If you’re out adventuring, then only the best backpacking tents are going to ensure a good night’s sleep. Failure to get sufficient rest can easily comprise your trip and make for a miserable camping experience. This is why it’s worth investing in a quality backpacking tent, as not only is it incredibly light and perfect for transit, but they’re super comfortable, making restoration in the wilderness convenient.
However, when searching for a backpacking tent, you need to consider a few things. The main one being, to find a light and durable design geared to last in the harshest weather conditions. This usually means finding a waterproof backpacking tent that provides ventilation for those warmer nights too. Also, you want something that’s roomy, so you can sleep unrestricted while having heaps of gear storage space.
Features of a quality backpacking tent
Ventilation
This is something you’ll need when camping in warmer weather, as securing a tent with ventilation or mesh panels helps maximum airflow. That way, you won’t get to overheat in the night, as the cool air will gentle breeze in.
Flexible Poles
When looking for a quality backpacking tent, you want something that’s easy to set up, especially when you’re venturing to multiple locations. Part of an easy set-up is securing a tent that supplies flexible pole holes that can slip seamlessly through the tent body. Also, adjustable poles will allow for more headspace and a more roomy interior space.
Colour Coding
This also helps set up your tent, as colour coding tells you which pole tip connects to the right tent corner. After a long day of travelling and arriving at your campsite, the last thing you want is to spend heaps of time putting together your backpacking tent. Instead, you want something that’s easy to navigate with colour-coded tent poles, so you know exactly which compartment goes where.
Dual Doors
Now, this may not seem like a top priority but having dual doors is an absolute game-changer, especially for a tent that holds more than one person. We’ve all had that moment, where we wake up in the middle of the night, needing to use the restroom (or bush), and we’ve had to climb over our fellow campers to get to the door. To eliminate that awkwardness, opting for a backpacking tent with a dual door design makes it easier to enter and exit.
Best Backpacking Tent FAQs
What's the difference between camping and backpacking tents?
The main difference between camping and backpacking tents is weight. Backpacking tents are lighter than the standard camping tent, as backpackers require an ultralight tent that's easy to set and not too heavy to carry.
What's a good tent weight for backpacking?
The majority of backpacking tents should weigh less than 2 kg or 4 pounds to be as light as possible while camping. However, if you're looking for an ultralight tent are even ones that weigh less than a half kg.
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When going on your next outdoor adventure, we seriously suggest you check out some of these outdoor brands that produce the best backpacking tents. These ultralight tents are super easy to carry around and promise to be protective in every environment. You can kiss car camping goodbye!
Marmot
1/7
Price: From $219
Material: 100% Polyester taffeta
When Eric Reynolds and Dave Huntley began building sleeping bags and parkas from their UC Santa Cruz college dorm, they turned their part-time hobby into a global empire. Today, Marmot is a leading outdoor brand welcomed by climbers, skiers, mountaineers and adventurers from all over for their high performing and protective equipment. Marmot has always had their finger on the pulse for advanced technology, as they were even the first outdoor brand to infuse Gore-tex into their clothing.
Marmot has a diverse range of some of the best backpacking tents suitable for extreme climates. Whether you need a two-person tent or a four-person tent, Marmot supplies ultralight backpacking tents perfect for your next expedition. These backpacking tents come with a weatherproof seam taped full coverage fly with vents, lampshade pockets, roomy interior space and interior pockets for extra gear storage.
L.L. Bean
2/7
Price: From $199
Material: Durable 68-denier ripstop polyester
In 1912, L.L. Bean was established by Leon Leonwood Bean in Freeport, Maine. Leon Leonwood Bean had the idea to launch his own company upon returning from a hunting trip with cold, damp feet and a revolutionary idea to combine leather upper and rubber bottoms, forever changing outdoor boots. Since then, the company has expanded to include all kinds of innovative outdoor garments and equipment geared to last a lifetime. Today, this company is one of the highly celebrated outdoor brands and has over 54 stores globally.
If you’re looking for one of the best backpacking tents on the market, you’ve come to the right place. The L.L Bean Mountain Light HV 4 Tent is a must-have for your next camping trip, as this item has greater usable interior space, a protective footprint tent floor and a versatile fly to maximum airflow. This ultralight backpacking tent and fly have a waterproof urethane coating, promising to keep you dry in wet weather. Also, this ultralight tent has a door on each side, so you can easily climb in and out without tripping over.
