Tents, Hammocks, and Tarps

I’ve bought and owned 12 ultralight shelters in the past 6 years. Several of you asked what they were, and wanted to know why I bought them and then moved on to others (See also How to Choose an Ultralight Tent or …

The Amok Draumr is an ingenious hammock shelter system that includes a hammock, tarp, and a complete suspension system, including tree straps, carabiners, reflective cordage, and tent stakes for staking out the tarp. Its signature feature is that its suspension is attached …

The Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight 2 Tent is a relaunch of old customer favorite with an updated design, fabrics and hardware. It’s a double-walled, two-person tent, lightweight enough for backpacking if the weight is shared (3.5 pounds), but also well-suited for car camping …

In late September I was planning a 17-day, 240-mile canoe trip across the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA) that would take place in October. While most of the trip would be paddling, we would also need to portage all our gear …

  “What is the difference between a four-season tent and a three-season tent?” It’s a good question because the distinction is blurry. Moreover the phrase “four-season tent” is a misnomer since it refers to winter tents, which you might not use the …

This is a continuation of Monday’s post about the dozen ultralight tents and shelters I’ve owned over the past six years that explains why I bought them and why I eventually sold most of them. Here’s the entire list. I cover shelters …

There’s a critical design flaw in most of the double walled tents sold in the US. If it’s pouring rain and you go to set up your inner tent first, it’s likely to be soaked before you can cover it up with …

The Warbonnet Blackbird is a backpacking hammock tricked out for multi-day trips where comfort and convenience trump the simplicity of a simple sling hammock. Complete with built-in bug netting, a ridgeline, and extra storage, the Warbonnet Blackbird is an exceptionally comfortable hammock that can adapted for …

I usually replace the factory-supplied tent stakes that come with backpacking tents because they’re too heavy, too short, or they hurt my hands when I pull them out of the ground. My goto tent stakes are: MSR Mini-Groundhog Tent Stakes because the have …

What is the best family camping tent? What are the must-have attributes of a family camping tent are? How many people should a family camping tent hold? What’s a reasonable price for a quality family camping tent? Best Family Camping Tents Most of our readers equate …

The problem with many pyramid-style shelters (such as the MLD Duomid, the Solomid, and the Trailstar to name a few) is that they suffer from low angled walls which reduce the amount of usable interior space inside. Granted, all lightweight backpacking shelters …

Yama Mountain Gear is an ultralight shelter and gear maker owned by long-distance hiker and unicycler, Gen Shimizu, the company has quickly established a fiercely loyal following with long-distance hikers for its innovative shelter design and impeccable product quality. I purchased a …

The Hilleberg Akto is one of the lightest weight, single person, 4 season tents ever made. First introduced in 1995, Akto was the gold standard by which lightweight ( 3 pounds 8 ounces) expedition class solo tents were judged for more than …

If you’re starting to think about camping under a tarp, you will probably come across references to something called a Ray Way tarp. This refers to a shaped tarp design developed by Ray Jardine, one of the early proponents of modern ultralight …