Best Backpacking Tents

If you are going backpacking then you will need the freedom to carry your sleeping gear with you wherever you go. Your tent will need to be lightweight and quick to set up and take down again. Backpacking tents are designed to be a manageable weight if you are walking or cycling and generally have capacity for no more than 2 people. Both 3-season and 4 season tents are available as backpackers go camping in all weather conditions!

Backpacking Tents Features

These are the typical features you will need to bear in mind when you start looking to choose backpacking tents.

• Ventilation – since they are small and compact they are more prone to condensation compared to larger tents. In addition since the interior is compact you are far more likely to brush up against the sides of the tent when inside and moving around and this is where the condensation collects. To try and minimize this make sure there are plenty of mesh vents and that you keep them open especially during the night.
• Setting up – the best backpacking tents will have an easy setup procedure with options for pitching. For example you should be able to erect the inner tent and flysheet at the same time with corner tension straps for providing a stable shape. Also if it is very warm weather then the option to use just the flysheet alone and remove the inner tent is great for cutting down weight even more.
• Pole system – generally there will be one pole only (poles take up the most weight so you don’t want many of them!) that holds the tent up by creating a loop from one corner to the other. This pole will be designed to use ultra lightweight aluminum. Since there is only one pole you will need guy ropes to stake out the tent to make it stable.

The MSR Mutha Hubba has been voted one of the best backpacking tents this season in terms of how lightweight it is although a few people have disagreed and feel it could be lighter still.