How to Choose a Backpacking Tent

• What's Your Backpacking Style?
• Types of Tents
• Tent Size and Livability
• Tent Weight
• Setup Features
• Durability
• Key Accessories
• Summary

Protection from weather and bugs. A comfortable place to tell stories or watch the stars. These are all good reasons to carry a tent when you head into the backcountry. So which tent is right for you? Your choices boil down to finding the right balance of weight versus comfort and convenience for your tastes.

What's Your Backpacking Style?

For backpacking, you want to keep tent weight low as possible while retaining an acceptable level of comfort and safety. Of course, individual views on comfort and weight can vary greatly. So REI divides core gear (tent, bag and pack) into four general categories. Decide which one best matches your backcountry style.

• Minimalist: Reducing weight overrides all other considerations, including comfort, durability and convenience. Period.
• Ultralight: You want to keep your pack weight low, just not as extreme as a minimalist. You're willing to give up some comfort in order to reduce your pack weight.
• Lightweight: You'd like to hit that sweet spot that balances light weight, comfort and convenience. For tents, "comfort" is defined as having livable space, sufficient length and interior pockets.
• Deluxe: You're a "maximalist" explorer who puts a priority on comfort and convenience, not ounce counting.

Note: If you like to have the latest and greatest gear, shop the ultralight category. Most new technology and fabrics show up first in this category.

Types of Tents

Once you've identified your style, find a tent category that suits the type of backpacking trips you usually take.

Three-season tents: The most popular choice, these are made for the relatively temperate conditions of spring, summer and fall.

PROS: Protects you from wind, rain and bugs; offers ventilation and stargazing; lightweight.
CONS: Not intended for heavy snow loads.

Four-season tents: These are weatherproof for mountaineering and winter camping. Rounded edges and one or two additional poles help withstand heavy snow and high winds. Rounded dome designs eliminate flat roof spaces where snow can collect.

PROS: Best for snowy, harsh conditions.
CONS: Heavier; ventilation can be an issue in warm, humid climates.

Convertible tents: These are 4-season models which can be converted into 3-season tents. This is usually accomplished by removing pole sections and/or zipping off a roof panel.

PROS: A good choice for year-round adventurers who want only one tent.
CONS: Heavier than a comparable 3-season model, even when in 3-season mode.

Single-wall tents: There are two types of single-wall tents. Tents for climbers seal up tight in cold, snowy weather and use vapor pressure to force condensation out. Models for minimalist backpackers use mesh sections and waterproof/breathable fabrics for ultralight, 3-season comfort.

PROS: Lighter than traditional double-wall tents.
CONS: Can be stuffy, especially in warm or humid conditions.

Bivy sacks: These offer a waterproof, breathable barrier for your sleeping bag. Some are basic sacks; others offer pole-supported head space with mesh bug netting.

PROS: Saves space and weight.
CONS: They can feel confining.

Shelters: These are simple rain tarps or bug netting made for minimalists.

PROS: Definitely the lightest, most compact option.
CONS: Tarps protect from rain only; netting stops bugs only.

Floorless tents: These simple abodes offer a convenient option for snow campers who don't need a floor or anyone who wants to save weight.

PROS: Light and compact.
CONS: For specialized use in relatively benign weather conditions only.

Tent Size and Livability

Sleeping Capacity Explained

Backpacking tents are categorized by size: Solo, 2-person, 3-person and there are even a few 4-person models. These are space-efficient designs that generally assume a tight fit. Note: REI's design standard for a 2-person tent means that it must fit two 72 x 20 sleeping pads side by side with no overlap.

If you are claustrophobic, prefer a little elbow room or tend to toss and turn all night, consider a larger tent. (For example, a pair of restless sleepers will be more comfortable in a 3-person tent than a 2-person tent). The extra ounces may be well worth it.

Over 6' Tall? Look at Floor Dimensions

Designed to be efficient, many backpacking tents are not long enough for folks taller than 6'0". Look at the "floor dimensions" spec and diagram (if available) to see if the length is sufficient for you. Keep in mind that tents often taper in the foot sections and walls angle in toward the ceiling. This impacts the actual amount of space inside a tent's walls.

Interior Spaciousness

The peak height spec gives you one indication of the general livability of a tent. As a rule of thumb, the higher the peak height, the roomier the interior. Another indicator is the angle of the sidewalls. "Combi-poles," a relatively recent advancement, are poles of varying diameters that maximize interior space by creating nearly vertical sidewalls. This is accomplished when slightly thinner pole segments can be bowed out in just the right place to increase interior room without enlarging the floor. Similarly, brow poles across a tent are another way to achieve this effect.

Mesh Improves Ventilation

Condensation from your breath can turn a poorly ventilated tent into a sauna, particularly in muggy climates. To combat this, tent designers use mesh doors, windows and roof panels to allow air to circulate. Sufficient tent-to-rainfly separation is also needed to remove damp air. Some tents include hooded rainfly vents to allow even more condensation to escape. Of course, in nice weather, you can take the rainfly off and sleep under the stars.

The Advantages of Two Doors

Two doors make tent access for a pair of backpackers much easier. This feature is especially welcome for coming and going in bad weather, as one door will be more protected from the wind.

Vented Rainflies

Besides protecting you from bad weather, many rainflies now incorporate a hooded vent to allow condensation to escape. Also be sure you get a "full-coverage" rainfly. This is a fly that extends low enough around your tent to block rain or wind from entering.