Mountain Hardwear
3/7
Price: From $420
Material: 100% Nylon
Mountain Hardwear is a leading outdoor brand creating apparel and equipment designed to make you feel empowered while encouraging you to explore the great outdoors. Since the early nineties, Mountain Hardwear’s idea was to produce high-quality goods as they saw the industry increasingly comprising and providing less than satisfactory products for less experienced users. However, to make great outdoor gear accessible, Mountain Hardwear was born to serve the demands of every climber, mountaineer, skier, snowboarder, hiker and explorer.
Mountain Hardwear’s collection is available for low prices, the perfect place to pick up the best budget backpacking tent. These ultralight tents come with highly flexible tent poles improving headroom, interior space and dual mesh doors, making them incredibly easy to move around in. Each tent also provides a canopy protecting you from strong wind and dusk.
NEMO
4/7
Price: From $265
Material: Nylon ripstop, No-See-Um mesh
NEMO was founded by Cam Brensinger after he experienced a sleepless night in a poorly designed swag. At that moment, Brensinger realised how vital sleep was to any outdoor expedition, which led to the creation of his own business. Despite launching in a small restored textile mill in New Hampshire, NEMO has grown into a huge success, cleaning up awards for design and innovation, including the ISPO Brand New award in 2005. NEMO products were also named by TIME and Popular Science as one of the 100 best inventions of the year.
When searching for the best backpacking tent, NEMO is an absolute must. These ultralight backpacking tents are incredibly versatile, suitable for various weather conditions. You can expect to find feather-light tent poles packed in with this design, helping to maximise space in the tent while feeling incredibly light. These poles and webbing are also colour-coded making it easy to set up the tent body. Not to mention, every single one of these backpacking tents is covered by NEMO’s lifetime warranty.
Hyke & Byke
5/7
Price: From $150
Material: Poly mesh
Since Hyke & Byke’s creation, their vision has always been to supply backpackers and outdoor lovers with premium, lightweight, comfortable gear perfect for sleeping outside. The founder Daniel was prompted to launch his own company after spending thousands of dollars on outdoor equipment, which inspired him to create high-quality products that wouldn’t break the bank. Daniel joined forces with his two friends, a civil and aerospace engineer, and contacted top-notch manufacturers. Still to this day, Hyke & Byke work directly with factories and material vendors to create the best gear possible.
Hyke & Byke produce the best backpacking tents in the outdoor industry, as these backpacking tents are infused with the latest technology, making them extremely protective. These ultralight backpacking tents can be set up in minutes, perfect for those long camping trips. Despite these tents holding a maximum of two people, they come with plenty of interior space and a waterproof exterior, guaranteed to keep to dry in wet weather.
Snow Peak
6/7
Price: From $300
Material: Silicone Polyester, PU coating
This company was founded Yukio Yamai and was taken over by Yamai’s in 1980. For over 60 years, Snow Peaks has fostered a tight-knit community of outdoor lovers while supplying them with the best equipment possible. Snow Peak always conducts thorough research before manufacturing any product, always tinkering with the most innovative fabrics and latest technology.
Here, you can find a whole selection of the best backpacking tents ideal for all kinds of trips and climates. Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast or heading to a festival, these ultralight backpacking tents are incredibly easy to set up. These items also come with inner and outer sheets for extra protection in extreme weather. Many of these backpacking tents also come with dual windows helping with additional ventilation.
Sierra Designs
7/7
Price: From $150
Material: Nylon No-See-Um
Sierra Designs was founded by Bob Swanson and George Marks in the mid-sixties delivering high-quality camping, high alpine and backcountry gear. At Sierra Designs, you can expect to find an incredible range for low prices, as they believe excellent kits should be accessible to everyone. Sierra Designs have a highly diverse collection of equipment suitable for the beach, the mountains and the desert.
Sierra Designs create some of the best backpacking tents, incredibly versatile for just about any trip or season. If you’re looking for a freestanding tent or a semi freestanding tent, they have plenty of designs that are easy to set up. Many of these backpacking tents come with a 2-door 2-vestibule design, making it extremely practical to move in and out of while providing heaps of gear storage space.
