Best Backpacking Tents

QUICK LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS

• Best Overall Backpacking Tent – Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL – 1P / 2P / 3P 
• Best 2-Person Backpacking Tent – REI Co-Op Half Dome SL – 2P / 3P
• Most Durable Backpacking Tent – MSR Hubba Hubba – 1P / 2P
• Best Lightweight Backpacking Tent – Nemo Dragonfly – 1P
• Best 4-Season/Winter Backpacking Tent– REI Co-Op Arete ASL – 2P
• Best Budget Backpacking Tent – North Face Stormbreak – 1P / 2P / 3P

Honorable Mentions

• Sea to Summit Telos – 2P / 3P
• Big Agnes Tiger Wall Solution Dyed – 1P / 2P / 3P

Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 Tent

#1 Overall tent for Balancing weight, Ease of Use, and Spaciousness

• MSRP: 
  • 1-Person: $449.95
  • 2-Person: $549.95
  • 3-Person: 599.95
• SEASONS: 3- Season
• DIMENSIONS (L x W x H)
  • 1-Person: 88 x 38/28 x 38 inches
  • 2-Person: 88 x 52/42 x 40 inches
  • 3-Person: 90 x 70/62 x 43 inches
• PACKED WEIGHT:
  • 1-Person: 2 lbs. 6 oz.
  • 2-Person: 3 lbs. 2 oz.
  • 3-person: 3 lbs. 14 oz.

PROS: Reasonably lightweight – Spacious interior – Easy setup – Well ventilated

CONS: Less durable than other options – Expensive

LOOKING CLOSER: Big Agnes took several of our most important backpacking tent considerations and combined them into a single unit – the Copper Spur with 1, 2, and 3-person models available. This tent strikes an excellent balance between spaciousness, low weight, and easy setup to make it one of the best backpacking tents on the market. Be aware, however, that the Copper Spur somewhat lags behind the competition in robustness. But what it lacks in durability, it vastly makes up for with well-planned features, trekking pole-compatible awnings, and plenty of interior space.

1-Person Copper Spur HV UL1

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2-Person Copper Spur HV UL2

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3-Person Copper Spur HV UL3

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MSR Hubba Hubba 2

MOST durable backpacking tent

• MSRP:
  • 1-Person: $479.95
  • 2-Person: $479.95
• SEASONS: 3-season
• DIMENSIONS (L x W x H)
  • 1-Person: 85 x 30 x 37 inches
  • 2-Person: 84 x 50 x 40 inches
• PACKED WEIGHT
  • 1-Person: 2lb 7oz
  • 2-Person: 3lb 4oz

PROS: Very rugged and tough pole design – Effective weatherproofing system  – Easy to set up – Two doors for easy access 

CONS: On the expensive side – Less headroom than other options

CLOSER LOOK: The Hubba Hubba is a tank of a tent and was recently revamped to include a plethora of excellent features. First, MSR shaved significant bulk to bring the overall weight down to 3 lbs. 4 oz. (from 3lbs. 14oz. previously). MSR’s Dura Shield™ coating is reputedly much more long-lasting than other waterproof treatments, while the composite poles are durable, stand up to high winds, and can take years’ worth of camping abuse. All these robust features continue to keep the tent’s weight above 3lbs. and it’s not an ultralight option by any means. Nevertheless, dependable durability can easily be worth its weight, making the MSR Hubba Hubba one of the best backpacking tents available.

1-Person Hubba Hubba Tent

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2-Person Hubba Hubba Tent

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REI Arete Asl Tent

Best 4-season and WINTEr BACKPACKING tent

• MSRP: $449.95
• SEASONS: 4-season
• CAPACITY: 2-person tent
• DIMENSIONS: 88 x 57/60/44 (L x W head/shoulder/foot) inches
• HEIGHT: 43 inches
• PACKED WEIGHT: 6lb 5z
• PACKED SIZE: 20 x 6 x 6 inches

PROS: Solid year-round performance – Good price for a 4-season tent – Adjustable vents – generous dimensions and vestibule space

