By Michael Lanza
A good backpacking tent not only makes your trips more comfortable by keeping you warm and dry in foul weather—it’s critical safety gear and one of the heaviest and most expensive items you’ll carry. Those facts alone are motivation enough to find the right tent for your style of backpacking. But how do you choose from the many models out there, which come in a huge range of designs, weights, and prices? Whether you’re shopping for your first backpacking shelter or looking to replace an old one, this review will help make that choice easy for you.
I’ve tested scores of backpacking tents over more than a quarter-century of testing and reviewing gear—including the 10 years I spent as Backpacker magazine’s lead gear reviewer and even longer running this blog. This article covers my picks for the 10 top-performing, three-season backpacking tents available today—eight two-person models, one ultralight solo tent, and a modular shelter that variability serves one to two people—with links to my complete review of each one. I think you’ll find at least one tent here that’s perfect for you.
Each of these tents is different enough from the others to give you clear choices, and they range from midweight to ultralight—because I believe every ounce should be justified in the gear I carry. The tents are listed from lightest to heaviest. The comparison chart below offers a quick look at specs and features that distinguish these tents from one anotherand offers an overall rating based on specific criteria that are detailed in a ratings chart at the bottom of each tent’s complete review.
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Spend your money smartly when picking out the right tent for your adventures: Start with my “5 Expert Tips For Buying a Backpacking Tent” and “Ultralight Backpacking Tents: How to Choose One.” (Both of those stories require a subscription to read in full.) And see all reviews of backpacking tents at The Big Outside.
Grab one of these tents and your days on the trail—with a lighter pack—will improve as much as your nights in camp.
Please share your thoughts and questions about these tents or others you like in the comments section at the bottom of this story. I try to respond to all comments.
| Model | Score (1-5) | Price | Weight | Floor Area | Peak Height | Doors | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyperlite Mountain Gear Mid-1 | 4.4 | $599 | 16.8 oz./ 476.3g | 21 sq. ft./ 2 sq. m | 54 ins./ 137cm | 1 | * Hybrid single-wall with tough, waterproof Dyneema fabric and good ventilation. * Pitches with one trekking pole. * Excellent space-to-weight ratio. |
| Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultamid 2 | 4.3 | $699 | 1 lb. 2 oz./ 510g | 63 sq. ft./ 5.9 sq. m | 64 ins./ 163cm | 1 | * Superior space-to-weight ratio, headroom, durability, stability. * Modular components * Pitches with trekking poles. * Good ventilation. |
| SlingFin SplitWing Shelter Bundle | 4.3 | $355 | 1 lb. 5 oz./ 595g | 27-37.8 sq. ft./ 2.5-3.5 sq. m | 39-51 ins./ 99-130cm | 1 | * Modular components * Variable space-to-weight ratio and headroom. * Pitches with trekking poles. * Good stability, ventilation. |
| MSR Freelite 2 | 4.5 | $450 | 2 lbs./ 907g | 29 sq. ft./ 2.7 sq. m | 39 ins./ 99cm | 2 | * A two-door, double-wall tent weighing just 2 lbs. * Excellent space-to-weight ratio, headroom, ventilation, stability. * Easy to pitch. |
| Nemo Hornet Osmo 2p | 4.4 | $430 | 2 lbs. 1 oz./ 948g | 27.5 sq. ft./ 2.6 sq. m | 39 ins./ 98cm | 2 | * A two-door, double-wall tent barely over 2 lbs. * Good space-to-weight ratio, headroom, ventilation, stability. * Easy to pitch. |
| Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 Solution Dye | 4.4 | $450 | 2 lbs. 3 oz./ 992g | 28 sq. ft./ 2.6 sq. m | 39 ins./ 99cm | 2 | * A two-door, double-wall tent barely over 2 lbs. * Good space-to-weight ratio, headroom, ventilation, stability. * Easy to pitch. |
