A backpacking tent is not a good place to cut corners when it comes to quality. On trips into remote wilderness, a shelter will be one of your most important gear choices for safety and comfort. When the weather turns nasty, you’ll want to have confidence that your tent will stand up to the elements.
We put together this list to showcase some solid budget tents that strike a good balance between cost, weight, weather protection, and durability. These tents aren’t leaders in quality, but beginners and budget buyers will greatly appreciate their cost effectiveness and performance.
6 Best Tents to buy when on a Budget in 2020
REI Co-op Passage 2
BEST BUDGET TENT OVERALL FOR DURABILITY, SPACE & QUALITY
MSRP: $159
WEIGHT: 4 lbs. 13 oz.
DIMENSIONS (L x W x H): 88 x 51 x 40 in.
FEATURES: 2 Person, 3 Season, Double-Wall, 2 Doors/Vestibules, Freestanding
BOTTOM LINE: The REI Co-op Passage 2 has a classic rectangular tent design with dual crossing poles, double doors, and large vestibules. This tent doesn’t have a top crossbar to make the walls more vertical, which slightly reduces livability, but the Passage still functions quite well. The Passage 2 also has a fully-rectangular floor, two condensation-reducing top vents, and lots of interior mesh pockets. If you're willing to pay a bit more for an increase in size and livability, we recommend checking out the REI Half Dome 2 Plus, which is also a solid budget buy. The Passage is also available in a 1-person model, and the Half Dome also comes in 1 Plus, 3 Plus, and 4 Plus models.
Mountainsmith Morrison 2
BEST SPACIOUS BUDGET TENT
MSRP: $179.95
WEIGHT: 4 lbs. 11 oz.
DIMENSIONS (L x W x H): 92 x 56 x 43 in.
FEATURES: 2 Person, 3 Season, Double-Wall, 2 Doors/Vestibules, Freestanding
BOTTOM LINE: The Mountainsmith Morrison 2 has a similar design to the REI Passage 2 (classic 2-door, rectangular tent with crossing poles), but it can often be found at a lower price. Like the Passage, this tent doesn't have a top bar to make the walls vertical, which slightly reduces interior livability. That said, the Morrison does have roomy dimensions, which helps it deliver more interior space. We prefer the nylon tent body of the Passage 2 over the polyester of the Morrison, and the Passage also has larger vestibules, but both tents are solid budget buys. Pick up the Morrison 2 footprint if you want to increase tent floor durability. This tent is also available in a 3-person model.
Alps Mountaineering Lynx 2
ROOMY BUDGET TENT WITH A SIMPLE DESIGN
MSRP: $149.99
WEIGHT: 5 lbs. 4 oz.
DIMENSIONS (L x W x H): 90 x 60 x 46 in.
FEATURES: 2 Person, 3 Season, Double-Wall, 2 Doors/Vestibules, Freestanding
BOTTOM LINE: The Alps Mountaineering Lynx 2 is another budget tent with a simple, classic design. The Lynx can often be found at even lower prices than the Passage 2 and Morrison 2, but it's also on the heavy and bulky side for backpacking. That extra weight and bulk does come with the benefit of increased interior space, but again there's no top crossbar in this tent for vertical sidewalls. Alps also makes the Chaos 2, which does have a top crossbar for more headroom, but the Chaos is more expensive, heavier, and has a shorter length, height, and width than the Lynx. Pick up the Lynx 2 footprint if you want to increase tent floor durability. This tent is also available in 1-person, 3-person, and 4-person models.
Kelty Dirt Motel 2
BUDGET TENT WITH OPTION TO FOLD THE RAINFLY BACK FOR STARGAZING
MSRP: $259.95
WEIGHT: 4 lbs. 8 oz.
DIMENSIONS (L x W x H): 84 x 50 x 42.5 in.
DESIGN FEATURES: 2-Person, 3-Season, Double-Wall, 2 Doors/Vestibules, Freestanding
BOTTOM LINE: The Kelty Dirt Motel 2 (replacement for the old TN2 model) is a budget tent with good headroom and a cool stargazing rainfly feature. The Dirt Motel is also much lower in weight than many budget backpacking tents, though it’s still not as light as our favorite lightweight tents. We like how the rainfly on the Dirt Motel can be rolled up in clear skies and quickly lowered if the weather changes. The main downside with Dirt Motel is that it’s shorter than most tents, so it’s not a good fit for tall hikers. Kelty also makes the popular Salida and Grand Mesa series, both of which are lighter, longer, and more affordable than the Dirt Motel, but their single-door, small-vestibule designs cut down on livability. Pick up the footprint if you want to increase tent floor durability. This tent is also available in 3-person and 4-person models.
Marmot Catalyst 2p
BUDGET TENT WITH A GOOD BALANCE OF PRICE, WEIGHT & I
INTERIOR SPACE
MSRP: $183
WEIGHT: 4 lbs. 11 oz.
FLOOR DIMENSIONS: 88 x 53 x 44 in.
DESIGN FEATURES: 2-Person, 3-Season, Double-Wall, 2 Doors/Vestibules, Freestanding
BOTTOM LINE: The Marmot Catalyst 2P has a good blend between weight and interior space among budget tents, due to its arching crossbar design. The Catalyst has a unique asymmetrical shape, but the end result is still effective. One nice feature with this tent is that it comes with a footprint included, which will save you some money if you’re looking for extra tent floor protection. This tent does have it’s quirks though, like its half see-through mesh, half polyester taffeta tent body, and the fact that it only comes with six tent stakes for it’s eight primary stake points. The main downside with this tent is that it could use more ventilation to keep interior condensation down, which is a common downside among budget tents. All quirks aside, the Catalyst is still a quality budget option. This tent is also available in a 3-person model.
The North Face Stormbreak 2
DURABLE BUDGET TENT WITH AMPLE HEADROOM
MSRP: $159
WEIGHT: 5 lbs 5 oz.
FLOOR DIMENSIONS: 87 x 50 x 43 in.
DESIGN FEATURES: 2-Person, 3-Season, Double-Wall, 2 Doors/Vestibules, Freestanding
BOTTOM LINE: The North Face Stormbreak 2 is a durable budget option with two top crossbars that help increase headroom and livability. The Stormbreak also has two large vestibules that come in handy for external gear storage. The main downside with the Stormbreak is its weight and bulk, which limit its functionality as a backpacking tent. It also doesn’t have many added comforts, like interior pockets. Still, as a sturdy and durable budget option with plenty of interior space, the stormbreak is a solid buy. Pick up the Stormbreak 2 footprint if you want to increase tent floor durability. This tent also comes in 1-person and 3-person models.
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