Best Tent Brands of 2023 | Outdoor ...

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Tents are a miracle of engineering. With a couple of pounds of nylon and aluminum, you have a wilderness-ready shelter that can withstand just about anything: snow, wind, rain, bugs, and they can even keep out the cold. And it seems as if every year, some of the top tent manufacturers push the envelope even further, finding new ways to cut weight, or create more stability, pushing the limits of what you can do with less. To better understand how the best ten brands bring such innovative and unique products to market year after year, I chatted with the designers and company leaders at Big Agnes, NEMO Equipment, MSR, Stone Glacier, and Kifaru. We&#;ll be continuing these conversations with more of the best tent brands in the months to come. 

Big Agnes

About Big Agnes

Big Agnes is based in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and has a reputation in the backpacking community for making some of the highest quality (and user friendly) ultralight tents available today. In addition to being a tent brand, they also make sleeping bags and sleeping pads, as well as camp furniture, backpacks, and apparel (I&#;m a big fan of their Luna/Shovelhead Puffer Jacket and kids&#; Icehouse Puffer Jacket). I talked with the company&#;s owner, Bill Gamber, about how their ultralight lineup came to be and what&#;s in store for the future. 

Q: How did Big Agnes first get into making tents?

Gamber: We got into tents almost twenty years ago, after our first year in the sleeping bag market. Bob Swanson, who started Sierra Designs, and, later Walrus Tents, was a good friend of ours and so I asked him what designs that hadn&#;t worked in the market were his favorite. He had this tent called the Walrus Rapeed XV I, which was essentially a hub design that was just ahead of its time. So we stripped it down, using new fabrics and materials with his general architecture to make it lighter and more marketable. The first year we just made the Seedhouse and the Mad House. And then we developed the Seedhouse SL, which was even lighter, and that&#;s what really stuck. We thought the Seedhouse SL would be for the weird niche guys that were cutting off their toothbrushes, but we touched the nerve of more traditional backpackers as well&#;they were like, &#;Wow, I can take a pound and a half or two pounds off of a tent and it&#;s as weatherproof or more?&#; Now we look back on it, and we completely changed the direction of how people design tents.

Q: How do you approach designing a new tent? 

Gamber: Even though we were the first company to produce a four-pound, freestanding backpacking tent, we kept challenging ourselves to go even lighter. Along the way, we&#;ve had to balance that with the market&#;s expectation that a tent will be dependable, and durable, although we know that the crazy ultralighters can be very particular and careful, with carbon fiber poles with Dyneema fabric. When we were really striving to break barriers, we would essentially take scissors and cut things off to learn more about the construction of a tent&#;even today, some of our competitors don&#;t understand what we&#;ve done to shave ounces. We also have an incredible fabric partner that gives strong, lightweight fabrics that our competitors don&#;t really have access to. 

Q: How does Big Agnes ensure the quality of its tents for consumers? 

Gamber: The secret sauce to Big Agnes is that we all use our products. We&#;re fortunate enough to be in Steamboat Springs; I look out my window and the Yampa River is right here. Since access to the outdoors is literally out our office door, we&#;ll have these company campouts where we&#;ll drive to a trailhead at the base of Big Agnes and hike up to 10,000 feet. We camp at Mica Lake and then in the morning, hike up to the top of Big Agnes. Then we&#;ll hike down and be back at work by noon the next day. And people are on the clock, getting paid to go camp. We have this group of people that are true outdoor enthusiasts&#;everybody from our accounting team to marketing to customer service&#;so when we have a new sample, someone can go and use it that day and give us feedback by tomorrow. And they&#;re the biggest critics you can find, more so than our customers sometimes. If it passes the test with our team, then we know it can go the mileage.

Big Agnes does extensive in-house testing on all their products. Big Agnes

Q: What do you think gets overlooked in the outdoor industry? 

Gamber: As an industry, we need to make more sustainable products, and we need to pressure and challenge each other to be better. For Big Agnes, many of our manufacturing partners have at least some solar electricity at this point, and our solution-dyed fabrics, which we use in the Tiger Wall UL and Fly Creek HV UL tents, mean that we&#;re not dying those fabrics, and dying is not a clean business, after they come off the loom. We also educate people to leave no trace. That sounds so cliche, but we really mean it, and we live it. We are responsible for seventy miles of the Continental Divide Trail that&#;s just out of town, and we keep that section of the trail in really great shape. And then, since COVID hit, so many people are coming to Steamboat Springs to camp&#;and when every single camp area that they see is taken, they might just camp in a meadow. And then the next person sees some tracks there. And then, by the following weekend, there is a camp ring or fire. And so we&#;ve partnered with the Forest Service to see how we can help clean some of those, and close those areas off with signs. We feel that we benefit by growing the outdoor industry and getting people outside, but we&#;re also responsible to help protect the outdoors. 

Q: What&#;s your most popular tent? 

Gamber: The Copper Spur collection is definitely our most popular series of tents, because of its weight-to-size ratio. 

Q: What&#;s your favorite tent, personally? 

Gamber: I&#;m kind of notorious for forgetting to bring a headlamp, so my favorite tent is the Copper SpurHV UL  mtnGLO, which has LED lights wired into the tent structure itself. 

NEMO Equipment

NEMO Equipment, based in Dover, New Hampshire, is known for their unique and innovative approach to the technical design of outdoor gear. In addition to making tents, they also make some of the best sleeping bags, sleeping pads, furniture, and accessories. While talking with the company&#;s founder and CEO, Cam Bresinger, I learned more about how they design their unique lineup and how they&#;re tackling their carbon footprint. 

Q: How did NEMO Equipment first get into making tents?

Bresinger: I went to the liberal arts Middlebury College in Vermont, where I studied creative writing, physics, and studio art. After graduation, my only concrete plan was to climb Denali, which I did with a few friends. After that, I started traveling around, trying to sort out what I was going to do for a career. Looking for a way to merge my interests and my educational background, I ended up going back to the Rhode Island School of Design for industrial design. I spent the next three and a half years focused on starting the brand, including pondering what my opening product line should be. Eventually, I decided that tents would be a pretty cool place to start. First off, they&#;re our home in the wilderness and so have some metaphorical significance. I also thought that if we figured out how to do tents, because they incorporate both engineering and design, that our skills and our supply chain would be transferable to other categories. We ended up launching NEMO around low-pressure, inflatable tents&#;air-supported tents, we called them&#;which was really different for the outdoor industry at the time, although we also made some more ordinary pole tents because we didn&#;t want to start being called &#;the inflatable tent company.&#;

Q: How do you approach designing a new tent? 

Bresinger: Since I was working on the first products at the same time that I was learning design in school, I was getting to see a lot of other people&#;s processes and benefitting and learning from the critiques of my classmates. So that&#;s where the NEMO design philosophy originated from, the creation of a rich and iterative process. In other words, if you asked me to design something, start to finish, just with pencil and paper, I&#;m going to be limited. But if I can fold in other tools, like using CAD and going into the shop and building scale models and prototypes, it creates this richness. What we&#;ve found is that it&#;s important to not get so wedded to any idea that you become blinded to other possibilities. We try to treat every design as just an iteration, without trying to move too fast through it.

Nemo is known for the Dagger and Hornet backpacking tents. NEMO Equipment

Even today, in our really nice office with our test lab and shop and the tools that we&#;ve acquired over twenty years, we still end up using a lot of cardboard and duct tape and painter&#;s tape. We love to use painter&#;s tape on the floor, then bending poles into shapes, so that you have something full scale you can walk around, you can sit in, you can put your sleeping pad and sleeping bag in. That&#;s something that started in school and we&#;ve continued to evolve that process over the years. 

At the root of all that, though, is a commitment on our part to never bringing anything to market that&#;s the same as what&#;s out there. Our design process is about arriving at things that we think bring real value to the end user.

Q: How does NEMO Equipment ensure the quality of its tents for consumers? 

Bresinger: In the early days of NEMO, I relied heavily, too heavily, on my own experience and judgment as to whether a product was performing at a high level. Partly that was because our access to tools and partners and outside resources was limited, as was our supply chain and buying power. We had to choose off-the-shelf fabrics and hardware. But at the same time, we recognized that if we screwed up and brought a less than high-quality product to market that it could permanently damage the reputation we were trying to build. So something we did early on was build ourselves a rain chamber, because our tent development cycle would end in the winter, and we couldn&#;t really take our tents out and test how they would do in a thunderstorm in January. 

Nemo's rain chamber. NEMO Equipment

Today, we have an extensive lab in our own facility with a much more sophisticated rain chamber and a whole lot of testing equipment, both physical testing for things like furniture, and also testing for fabric performance and waterproofness. We also contract and work with our NEMO ambassadors for field testing. Finally, we work with a global test agency that supports our factories around the world and ensures that quality control is happening. So now there&#;s a whole team of people who bring different skill sets and experiences, so it&#;s not just me making most of the product decisions anymore.  

Q: What do you think gets overlooked in the outdoor industry? 

Bresinger: You know, if anything is entirely overlooked, and I hope there&#;s nothing major, then I&#;m probably part of that. There are certainly areas that are underserved. The first is that our industry has a history of being very exclusive. It&#;s largely been a white industry, available to those with spare money and spare time for backpacking, camping, mountaineering, hunting, fishing, etc. It&#;s been something, by and large, that you needed a certain amount of privilege to enjoy. I think I speak for much of the collective outdoor recreation industry when I say that the last few years of the pandemic opened our eyes to just how vital the outdoors is to all of our health, and that this is something that should be available to everyone. This is something we think a lot about as a high-end brand, where our requirements for quality and performance mean that our products are expensive. We want those products to be available to more folks. One of the ways that we&#;re addressing that is setting up the infrastructure for re-commerce. So rather than making things &#;cheaper,&#; we can make previously used equipment available at more accessible prices. 

Another area that I think we haven&#;t addressed enough is our impact on the climate. For me, the challenge is to figure out how to reverse climate change without expecting major sacrifices out of our customers and without adding a ton of cost. The ultimate sustainability challenge for NEMO is really to reinvent the materials, the processes, and the supply chains. Right before the pandemic, our product team drafted an internal memo that asked what it would look like to make a really, truly, sustainable product. We ended up deciding that it meant fully addressing that product&#;s carbon footprint, including leaving no waste in the factory and addressing its end of life, so it would need to be both recyclable and recommercable. We&#;re launching our first product in this program, called &#;Endless Promise,&#; next year. It&#;s our Forte sleeping bag, which is one of our most popular products. It actually takes all of the waste it produces in the factory and reprocesses it into insulation, which we then feed into the bag. We also wanted to make the product recyclable, which turned out to be the most difficult part of this. It&#;s not hard to work with your factories and sourcing people to find recycled materials to substitute in for virgin materials, but making a product like a sleeping bag recyclable is a whole different story. It means making the entire product out of a single polymer and then finding a recycling partner who&#;s capable of handling that. We&#;re doing both of those things with the Forte.

Q: What is your most popular tent? 

