Backpacking Tents
Looking for a backpacking tent? This guide will help you decide which backpacking tent is best for you as well as some of our favorites.
Not sure where to start? Here are some great backpacking tents:
- Big Agnes Emerald Mountain SL3 Tent
- Mountain Hardwear Lightpath 3 Tent
- Marmot Thor Tent
- Bibler Tempest Tent
- MSR Fury Tent
Backpacking Tents – Your home away from home.
Next to your backpack, your tent is the most important piece of hiking equipment. It is essentially your home away from home. If you plan on using your backpacking tent for more than just a weekend hike here and there, you’re probably going to want to invest in a quality backpacking tent.
When looking around at backpacking tents, there are a number of things to consider. Some of these things are:
- Weight – The lighter the better.
- Conditions – What kind of climates do you plan on camping in?
- Size – Is there room for people and gear?
- Ventilation – This will help keep you dry.
When considering the weight of your backpacking tent, keep a few things in mind. One is to consider how many people will be carrying the tent? Will it just be you or will you often be traveling with a buddy? If you are prone to backpacking with friends you could probably afford an extra pound or two to get all the space and features you need. If you tend to go solo, you’ll want to look into some of the super lightweight backpacking tents.
Many backpacking tents are designed to be three season tents. These tents are fine for the seasonal backpacker. But if you plan on backpacking year round and in extreme conditions, you are going to want a backpacking tent that can hold up well.
One thing to think about in size, is where will your gear go in the event of a storm? If you don’t have a dry place to keep it outside, will there be room in your backpacking tent? Many backpacking tents have larger vestibules that can be used to store gear out of the weather or be used for cooking. A large vestibule on a backpacking tent is a feature I strongly recommend.
Got a particular backpacking tent you like? Let us know!