The HD2+ is small enough for a solo traveler, but still big enough to comfortably accommodate couples traveling together. Tent technology has come a long way, so there are lots of excellent quality lightweight tents which are also durable and strong. One thing to keep in mind when calculating weight is whether you’ll be including the tent footprint or a tarp. Having a footprint makes a big difference in terms of how effective a tent is against the wind, but it also adds a bit more weight. In dry conditions, a footprint is not necessary. But when the rains come, you’ll be happy to have one.

A good rule of thumb is to go for a tent that's claimed to sleep one more person than you need. If you're a family of four, for example, we'd recommend going for a five-person tent. Polyurethane coating (PU) is one of the most budget friendly options for waterproofing tents. It’s relatively lightweight and lasts for a long time. It might get a bit brown when exposed to direct sun over time, but this won’t change the effectiveness of the product. Hydrostatic head (HH) - this measures how waterproof a tent is. The higher the number, the more protection it offers. 1500mm is a good starting point. A lot of Big Agnes tents have a tapered design and are wider at the head than at the foot. Some people love this feature, others really don’t like it-it’s a matter of personal preference and doesn’t really affect the overall performance. Dome Tents: Dome tents are popular for their stability and versatility. These tents offer ample headroom and are ideal for various outdoor activities, from camping in the woods to attending festivals.Gore-Tex is ideal for 4-season tents which need to stand up to harsh winter conditions as well as hot summer afternoons. Often tents are made with a combination of Gore-Tex and other materials to make them more affordable. Our testers gave this massive tent a proper test by cramping in a whole family of 5 inside it! They felt it offered great space and the headroom in particular made it easier to wrangle the kids at bedtime! Layout - Some tents feature a 'living room' with separate bedrooms, whilst others have a single room for both sleeping and living. You can either wait for rain or take a garden hose to your tent and achieve the same results, which is a waterproof tent ready for camping. The fabric is hard-wearing and waterproof. We appreciated the webbing guide straps, which make it extremely stable even in high winds, as well as the high levels of adjustable ventilation. It is also bug-proof, and the rain cover over one of the two side doors will help keep the worst of the British weather off the groundsheet.

In terms of testing out the waterproofing, testing in the North West of England pretty much guaranteed some rain but on the rare occasions the sky was uncharacteristically clear, we went super technical and just threw some water over them! Spaciousness and Comfort In this article, we’ve chosen our favourite tents for practically every camping situation, from the best budget tent to buy for a weekend trip to a luxurious, spacious family tent that you’ll use again and again. Whatever adventure you’re planning, we’ve reviewed a tent to suit you. Inflatable tents are both relatively new and fairly uncommon pieces of camping equipment, and, next to the pop-up tent, these are the simplest to pitch. While you do need an air pump, once the tent is set in place and secured, it’s simply a matter of flipping the switch and watching the tent take its shape. This type of tent works great paired with other tents, smaller or bigger, all placed around a Campfire for a cozy setting. Building a Crawlspace Tent If you have a large, outdoorsy family, a tunnel tent might be the perfect option for you. They offer tons of livable space and come in a variety of sizes, so there is likely a tent out there to accommodate even the largest families.

The best tents you can buy in 2023

This is a great tent for couples who want a budget-friendly 2 person waterproof tent. The pole design allows for more headroom than many 2 person tents, and there are 2 doors so you don’t have to crawl over each other to get out. Setting up the HD2+ takes about 7-10 minutes with two people. Getting the tent body staked and pitched takes only two or three minutes. The extra time is including getting the guylines on the rainfly all set up as well. If you want to keep the Trailmade 1 truly waterproof, it’s critical to get the footprint, or at the very least a heavy-duty tarp. The floor is made out of relatively durable material, but it won’t hold up on its own to a torrential downpour.