CONS: Not suitable for pure mountaineering – Not as sturdy as other 4-season tents

CLOSE LOOK: Not ready to let some cold and snow hold you back? If that’s you, then take a good look at the REI Arete ASL (all-season lightness). This tent is specially designed to handle snow and cold within the treeline; winter hiking, snowshoeing, and backcountry skiing are all within easy reach with this tent. While not quite robust enough for mountaineering, the REI Arete ASL still shines in its own wooded arena and is one of the best tents for winter adventures. But if you need a cold-weather tent for more high-altitude missions in the mountains, the Mountain Hardwear Trango 2 may be worth exploring.

2-Person REI Arete ASL Tent

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Sea to summit telos

• MSRP:
  • 2-Person: $599.00
  • 3-Person: $699.00
• SEASONS: 3-season
• DIMENSIONS (L x W x H)
  • 2-Person: 84.5 x 53/43 x 43.5 inches
  • 3-Person: 90.5 x 71/58 x 52.5 inches
• PACKED WEIGHT
  • 2-Person: 3 lbs. 10.7 oz.
  • 3-Person: 4 lbs. 10.7 oz.

PROS: Fresh design geometry to maximize door size and interior space – Reasonable weight for a 2-person tent – Well-planned and robust design

CONS: Expensive – Brand new design untried for the longterm – Thin floor material

CLOSE LOOK: Sea to Summit entered the world of backpacking tents in 2021 with their impressive Telos TR2, and they’ve already carved out a name for themselves with this tent’s unique geometry. The upward-curving poles on the tent’s side provide noticeably more headroom along with larger doors, making it a spacious option that still maintains a reasonable packaged weight. Adjustable ventilation and rainfly coverage (for stargazing) also add to this tent’s appeal. However, as a shiny new tent from a brand just entering the market, we’ll have to wait and see how the Telos and future Sea to Summit tents hold up in the long term.

FULL REVIEW – Wildland guide James Barrett took the Telos TR2 out into the field for intensive testing during the 2021-22 winter season; check out his full Sea to Summit Telos TR2 Review for an even closer look at this tent.

2-Person Sea to Summit Telos TR2

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3-Person Sea to Summit Telos TR3

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More Information About Backpacking Tents

Doors and vestibules

While easy to overlook in your search for the best backpacking tent, don’t forget to consider these two critical points! It may be tempting to opt for a 2-person tent with a single door because of its alluring low weight, but don’t underestimate the hassle of crawling over your hiking buddy to enter and exit the tent. So decide what your priorities are before rushing into a purchase.

Additionally, vestibules – ground space that’s covered by your rainfly but not located inside the tent body – are a crucial feature to consider. This protected space is ideal for storing backpacks overnight or simply for lacing up your hiking boots if you wake up to a morning rain shower. However, the extra rainfly material required to create large vestibules also adds weight to your tent, so again, consider your priorities.

Tent Repair

Even with the strong materials and tough designs that the best backpacking tents use, there’s still a chance of damage on the trail. Fabric can rip and poles can snap. Therefore, it’s important to carry a couple of emergency repair items on the trail to make sure your tent can continue to be functional even if something breaks.

Most tents will come with a spare piece of metal tube you can use to repair a snapped tent pole. This type of repair is called “splinting.” Simply slide the spare tube over the bent or snapped tent pole, center the break in the middle of the spare tube, and tape the two ends of the splint to the original pole to hold it in place. This repair will help your tent limp through the rest of the trip, and you can get a replacement or proper repair when you return home.

As far as fabric goes, a simple patch kit can help shore up any tears. Or alternatively, a backpacker’s best friend is duct tape. Try wrapping several bands of tape around a Nalgene bottle. It’ll take up minimal space and always be nearby if an emergency repair job pops up.

Check out this tent repair guide from Big Agnes for more information and instructions.

Tips for Keeping Your Tent Clean on the Trail

Setting Up

When setting up and moving into your tent, do your best to keep wet and dirty items out. Brush off your pant legs before entering, and don’t get in with your boots on as they will track in dirt, mud, and forest debris. Also, empty your backpack of everything you need first, then brush it off and store it in the foot area of your tent to keep it out of the way.

