Tent Reviews

The REI Camp Dome 2 Tent is an amazingly good value for only $99. With two doors and durable aluminum tent poles, it’s a perfect entry-level camping or backpacking tent that combines comfort, ease of use, and durability for multiple years of use. If you’ve been looking for an inexpensive …

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 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 The design is basically identical to the Shangri-La 3 tent (click for review) originally made by the bankrupt ultralight backpacking manufacturer GoLite and now produced by My Trail Company with few noticeable changes over the previous design …

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 …

The Kelty Salida 2 Person tent is a great value at a great price (MSRP is $150, without footprint.) It is very easy to set up and comes with standard features, like a gear loft, that other manufacturers  make you pay extra for. At 3 pounds 14 ounces, it’s a …

The CAMP USA Minima SL 1 (MSRP $249.95) 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 to set up and you care less about interior comfort. …

The Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight 2 Tent (MSRP $199) 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 when you want a shelter that’s …

The Sierra Designs High Route 1 FL Tent (MSRP $299) is a 2 pound 5 ounce, one-person trekking pole tent that's easy to set up and has a lot of interior space. A double-walled tent, it has an inner tent that is set up after the rainfly so it will never get wet in the pouring rain. While not unique to the High Route tent, it's a feature that you'll appreciate immensely if you've ever had to put up or take down a backpacking tent in the rain.

The Tarptent ProTrail (MSRP $225) is an ultralight one-person single-walled tent designed for three-season use. Weighing just 26 ounces, the ProTrail is generously sized for one person with plenty of interior room for gear. Setup requires two trekking poles although conventional poles can also be purchased from the manufacturer if you …

The Sierra Designs Tensegrity 1 FL (feather lite) is a lightweight trekking pole tent that provides the benefits of ultralight tarp camping with the comfort of a screened-in and rain-proof tent. A single walled shelter without a separate rain fly, (you can pitch it in the rain without getting the …

The Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 mtnGLO may be the nicest one person double-walled tent I’ve ever slept in. It doesn’t feel cramped, which is unusual for a one person tent, and it has a lot of extra space along the sides, head, and foot ends so you can spread out …

The Sierra Designs Lightning FL 2 person tent is a spacious, lightweight tent that’s exceptionally easy to pitch. It features two side vestibules at the head end of the tent that can be used to store gear, and free up interior space, so occupants have a lot more room to spread out. …

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 army tents where the walls form an ‘A’ …