent Notch is a single person, double wall ultralight tent weighing 27 ounces with two doors and two vestibules. With a removable inner nest (including bathtub floor), the rain fly can be pitched as a standalone tarp or as a complete …

In early November I was hiking the Long Trail in Vermont, trying to eke out one last weekend section hike before the weather got colder. At this time of year it gets pitch black at 5:00 pm. I finished eating dinner just …

The Mountain Laurel Design’s Bug Bivy is made using very fine netting which prevents gnats, ticks, black flies, and mosquitoes from reaching you. It has a full length, sewn-in silnylon floor which can also be used standalone as a ground sheet if …