Bresinger: Our core backpacking tents, the Dagger and Hornet, are very popular, and we&#;ve continued to optimize them bit by bit over the years. 

Q: What is your personal favorite tent?

Bresinger: The Aurora Highrise, since, these days, I&#;m usually in a larger camping tent with my wife and two kids. 

Mountain Safety Research

Mountain Safety Research, based in Seattle, Washington, has been at the forefront of mountaineering gear for decades. In addition to being one of the best tent brands, MSR also make some of the best backpacking stoves, snowshoes, and water purifiers, including for the US military and NGOs. I got a chance to talk to their newest tent designer, Katie Nash, to learn more about what&#;s next for this storied brand. 

Q: How did MSR first get into making tents?

Nash: When MSR was founded in , they had a few mountaineering tents that were using the first generation of waterproof breathable fabrics. They ended up moving away from mountaineering tents to focus on stoves and water filtration, but then, around , MSR recognized that there needed to be more high-quality lightweight backpacking tents and mountaineering tents on the market. Inspired by the design and features of the tents from Walrus and Moss, which were folded into MSR, they launched the Hubba Hubba in . That tent was groundbreaking for shedding pounds while still providing a livable interior space for two. 

{"cameraType":"Wide","macroEnabled":false,"qualityMode":2,"deviceTilt":-0.,"customExposureMode":1,"extendedExposure":false,"whiteBalanceProgram":0,"cameraPosition":1,"focusMode":1} Katie Nash

My background is as a designer&#;I actually went to school for art and apparel. But I really didn&#;t want to work in fashion, so it was lucky that I got some contract work at Cascade Designs [the parent company of MSR] ten years ago. From the start, I was always really nosy around the tents, inserting myself into the conversation whenever I could. I just thought they were such a cool product. It is architecture, and it is light, and it is a packable home. Tents just appealed to me in so many different ways. So after working on the sleeping bag and soft goods side, I recently stepped into the tent design role at MSR. 

Q: How do you approach designing a new tent? 

Nash: MSR was founded by engineers, and I feel that I&#;ve taken an oath to apply that methodology to our tents. It starts by defining a problem and the customer. Next, we ask questions about the customer and imagine solutions to their problem. And then, we start on a prototype. 

While some tent designers approach their work by partnering closely with manufacturers, and others focus heavily on the structural design, MSR combines these two approaches. It&#;s a lot of iteration, looking at samples with other people, going out into the wild to figure out the failure points, and then another iteration. If we need a new hub, or something like that, then we can ask one of our engineers to design it for us. We also have a pretty cool test lab at Cascade Designs that we can rely on to test the durability and strength of fabrics and other components. It takes a village to raise a tent. 

I think of myself as an outsider, since I didn&#;t grow up backpacking, or skiing, or anything like that, As a designer, I try to empathize with the customer and approach their problem with a lot of questions and curiosity to arrive at equally good, but perhaps different, solutions than a designer would who had grown up around those activities. 

Q: How does MSR ensure the quality of their tents for consumers? 

Nash: We have our in-house repairs and warranty team that we work with whenever we&#;re hearing from customers that there&#;s a weird or repeated failure&#;then you have to scramble and fix that ASAP. With tents, something that comes up a lot during the design process itself is fabric coating and seam tape technology, where the goal is to get the best coating that lasts the longest. So we use our lab to run a series of tests for humid aging, where the fabrics are basically put into this oven, and then you take the fabric out every so often to check things like the hydrostatic head, to see if it&#;s still waterproof, or you would check for visual decay. Sometimes it can be the case that something looks bad, which is disconcerting for the customer, but it might actually perform well enough. That said, we want to inspire confidence in the customer, given our commitment to delivering the most durable high-quality fabrics and coatings and other components that we can possibly afford.

Field testing is also really important, for all of our products. We can always find volunteers in our office&#;basically half the company is willing to do field testing&#;to take a day off and go, say snowshoeing, so it&#;s pretty easy to get our tents in the hands of people to test in the wild. We also have people outside of the company who do field testing, answering our questions on our surveys. 

Q: What do you think gets overlooked in the outdoor industry?

Nash: There is a whole range of diverse needs and interests out there. So while MSR has a brand identity, and we want to focus on what we do best, our products don&#;t always have to be purely based on traditional ableist or achievement-based Type 2 fun. All kinds of people are enjoying and experiencing the outdoors, and everyone should be welcome&#;it doesn&#;t just have to be the people who are summiting mountains. We know that the frontcountry camping part of the industry is way bigger than the summiting Everest part of the industry&#;even if products for the latter crowd are really fun to make. But I think we as an industry are starting to realize that it&#;s not just about us&#;there&#;s so many different kinds of people, and we need to address their needs better. MSR has been very focused on safety research, but I think we can do that and work more on products for the frontcountry, like we&#;re doing with our Habitude tents.

On more of a personal level, I think we have pushed manmade materials to some really incredible places, performance-wise, but I wonder if it&#;s time to start looking back toward more bio-based materials again. I wouldn&#;t claim that a cotton tent is going to be the thing that you should bring on a thru-hike, but I think we could bring the ancient materials that evolved over the course of millions of years back into our lives. We&#;ve been so excited about the performance of some of these synthetic materials, but what research could we do on plant-based materials, and how could we pull them more into our outdoor recreating?

Q: What is your most popular tent?

Nash: The Hubba Hubba is the most popular tent that MSR makes.  

Q: What is your personal favorite tent?

Nash: For me, the lighter the better, so I really like the Freelite, especially the new one that just came out.

Stone Glacier

Stone Glacier, based in Bozeman, Montana, was founded with the intent to build the lightest and most durable gear for hunters in the backcountry.  In addition to making tents, they also make backpacks, apparel, sleeping bags, and sleeping quilts. Stone Glacier&#;s founder and lead designer, Kurt Racicot, spoke with me on the to share more about how they approach creating products to meet their customers&#; needs.

Q: How did Stone Glacier first get into making tents?

Racicot: So we first came out with backpacks when I started the company in . As we grew, we started to look at other pieces of a hunter&#;s kit, and we had ideas for how to improve apparel and tents. We approached tents with a backpacks hunter&#;s mindset&#;we knew our list of factors needed to include a high-elevation, four-season-type tent, with adequate vestibules. And we just continued down that path.

There were several designs I was working on for our first tent, so I connected with a friend, Martin Zemitis, who has been designing high-elevation, mountaineering-style tents for the outdoor community for years. We knew that it was hard to duplicate thirty-five years in the business, so we partnered with him on some design features for the final product. Martin has some patented technology, including the WebTruss, which is a unique feature that helps with wind stability and snow load and really plays into its performance in four-season situations. It was also important to us, because we are a backpack hunting company, that it be a lightweight tent, under five pounds for a two-person tent. Those were our two main goals. And then, from there, we were able to branch out a little to say OK, how can we make it more comfortable for two people? Well, if you have two vestibules, then you have enough room for two people&#;s gear, so having two doors would be nice. So we started adding and subtracting features to fit within what we were trying to do. The two-person Skyscraper was the first tent that we came out with.

Q: How do you approach designing a new tent? 

Racicot: With all of our products, we definitely start with the situation. Where&#;s it going to be set up? What conditions will it be used in? How many people are going to be in it? For example, if we were designing gear that was primarily going to be used in July and August, we&#;d be able to get away with lighter-weight tech, like a mesh insert, but those aren&#;t the conditions that our customers will be facing. A lot of times our gear is used in Alaska, in the Brooks Range, the Yukon Territory, or British Columbia&#;places that get very substantial weather. So our tents have to be able to keep moisture out, even in the driving rain. 

, MT, Montana,Nelson, Isaac Nelson Stone Glacier

Then we work from there to say, OK, how is this tent actually going to be used? Is it going to be taken down and set up every day? Is it going to be packed over long distances? If you&#;re in a mobile hunting application, much like you would be if you were thru-hiking or on a long trek where, even if it&#;s drizzling rain all night, you can&#;t just lay in your tent in the morning until everything dries out and then start again. You have to get up, and you get your stuff packed. So it&#;s important to be able to separate the fly body from the fly sheet that might be wet&#;otherwise, you&#;re gonna be sleeping in a wet tent the next night. So those intricacies of how it&#;s being used come into play with the design features. Another big focus in our design philosophy is producing the lightest weight gear that can do these things, so that you can cover more ground with less weight. If you&#;re trying to move five or seven miles every day and set your tent up quickly and take it down quickly and manage moisture and still have room for two people and your gear, then you really have to take everything into account. 

Q: How does Stone Glacier ensure the quality of its tents for consumers? 

Racicot: For the majority of our products, I do the patterning, I do the sewing, and then I take it out and test it. Then I come back and tear it apart and resew it, and then go out and do the same thing again. It really speeds up the whole process when you&#;re not sending it to a factory every time. The person who is designing the tents is also testing the tents, so we can go through a sample very, very rapidly and very thoroughly. Even though we were working with another designer, the process for our tents was the same. I could still take it apart and put it back together while we were going back and forth. This really speeds up how quickly we can bring products to market and how quickly we can actually field test and verify the design, materials, and sewing features are going to hold up.

Q: What do you think gets overlooked in the outdoor industry?

Racicot: I would say one of the things that gets overlooked is customer feedback, and customer service. With social media, people can get an opinion out there as soon as something comes into their mind, and it&#;s published before they&#;ve even really thought about it sometimes. But there is also a lot of good feedback in the social media realm. It can be time consuming to dig it out, to search out those people and get more information. But we&#;ve found it&#;s important to sit back and be open minded and humble about our designs, to be able to hear critiques and converse with those people to see what their feelings are and consider whether we should improve a product or change something.

Stone Glacier makes rugged four-season tents. Stone Glacier

One of the big reasons this can be overlooked is that it&#;s a lot of work for a designer. If I was a wholesaler and I sold a product that somebody didn&#;t like, I just wouldn&#;t carry it anymore. I wouldn&#;t take it personally. It&#;s hard from a designer&#;s standpoint, to spend a lot of time to make something and really think you have it done, and then to hear that it&#;s not that great or that there&#;s something wrong with it. Maybe you see where they&#;re coming from, maybe you gather more information and see if there&#;s a better way to do things, such as better educate the customer.

Q: What is your most popular tent?

Racicot: So our most popular tent is our two-person Skyscraper. It&#;s also our most versatile tent, with a minimum trail weight of four pounds, three ounces&#;that&#;s under two and a half pounds per person for a four-season sleep system. 

Q: What is your personal favorite tent?

Racicot: My personal favorite is actually one we are coming out with this fall, the Solus. It&#;s a one-person, freestanding, four-season tent that will fit someone up to six foot four, very much along the lines of our Skyscraper two-person tent. Last fall, I probably had thirty-seven nights in it. 

Kifaru

Kifaru is based in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, and many of their products are 100 percent made in the U.S.A.&#;from the buckles to the nylon. In addition to making tents, they make day packs and some of the best backpacks, which are used by the military, hunters, and backpackers. I talked with Kifaru&#;s president, Aron Snyder, to learn more about their teepees and shelters.