| Sea to Summit Alto TR2 | 4.4 | $549 | 2 lbs. 9 oz./ 1162g | 27 sq. ft./ 2.5 sq. m | 42.5 ins./ 108cm | 2 | * Good balance of low weight and livability. * Good headroom. * Functional design details. * Good ventilation, stability. |
| Nemo Dragonfly Osmo 2p | 4.7 | $500 | 2 lbs. 10 oz./ 1191g | 29 sq. ft./ 2.7 sq. m | 41 ins./ 104cm | 2 | * Very good space-to-weight ratio and headroom. * Well-featured for sub-3 lbs. * Easy to pitch. * Spacious vestibules. |
| SlingFin 2Lite | 4.5 | $505 | 2 lbs. 10 oz./ 1191g | 28.5 sq. ft./ 2.6 sq. m | 41 ins./ 104cm | 2 | * Good space-to-weight ratio. * Very stable. * Optional pitch with trekking poles. * Spacious vestibules. |
| Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 | 4.7 | $550 | 2 lbs. 11 oz./ 1219g | 29 sq. ft./ 2.7 sq. m | 40 ins./ 102cm | 2 | * Very good space-to-weight ratio and headroom. * Very well-featured for sub-3 lbs. * Easy to pitch. * Awning rainfly doors. |
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Mid-1
$599, 16.8 oz./476.3g
hyperlitemountaingear.com
For three nights in the Wind River Range, this non-freestanding, ultralight, solo pyramid tent stood up to gusts exceeding 40 mph, plus hard, wind-driven rain for hours on our last night in the Winds and rain on a weeklong hike through Glacier National Park. Made with highly durable and waterproof Dyneema Composite fabrics and weighing under 17 ounces, it pitches using one trekking pole and six stakes. With 21 square feet of interior space and a 54-inch peak height, it offers palatial living space. And the hybrid single-wall design with one mesh wall, two peak vents, and perimeter mesh around the floor creates good high-low venting. The Mid-1 is arguably the best ultralight solo backpacking tent available today.
Read my complete review of the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Mid-1.
BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking either of these affiliate links to purchase theHyperlite Mountain GearMid-1 solo backpacking tent athyperlitemountaingear.com, or theHyperlite Mountain GearMid 1 Tarp athyperlitemountaingear.com.
See also my review of another sturdy, roomy, solo ultralight tent at a great price, the Gossamer Gear The One.
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Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultamid 2
$699, 1 lb. 2 oz./510g
hyperlitemountaingear.com
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultamid 2 Insert with DCF11 Floor
$399, 1 lb. 4.5 oz./581g
hyperlitemountaingear.com
Through nights of steady, cold rain and wind backpacking in the Wind River Range, my 20-year-old son and I enjoyed the cavernous interior of HMG’s Ultamid 2 pyramid-style tarp-tent and Ultamid 2 Insert. Pitching with two trekking poles and weighing two ounces over a pound, this two-person, single-door, well-ventilated, waterproof and highly durable, single-wall shelter sports 63 square feet of floor space and a peak height over five feet—that’s approximately twice the space and half or less the weight of every heavier tent in this review. The separate Ultamid 2 Insert adds a tough bathtub floor and mesh walls while keeping total weight under 2.5 pounds. Although not without shortcomings, it has virtually no competitors for space-to-weight ratio, stability in almost any weather, and durability.
Read my complete review of the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultamid 2 and Ultamid 2 Insert with DCF11 Floor.
You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultamid 2 at backcountry.com or hyperlitemountaingear.com, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultamid 2 Insert at backcountry.com or hyperlitemountaingear.com, any of the various insert or floor options for the Ultamid 2 at hyperlitemountaingear.com, the Ultamid 4 at hyperlitemountaingear.com, and the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultamid Voile Straps at hyperlitemountaingear.com.
