10 Greatest Backpacking Tents of 2023

The Copper Spur HV UL2 and UL3 are a few of Large Agnes’ best-sellers, they usually’re amongst our all-time favourite backpacking tents. The ultralight freestanding design of the Copper Spur permits hikers to pitch nearly wherever, and it doesn’t sacrifice comfort, climate safety, or livability.

The Copper Spur is a well-liked alternative amongst thru-hikers of the AT, PCT, and CDT, all of that are notoriously robust on gear. In the event you take care to clear pokey particles out of your campsites, this tent will final for hundreds of miles. We’ve been backpacking with our Copper Spur 2 and three for a number of years they usually’re nonetheless going robust.

The Copper Spur’s bent-pole construction and high crossbar create almost vertical sidewalls offering a ton of usable inside area and ample headroom. The UL2 has sufficient area for 2 regular-width sleeping pads and a few gear, whereas the UL3 is roomy sufficient for 2 large pads and preserving your entire gear inside. Whichever measurement you go together with, you’ll have a backpacking tent that gives an distinctive stability of camp consolation and weight.

For extra, take a look at our full evaluation of the Copper Spur HV UL2.

The Zpacks Duplex, Triplex, and Plex Solo are our go-to ultralight backpacking tents for thru-hiking and long-distance adventures. These tents present a wonderful quantity of inside area and climate safety at a freakishly low weight.

The key to those tents is the DCF materials. It’s waterproof, robust, extremely mild, and doesn’t sag when moist; the draw back is that it’s costly. The Duplex, Triplex, and Plex Solo could also be spendy, however they’re an unbelievable funding if you happen to like to backpack as mild as attainable. The opposite key to the Plex’s ridiculously low weight is the non-freestanding, single-wall design. This eliminates the necessity for tent poles and a rainfly, however it could take a couple of pitches to get it good if you happen to’ve by no means used a backpacking tent like this earlier than.

The excessive ceiling of the Duplex/Triplex will permit you and your mountain climbing associate to sit down up comfortably on the similar time, and the two-door design will maintain you from crawling over one another to get out and in. In the event you’re searching for one of the best ultralight backpacking tent available on the market, that is your man.

We predict the Duplex and Triplex are each spacious sufficient for 2 hikers. However since they’re so mild, we’re a fan of the Duplex for solo hikers who prefer to have additional inside area and the Triplex for extra sq. footage when mountain climbing with a associate. Solo hikers who prioritize saving weight above something can’t go improper with the Plex Solo.

For extra, take a look at our full critiques of the Duplex, Triplex, and Plex Solo.

REI’s Half Dome SL 2+ has an distinctive stability of worth, sturdiness, and inside area. Its symmetrical freestanding design and really roomy dimensions make it snug and user-friendly for hikers of all expertise ranges. This tent is our favourite budget-friendly crossover alternative for many who like tenting within the frontcountry and the backcountry.

Although the burden of the Half Dome is greater than we want for strenuous backpacking adventures, it’s not too unhealthy when cut up between two hikers. As well as, it can save you about 8 ounces by leaving the included footprint – a pleasant tent ground sturdiness bonus – at dwelling.

If a very good stability of sturdiness, comfort, inside area, and affordability is what you’re searching for, it’s very robust to beat the REI Half Dome SL 2+.

For extra, take a look at our full evaluation of the Half Dome SL 2+.

REI has made a few of our favourite tents over time, however few have been as spectacular because the Flash 2. This tent has a weight and inside quantity that rival among the hottest backpacking tents of all time, however it prices far lower than something in its class.

With its distinctive pole structure, the Flash 2 manages to really feel extra spacious than tents with the very same dimensions – just like the Large Agnes Copper Spur 2. The headwall of the Flash 2 stands vertically and is supported by an arch pole that pulls the sidewalls out. Consequently, you find yourself with extra headroom the place you want it most.

