When deciding how to fill yourbackpack, a high-quality backpacking tent should be the starting point. Today’s market is overflowing with options, all of which boast “unique” specifications to catch your eye. But it doesn't have to be so complicated. Entry-level tents weigh more (over 5 pounds) and take up valuable space in your pack, but they cost significantly less. Ultralight tents weigh very little and take up far less space in your pack, but the fabric is more delicate and the prices can be hard to swallow. To understand which type of backpacking tent is right for you, you should know the basics of tent construction.
Things to Consider When Picking a Backpacking Tent
Capacity: Backpacking tents range from one-person to four-person options. Generally speaking, they run on the small side of their claimed capacity. A two-person tent is good for a solo trekker and their four-legged friend (woof!), or could work for a small couple who packs very lightly and doesn’t have issues with personal space. But for most groups of two average-sized adults, a three-person tent is a better option — you’ll appreciate the wiggle room and space for gear.
For most backpackers, we typically recommend buying one size larger than your usual party size, because the amount of extra space you'll get is totally worth the slight uptick in weight. To keep comparisons simple, this review will focus only on the two-person version of these backpacking tents.
Comfort: Comfort depends on the floorspace, number of doors, headroom, storage pockets, vestibule size, and much more. Generally speaking, more is better for all of the above. A tapered floor plan can be fine for singles, while a symmetrical floor plan is preferred for two or more people. A single door can work for a solo trekker or a couple, but two doors is almost always preferred. When it comes to headroom, storage pockets, and vestibules, they all enhance comfort — but they all add weight.
Weight: As a rule of thumb, lighter is better. But lighter is more expensive, too. Backpacking tents range from as little as 1 pound to over 5 pounds, and you won't want to carry any more than that. For casual backpackers, a heavier tent is a perfectly acceptable shelter, and the prices are reasonable. For the frequent trekker who is ready to invest, ultralight tents deliver weight-savings you will appreciate, but the gentle fabrics must be handled with care for longevity. All tents cite multiple weights, so for consistency, we will reference the “minimum trail weight” — this includes the tent body, rainfly, and poles (not stakes, stuff sacks, and footprints).
Packability: The “packed size” is the amount of space a tent takes up in your backpack. Smaller is always better.
Stability/Waterproofing: Tents are mostly considered three-season and four-season. The difference is in the name: a four-season tent is designed for winter conditions, like frigid cold, high winds, and snow, but they have less ventilation and are often heavier. A three-season tent is what most backpackers choose, as it can handle conditions that you’ll encounter on most trips in spring, summer, and fall. But not all three-season tents are made alike: some are far more stable and water-resistant in heavy storms than others. This review focuses only on three-season tents.
MOST LIVABLE ULTRALIGHT
1.Big Agnes Copper Spur 2 Platinum Backpacking Tent
There's an obvious reason that Big Agnes is at the top of this list, yet again! The brand has a solid reputation for making some of the lightest, highest performing three-season backpacking tents available, and they continue to push the limits with innovative outdoor gear that keeps getting lighter and performing better. Who knew that was even possible?
The Copper Spur Platinum is an upgrade from its industry-leading predecessor. At just 2 pounds, 5 ounces, it's Big Agnes' lightest freestanding tent, and it's equipped with a full-coverage ripstop rainfly, two doors and two large vestibules, 40 inches of headroom, nearly vertical sidewalls, and 29-square feet of floorspace (tapered at the toe) — all category-leading specs. It packs down to 5 by 17 inches — again, the smallest in this review. Its fabric is a bit delicate, so it must be treated carefully (be cautious with dogs), but that's to be expected from an ultralight tent.
A LONGTIME FAVORITE
2. MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2 Backpacking Tent
MSR's Hubba Hubba has long been a ruler among two-person backpacking tents, and it's easily one of our favorites. While it's not the lightest tent on the market, we've found its extra weight to be a smart tradeoff for materials that are more resilient to abrasions (especially when traveling with dogs), a pole design that is as steadfast as a bomb shelter, and weatherproofing that is holds up, even in heavy downpours.
The Hubba Hubba NX 2 weighs in at 3 pounds, 8 ounces and packs down to 18 by 6 inches, while offering 29 square feet of floor space and 39 inches of headroom. While these specs are similar to other ultralight options, the Hubba is one of the few two-person tents that feels spacious enough to share with someone — credit to walls that are nearly vertical, huge vestibules, and a symmetrical shape (not tapered at the toes).
Downpours don't stand a chance against the Hubba. Its bathtub-style floor and ripstop nylon full-coverage rainfly are thicker (and therefore stronger) than most in its class, and they're treated with MSR's long-lasting Xtreme Shield waterproof coating.
BEST NEW ULTRALIGHT
3. Nemo Dragonfly 2 Backpacking Tent
Nemo's newest offering, the Dragonfly, is among our top three for this year. It's an ultralight freestanding backpacking tent that perfectly bridges the gap between tents that are so light they feel flimsy, and tents that are a slightly heavier than a solo hiker could justify carrying.
