There are many things that need to be considered when buying a tent for use on a hiking trip, and the large number of backpacking tents or 1 man tent now available can sometimes seem to turn it into an impossible choice. However, by following a few simple rules, and thinking about what kind of attributes you need from your backpacking tent, the choice can be narrowed down fairly quickly and can be made much easier.
Lightweight options
In general, a tent of this kind needs to have some general specifications if it needs to be used on a hiking trip, including being lightweight so that it can be carried without problem by a single person, and coupled with this it needs to have a very strong and weatherproof covering, particularly if you’re doing backpacking in the fall or spring season, when the weather can be anything but perfect on some occasions. But apart from that most tents can be chosen to fill purely personal specifications, including the number of people that will use the tent, and what extra accessories you need to go with the tent in order to make your trip and camping experience as comfortable as possible.
So the first choice really comes down to whether you are buying a single tent, suitable for sheltering one person, a two-person tent, or a family tent designed specifically for larger groups of people, usually four to six people, though some family tents, usually of the cabin tent variety, can accommodate up to eight people or even more.
Off the foor styles
A single person tent is one of the most popular tents, especially among young backpackers, who may want to have a tent that is as light to carry as possible, something which is essential if you will be doing some climbing as part of your trip or hiking over rough terrain. This kind of tent, sometimes known as a bivouac [or bivy tent] is usually among the smallest tents, and can be carried in a very compact space, even in a regular backpack. Some single-person types are little more than a sleeping bag with a waterproof cover, though many will give a little bit more space, while some of them can be placed on a tripod, sometimes known as an off-the-floor tent, since this tent will not touch the floor, and can stop it from getting damp or from rainwater getting in. These tents are usually made out of lightweight nylon, which really helps to keep the weight down.
A 2-person tent will obviously carry a little bit more weight, though a lightweight version is a fairly common thing nowadays, since again the tent material will often be lightweight nylon or some other synthetic material. These tents will often be carried in a backpack or sometimes can be used in a bike bag if cycling is part of the hiking itinerary.
Hiking tent choices
For hiking in the spring season, or the fall, you’d need to ensure that you have any extremely waterproof cover, whilst in the summer you should look at an open air tent, which will help with keeping cool and proper ventilation, and also to make sure that you have mosquito netting or some form of protection to keep out other bugs. A 2-person tent will often need more time to put up a single person type, and will often use tent poles to make for more space.
For those looking to go backpacking or hiking in a large group, it’s a good idea to look at a family tent, since these will give storage for a group up to 10 people. Because these tents will tend to be large, it will usually be a case of one person having to carry the tent, while the other people will carry the provisions and camping essentials. If the group is fairly small, a four person tent could be fine, since this will have the advantage that it can be fairly lightweight and therefore not a burden when walking over rough terrain.
Large accommodation
A family dome tent can be a good choice when backpacking, since these are not only lightweight but also gave very decent-sized accommodation, along with being very easy to put up, especially if they are of the pop-up variety. By taking a look at some tents which are classed as self-erecting, you could find the perfect tent for this situation.
A few models that cover most needs include the Eureka Pinnacle Pass two-person backpacking tent, a dome tent with two storage vestibules. The tent has two doors, windows, and roof vents, and two mesh gear pockets. It is suitable for wilderness camping, and is a three-season type with lightweight aluminum frame with bathtub floor and fly seams. Giving a floor size of 7 feet 5 inches x 4 feet 11 inches, with a height of 3 feet 7.5 inches, it has nylon taffeta walls and uses 1.9-ounce StormShield polyester for the fly fabrics. Another backpacking tent, but with a 4-person capacity, is the Kelty Grand Mesa, a 1 room tent with dimensions 8 feet x 6.6 feet and a weight of just over 8 lbs. It has a vestibule and uses two poles for support.
Two man tent
If you’re looking for a top-of-the-range tent, the MSR Carbon Reflex 2-man backpacking tent could be the thing. Costing around $500, the MSR is a lightweight double-wall, freestanding tent with nylon fabric walls and carbon fiber poles. It is a 3-season tent with vestibule and mesh paneling for good ventilation. A few other tent suppliers worth considering include Big Agnes, Coleman and Gigatent.
Some of the main backpacking tent supplies also include North Face and Big Agnes, especially if you’re looking for larger models. For some of the smaller hiking tents, Black Diamond is worthwhile looking at. However, no matter which supplier you choose, make sure you think about the various scenarios outlined above, and you should easily be able to find a tent which is just right for your backpacking trip, one which is lightweight and gives you the right accommodation for your needs.
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