Q: How did Kifaru first get into making tents?

Snyder: So the original owner of Kifaru was Patrick Smith, and he was also the original founder of Mountainsmith. That was in I think, and he actually pioneered floorless heated tents. He was building ultralight backpackable stoves at the time, and then had to figure out how to put those in a shelter. So that was originally how we got into tents. Patrick wasn&#;t too focused on the market, more of &#;this is what I need, and want&#; and then the market figured out they needed it shortly after that. Because it had never really been done before. He actually took the idea from Native Americans, from teepees. It was basically an ultra-lightweight teepee tent, but the material we use is military-grade, high tenacity silnylon. And he put his stove in it, because he wanted to be able to dry off while backpacking, and then the market kind of carried on from there.

Q: How do you approach designing a new tent? 

Snyder: Our approach today is kind of the same as Patrick&#;s was in the beginning. He took me on over a decade ago as kind of his adopted son&#;he liked me because I was in the field a couple hundred nights a year. So today we still design things based on what we need, or what we perceive others to need. We go out and hunt and backpack and fish all over the world, so our product design is hands-on: what we feel is going to make us better and more efficient while we&#;re out there. Unlike other designers, I&#;m not smart enough to design from the office, so it has to be off of what I am experiencing in the wilderness. 

Snyder spends hundreds of nights in a tent each year. Kifaru

We sometimes build tents for ourselves out in the field, or sometimes I&#;ll get on a satellite and call my chief designer to explain what I need. Maybe we&#;ll be in Colorado at 13,000 feet, and I&#;ll film a weak point on what we have or something we need to change. He&#;ll literally draw it up and send me a photo of it, to see if that&#;s what I&#;m talking about. Then he&#;ll build it and have it ready for me by the time I come off the mountain to go test again.

Kifaru is known for their heated shelters. Aron Snyder

Q: How does Kifaru ensure the quality of their tents for consumers? 

Snyder: The first step is that we test our raw material as soon as it comes in by cutting a yard section, filling that up with water, and hanging it up like a sleeping bag. If we leave it up for two weeks, then it&#;s obviously done great. The next step is an abrasion resistance test, right after we do the waterproofing, just to make sure that it meets our tenacity test standards. Once a tent is sewn together, we take one out of every ten and set it up for a wind test. We use not only a giant fan and a wind tunnel, but we also go out and set it up in a very windy area here in Colorado. A wind tunnel death can be very aggressive, but it&#;s still not the same as microburst wind, for example. And we obviously QC all the stitching, every tie-out point, every guyline, everything, by eye. 

Q: What do you think gets overlooked in the outdoor industry?

Snyder: Having the user and the designer work hand in hand as much as they should. I see a lot of things being designed by people that maybe don&#;t have the practical experience, and I see a lot of people in the field that have the practical experience, but don&#;t have the design experience. There&#;s always a kind of hitch in the giddyup between the two, when that hand-in-hand close relationship between the designer in the field and the designer in the office is lacking. My chief designer is college educated, very good in the office, and good in the field, but not quite the level of experience that I have. But I don&#;t have a degree in engineering, so I need to have a very good relationship with the guy in the office who is making it, so that he trusts me and he can build what I need and understand it. And so that I understand the feedback he&#;s giving me. 

Q: What is your most popular tent?

Snyder: The Sawtooth is our biggest seller. 

Q: What is your personal favorite tent?

Snyder: The Supertarp would be the one I use the most.

About Hilleberg

Hilleberg is based out of Frösön, Sweden, which is a similar latitude to Nome, Alaska, and has been building tents to withstand the toughest conditions on earth for over fifty years. Unlike other brands, Hilleberg only produces tents, and plans to keep doing just that for many years. I talked to Petra Hilleberg, CEO and daughter of founders Bo and Renate Hilleberg, about the brand&#;s history and ongoing commitment to quality and durability. 

Q: How did Hilleberg first get into making tents?

Petra Hilleberg on a winter backpacking trip. Hilleberg

Hilleberg: My dad was outdoors a lot, working as a forester in Sweden, and he was a climber and backpacker and ski mountaineer and hunter. And he wasn&#;t really happy with any of the tents that were on the market. So he would make drawings, and my mom, who he met on a ski trip in Austria, figured out how to sew. She would not only build the prototypes, but she also set up a whole factory in Sweden to make them. She&#;s amazing. The whole idea was always to make tents that we and our best friends could use and rely on in any weather, any climate. 

Tents back then were not what my dad wanted. He wanted a tent that went up all together, inner and outer tent, and we were the first to make that. He did all kinds of experimentation, including one that had a foam layer in between. But it got wet and he had to basically make a burrito out of the whole thing and sleep through that for the night. Then in the late seventies, early eighties, our first tunnel tent came out: the Keron, which is still picked for expeditions, including to the North and South Poles, even though it obviously looks different now than it did then. In the early nineties, we came out with the first one-person tent, the Akto. Back then, there was no one-person tent on the market, and people thought it was a strange concept. So that one had the most prototypes, fourteen or fifteen, before they were happy with it. That&#;s always been our philosophy: to make products that we stand behind completely ourselves and that we know have the highest quality. The goal was never to be a big company. It was always just to make sure that we do exactly what we want and that we know we can keep control of.

Q: How do you approach designing a new tent?

Hilleberg tests their tents in extreme wind.

Hilleberg: We still work the same way. My mom stopped doing the prototyping about ten years ago, but Dad still heads up product development. Our problem is that we have so many different models; we always think that we&#;re going to remove one, but they all have their place in the line. So to design a new tent we first look both at what we have and what the need is. Then we just do a simple drawing before beginning to test. Everything we do is very physical. We use pole dummies to get an idea of the dimensions and spend a lot of time testing materials&#; strengths and functions. The tear strength for most tents on the market is maybe two kilos. Our lightest fabric, our Yellow Label fabric, has eight kilos. Our Black Label fabric has eighteen kilos. You don&#;t need that for everyday use, but if you were to step on it with a crampon, or hit it with a broadhead, the fabric is not going to keep ripping. 

The next step is to sew it and start testing the tent in our wind machine, and out in the mountains. We have a philosophy that every tent, including the big group tents, should be able to be set up by one person in the dark, wearing gloves, in a storm. So whereas some companies turn on their wind machines after the tent is set up and bolted to a cement floor, we first turn on our wind machine, which is basically a remade snow cannon, and then go in front of it to start setting up the tent. Because it doesn&#;t matter how strong the tent is, if you can&#;t set it up by yourself when conditions are really bad. That&#;s why our tents are not as light as others on the market, because we always have the function first. You might not need that if you go out for one or two nights, but if you&#;re out for weeks on end, like hunters are, where there&#;s so much money and time that goes into planning and preparing, the tents should not be something you have to think about. Our development process takes about two years because we want to make sure that all the details are right. 

Q: How does Hilleberg ensure the quality of its tents for consumers?

Fabrieksbezoek Hilleberg t.b.v. Op Pad Hilleberg

Hilleberg: There are multiple layers. First, we do hard tests with shorter spurts of really hard wind and rain using the wind machine. Next, we do long-term testing where the tent sits for hours and hours and hours with water and wind on it. Then we look at wear points, as well as guyline and peg placements. We recently scrapped one model after wind machine testing&#;it just was not stable enough. Then, within a few iterations, our staff will start taking a tent out for field testing in northern Sweden, in all kinds of weather. The product team will also spend a day setting up and taking down a tent, maybe six or seven times, going very short distances in between. For material testing, we work with friends or colleagues who are walking the Swedish mountain chain, called The White and Green Ribbon, which takes a couple of months. So someone will have a tent with two different kinds of floors, or two different materials in the floors, or two different panels of inner tent material. 

Finally, there is our very own factory in Estonia, which we moved to twenty-five years ago and built up from the ground. Our manager and a lot of the seamstresses are still the same people that started twenty-five years ago. Each tent, each inner tent, and each outer tent, is made by one person, and they put their name tags in there, so there&#;s a lot of pride and responsibility for the people that make them. Then each tent is set up on a quality control table, with the poles that they will go out with and the guylines tied on, and checked by a quality control inspector. 

People always ask us why we only make tents and it&#;s because as long as we have things that we want to develop and do with tents, then that&#;s what we&#;re focusing on. We don&#;t want to expand just for the sake of expansion. This is what we live and breathe and have for fifty years. 

Q: What do you think gets overlooked in the outdoor industry?

Hilleberg: Well we don&#;t look a lot at what other people are doing. There&#;s a lot of focus on following fads or trends or the latest thing. If someone is going to be into ultralight then everyone is going to be ultralight, without looking at function. And the gear is often so bad. It works if you&#;re going on a really short trip, but it&#;s dangerous for some people. I also think it sets a bad precedent now with so many more people going outdoors&#;If you start doing something super ultralight, chances are you&#;re never going to do it again because you are so miserable. We&#;ve always talked about smart packing instead of ultralight packing: bring what you need, bring the things that make you happy, but don&#;t bring too much. The industry is also looking at sustainability, which is very important right now. But the most sustainable thing that you can do is make a tent that the customer never has to throw away. So we put the most sustainable and green, clean materials that we can into our processes and into our tents, but never in any way that compromises the overall quality and function of the tent. So I think that is one thing. 

This is not as true for hunting, but backpacking and climbing magazines tend to only look at and talk about new things. It&#;s really, really unfortunate because just because it&#;s new doesn&#;t mean that it&#;s good. Very likely, it&#;s the opposite. If something has been on the market since , there&#;s a reason it&#;s still there, but it will never be tested and reviewed in magazines because it&#;s not sexy. 

Q: What&#;s your most popular tent?

If there is an expedition that is going to the South Pole for two months, I&#;ll recommend a Keron 4 GT or Keron 4. But if I have a family that is just starting out, and they want something that is comfortable and easy to use and will keep them safe, then I will recommend the same tent. But it so depends on what you need and what you want. In the one-person category, the lightweight Akto is really popular, as is the Soulo, which is roomier and more burly. The completely freestanding Allak 2 and 3 is roomy and light. The Helags is a snow-free version of the Keron, but its little brothers, the Anjan or the Nallo are popular because they are lighter. It just so depends! 

Q: What&#;s your favorite tent, personally?

I can&#;t, this is like picking between my children! 

FAQs

Q: What are the best tent brands?

Beyond Big Agnes, NEMO Equipment, Big Agnes, Stone Glacier, and Kifaru, there are a number of excellent and innovative tent manufacturers, including Hilleburg, TarpTent, Zpacks, and Mountain Laurel Designs. We&#;ll be continuing this series of conversations with those brands in the coming months. 

Q: What makes a tent brand exceptional?

The best tent brands are dedicated to pushing the limits of what a tent can accomplish through exceptional engineering, state-of-the-art materials, and unparalleled understanding of the conditions that outdoorsmen and women can expect to face year-round.