Like most tents that goal to chop down on weight as a lot as attainable, the Flash 2 will should be handled with care to increase its lifespan. We had a pointy pine needle work its approach via the ground early on throughout testing. There’s no everlasting injury to indicate for it, however it did drive dwelling the necessity to actually filter an area to camp if you happen to don’t plan to make use of a footprint. We all the time hike with a little bit of Tenacious Tape to restore the inevitable snags and tears that include use on path.

We extremely suggest the Flash 2 to hikers seeking to save a major sum of money with out having to compromise on weight, area, or the comfort of a freestanding design. And people searching for much more area ought to take a look at the Flash 3, which nonetheless prices lower than most of the two-person tents on our listing and solely weighs about 10 ouncesmore than the Flash 2.

We’re placing this tent via extra field-testing to find out its last place on this listing. It has the potential to take excessive spot. Checkout our full evaluation of the Flash 2 right here.

Ounce-counting hikers will love the ultralight, semi-freestanding design of the Large Agnes Tiger Wall 2. With sufficient construction to carry out effectively in inclement climate, however a weight that’s barely over a pound when cut up between two hikers – the Tiger Wall is a extra handy different to non-freestanding ultralight tents.

Typically semi-freestanding tents can really feel a bit cramped. And whereas the quarters within the Tiger Wall are a bit tight, it has a wider ridge pole than most different tents of this model. This creates extra livable area the place you need it most – on the head when sitting up. One other function that will increase consolation within the Tiger Wall is the easy-to-use door toggles that provide the capacity to roll again either side of the vestibule for taking in grand views or maxing out air flow on clear nights.

General, hikers who prioritize saving weight and don’t thoughts sharing a tighter area will love the minimal but purposeful design of the Tiger Wall 2. In the event you want extra room to unfold out, the Tiger Wall 3 has additional ground area and some extra inches of peak peak however continues to be lighter than many 2P tents. For more information, take a look at our full evaluation of the Tiger Wall right here.

With an additional secure body, maximized inside area, and top-quality building/supplies, the SlingFin Portal is a superb shelter to hunker down in when nasty climate hits. Thicker poles, inner guylines, and the power to connect trekking poles for added structural energy make the Portal extraordinarily strong in wind, rain, and even mild snow. These options are distinctive for a light-weight backpacking tent and are extra frequent in high-end mountaineering shelters.

One among our favourite options of the Portal is its beneficiant quantity of headroom, which makes it really feel way more livable than the common light-weight 2P backpacking tent. Different particulars, like nice pockets and further zipper sliders, come along with the storm-worthy design to make the Portal among the best backpacking tents we’ve ever examined.

For extra, take a look at our full evaluation of the Portal.

Ultralight doesn’t should imply sacrificing consolation. With the NEMO Hornet OSMO 3, a pair of hikers can have all of the conveniences of a conventional 2-person tent – two doorways/vestibules, a roomy inside, helpful pockets – with out the extra weight. As an added bonus, this spacious shelter prices across the similar sum of money as most of the main 2-person backpacking tents.

You may want additional area for a wide range of causes – perhaps you need to match two large sleeping pads with room to spare, you journey with a big canine or an adventurous child, otherwise you simply need a bit of extra respiration room when sharing your tent with a associate. No matter your cause could also be, the beneficiant ground dimensions and peak peak of the Hornet 3 will accommodate.

Not too way back, NEMO rolled out their proprietary OSMO cloth and started implementing it on all of their tents. OSMO cloth repels water higher than normal nylon or polyester flysheets, and better of all – OSMO stretches far much less when moist. This implies your pitch stays taut throughout rain, and also you gained’t have to fret about saggy rainfly materials inflicting moist spots in your tent physique, sleeping bag footbox, or head.

We’ve all the time been huge followers of NEMO’s consideration to element, high-quality building, and revolutionary designs, and the Hornet OSMO 3 positively doesn’t disappoint. For individuals who prioritize saving weight over having additional area, the NEMO Hornet OSMO 2 can be an ideal alternative and is a little more reasonably priced than equally designed tents.

The MSR FreeLite 2 is a superb choice for these seeking to go lighter with out sacrificing the comfort of a double-wall tent. It has two massive doorways/vestibules, and the inside area feels extra roomy for 2 hikers at a a lot decrease weight than different equally designed tents.