If it’s raining, try to find a partially covered area to set up your tent out of direct rain – such as under a tree. It doesn’t need to be your final tent site! Just a covered area to minimize how much rain gets in your tent. Once the tent is set up and the rainfly in place (but with no stakes in the ground), pick up your entire tent and move it to your final tent site. Once the tent is in place, stake it out nice and tight and use the rain fly vestibule area (the ground covered by the rainfly but not inside the primary tent body) to stage your gear.

Packing Up

Right before you break down your tent, but after you’ve removed all your gear, it helps to get all the dirt and debris out of the tent before packing it up. To do this, remove the rainfly and set it aside. Then unzip a door and pick up the entire tent by the tent poles and shake out all the excess debris through the open door.

Packing Your Tent for a Hike

When it’s time to pack up your tent for a trip, we have a couple of tips to make it as easy as possible. First, most tents come in a cylindrical-shaped nylon bag for transport. However, folded up and combined with the tent poles, this has the potential to be a very bulky shape that’s hard to pack in your bag efficiently. Therefore, don’t be afraid to separate the poles from the rest of the tent to make it easier to pack down and stow. What’s more, a dedicated compression sack can work wonders for minimizing your backpacking tent’s footprint in your pack.

As a side note, if you use a compression sack to carry your tent, it’s absolutely vital that you keep the tent as dry as possible and hang it to dry as soon as you get home. Tight, compressed space plus moisture is a recipe for explosive mold growth if you forget to dry it out.

What is a footprint and is it necessary?

A footprint is a lightweight tarp (similar fabric to the rainfly) of the exact size as the floor of your tent. Footprints help protect the floor, extending the life of your tent. All of the backpacking tents we recommend either come with footprints or have matching footprints available to purchase.

Footprints are not necessary, and in fact, many backpackers do not use them. On most Wildland Trekking backpacking trips, we do not use them. Similar to the weight vs. durability question above, footprints offer greater durability but at the cost of increased weight and expense.

Freestanding vs. Semi-Freestanding Tents

You’ll often see most backpacking tents classified as either freestanding or semi-freestanding. The benefits and drawbacks to these two designs are very much a matter of personal preference, but let’s take a look at what these designs entail to help you make the best decision.

• Freestanding – These tents feature a strong pole system that allows the tent to be completely set up without any stakes whatsoever. This design typically provides a little extra flexibility when you’re setting up your tent on different terrain types, especially hard surfaces where staking is very difficult.

• Semi-Freestanding – This type of tent requires stakes and guy lines in addition to the tent poles for the tent to be set up. Many ultralight tents opt for this design as reducing the number of poles can also reduce the tent’s overall weight.

Why Trust Us?

Choosing the right outdoor gear and apparel can be difficult. But at Wildland Trekking, we live and work with hiking gear every single day. It’s an integral part of what we do, and we understand better than anyone how important it is to have the right equipment. In addition to our vast knowledge of backpacking gear, we also offer:

• Independence – our recommendations are not influenced by partnerships or sponsorships with outdoor gear and apparel manufacturers.
• Experience – as one of America’s top guide companies, we take 8,000-10,000 people on hiking and backpacking tours annually. Since our inception in 2005, we have guided more than 75,000 people into the wilderness.
• Cutting Edge Knowledge – we regularly attend trade shows and pay close attention to the leading edge of new developments.
• Up To Date Recommendations – we update our recommendations regularly as new products are developed and released.
• Dedication to our Readers – we know that the gear we select as our top picks will end up in the field with our readers, and we take that responsibility very seriously. We view our readers as guests on our guided trips, just without the guides. We are committed to helping you be as well-outfitted and prepared as possible for your adventures.

*Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. At no cost to you, we earn a commission on any products purchased through these links. Any proceeds go to supporting our blog and operations. These affiliate links do not influence the products that we include in our gear round-ups. We only recommend products that we 100% support and that we have used in the field.