Summer brings joy to outdoor enthusiasts who love backpacking excursions. A successful backpacking trip requires the best backpacking tents. Having a top-notch backpacking tent is a great way to increase the protection, comfort, and enjoyment of backcountry trips. The ideal tent for a backpacking trip is lightweight, spacious, and tough enough to handle any weather conditions.
When you are in the market for a new tent, you will quickly realize that there are huge numbers of tents available to choose from. These tents differ from brand, model, features, build quality, materials, price, etc. So we have spent hundreds of hours researching the market and picked 8 best backpacking tents of 2020. Read the article thoroughly and make sure you follow our buyer’s guide to buy a tent that will match your unique adventures.
Top Backpacking Tents of 2021 (Bestseller)
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Top 8 Best Backpacking Tents of 2021
- Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL Backpacking Tent
- MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2-Person Lightweight Backpacking Tent
- Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL Backpacking Tent
- Nemo Hornet Ultralight Backpacking Tent
- Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL Ultralight Backpacking Tent
- Nemo Dagger Ultralight Backpacking Tent
- Marmot Tungsten 2 Person Backpacking Tent
- Kelty Late Start – 3 Season Backpacking Tent
My Top Pick of the Best Backpacking Tents of 2021
1.Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL Backpacking Tent
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This backpacking tent from Big Agnes is very popular among outdoor enthusiasts because of its great balance among weight, space, and features. The Copper Spur HV UL tent has a high volume pole architecture that creates vertical walls and roomier living space and also maintains strength and lightweight packability that the Copper Spur is renowned for. For a 2-person version tent, you will get 29 square feet of floor space, solid headroom with a hubbed pole design, and two doors. You will get all these features at just 3.1 pounds. This tent is one of the lightweight backpacking tents currently available in the market.
This tent has excellent build quality. All the seams of this tent are taped with waterproof, solvent-free polyurethane tape, and the fly and floor are ultra-durable with 1200mm waterproof rating. It has a massive ceiling pocket that provides a lot of storage space, which is very convenient. This tent also has three interior mesh pockets, 1 media pocket, and 8 superlight aluminum J stakes so you can easily store your goods and gears organized way. The best part of this tent is; it comes with a guaranty against manufacturing or material defect.
Specifications
- Packaged weight: 3 lbs. 1 oz.
- Floor area: 29 sq. ft.
- Floor denier: 20D
- Capacities: 1P, 2P, 3P, 4P
2. MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2-Person Lightweight Backpacking Tent
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The MSR Hubba Hubba NX is one of the most popular backpacking tents thanks to its design, room space, and durability. This tent weighs 3 pounds 14 ounces, and unlike other backpacking tents, it offers good livability with two doors and vestibules and near-vertical walls. It also has a strong 30-denier floor that can take more use and abuse. This is a weather resistance tent so you can use it in any weather condition. The Easton Syclone hubbed pole of this tent improves performance in windy conditions and a long-lasting waterproof coating on the fly.
The Hubba Hubba NX has a strong build quality. The floor has 30D ripstop nylon 3000mm Xtreme Shield polyurethane & DWR. The Pole geometry design maximizes the flooring space and provides an interior peak height of 39 inches, plus 17.5 sq. feet of vestibule area. This tent package includes one unified hub-and-pole system, rainfly, stakes, and guy lines. It comes with a 3-years limited manufacturer’s warranty. So you don’t have to worry about any wear and tear and after-sale service.
Specifications
- Packaged weight: 3 lbs. 14 oz.
- Floor area: 29 sq. ft.
- Floor denier: 30D
- Capacities: 1P, 2P, 3P, 4P
3. Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL Backpacking Tent
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Big Agnes has the reputation of mixing and matching designs to create a new product, and their Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL Backpacking Tent is exactly what they are capable of doing. This tent has brought together the two-door-and-vestibule concept of the popular Copper Spur and the semi-freestanding layout of the Fly Creek. The result of combining two designs is convenient access and gear storage for two people as well as an extremely lightweight tent. It has semi-freestanding design, which is, unfortunately, less convenient on rocky terrain.
This is a high-quality backpacking tent from Big Agnes. It has a large ridge pole across the center of the tent and the silicone-coated nylon is impressively strong for rough situations. But the wall materials of this tent are thin so it will be wiser to avoid this tent if you are rough on gear. It has double sliders on the vestibule zipper that provides venting from the top or bottom. All the seams are taped with waterproof, solvent-free polyurethane tape so you can use this tent in any weather condition. This tent comes with 8 DAC superlight aluminum J stakes and multiple interior loops, which is very useful. It comes with a lifetime manufactures warranty.