Q: Are the best tent brands worth it? 

The best tent brands tend to be significantly more expensive than budget brands&#;sometimes as much as six times the price. For the most intrepid outdoorsmen and women, the value of these tents is clear: if you are asking a couple of ounces of nylon and a few aluminum poles to protect you from the worst of Mother Nature, you need some of the best creative engineering the outdoor industry has to offer. If you are just getting started in the outdoors, these tents will provide the peace of mind you need to sleep soundly through the night. 

Final Thoughts

Over the last two decades, the engineers, designers, and creative minds behind some of the best tent brands have pushed the industry to places never imagined. And from talking to the next generation of leaders it&#;s clear that they&#;ll be looking to build on these innovations, with products that are lighter and stronger, designed for use in an ever wider range of environments and applications, in the coming years.

Changyuan are exported all over the world and different industries with quality first. Our belief is to provide our customers with more and better high value-added products. Let's create a better future together.

Spacious, user-friendly, and feature-rich camping tents are made to facilitate a relatively luxurious experience in the outdoors. Many of these behemoths offer enough room to set up cots or even chairs and a table for card games on a rainy day. For car campers who take a couple trips each year during the summer months, even the cheapest tents on this list will get the job done. For tougher conditions or more frequent use, it's worth spending up for better materials and interior space. For going on a decade, the Switchback Travel team has been camping all over the country to bring you the latest and greatest options, and below we break down our 19 favorites for . For more background information, see our comparison table and buying advice below the picks.

Editor&#;s note: We updated this guide on May 24, , to swap the six-person Cabela's Alaskan Guide (currently out of stock) to the larger eight-person capacity. We also scanned the guide to ensure all prices, colorways, and product write-ups are current at the time of publishing.
 

Our Team's Camping Tent Picks

Best Overall Camping Tent

Floor area: 86.1 sq. ft.
Peak height: 76 in.
Capacities: 4P, 6P
Weight: 20 lb. 15 oz.
What we like: Open interior and massive vestibule at a good value.
What we don&#;t: Time-consuming to set up, partial-coverage rainfly, and mesh door is draft-prone.

The North Face can be hit or miss in the camping market, but they have a winner in their Wawona collection. Updated fairly recently, the biggest shift was to a hybrid double-wall construction (the prior generation used a less breathable single-wall build), and they also retooled the pole structure to make setup easier. Offered in four- and six-person capacities, the tunnel-like design is reminiscent of REI&#;s Wonderland 6 below and provides a generous amount of interior space, including around 3 more square feet of floor area for $50 less. And we love the massive front vestibule (44.7 sq. ft.) that easily doubles as a seating area&#;to achieve the same versatility with the Wonderland, you&#;ll have to purchase the Mud Room add-on ($125) separately. Added up, the Wawona is an impressively livable design and an excellent all-around value. 

That said, despite the updated pole structure, we still found the Wawona to be considerably time-consuming and tedious to set up. The vestibule, in particular, must be guyed out tightly to stay upright, and the unique pole structure took some time to get taut and secure. The upside is that the hybrid double-wall design vents considerably better than a single-wall tent, and it&#;s also less prone to collecting moisture in humid or rainy weather. Final nitpicks include the rainfly, which doesn&#;t cover the lower portion of the tent (this section is still waterproof), and the all-mesh door can be a source of heat loss and drafts in the cold. But no tent is perfect, and the Wawona&#;s mesh-heavy build, expansive interior, and reasonable cost earn it our top billing for . It&#;s also sold in a smaller four-person capacity ($400) if you don't need as much space. 
See The North Face Wawona 6
 

The Wawona is highly livable and comes with a massive vestibule for gear storage and hanging out | Credit: Jason Hummel

A Close Second (With a Simpler Setup Process)

Floor area: 83.3 sq. ft.
Peak height: 77 in.
Capacities: 4P, 6P
Weight: 18 lb. 10 oz.
What we like: Excellent all-around performance, easy to set up, and very well built.
What we don&#;t: Small second door and dome shape sacrifice some headroom along the sides. 

New Hampshire-based Nemo introduced the Aurora collection a few years ago, adding a competitor to crossover options like the Marmot Tungsten and Mountain Hardwear Mineral King below. The latest Highrise variation, however, takes aim at the premium and luxurious end of the market with a standing-height interior, steep sidewalls, and massive footprint that rival the livability of competitors like the top-rated Wawona and REI Wonderland below. As we&#;ve come to expect from Nemo, the Aurora Highrise is thoughtfully built with windows at each side that make it easy to air things out and remain protected from rain when open, two large doors and vestibules, a rainfly that can be staked out as an awning (poles sold separately), and high-quality materials throughout&#;including robust aluminum poles and a thick 150-denier floor that&#;s outfitted with a fun checkered pattern.

We put the Aurora through a summer of testing in the Pacific Northwest and came away thoroughly impressed. The tent is surprisingly fast and intuitive to set up (it took around 5 minutes with two people and can easily be done solo), and all of the components have a very hard-wearing and confidence-inspiring feel. We also love the massive, oval-shaped main door that makes entry and exit a breeze, although we wish the second door shared the same design (it&#;s around half the size). The dome shape also sacrifices some headroom at the sides&#;REI&#;s tunnel-like Wonderland does a better job at maximizing the peak height&#;and you can get more vestibule space for big and bulky items with the Wawona above. But the advantages in usability and build quality are hard to beat, making the Aurora a quick favorite among our staff... Read in-depth review
See the Nemo Aurora Highrise 6P at REI
 

Nemo's Aurora Highrise is a well-built and intuitive design that was quick to impress | Credit: Jason Hummel

Best Budget Camping Tent

Floor area: 85 sq. ft.
Peak height: 72 in.
Capacities: 2P, 4P, 6P, 8P
Weight: 19 lb. 5.4 oz.
What we like: Quick setup and big interior at a budget-friendly price.
What we don&#;t: Only one door and the fiberglass poles aren&#;t very durable.

Coleman is practically synonymous with affordably priced camping gear, so it comes as little surprise that their Skydome 6 slots in as our top budget pick this season. What is surprising to us, however, is how modern this tent looks and feels. In stark contrast to Coleman&#;s fairly dated and cheap-feeling Sundome below, the Skydome is far more weather-worthy with a full-coverage rainfly (most of the sides are exposed on the Sundome fly) and uses pre-bent poles and more vertical walls that open up the interior in a big way. We also love that the poles are pre-attached to make setup a breeze, and the wide door and generously sized vestibule really help boost overall convenience.

Diving deeper into the differences between the two Coleman models, the Skydome boasts 15 fewer square feet of floor area, but the aforementioned pole structure and vertical walls go a long way toward maximizing livability. In terms of value, the Skydome retails for $20 more than the Sundome (you can typically score both tents at a sizable discount on Amazon), but those who get out even just a few weekends each year will likely appreciate the modernized build. It&#;s true that the Skydome has only one door and uses cheaper materials than the more premium options on our list&#;including fiberglass poles that aren&#;t as hardwearing as aluminum&#;but the quick setup and roomy interior are a winning combination. A final budget-friendly design to consider is REI&#;s new Campwell, although the Coleman wins out in spaciousness and ease of use for a considerable $100 less. 
See the Coleman Skydome 6P

 

Best Reliability in Rough Weather

Floor area: 84 sq. ft.
Peak height: 74 in.
Capacities: 4P, 6P
Weight: 20 lb. 11.5 oz.
What we like: Sturdy, weather-worthy structure and ease of use.
What we don&#;t: Pricey and not as tall as the Wonderland or Skyward.

Sitting near the top of REI's camping lineup for is their Base Camp 6, which takes cues from mountaineering designs for a sizable boost in weather-worthiness. The dome shape and overlapping five-pole system mean the walls aren&#;t as vertical as the Wawona's above, but it&#;s still very easy to move around inside, and the reward is far better resistance against strong gusts. And the rest of the design is equally up to snuff with an excellent mix of quality materials and design features, including four roof vents and a low side vent, functional organization, and even reflective detailing to help you see the tent in the dark. It's true that more specialized models like Cabela&#;s Alaskan Guide below are better suited for true four-season conditions, but the Base Camp will get the job done in most inclement three-season weather&#;which is realistically all most campers need.

It&#;s worth noting that the Base Camp is the third-priciest option in REI&#;s camping tent collection (right behind the Wonderland 6 and Wonderland X tents below). It&#;s far and away the most weather-ready option of the bunch, but it uses less mesh than both the Wonderland and Skyward below, which has a notable impact on ventilation. Additionally, despite a similarly sized floor area, the Base Camp feels noticeably less roomy due to the lack of vertical walls. In the end, we&#;d break it down as follows: The Skyward is the value leader and offers plenty of tent for most family campers, the Base Camp is best for those who plan to take their tent into relatively rough and rowdy weather, and the Wonderland is the most luxurious, fully featured option for those looking for the ultimate home-in-the-woods experience... Read in-depth review
See the REI Co-op Base Camp 6
 

Testing the past-generation REI Base Camp 6, which is largely identical to the latest model | Credit: Jason Hummel

Best Crossover Camping/Backpacking Tent

Floor area: 52.7 sq. ft.
Peak height: 53 in.
Capacities: 1P, 2P, 3P, 4P
Weight: 9 lb. 3.8 oz.
What we like: A proven crossover option at a good price.
What we don&#;t: Quite a bit less spacious than a dedicated camping tent (and the new version is even smaller than its predecessor).

Most of the tents on this list are strictly of the car-camping variety, meaning they&#;re heavy enough that you won&#;t be carrying them more than a few steps from your vehicle. However, there are a handful of crossover options that can pull double duty should you want to venture into the backcountry. Marmot&#;s Tungsten 4P is case in point: For car camping, the Tungsten can accommodate multiple sleeping pads side-by-side and has a peak height of 53 inches, which is enough for sitting up, changing, or playing a game of cards. Moreover, the pole design does a nice job of stretching the walls to be nearly vertical at the bottom, giving the interior a relatively open feel. At just over 9 pounds, the Tungsten isn&#;t a featherweight by any means (and we&#;re sad to see that weight jumped by a considerable 12.8 oz. recently), but it's perfectly serviceable for camping and short backpacking trips, especially if you can divvy up the carrying responsibilities.

However, as with nearly all crossover tents, the Marmot Tungsten has its fair share of compromises. For those who strictly car camp, a dedicated camping tent is far superior in terms of livable space and durability: The Tungsten uses thinner materials to cut weight, and Marmot dropped 5.6 square feet off the tent&#;s footprint with their most recent update (floor area went from 58.3 to 52.7 sq. ft.). On the other end of the spectrum, those who are more serious about backpacking may want a lighter and more compressible design like Big Agnes&#; Copper Spur HV UL (the 4P model shaves off around 3.5 lb. and packs down much better than the Tungsten, although it costs a whopping $800). For smaller families or couples, Marmot also makes this tent in two- and three-person versions, which bring the weight down considerably, or a one-person version if your flying solo.
See the Marmot Tungsten 4P

 

Best of the Rest

Floor area: 83.3 sq. ft.
Peak height: 78 in.
Capacities: 4P, 6P
Weight: 22 lb. 15 oz.
What we like: Huge interior, great ventilation, and high-quality fabrics and poles.
What we don&#;t: High price tag, limited weather protection, and no vestibule space.