Nemo's Dragonfly weighs a nice 2 pounds, 10 ounces and packs down to 19.5 by 4.5 inches. It has 29 square feet of floor space, and has a 41-inch peak height — all competitive specs in the ultralight range. We typically don't enjoy the tapered foot shape, but the Dragonfly is an exception — it feels larger than life, thanks to hubbed poles that pull the mesh body taut (no sag!), nearly vertical walls, two individual storage pockets and a large overhead gear loft, and two big doors with even bigger vestibules.
BEST SINGLE-DOOR
4. Sierra Designs Studio 2 Backpacking Tent
We really dig Sierra Designs as a whole — they make good, quality gear for campers of all types, with prices that hover on the lower end of the spectrum, so their gear always gets our attention. They made the Studio 2 for backpackers who want something that's lightweight, affordable, and not so trimmed-down that it's cramped.
The Studio 2 weighs in at 2 pounds, 11 ounces and packs down to roughly 16 by 6 inches. It offers 28 square feet of floor space and 40 inches of headroom, which is nothing to write home about. But we find that this tent feels much larger than its specs suggest (especially when compared to other tents with similar measurements) — probably because of its massive front vestibule and distinct shape.
MOST AFFORDABLE
5. Kelty Salida 2 Backpacking Tent
Does all this talk about “freestanding” and “ultralight” seem like gibberish? You're not alone! And that probably means you're looking for a tent that won't require a credit check for purchase, but will still fit nicely in your pack.
Kelty's Salida 2 weighs 3 pounds, 14 ounces and packs down to 15 by 13 inches. It has two doors, 30 square feet of floorspace, and 43 inches of headroom. The fabric is quite a bit stronger than ultralight tents, which we appreciate. It's definitely heavier and less compact than most, but interior space is killer, and the dollars you save could fund an extra adventure (or two)!
If you don't have a money tree to shake but need one tent for both backpacking and car camping, this Kelty is rock-solid, easy to set up, and costs a mere fraction of its competitors.
MOST SPACIOUS
6. NEMO Dagger 2 Backpacking Tent
The Dagger was Nemo's league-leader in the past few years, and while it may have been overtaken by its siblings (the Hornet Elite and Dragonfly) in terms of weight and portability, it's still one of the best tents around. The Dagger is impressively comfortable, weather-resistant, and durable, with a weight and price that are hard to overlook.
Nemo's Dagger weighs in at 3 pounds, 5 ounces and packs down to 19.5 by 6.5 inches, which is quite a bit bigger than some other ultralight options.
But the tradeoff is in the interior space. Its 31 square feet of floor space, a peak height of 42 inches, and two massive 11-square-foot vestibules are all leaders in this class. With two doors and a symmetrical floor plan, we've found the extra space to be well worth the larger packed size, making it one of the few two-person tents that will comfortably fit two people.
HONORABLE MENTION
7. MSR FreeLite 2 Backpacking Tent
If you were intrigued by our praise for MSR above, but you're seeking something lighter in weight, the FreeLite 2 is definitely worth checking out. It's MSR's lightest, semi-freestanding double wall tent, and it's been updated for 2019.
MSR's FreeLite 2 weighs in at 2 pounds, 8 ounces and packs down to 18 by 6 inches. It offers 29 square feet of floor space and a peak height of 36 inches (lower than many on this list). Upgrades include the company's new Xtreme Shield waterproof coating, plus new Easton Syclone aerospace-grade poles — both of which make this thing super solid in heavy thunderstorms.
When compared to MSR's Hubba Hubba NX, this tent is 1 pound lighter in weight, has less headroom, and costs slightly more. But when compared to other semi-freestanding tents (meaning it must be staked out to stand up, rather than being fully supported by the poles), its weight is similar, the floorspace is much more generous (not tapered, yay!), and it's served us better in rainstorms, thanks to the updates mentioned above.
HONORABLE MENTION
8. Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 Backpacking Tent
The Tiger Wall is the lightest series of two-door, two-vestibule backpacking tents that Big Agnes makes. It has a single pole design that is super simple to setup, and it's semi-freestanding, which makes it more susceptible to extreme weather.
The Tiger Wall UL 2 weighs in at 2 pounds, 3 ounces, which makes it the lightest tent in this review. It packs down to 5.5 by 18 inches, has two doors and vestibules, 39 inches of head space, and 28 square feet of floor space — all features that are similar to, but slightly less impressive than its more expensive sibling (the Copper Spur Platinum featured above).
We've found this tent to feel quite a bit smaller, as the non-freestanding design allows a bit of sag to the tent body's mesh near the feet, and the door's zipper configuration makes the vestibules inefficient.
If weight-saving is a priority, interior space isn't as pertinent (plenty of room for one person and a dog!), and price is a selling point, this tent is still worth a second look.
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