Specifications
- Packaged weight: 2 lbs. 8 oz.
- Floor area: 28 sq. ft.
- Floor denier: 15D
- Capacities: 2P, 3P
4. Nemo Hornet Ultralight Backpacking Tent
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If you are looking for a lightweight double-wall, semi-freestanding tent, then the Nemo Hornet Ultralight Backpacking Tent will be the ideal choice for you. This tent has two doors and vestibules which is extremely rare in this weight class. This tent is pole-supported, bug-proof, and best for thru-hiking or ultralight backpacking. The NEMO’s patent-pending Flybar volumizing clip provides more interior space for two people. So you can easily store more goods inside the tent. This tent has 10D Nylon Ripstop fly with silicone water repellent, which makes the tent rugged and weather-resistance.
Nemo Hornet has guyouts and struts at corners that increase the volume at the foot and prevent wall condensation. The divvy dual-stage stuff sack of this tent allows you to share the load with your partner, which is very convenient. With the help of diffusing light pockets, you can easily turn your headlamp into a tent lantern. This tent comes with a lifetime warranty against defects in workmanship and materials to the product. So you don’t have to worry about any damages or after-sale services.
Specifications
- Packaged weight: 2 lbs. 6 oz.
- Floor area: 27.5 sq. ft.
- Floor denier: 15D
- Capacities: 1P, 2P
5. Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL Ultralight Backpacking Tent
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You will have to face a hard time to find a lightweight backpacking tent in the market than the Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL Ultralight Backpacking Tent. Weighs only 2 pounds 5 ounces; this tent is very popular among fast and light hikers. This tent has an excellent build design. It comes with a single door at the head end and the interior tapers aggressively towards the feet and increase the storage space. The hubbed pole runs the length of the tent in a spine-like shape. This tent is fully covered by rainfly, and it provides excellent shelter from mountain storms.
The seams of this tent are fully taped with waterproof, solvent-free polyurethane tape, and both fly and floor have a 1200mm waterproof coating. So you can easily use this tent in any weather condition and expect excellent performance in rough situations. Unlike other tents, it has a dry entry vestibule that keeps the interior of the tent dry as you enter and exit, which is very useful. This tent has three interior mesh pockets and 11 superlight aluminum J stakes so you can keep your gears organized. The best part of this tent is; it comes with a guaranty against manufacturing or material defect.
Specifications
- Packaged weight: 2 lbs. 5 oz.
- Floor area: 28 sq. ft.
- Floor denier: 20D
- Capacities: 1P, 2P, 3P
6.Nemo Dagger Ultralight Backpacking Tent
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For backpackers who don’t want to compromise on livability and durability, the Nemo Dagger Ultralight Backpacking Tent will be an ideal choice for them. The two-person version tent weighs 3 pounds 14 ounces and it is packed with features. This tent has 2 large doors, 2 spacious vestibules for storing gear which is very convenient. The interior of this tent is very roomy and the additional pre-bent poles increase the storage space. The floor of this tent is symmetrical, so two people can sleep in opposite directions for more shoulder room.
This tent is integrated with 30D Nylon that provides an ultralight, waterproof tub floor so you can use this tent in wet conditions. It has 15D Nylon Ripstop fly, and it is coated in a durable silicone repellent which makes the tent weatherproof. This tent has protected strut vents that release humidity during storms, which is very useful. It has gear pockets at each corner so you can easily store all your gear organized way. The best part of this tent is it has a lifetime warranty against defects in workmanship and materials.
Specifications
- Packaged weight: 3 lbs. 14 oz.
- Floor area: 31.3 sq. ft.
- Floor denier: 30D
- Capacities: 2P, 3P
7. Marmot Tungsten 2 Person Backpacking Tent
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This 2 person backpacking tent from Marmot Tungsten is a budget-friendly tent, and it is best for backpacking and car-camping. This tent has a great balance between weight, cost, and livability. This tent is made from durable fabrics and has all the features that most weekend backpackers need. It has 2 doors and vestibules and weighs 5 pounds 4 ounces. This tent has 32 square feet of floor space which is more than enough for two people. The tent body has a mixer of solid nylon and mesh, which makes the tent very stylish. Moreover, it also provides good ventilation and privacy.
The polyester rainfly of this tent doesn’t sag in wet/cold weather so that you can use this tent in any weather condition. The door zipper is easy to access and you can open them with your one hand which is very helpful. It comes with a footprint and you can also buy the Half Dome footprint separately if you want. This tent has free standing design, and all the seams are taped for durability. If you consider all the features of this tent, this tent is a bargain in this price range.