Vestibules for Your Gear

A vestibule is typically an extension of the rainfly that creates a covered storage area for your muddy boots or dusty pack. Some tents have a pair of vestibules which add extra convenience. A few brands offer optional vestibules that create even more space than standard ones.

Interior Gear Storage

Built-in pockets and mesh gear lofts (usually an optional add-on) help reduce clutter inside your tent.

Packed Size

This spec tells you how much room a tent takes up in your pack. Keep in mind that backpacking groups can split up the carrying of tent components.

Tent Weight

This is a prime consideration for most backpackers. When comparing models, keep in mind these definitions used by most manufacturers:

• Minimum weight: This is the total weight of the tent body, rainfly and poles only: the bare essentials. You will probably pack more tent-related gear (e.g., stakes, footprint) than just this, but use this spec when comparing tent weights.
• Packaged weight: This is the total weight of all tent components: body, rainfly, poles, stakes, stuff sack, pole sack, instructions and any other items a manufacturer ships with a tent.

One helpful way to think of weight is per person. A 2-person tent that weighs 4 lbs. 8 oz. equals just 2 lbs. 4 oz. per person. If both of you prefer the extra room of a 3-person tent weighing 5 lbs. 2 oz. you're looking at 2 lbs. 9 oz. per person. Is this trade-off worth it? Only you can decide.

Setup Features

Pole Sleeves vs. Pole Clips

Poles can be connected to the tent's canopy in several ways, via sleeves, clips or (more commonly) a combination of both.

• Pole sleeves help distribute force over a larger area and create less stress on the tent body fabric.
• Pole clips are easy to attach and usually allow a larger gap between the rainfly and tent body. This improves ventilation and minimizes condensation.

Pole hubs are a recent innovation that pre-connects two or more poles together for added strength, stability and faster setups. Typically used in conjunction with pole clips, hubs allow a simplified pole structure.

Rule of thumb: The fewer number of poles on a tent, the faster and easier it is to pitch.

Freestanding or Not

Most tents are freestanding, meaning they (excluding the rainfly) do not require stakes to set up. The big advantage of this is that you can pick it up like a big beach ball and move it to a different location prior to staking. Non-freestanding tents may weigh a bit less, but must be staked down before setup.

Fly/Footprint Option

Some tents are designed to allow ultralight "fastpacking" where the footprint and rainfly can be pitched together without the tent body. It's a good way to save weight, but you lose the bug protection of a tent body.

Durability

Pole Materials

Virtually all quality backpacking tents use aluminum poles, as they are much stronger than fiberglass. "Press-fit" poles are the most basic and economical choice, using dimples or glue to firmly connect the ferrule to the pole.

The following styles represent the leading edge of pole design. All offer excellent strength and flex for less weight than press-fit poles:

• DAC Featherlite: Probably the most widely used pole in quality tents, it offers a consistently high strength-to-weight ratio.
• DAC Featherlite NSL: This more recent advancement adds strength, reduces weight and uses a more eco-friendly anodizing technique during its manufacturing process.
• Yunan Air Hercules: This uses a "floating connector" and an aluminum/scandium alloy to provide strength and flex at a light weight.

Tent Materials

Not surprisingly, the lightest tents use lighter-weight fabrics that sacrifice some durability to save a few ounces. Other tents employ slightly heavier materials that better stand up to wind and abuse. The type of fabric used also varies by application:

• Rainfly: Coated polyester better resists stretching when wet, so it is commonly used to ensure the dimensional stability (tautness) of your rainfly.
• Body: 40-denier nylon taffeta is typically used on lighter-weight tents, with beefier 70-denier nylon taffeta found on other tents.
• Floor: Abrasion resistance is key here, so coated nylons ranging from weight-saving 30-denier to more rugged 75-denier are commonly used.

Note: UV rays can eventually degrade tent fabrics, so it's best to not leave a tent out in the sun for any longer than is necessary. REI testing has not uncovered any significant difference in UV resistance between nylon and polyester fabrics.

Key Accessories

Footprints: An Easy Way to Extend Tent Life

A footprint is a custom-fitted groundcloth that goes under your tent floor. Tent floors can be tough, but rocks, twigs, grit and dirt eventually exact a toll. A footprint costs less to replace or repair than your tent itself.

Also, because footprints are sized to fit your tent shape exactly, they won't catch water like a generic groundcloth that sticks out beyond the floor edges. Water caught that way flows underneath your tent and can seep through even tiny holes in the floor fabric.

Seam Sealer

Seams create tiny holes that can let water inside a tent. Most tents today come with factory-sealed seams and require no additional sealing. Some tents, however, are made with Silnylon® or eVent® fabrics that may require seam sealing by you. To be sure, refer to the tent instructions.

Gear Loft

Most tents come with a few attached pockets to let you keep small items off of the tent floor. A gear loft or attic is an optional mesh shelf that can tuck a much greater volume of gear out of the way.

Summary

When choosing your backcountry home, you need to weigh the relative importance of size, weight, features and durability. Since these answers vary by the individual, it's a good idea to "test drive" a tent first. When shopping at REI.com, click on our 360° view of each tent for a virtual comparison. If heading to an REI store, ask the sales specialist to set up any tent you are considering.