The North Face&#;s Wawona 6 above hits a better balance of price and roominess, but REI&#;s Wonderland 6 (which replaced the extremely popular Kingdom a couple seasons back) wins out in terms of features. Like the Kingdom, this luxurious tent is highlighted by near-vertical walls, lots of mesh for ventilation and stargazing (including well-placed triangular windows), and a tunnel-like shape that delivers fantastic livability. For families and larger groups, the six-person variation is excellent: There&#;s plenty of room to stand up and spread out, color-coded components to make setup quick and easy, and a center divider allows you to separate sleeping from daytime areas. It&#;s true the Wonderland is expensive at $550, but it&#;s not far off from competitors like the Marmot Limestone ($529) and or MSR Habiscape ($600) below, and being an REI Co-op member ($30 for a lifetime membership) gets you 10% back if you purchase the tent at full price.

What did REI change when replacing the Kingdom with the Wonderland? Despite an identical floor area and peak height, the Wonderland now features narrow awnings above each door that offer little in the way of protection. REI does sell a separate Mud Room attachment for $125 to cover the entryway and increase storage space, but it tacks on another 100 inches to the tent&#;s already-substantial footprint. The scalloped rainfly also leaves a good portion of the sides exposed to moisture, although REI did drop the top roof vents, which were a source of vulnerability on the Kingdom. Finally, the Wonderland has a less functional storage layout and trades the handy backpack-style stuff sack for a smaller and more basic design. But the standout livability and high-quality construction remain, making the Wonderland very appealing for families and large groups. For those camping in the sunniest of climes, REI also sells the Wonderland 6 Titanium for an extra $100, which features a UV-enhanced rainfly... Read in-depth review
See the REI Co-op Wonderland 6

 

Floor area: 86.9 sq. ft.
Peak height: 76 in.
Capacities: 2P, 4P, 6P
Weight: 17 lb. 3 oz.
What we like: A great price for a nice overall design.
What we don&#;t: Materials are a step down from the pricier tents on this list.

Many of the tents on this list cost well over $300, but budget-oriented Kelty always seems to do a nice job at mixing quality and value. Their Wireless is case in point: It&#;s relatively affordable at $280 for the six-person version but includes a number of upgrades compared to cheaper tents like the Coleman Skydome above and Sundome below. Namely, you get two doors and two vestibules (both Colemans only have one), along with a full-coverage rainfly for wet and windy conditions (the Sundome&#;s covers just the top). Kelty also uses more mesh in the construction, making it easier to keep cool in the summer heat. Throw in a decently roomy interior with a center ridgepole that stretches the walls up and away (again, both Colemans lack this), and you have one heckuva value.

What do you sacrifice with the Kelty Wireless? First, the floor material and mesh are thinner than the more expensive options on this list. This does help keep weight reasonable, but it means that the tent will be less durable over time. Second, the fiberglass poles won&#;t hold up as well as aluminum in rough weather. Finally, the Wireless is a very popular budget option, and you may have a hard time getting your hands on one&#;we&#;ve seen the tent go in and out of stock several times over the past year, although it&#;s widely available at the time of publishing. These issues aside, the Wireless is a great camping tent for those who don&#;t want to break the bank. And for another good value from Kelty with a similar shape and floor area for a little less weight, see their $240 Tallboy 6.
See the Kelty Wireless 6

 

Floor area: 82.9 sq. ft.
Peak height: 76 in.
Capacities: 4P, 6P
Weight: 17 lb.
What we like: High-quality construction and excellent comfort for summertime trips.
What we don&#;t: Good but not great in any particular category.

The livability of the TNF Wawona and REI Wonderland above are tough to beat, but Marmot offers another quality setup in the Limestone. This camping tent includes ample sleeping space for six (or four if you like to spread out), is easy to pitch, and is reasonably waterproof thanks to a full-coverage rainfly and taut DAC pole design. And in addition to its tall 76-inch peak height (the exact same peak height as the Wawona and just two inches shorter than the Wonderland), the Marmot&#;s poles also effectively stretch the walls outwards to create an even roomier-feeling interior. It&#;s true that the Limestone is on the pricier end at $529, but it&#;s a little cheaper than the Wonderland and lighter-weight and more packable, too.

For those who camp only on warm summer days, the Limestone is ideal: Its mesh-heavy design, vents, and near-vertical walls make it comfortable even with the fly on. That said, it can't match the burlier pole layout of the Aurora above, and the upright shape is susceptible to bowing in moderate gusts (the Aurora is more dome-like by comparison). Marmot&#;s own Halo is a more weather-ready option with a beefed-up pole structure and less mesh in the tent body, although it&#;s a substantial $150 pricier (for the 6P version) and makes sacrifices in weight and ventilation. In the end, the Limestone doesn't stand out in any particular category&#;price, interior space, or weather protection&#;but it's a solid all-rounder from a well-respected brand.
See the Marmot Limestone 6P

 

Floor area: 42.5 sq. ft.
Peak height: 48 in.
Capacities: 2P, 3P
Weight: 7 lb. 1.2 oz.
What we like: A viable crossover option that&#;s lighter and cheaper than the Tungsten above.
What we don&#;t: We'd love to see a four-person version offered.

Mountain Hardwear typically focuses their efforts at the technical end of the spectrum&#;their four-season Trango is a common sight at high-altitude basecamps around the world&#;but their camping tent lineup is gaining similar traction among the less extreme outdoors crowd. We especially like their Mineral King 3, which goes head-to-head with Marmot&#;s Tungsten above as a viable crossover camping and backpacking option. Comparing the three-person models (Mountain Hardwear unfortunately doesn&#;t offer a 4P version), the Mineral King is around $75 pricier than the Marmot but offers a nice boost in livability with a 1.9-inch-taller peak height and an additional 1.6 square feet of floor area. The details are equally well sorted, including hardwearing and pre-bent DAC poles, plenty of mesh for stargazing, a full-coverage rainfly, two large doors and vestibules, and five pockets lining the interior&#;all for just over 7 pounds.

As we touched on above, there are some inherent downsides to using one tent for both car camping and backpacking. For starters, the three-person Mineral King is the smallest option on our list and far less comfortable to spend time in than most options here, including the 52.7-square-foot Marmot Tungsten 4P above. The materials are also on the thinner end, and for trips into the backcountry, you can go much lighter with a targeted backpacking option like the aforementioned Big Agnes Copper Spur (alternatively, smaller groups can save with the $325 Mineral King 2, which clocks in at 5 lb. 13.4 oz.). But for couples and small groups, the three-person model offers a really effective balance of livability, durability, and weight&#;especially if you only get into the backcountry occasionally.
See the Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3

 

Floor area: 83 sq. ft.
Peak height: 78 in.
Capacity: 4P, 6P
Weight: 15 lb. 7 oz.
What we like: Very roomy interior at a good weight and price; sets up fast.
What we don&#;t: Only one door, limited vestibule storage, and lacks a full-coverage rainfly.

REI&#;s Skyward was a new addition to their camping tent collection for and replaced the popular Grand Hut, which previously held the top spot in our rankings. Importantly, they took some key cues from the Grand Hut&#;s design, including a standing-height interior with a peak height of 78 inches, reasonably low weight, near-vertical walls that maximize roominess, and an easy-to-pitch freestanding design. Floor area and durability also stack up competitively, with the same thick materials along the floor (150D) and fly (75D) and a massive 83-square-foot footprint (the Grand Hut 6 was 83.3 sq. ft.). Taken together, it&#;s another well-made and highly livable option from our favorite outdoor co-op.

What are the downsides with REI&#;s new Skyward 6? While we like the large awning for hanging out on sunny days (it can also be rolled up partway in mild conditions), it doesn&#;t provide much vestibule space when zipped shut. For reference, the Grand Hut had two vestibules that totaled 38 square feet, while the Skyward&#;s single vestibule provides just 19.5 square feet of covered storage. The Skyward also only has one door, which is pretty big but makes it far less convenient for multiple campers to enter and exit. Final drawbacks include poor wind resistance due to the tall and upright shape and a small stuff sack that requires diligent packing to accommodate all of the components. These complaints are enough to push the Skyward to a mid-pack finish, but it&#;s nevertheless another spacious and well-built design from REI (and a solid value at 30% off at the time of publishing)... Read in-depth review
See the REI Co-op Skyward 6

 

Floor area: 61 sq. ft.
Peak height: 78 in.
Capacities: 3P, 4P, 8P
Weight: 30 lb.
What we like: Setup takes seconds; pretty roomy for the capacity.
What we don&#;t: Very heavy and bulky; doors are awkwardly positioned and make it harder to get in and out. 

Popular among the overlanding community, Gazelle&#;s pop-up Hub tents offer the ultimate in convenience for those looking to minimize setup time. With the poles pre-attached to the tent body, it&#;s as easy as removing the tent from its bag and pulling the sides into place, which is a stark contrast to complex designs like the Wawona above and Snow Peak Alpha Breeze below. The rest of the design is equally up to snuff with six large mesh windows for ventilation, functional storage (including a removable gear loft), quality YKK zippers, and thick materials that stand up well to long-term use. 

While undeniably appealing from a convenience standpoint, the Gazelle T4 Hub does have a few noteworthy shortcomings. First is the lack of weather protection: The rainfly offers very limited coverage (plus no vestibule space), and the tent&#;s upright shape makes it prone to bowing in blustery weather. You do get taped seams and the ability to zip the windows shut in inclement weather, but it&#;s still a noticeable step down from many of the options above. And we&#;re not big fans of the triangular doors, which are positioned at the corners and result in an awkward lip that&#;s easy to trip over. Finally, like most pop-up designs, the T4 is decidedly bulky and will take up a sizable chunk of space in your vehicle. But we certainly understand wanting to cut down on setup time, and the T4 excels at that with a solid reputation to boot. For another quick-pitch option, the popular Caddis Rapid 6 is both cheaper and bigger but falls short in overall build quality.
See the Gazelle T4 Hub

 

Floor area: 100 sq .ft.
Peak height: 78 in.
Capacities: 6P, 8P
Weight: 75 lb.
What we like: Canvas build is highly weather-resistant, ultra tough, and looks good to boot.
What we don&#;t: Expensive, extremely heavy, and overkill for most casual campers.

Classic canvas tents are making a bit of a comeback, and Utah-based Springbar has been a major name in the space for decades. Compared to the nylon and mesh designs above and below, canvas is known for being both super long-lasting and reliable in inclement weather: The Highline can withstand heavy winds (the steel frame helps), serious precipitation, and rough handling. Further, it does a good job of both trapping warmth when it&#;s cold and breathing when it&#;s warm. Canvas tents are also extremely livable: The Springbar&#;s unique pole design, 100-square-foot footprint, and tall peak height (78 in.) make it feel almost more like a small cabin than a camping tent (some offerings from Springbar are even wood stove-compatible).