Specifications
- Packaged weight: 5 lbs. 4 oz.
- Floor area: 32 sq. ft.
- Floor denier: 68D
- Capacities: 1P, 2P, 3P, 4P
8. Kelty Late Start – 3 Season Backpacking Tent
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Kelty Late Start is the updated version of Kelty Salida Tent. This is a very affordable backpacking tent from a very respected brand, and in this price range, it will be very hard for you to find a better option than the Late Start from Kelty. The dimension of the tent is 85” x 40” x 30” and has an interior area of 20.6 square feet. The peak height of this tent is 36.5 inches. It comes with a single vestibule that provides 6.4 square feet of storage space. The weight of this tent is 4 pounds 8 ounces, which is excellent in this price range. This tent is lightweight than most of the cheap tents available in the market.
This backpacking tent has a tough 68-denier floor, and it is water-resistant to 1800 mm. So you can use this tent in wet conditions. The body of this tent is also protected by a waterproof 68 denier rainfly. Moreover, the seams of this tent are sealed and keep the water out of the tent. You can move this tent after pitching it thanks to the freestanding design, which is very convenient. The only disadvantage of this tent is; it has a single door, so if you can ignore this limitation, then this tent will be the best budget-friendly backpacking tent for you.
Specifications
- Packaged weight: 4 lbs. 8 oz.
- Floor area: 29.5 sq. ft.
- Floor denier: 68D
- Capacities: 1P, 2P, 4P
How to Choose the Best Backpacking Tent
Let’s move our focus on how we can choose a backpacking tent that is the best value for our money and meets our requirements. Well, while buying a backpacking tent, you have to consider a few things before making your final decision. Moreover, buying a tent depends on what you plan to use it for.
Weight
A few ounces weight deference might not seem like a big deal, but you have to keep the weight down of a backpacking tent for better portability. Lightweight tents will make your hiking trip very enjoyable as you will carry less weight. Your tent will be one of the four items on your back, so the lighter the tent is, the better. The tents we have reviewed above are lightweight yet durable. The best practice is to find a balance between weight, comfort, and convenience.
Interior Space
The main purpose of a tent is to keep you inside the tent in bad weather and sleep at night. So you have to check the interior space before buying a backpacking tent. The 2 people tents are more popular among the hikers because they strike a good balance between weight and interior space. Moreover, this type of tent has a few extra storage spaces for backpacks and extra gears. But if you require more space, then you can buy a 3 people tent instead of 2 people tent. This way you can have more interior space in your backpacking tent.
Number of Doors
Most of the 2 people backpacking tents have two doors where few models shave one door. Having two doors in a tent is more convenient than having one door. With two doors getting in and out of the tent is very easy and most of these doors have a vestibule for extra storage space. For a single door backpacking tent, one person has to crawl over his tent mate to get outside which is very annoying. But single door tents weigh less than the double doors tent. Though the weight difference is very marginal, therefore, it is wiser to buy a double door tent.
Durability
No matter what, make sure you always spend money on a durable product, even for a backpacking tent. To check the durability of the tent you have to inspect the “denier” rating of the fabrics. Denier is a measurement of the fabric yarn’s weight. A lower denier indicates a thinner and less durable fabric and a higher denier means a thicker and more durable fabric. You will find the denier rating of the tent floor, canopy, and rainfly in the product description so make sure you check them before buying the tent. The most vulnerable part of a tent is the floor. So you must buy a tent that has a durable floor. However, a higher denier rating means more weight so you have to find a balance between weight and durability.
Price
The price of a tent depends on the tent’s materials, size, features, etc. You should buy a tent based on how often you go out hiking and where you go. If you are an occasional hiker, then there is no point in spending a lot of money in a high-quality backpacking tent though you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a great backpacking tent. But if you backpack a lot, then you should buy a high-quality backpacking tent. Spending money in a quality tent will last for many years and you will save money in the long run. For limitation of budgets, buy a budget-friendly tent that weighs less as most of the cheap tents tend to be much heavier.
How to Set Up a Tent
Final Thoughts
We hope this article was helpful for you to buy the best backpacking tent. The tents we have reviewed above are best from the market and worth the money. While buying the tent, follow our buyer’s guide so that you will be able to pick a backpacking tent model that best suits your hiking requirements.
Reference
- https://www.bigagnes.com/Copper-Spur-HV-UL2-2020
- https://www.msrgear.com/ie/products/tents/hubba-hubba-nx-2-person-backpackingandnbsp%3Btent/06204.html
- https://www.marmot.com/tungsten-2-person-tent-29180.html
- https://www.kelty.com/late-start-1/
Last update on 2023-12-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