We usually view the FreeLite as extra snug for solo hikers for the reason that inside headroom can really feel a bit of cramped when spending any prolonged period of time inside. However for pairs that worth saving weight over having additional wiggle room, the FreeLite actually has sufficient area to accommodate two.

The rainbow form of the FreeLite is efficient at shedding rain, and some design particulars – like well-placed pockets and a rainfly gutter – make this tent notably interesting. Any backpacker wanting one of the best mixture of weight, livability, and climate safety will certainly love the FreeLite.

The Sea to Summit Telos TR2 is an revolutionary tent with plenty of distinctive options to like. It has extra headroom than any 2-person backpacking tent in its weight class, which makes it really feel much more livable than many others.

Creature comforts, just like the light-dispersing Lightbar and shady Hangout Mode, make the Telos really feel like a bit of slice of luxurious within the backcountry. Sea to Summit took additional care designing the adaptable air flow on the Telos, and we discovered that it offered snug and virtually condensation-free nights.

Whereas it’s a bit of spendy, the consolation the Telos supplies is value the associated fee if you happen to’re searching for a flexible 2-person backpacking tent with the entire particulars dialed in.

For extra, take a look at our full evaluation of the Telos TR2.

The Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo is without doubt one of the finest worth backpacking tents on our listing resulting from its glorious mix of area, weight, and sturdiness. We’ve put the Lunar Duo via the wringer on a number of thru-hikes, and it held up like a champ in every kind of circumstances.

It’s a bit heavier than some ultralight non-freestanding tents, however we discover the burden tradeoff to be value it for the numerous financial financial savings. One factor that makes the Lunar Duo distinctive is that the guylines might be re-tensioned from contained in the tent, which is actually handy throughout a downpour. The big vestibules are designed to open utterly with out disturbing the construction of the tent, so you’ll be able to have related air flow and examine advantages of a double-wall tent.

In the event you’re searching for a roomy ultralight shelter at an exceptionally reasonably priced worth, there are few tents that come near the Lunar Duo. For extra, take a look at our full evaluation of the Lunar Duo.

The Lunar Solo is certainly one of our high picks for solo hikers. It’s very spacious for one particular person and their gear, is simple to arrange, and packs down extremely small. For extra, take a look at our full evaluation of the Lunar Solo.

The reasonably priced REI Path Hut 2 is a superb tent for hikers on a good finances or these wanting a crossover tent for automobile tenting and backpacking. It’s fast and straightforward to pitch, made with sturdy supplies, and the burden/bulk aren’t too unhealthy when cut up between two hikers. You can even save about 8 ounces by leaving the included footprint at dwelling.

Whereas not one of the Path Hut’s specs or options (apart from worth) are actually standouts, this tried-and-true design will maintain up effectively in unhealthy climate and maintain you on the path for lots of – if not hundreds – of miles.

The budget-friendly Path Hut doesn’t skimp on inside area or high quality, so we predict it’s a wonderful funding for these desirous to hit the path with out spending a fortune.

In the event you’re seeking to go as reasonably priced as attainable, the REI Trailmade 2 prices much less and is a bit lighter. In the end we want the Path Hut for its bigger inside area, however both tent is a strong alternative.

For extra, take a look at our full evaluation of the Trailmade 2.

The NEMO Dagger OSMO 2 presents a ton of inside area at an affordable weight, so it’s good for these wanting a tent that’s snug for each backpacking and automobile tenting.

The Dagger has a ton of handy options inbuilt, like two enormous vestibules for gear storage, light-dispersing headlamp pockets, and an included tub accent that retains your gear clear and dry within the vestibule. The revolutionary OSMO cloth additionally doesn’t sag when moist like Silnylon and it’ll stay waterproof for longer than the coated materials used for a lot of different tents.

In the event you’re searching for light-weight livability in a handy design, the NEMO Dagger 2P is a superb alternative.

For extra, take a look at our full evaluation of the Dagger OSMO 2.