There are, however, a few notable downsides to canvas. First and foremost, this six-person tent weighs a whopping 75 pounds and takes up a ton of space in your car, so you&#;ll want to make sure you can park close to your campsite (and have enough space to store it at home). Compared to more traditional designs, canvas models also include a lot more&#;and heavier&#;parts, which translates to a longer and more involved setup process (advantages are excellent stability and wind resistance). Given these drawbacks, the Springbar certainly isn&#;t for everyone. But considering its roomy interior and weather-ready design, it&#;s an intriguing option for families, big groups, and basecampers spending considerable time in one place.
See the Springbar Highline 6

 

Floor area: 77.4 sq. ft.
Peak height: 73 in.
Capacity: 4P
Weight: 24 lb. 3.2 oz
What we like: Well built, very tough, and boasts four doors for easy access from all sides.
What we don&#;t: Heavy and expensive for the capacity, slanted rear eats into usable space, and fairly involved to set up.

Japan-based Snow Peak is making a big push in the U.S. market with a clear focus on minimalist designs that look good and perform well. Their Alpha Breeze tent is a nice reflection of the brand&#;s innovative approach: In contrast to the more traditional models above, the Snow Peak has a unique A-frame-inspired shape that does a great job at maximizing livability and headroom at the front and middle of the tent. For reference, at 77.4 square feet, it&#;s one of the largest four-person tents on the market (it's possible to squeeze a fifth in there if needed, especially a child), and the 73-inch peak height rivals many of the six-person designs here. Other notable features include an extendable vestibule that converts into an awning and four doors for convenient access from all sides. Finally, build quality is top-notch, including a UV-resistant finish on the rainfly and ultra-thick (300D) floor that eliminates the need for a footprint.

However, while we love the generous dimensions and clear attention to detail, the Snow Peak Alpha Breeze falls short in a few areas. In addition to being heavier and pricier than most options here (while also smaller), the tent&#;s slanted rear detracts considerably from usable space. Setup is also fairly involved given the unique pole structure, although many will find this to be a worthwhile trade-off for the convertible vestibule and all-around solid structure. In the end, the Alpha Breeze isn&#;t the most convenient or livable option here, but the combination of build quality, toughness, and sleek looks nevertheless stands out in the market. 
See the Snow Peak Alpha Breeze

 

Floor area: 70.5 sq. ft.
Peak height: 75 in.
Capacity: 4P
Weight: 35 lb. 1 oz.
What we like: All the benefits of the Wonderland above with seemingly endless customization for basecamping.
What we don&#;t: Overkill for most.

REI&#;s Wonderland above stands out for its very livable and well-ventilated interior, and the Wonderland X takes that design to the next level with customizable spaces for sleeping, cooking, and socializing. It&#;s essentially two tents in one: The rainfly can be pitched on its own as a shade structure or camp kitchen, while the clip-in inner tent offers space for up to four adults to sleep comfortably. And REI clearly put a lot of thought into the palatial build, including two oversized doors (they're big enough that you can back a standard wagon or SUV underneath) and four side panels along the fly that can be rolled up for extra airflow or staked out as awnings (poles sold separately). As expected, storage also abounds with ample pockets for stashing the essentials, and the tent is reasonably weather-ready with a silicone-treated DWR finish and coatings along the fly to fend off mildew and fading from UV rays. Taken together, the Wonderland X is the epitome of glamping and leaves little to be desired for avid car campers.

However, if it isn&#;t abundantly clear from the $1,249 price tag, the Wonderland X is decidedly overkill for most. Like the standard Wonderland tent above, the Wonderland X is unapologetically large, and you&#;ll need a big campsite to accommodate the massive footprint (the four-person inner tent measures 100 x 100 in., and the vestibule adds another 38.3 sq. ft.). It&#;s also heavy at just over 35 pounds and bulky when packed down, although the duffel-style carrying bag makes it easy to divvy things up with separate stuff sacks for the rainfly, inner tent, and smaller components like poles and stakes. Finally, given the complexity of the structure, it can take some time and finesse to set up, although most of the pieces are color-coded to help streamline the process. If you can justify the price, the Wonderland X stands out as one of the most uncompromised and customizable options on the market, making it a great pick for larger groups planning to basecamp for extended periods.
See the REI Co-op Wonderland X

 

Floor area: 83 sq. ft.
Peak height: 77 in.
Capacities: 4P, 6P
Weight: 14 lb. 6 oz.
What we like: Great livability and storage; faster to set up than the Wonderland.
What we don&#;t: The REI Wonderland has better livability and the MSR Habitude is more weather-worthy.

MSR is best known for their premium backpacking and four-season tents, but their Habiscape takes aim at premium camping options like the REI Wonderland and Marmot Limestone above. Similar to those tents, the MSR is a great pick for families thanks to a standing-height interior, generous floor space, and full feature set. Compared to the tunnel-like Wonderland, the MSR is much quicker and easier to set up thanks to its symmetrical design and intuitive pole layout, and storage abounds with 10 pockets that are well distributed for divvying things up (the stuff sack also transforms into an additional hanging pocket). Unlike the REI and Marmot tents, the Habiscape also features a convertible rainfly that can be rolled back out of the way, secured to one side for partial protection, or used as a shade structure with MSR&#;s 8-foot Adjustable Poles (sold separately). This tent is slightly less durable and expansive than the Wonderland (plus $50 pricier), but the fast setup and well-appointed build make for a competitive alternative.

We previously had MSR&#;s own Habitude 6 ranked here, which is the Habiscape&#;s predecessor and bears a very strong resemblance to the newer model. In parsing out the differences, the Habitude was slightly sturdier and more wind-resistant with a stronger pole structure and thicker canopy fabric (68D vs. 40D for the Habiscape) but cost $100 more, only came with one door (the Habiscape has two), and had a more streamlined storage layout. Both designs come with a full-coverage rainfly&#;something the Wonderland lacks&#;and polyurethane coatings along the floor and fly for added assurance in inclement weather, which should be ample for most campers. All in all, both are excellent options for families, and a final decision will come down to how you prioritize price, weather protection, and features. For those who want even more exterior storage, MSR&#;s latest Habiscape Lounge features a larger (36 sq. ft.) customizable vestibule similar to the TNF Wawona above.
See the MSR Habiscape 6

 

Floor area: Unavailable
Peak height: 79 in.
Capacities: 4P, 8P
Weight: 41 lb. 8 oz.
What we like: A very strong, weather-worthy design for year-round use.
What we don&#;t: Heavy and overkill for most campers; not the most space-efficient design.

For camping in rough weather, Cabela&#;s Alaskan Guide Model is a proven winner. With a strong seven-pole hexagonal design, a full-coverage rainfly, thick polyurethane floor and fly coatings, and tough fabrics, the tent is capable of handling brutal wind, rain, and even snow. Importantly, it&#;s also comfortable in mild temperatures and rich in features. Mesh vents and windows can be opened to encourage airflow, the front vestibule is generously sized, and you get enough pockets along the interior to keep gear organized. The Wawona above has better organization and more mesh for warm weather, but the Alaskan Guide is the better option for hunkering down in a storm.

What are the downsides of Cabela&#;s Alaskan Guide tent? First, its hexagonal floor design doesn&#;t use space as efficiently as many models here, including the tunnel-like Wawona and REI's Wonderland above (the single door doesn't help). Further, at this price point, we&#;d prefer to see it offered with aluminum poles rather than fiberglass. The tent&#;s burly construction should limit durability issues, but fiberglass is more prone to breaking under stress than aluminum (it&#;s worth noting that Cabela&#;s does also sell replacement poles if you need them). The Alaskan Guide also is very heavy at 41 pounds 8 ounces for the eight-person capacity, but it&#;s a reasonable trade-off if you need a weather-worthy build for four-season group camping adventures. Note: We previously had the smaller and lighter six-person model listed here, which is currently out of stock. For those who don&#;t need the added space of the eight-person version, Cabela&#;s Instinct Alaskan Guide 6-Person is pricier at $750 but offers improvements in strength, weight, and interior space.
See the Cabela's Alaskan Guide Model 8P

 

Floor area: 112 sq. ft.
Peak height: 74 in.
Capacities: 6P, 8P
Weight: 25 lb.
What we like: Spacious interior at a great price.
What we don&#;t: Weather protection and build quality come up short.

Many budget-oriented tents compromise in interior livability, but that&#;s certainly not the case with Coleman&#;s Montana 8P. This model stretches a substantial 16 feet in length, has a tall 74-inch peak height (the side rooms are shorter), and includes near-vertical walls that maximize the usable space. A single side door is placed right in the center, which does limit ease of entry and exit, but the sheer size of this thing makes it a nice match for groups of four to six people.

Who should buy the Montana 8P? Families that get out a couple times a year in fair weather are the best candidates. The tent is surprisingly sturdy in the wind thanks to a number of included guylines for anchoring it down, but its minimalist rainfly and cheaper build are vulnerable to letting in rain (particularly when it&#;s coming at the tent sideways). In addition, you miss out on a vestibule&#;the front &#;porch&#; provides some coverage but doesn&#;t hide your gear and isn&#;t expansive enough to rely on in a storm. In the end, as long as you set reasonable expectations&#;you can often pick this tent up for less than $200&#;the Montana 8P provides a very enticing mix of roominess and price. 
See the Coleman Montana 8P

 

Floor area: 83 sq. ft.
Peak height: 76 in.
Capacities: 4P, 6P
Weight: 17 lb. 4.8 oz.
What we like: Good protection, durable build, and well-executed venting system.
What we don&#;t: Pricier than the Skyward above and less roomy than many other 6P tents.

New York-based Eureka has been in the outdoor gear game for over a century (including wagon covers for horse-drawn carriages in the late s). From their current lineup, we like the Space Camp 6, which combines a livable interior with reliable weather protection and durability. Storage and ventilation are two other hallmarks, including 10 total pockets and Eureka&#;s Air Exchange System that allows you to tweak airflow at the top and bottom of the tent depending on conditions. The Space Camp does cost a little more than REI&#;s similarly built Skyward 6 above while falling a little short in both peak height and overall build quality, but it&#;s a decent value for what you get.

It's worth noting that we had Eureka&#;s Copper Canyon LX 6 ranked here previously, which undercuts the Space Camp in price ($330 for the 6P model) and boasts more generous dimensions, including a 100-square-foot interior and taller 84-inch peak height. However, the Space Camp wins out in weather-worthiness with a full-coverage rainfly (the Copper Canyon&#;s only covers the mesh roof) and lower-profile design that&#;s more stable in blustery conditions. You also get an additional door with the Space Camp, which we appreciate for maximizing convenience. Both models offer a nice balance of price and quality, and a final decision will come down to how you prioritize outright spaciousness (the Copper Canyon wins out) versus protection and reliability (the Space Camp gets the nod). Note: Eureka's parent company recently announced they will stop selling Eureka products by the end of the year. While that's a loss to the camping industry, it also means it's a good time to keep an eye out for steep discounts.
See the Eureka Space Camp 6

 

Floor area: 100 sq. ft.
Peak height: 72 in.
Capacities: 2P, 3P, 4P, 6P
Weight: 16 lb. 10 oz.
What we like: Bargain-basement price.
What we don&#;t: Questionable build quality and limited rainfly coverage.