The constant push for lighter gear means the definition of “ultralight” changes nearly annually. That said, by today’s standards, any two-person tent weighing less than 4 pounds could reasonably be called “ultralight.” The tents that take this to extremes are in the 1- to 2-pound range. We tested Front Runner's Rooftop Tent in the Santa Monica Mountains outside Los Angeles. We were a bit hesitant about the setup but were surprised by how easy it was. We unzipped the tent's cover and flopped the top over. Voila, a shelter. (It was a bit more involved to attach the rainfly properly.) One of the best features of the NEMO Dagger 3 are the two very large vestibules. Having enough space to keep everyone’s wet things safe but outside of the tent can often be a challenge, but not when you have this tent! The dimensions of this tent are a bit smaller (sans the ceiling) than others, so this tent would be best suited for two people that don't mind cozying up or a solo human with a dog. While other tents on this list feel like they might rip with a dog nail, this one genuinely feels like it could hold up to paws.

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The HydroTex polycotton (65% polyester, 35% cotton) outer is warm in the cold, yet breathable and ventilating in the heat, while still being impressively water-resistant, with a 10,000mm fitted groundsheet that is practically impervious. We love the rectangular pole configuration that creates a generous living area and terrific picture window for you to enjoy the vistas. At only 170cm, there’s not much space to stand, but we didn’t mind this as it adds to the frontier-style adventure feel. We think this is a great tent for young families who want style, features, and comfort, as well as to stand out from the festival crowd. Their simplicity, however, also means that they can be incredibly lightweight and easy to set up. If you are skilled and not too worried about aesthetics, you may be able to pull it off with a wooden pull, a tarp, and some rope. Headspace will, of course, be limited, and they are not ideal for multiple guests. They also don’t have built-in groundsheets, so you will need to place your own or sleep on the bare ground. Bivy Tents Polycotton is an alternative to the 100% cotton canvas tents, and they are usually lighter in weight and lower in cost while retaining many of the benefits of traditional cotton. Just like with t-shirts, polycotton is cotton blended with polyester, and the purpose is to produce a fabric that is both lightweight and durable. These tents can also be chemically-coated to better repel water. Polyester The X-pole set up makes it easy to get the tent up in just a few minutes, but still provides reasonable stability for windy conditions. Thanks to the rectangular floor and two doors on either side, getting the tent properly oriented is a breeze. Most tents have thin, collapsible poles made from fibreglass. They often fold up into a compact size and are connected by an elastic cord. They're usually flexible and will need to be bent to fit the shape of the tent canvas during pitching.

Tent poles may be made out of a handful of different materials, all of which will have their own purpose. The materials will primarily determine strength and weight, but bendability is also important when it comes to tent poles. Nylon coatings include acrylic, silicone, or polyurethane, among others, and the quality of these coatings will vary, the best coatings, of course, being the most expensive. Silicone tends to be priciest because it offers the greatest protection.

Stay dry, protected and warm wherever you set up camp with our choice of the best garden, hiking and backpacking tents

Some tents have just a single layer and are known as “single-skin” tents, while “twin-skin” tents come with an inner and outer layer for water protection. If you go for the latter, make sure the two layers aren’t touching when you pitch the tent, as this could impact the water protection. What other features should I look out for? You probably recognize the ridge tent or the “A-frame” tent, and at one point in time, virtually all tents held this shape. The name comes from the cross pole, called a ridge, that stretches across the length of the tent, holding up the roof. The design is simple and effective, and a well-pitched ridge tent is likely to hold up better than most modern tent styles. Family Tents: Embrace the joy of family camping with our spacious and weather-resistant family tents. Experience the perfect blend of comfort and functionality, allowing your family to create lasting memories in the great outdoors. The most obvious downside to the Wonderland 4 is that the footprint is sold separately. Although the tough seam-sealed and cut-in floor helps with keeping the tent waterproof, it’s a good idea to get the footprint to keep everything dry. This is also something you only really get a feel for after spending a night inside each tent, so this is exactly what we did! Build Quality and Durability