Realistically, a healthy number of people only go camping once or twice a summer in good conditions and don&#;t need all the bells and whistles of the tents above. If this sounds like you, it&#;s worth giving some consideration to Coleman&#;s Sundome 6, which isn&#;t made from the fanciest fabrics but likely will got the job done. The main draw for many is price, which is a steal compared to some of the fully featured tents on this list that cost three to four times as much.

What do you sacrifice by going with such an inexpensive tent? We've found the materials feel noticeably cheap, including everything from the clips and poles to the tent walls. Additionally, the rainfly covers the main portion of the tent body but leaves part of the sides exposed. This shouldn&#;t be an issue in mild conditions, but we do prefer full coverage&#;like what you get with Coleman&#;s more modern and better-built Skydome above&#;for even moderate rain and blowing winds. The fact that you can currently pick up the Skydome for a little less on Amazon at the time of publishing pushes the Sundome to the very bottom of our list, but the combination of roominess and price is undeniably appealing for occasional and fair-weather campers on a strict budget... Read in-depth review
See the Coleman Sundome 6

 

Camping Tent Comparison Table

About Our Testing Process

Almost everyone on the Switchback Travel team is well versed in camping&#;after all, it&#;s a relatively approachable (and ideally comfortable) way to spend time outside. Former editor-in-chief John Ellings compiled our initial list of 10 camping tents in , drawing from years of experience camping throughout the Pacific Northwest (and beyond) with his family. Managing editor Sarah Nelson began contributing to the guide in . A former full-time vanlifer who now spends half the year traveling in a truck camper with her partner, Sarah is intimately familiar with creating a home-in-the-woods experience. Contributing editor Nick Mott took over the guide in . In his younger days doing conservation work in the Desert West, Nick spent most of the year in a tent. Now, his experience camping near his home in Montana&#;and all over the country&#;has given him a keen eye for comfort and quality when spending nights outside.

Our current lineup of 19 camping tents reflects our collective experiences at campsites throughout the U.S., as well as feedback from contributors and the online camping community. When we put camping tents to the test, our primary consideration is livability, which includes specifications like dimensions and peak height but also takes into account pole structure and the number of doors. We also evaluate storage (both internal and external), wind and water resistance, overall build quality, and ease of setup. Since the market is constantly evolving, we continue to put new and noteworthy designs to the test, making changes to the list above based on our experiences.
 

Testing camping gear&#;including our top-rated Wawona tent&#;on a team trip in Washington state | Credit: Jason Hummel  

Camping Tent Buying Advice 

Camping Tent Types

The camping tent market generally falls largely into two categories: premium designs that utilize high-end materials and prioritize livability and comfort, and more affordable models that stick to the basics and typically cost less than $250. Below we detail the pros and cons of each type, as well as breaking down additional options like crossover camping/backpacking models and canvas tents.

Premium Camping Tents
Premium camping tents sit at the top of the heap pricewise but have all the trimmings we&#;d expect of a home away from home. To start, options in the mid- and high-end category (usually $350 and up for a six-person model) make the most of their livable space: Near-vertical walls, dividers, and spacious vestibules are a few examples. Liberal use of mesh in the tent body ventilates well in warm or muggy weather, and built-in vents in the rainfly help keep moisture from collecting inside. In addition, most of these tents can withstand the elements far better than budget options. Nearly all premium models have a full-coverage rainfly (or at least the option) and strong, aluminum pole designs. It&#;s true that some can be prohibitively expensive (for example, the REI Wonderland 6 costs $550), but for the family or group that heads out a number of times a year, even in bad weather, the long-term investment may be worth it.
 

REI's Wonderland is a decidedly luxurious tent | Credit: Brian McCurdy

Budget Camping Tents
In theory, camping is a way to simplify life and just disconnect for a while. In that spirit, budget camping tents are basic but fully functional options for fair-weather campers. There isn&#;t a clear line where a tent goes from mid-range to budget, but we&#;ve found for six-person options, it happens around $250. Typical budget tents use heavier fabrics, which make them bulky and adds weight to the bottom line, but they&#;re also durable and resist moisture. Weather protection is their downfall. When a storm blows through the campsite, more often than not, the budget tents are the ones with soaked interiors or are in a heap of broken poles. If camping is a new thing or you keep it casual in the summer, a budget tent will serve your needs just fine. Just don&#;t expect anything heroic if the weather turns sour.
 

The budget-friendly Coleman Sundome | Credit: Jason Hummel

Crossover Camping and Backpacking Tents
Even tents in the budget category can be a significant investment, so for those who plan on both car camping and backpacking with the family, it may be worth considering a crossover model. Although much less spacious than a dedicated camping tent, designs like the Marmot Tungsten 4P can fit four 20-inch-wide pads side-by-side, and the same goes for Mountain Hardwear&#;s Mineral King 3 with three pads. Both tents are small and light enough to manage on an overnight backpacking trip (especially when divvyed up among group members) but still have enough space to make most campers happy. That said, keep in mind that these models are built with less durable fabrics to make them easier to pack down, and they&#;re not the most comfortable for spending considerable time in. But if you need something to pull double duty, a crossover option can be a good compromise.
 

A crossover camping/backpacking design (right) compromises interior space | Credit: Jason Hummel

Canvas Tents
In some ways, canvas tents are as classic as it gets: The Springbar Highline, for example, hasn&#;t changed for decades&#;and for good reason. These burly designs can last for years, breathe decently well and regulate temperature in the summer, retain heat in the winter, stand up to the gnarliest storms, and maximize livable space. Plus, many options are compatible with wood stoves for keeping warm in exceptionally cold weather. If you&#;re a dedicated camper spending days or weeks out at a time, a canvas tent might be the ideal choice. If you&#;re a weekend warrior just getting out for a day or two, however, the bulk and additional setup requirements might not be worth the reward. As a general rule, the biggest downsides of canvas tents are their price, weight and packed size, and the time it takes to set them up. For reference, the Springbar Highline 6 above is a &#;budget&#; offering at $649, but the brand&#;s premium models can run over $2,000. Other brands worth looking into in the canvas space include White Duck and Kodiak, just to name a couple.
 

Floor Area

Nearly every tent on the market will provide information about floor dimensions (or floor area), which is a key indicator of overall livability. In general, tents with similar sleeping capacities will have similar total floor areas (80 to 90 square feet for a six-person model). For example, the REI Wonderland 6 boasts 83.3 square feet of floor area, the Marmot Limestone 6P has 82.9 square feet, and Nemo&#;s Aurora Highrise 6P has 83.3 square feet. Coleman's Sundome 6 is technically bigger at 100 square feet, but the dome-style shape makes it harder to move around inside. In other words, floor area is an important spec to consider, but it doesn&#;t tell the whole story and should be looked at in conjunction with peak height and pole structure (outlined below) to determine overall spaciousness.
 

Nemo's six-person Aurora Highrise boasts 83.3 square feet of floor space | Credit: Jason Hummel

Peak Height and Pole Structure

In addition to floor area, peak height and pole structure make a big impact on overall livability. Peak height in particular is an indication of whether or not you&#;ll be able to stand upright, and most car camping-style tents have a peak height of around 72 inches. However, this number is just part of the equation, and it&#;s important to also look at the slope of the walls and pole design. Dome tents with simple, X-shaped pole structures only allow you to enjoy that peak height at the middle of the tent. On the other hand, a tent with a more advanced pole system can create nearly vertical walls for walking around. This is one of the main reasons we love the REI Wonderland and Marmot Limestone: Both ends of the tents have vertical walls, and the pole designs truly opens up the interior. The cabin-style The North Face Wawona and REI Skyward are other standouts in maximizing interior space
 

Capacity: How Many People Actually Fit in These Tents?

The tents above are given a &#;_ person&#; capacity, which typically ranges from four to eight people. This listing is based on the number of standard adult sleeping pads that can be laid (usually side-by-side) inside the tent. For example, the six-person REI Co-op Skyward is 120 inches long, so six standard pads (20-inches wide) technically will fit. But this doesn&#;t mean you necessarily want to max out your tent.

If you use wide, 25-inch+ sleeping pads or air mattresses, or just want a little space to move around, we highly recommend sizing up. From our experiences, nobody wants to sleep in a tent that is jammed to capacity, so it&#;s best to order a slightly larger size than the actual number of people you have in your party. For example, a group of four should sleep comfortably in a six-person tent, leaving enough living space for playing cards, waiting out a storm, and spreading out while sleeping. And many couples and those with pets prefer a four-person model, which gives you plenty of room to stretch out.
 

We consider the Wonderland 4 best for groups of two to three | Credit: Brian McCurdy

Number of Doors

For a large-capacity camping tent, we unabashedly prefer two doors. The additional access is convenient if you have a full house, and zipping it open is another way to encourage airflow in summer heat. A single-door build is one of the notable downsides of budget models like the Coleman Skydome and Sundome, and even some higher-end options like the REI Skyward 6 only have a single entryway. Put simply, stumbling and crawling over your tent mates in the middle of the night isn&#;t the best way to keep everyone happy. The very large openings on these tents do alleviate a little of the annoyance, but it&#;s still a compromise that&#;s worth considering when looking at an inexpensive tent. And for unparalleled access, REI&#;s unique Wonderland X structure has two oversized doors and four panels along the rainfly, while Snow Peak&#;s Alpha Breeze boasts four doors for easy entry and exit on all sides.
 

The REI Skyward's single door is a notable downside for convenience | Credit: Brian McCurdy

Storage Space: Pockets, Vestibules, and Garages

Storage is a crucial consideration for many campers, starting with interior pockets. As expected, premium options like the REI Wonderland and MSR Habiscape include ample space for stowing items like headlamps, maps, books, and other items inside your tent, while budget offerings generally are more barebones. As far as exterior storage goes, a full-coverage rainfly that protects the door(s) of a tent creates a space in front of those doors, referred to as a vestibule. We&#;ve found a wide range of uses for a vestibule, but a few highlights include a spot to store gear away from rain and putting on/taking off shoes. If you don&#;t have a car close by to store your stuff, a vestibule should be on your must-have list. And note that vestibules most often come with mid-range and premium camping tents (budget tents with partial rainflies go without).
 

Vestibules provide a space to stash wet or dirty gear outside of your tent | Credit: Jason Hummel

Taking the concept of a vestibule to the extreme is REI&#;s Wonderland Mud Room. The palatial, pole-supported structure extends out for an additional 56 square feet of space, enough for a card table or area to store bikes. Also, you can zip up the entry door and roll up the sides to create an open and airy shelter from the sun or light rain. On extended camping trips or in large groups, this is a valuable add-on. And it&#;s worth noting that The North Face&#;s Wawona 6 above boasts a similar design that comes included with the tent, which adds a healthy 44.7 square feet at the front for stowing gear or use as an additional seating area. A final design worth calling out is REI's Wonderland X, which is essentially two tents in one: The outer rainfly can be pitched on its own for use as a shade structure or camp kitchen (with plenty of room in the vestibule for setting up chairs and a small table), while the inner tent functions as a dual sleeping/hangout space for up to four adults.
 

Enjoying The North Face Wawona's generous vestibule | Credit: Jason Hummel

Weather Resistance

As we touched on in the section above, a weather-worthy tent is one of the main reasons to upgrade to a premium camping model. In most cases, the pole materials (aluminum is better than fiberglass) and designs are more robust, seam sealing and waterproof fabrics improve in quality, and the inclusion of full-coverage rainflies helps keep out blowing rain. It's good to keep in mind that the weather can still get plenty rowdy in the summer, particularly in the mountains (and some national parks).
 

Partial-coverage rainflies fall short in inclement weather | Credit: David Wilkinson

Two of the strongest tents on the list are the REI Co-op Base Camp and Cabela's Alaskan Guide Model, which utilize advanced pole designs that are inspired by mountaineering tents. The Cabela's can even be used for snow camping in less extreme conditions (for designs meant to withstand serious winter weather, check out our article on the best four-season tents). Springbar's Highline 6 is another standout with a weather-ready canvas build and sturdy pole structure. For most three-season trips, any premium tent should do the trick, as long as it&#;s been properly staked out (and if the wind picks up, take the time to align the tent and guylines to brace against the wind).

Ventilation

Many campers head out in the warm summer months, which means a tent&#;s ventilation design is a key consideration. And in general, performance is closely tied to price tag. Many premium models utilize a double-wall construction (the outer rainfly is separate from the inner tent body) and lots of mesh, which help keep things reasonably cool and limit moisture build-up. In addition, deployable vents are often incorporated into the rainfly as a way to encourage more airflow, and some tents like REI&#;s Skyward 6 have adaptable rainflies that can be rolled up partway in mild conditions.
 

Deploying one of the vents on The North Face Wawona 6 | Credit: Jason Hummel

On the cheap end of the spectrum, you get less mesh and fewer options to get air flowing without opening up doors or windows (thereby compromising weather protection). In addition, some entry-level designs like Coleman&#;s Sundome include single-wall panels (this means there&#;s just one layer of fabric to protect you from the elements), which can lead to a muggy interior on warm days and more condensation at night. In the end, many campers are willing to compromise in ventilation given the large price gap between designs, but it&#;s undoubtedly another feather in the premium tent market&#;s cap.
 

Mesh-heavy designs help with airflow in warm conditions | Credit: Jason Hummel

Build Quality and Durability

Simply put, the differences in build quality are noticeable between budget and premium camping tents. Spending more gets you higher-quality materials that are stronger relative to their weight and, in theory, should have a longer lifespan. If you only make it out once or twice a year (and mostly in good weather), you absolutely can get away with a budget model like the Coleman Sundome. That said, if you camp a lot, are looking for a long-term investment for multiple seasons, or simply prefer quality gear, we recommend splurging for a higher-end camping tent. Upgraded features like a full-coverage rainfly, large vestibules and lots of interior pockets for gear storage, and strong aluminum poles increase a tent&#;s functionality and weather resistance.
 

Snow Peak's Alpha Breeze is pricey but extremely well built and hardwearing | Credit: Jason Hummel

Another factor to consider in gauging a tent&#;s lifespan is durability, and big factors include the thickness of the canopy, floor, and rainfly fabrics. Floor thickness is particularly important, as it will have direct contact with rocks, roots, and other potentially sharp objects at camp. In comparing the models above, the difference can be significant: The crossover Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3, for instance, shaves weight by using lighter materials throughout, including a 68-denier (D) floor. This isn&#;t thin by ultralight standards (targeted backpacking designs go down to around 10 or 15D), but dedicated camping designs like REI&#;s Skyward and Wonderland (both 150D) use much more robust fabrics, which boost weight considerably but will stand up much better to long-term use. Many camping tents fall somewhere in the middle and are decently hardwearing, but if you&#;re typically tough on your gear, make sure to factor this into your buying decision.
 

Premium camping designs like the Wawona 6 use thick and confidence-inspiring fabrics | Credit: Jason Hummel

Canvas tents like the Springbar Highline 6 are in a league of their own when it comes to durability. While the typical tent may last several seasons of rough use, a canvas tent can last decades. Their thick fabrics and bulky poles are designed to weather even the worst of storms. In this sense, their higher price tag may make sense for folks who spend a lot of time camping each year. They do require extra care, though: Canvas tents can develop mold and mildew if improperly dried. If you go this route, be extra careful to thoroughly dry your tent before storage.
 

Setup and Take Down

Given their large dimensions and multiple parts (tent body, rainfly, poles, and stakes), it shouldn&#;t come as a surprise that camping tents can be a bear to set up. It&#;s always best to do a test run at home to figure out the process; this also gives you a chance to verify you have all the necessary pieces. In general, we recommend setting up a car camping tent with a partner (some smaller four-person models can be done fairly easily by a single person), and you can expect it to take 10 minutes or more to fully deploy (tear down often is a bit faster). One exception to this rule is &#;instant&#; tents like the Gazelle T4 Hub, which streamline the process by having the poles permanently connected to the tent body. This design does add some weight and bulk, but some campers will find the trade-off in convenience worth it.
 

The Alpha Breeze's unique pole structure makes it tricky to set up | Credit: Jason Hummel

Ground Dimensions

When choosing between tent models, it&#;s a good idea to take the total footprint or ground size of the tent into account&#;some of the six and eight-person models are absolutely massive. Factoring in some of the large vestibules or &#;garages&#; that can be tacked on to the end of a tent, there&#;s a strong likelihood that it will extend beyond the size of the raised pads at some national parks or campgrounds. If you come from a backpacking background, keep in mind that many car camping tents require a much larger swath of space.
 

Ground size can vary widely depending on tent style and capacity | Credit: Jason Hummel

It&#;s not uncommon for a raised camping pad to be 10 or 11 feet long, which is a tight squeeze for a tent like the REI Wonderland 6 (10 ft, not including the vestibule). Typically, however, most locations have large pads available, so we wouldn&#;t recommend downsizing your tent out of fear of not finding a suitable space. But it&#;s not a bad idea to check out the dimensions of the campsites you plan on visiting and upgrade to a bigger space if possible. And if you have any doubts or want to use your tent in smaller spots, we recommend going with a crossover or backpacking model that has a smaller footprint.

Weight and Packed Size

A quick look at the comparison table above shows a wide range in the total weight of our recommended camping tents. On the &#;lightweight&#; end are crossover car camping and backpacking designs, including the Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3 (7 lb. 1.2 oz.) and Marmot Tungsten 4P (9 lb. 3.8 oz.), which we&#;ve found to be an acceptable amount of weight for casual weekend or overnight backpacking trips (especially when divided up between a couple people). On the other hand, many large six- or eight-person camping models easily break 20 pounds. For car camping, the extra weight doesn&#;t mean a whole lot (one exception is the 75-lb. Springbar Highline 6), but if you&#;re unable to drive all the way up to your campsite, it&#;s worth considering the total weight.
 

The REI Skyward 6 checks in at a reasonable 15 pounds 7 ounces all in | Credit: Brian McCurdy

The packed size of a tent typically will align with its weight. Crossover backpacking and camping tents pack down the smallest (the aforementioned Tungsten measures 8.3 x 24.8 in. when packed), while a tent like the Gazelle T4 Hub (8 x 67.5 in.) will fill up an extra-large duffel bag and take up a good portion of a car trunk. Again, if you have the space to store it and haul it around, this isn&#;t a big downside. But if either are at a premium, we recommend a more compact crossover design.
 

The MSR Habiscape 6 measures 24 x 10 inches when packed, which is pretty competitive in this space | Credit: Jason Hummel

Footprints

While not a requirement, it's often a good idea to use some type of footprint or ground cloth when camping. The extra layer makes it easier to clean up if you're camping on dirt or mud and protects the tent&#;s floor from damage (thus extending the tent&#;s overall lifespan). But do you need to spend the big bucks and get the one specifically made for the tent? Oftentimes those are upwards of $50, which feels like a lot for a single sheet of fabric and some webbing. The advantage of using the footprint specifically designed for the tent is that it&#;s precut to the proper dimensions, and the grommets will attach to the tent poles directly. It&#;s an integrated system that you don&#;t need to worry about. 

Alternatively, a decent tarp can suffice for ground protection as long as there&#;s still space to store it in your vehicle. They are typically quite large, and if you don&#;t want to cut them up, you&#;ll need to layer or stuff the excess material under the tent floor, creating some uncomfortable lumps. Another popular choice for making a generic ground cloth is picking up bulk Tyvek. This relatively thin and packable material is cheap and offers sufficient protection. No matter your choice, if you decide to trim the ground cloth, make sure to measure in a few inches in all dimensions to guarantee you don&#;t have fabric hanging out the sides of the tent floor. This extra material sticking out can collect and pool rainwater and compromise your waterproof shelter.

What About Rooftop Tents?

We didn&#;t include any rooftop tents on our list above due to their notably different designs, but they&#;re nevertheless an up-and-coming category in the car camping world and worth a mention here. The concept is fairly simple: A folded tent attaches directly to the roof rack system on top of your vehicle or pickup bed, and when you arrive at your destination, you simply unfold it, climb the ladder, and go to sleep. Compared to standard camping tents, rooftop designs get you off uneven ground, make it easier to set up camp just about anywhere, and often include a cushy built-in mattress. That said, these models are very expensive (often $1,000 or much more, not including a rack system), extremely heavy, and storage can be an issue. The Roofnest Condor 2 XL, for example, weighs 180 pounds and has a footprint that&#;s comparable in size to a king-size mattress. But for those who prioritize convenience and don&#;t mind the added cost, rooftop tents have a lot of appeal. For a full list of our favorite options, see our round-up of the best rooftop tents.
 

The rooftop tent market has exploded in recent years | Credit: Linhbergh Nguyen

The Rest of Your Camping Kit

Since you&#;re essentially setting up a home away from home, camping can be heavy on gear. Tents are typically your biggest purchase&#;both in price and size&#;followed by items like camping pads or mattresses and sleeping bags. Depending on where you&#;ll be camping and for how long, other essentials include a gas-burning stove, cooler, and camping chairs. The beauty in all of this is that the same principles that apply to camping tents transfer to the rest of your gear. You can go cheap and still have a great time, but you&#;ll rarely regret spending extra for added comfort, performance, and longevity.
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