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SlingFin SplitWing Shelter Bundle
$355, 1 lb. 5 oz./595g
slingfin.com
From September in Yosemite to early March in the Canyonlands Maze District, in gusts up to 30 mph and rain showers, the SplitWing demonstrated its weather creds. But the story is the three-component SplitWing’s modularity and crazy-low weight that make it one of the lightest and most versatile backpacking shelters available today. Pitching with trekking poles, the SplitWing UL Tarp alone can shelter two backpackers while weighing an almost absurd four ounces per person—with its peak height adjustable from 100cm/39 inches to 130cm/51 inches. Add the removable, 6.8-square-foot vestibule and 24.8-square-foot Mesh Body and it becomes a bug-proof, spacious, 21-ounce solo shelter or tight but (maybe) doable for two. Despite some shortcomings, SlingFin’s SplitWing Shelter has virtually no rivals for minimalist weight, packability, versatility, and affordability.
See my complete review of the SlingFin SplitWing Shelter Bundle and components.
BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase the SlingFin SplitWing Shelter Bundle at slingfin.com or any individual components of it: the SlingFin SplitWing UL Tarp at slingfin.com, the SlingFin SplitWing Mesh Body at slingfin.com, the SlingFin SplitWing Vestibule at slingfin.com, or the SlingFin SplitWing Carbon Poles at slingfin.com.
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MSR Freelite 2
$450, 2 lbs./907g
backcountry.com
Key fact about MSR’s updated Freelite 2: This double-wall, two-door, three-season, semi-freestanding tent weighs roughly three to nine ounces less than very similar tents in this category that have basically the same design… and has more interior space. Backpacking Arizona’s Aravaipa Canyon in April and on two backpacking trips in the Canadian Rockies in August, the Freelite 2’s 29 square feet of floor space and 39-inch peak height proved adequately livable for two of us. It withstood winds of 20 to 30 mph with no trouble and the almost entirely micro-mesh interior walls and the natural cross-ventilation of opposing doors prevented any trace of condensation even on a calm night just above freezing. If you prioritize those qualities in a tent, it stands above the most comparable competitors.
Read my complete review of the MSR Freelite 2.
BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase an MSR Freelite 2 at backcountry.com or msrgear.com, or any Freelite tent model at backcountry.com or msrgear.com.
Planning your next big adventure? See “America’s Top 10 Best Backpacking Trips”
and “Tent Flap With a View: 25 Favorite Backcountry Campsites.”
Nemo Hornet Osmo 2p
$430, 2 lbs. 1 oz./948g
backcountry.com
From a section of the Arizona Trail in April to camping in Idaho’s City of Rocks in June and backpacking in the Canadian Rockies in August, the Hornet Osmo 2p illustrated how it carves a narrow niche within a limited weight class of semi-freestanding, two-person, two-door, double-wall tents weighing precisely or barely over two pounds. For starters, Nemo’s proprietary Osmo fabric uses 100 percent recycled nylon and polyester yarns that boost strength and resistance to water and stretching without using chemicals. Set-up is a snap and its space-to-weight ratio compares with the best ultralight, double-wall tents. Features like the Flybar bridge pole and guy-outs on the exterior walls that clip to the rainfly to pull the walls outward create more space inside. Lastly, with poles that dissemble to just 12 inches long, the Hornet Osmo is more packable than competitors.
Read my complete review of the Nemo Hornet Osmo 2p.
Want a solo version of this tent? See my reviews of the Nemo Hornet Osmo 1p and the even lighter Nemo Hornet Elite Osmo 1p tents.
BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a Nemo Hornet Osmo 2p at backcountry.com or nemoequipment.com, or any Hornet Osmo tent model at backcountry.com or nemoequipment.com, or any Hornet Elite Osmo tent model at backcountry.com or nemoequipment.com.
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Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 Solution Dye
$450, 2 lbs. 3 oz./992g
rei.com
The redesigned, semi-freestanding Tiger Wall UL2 features solution-dyed fabric, made using 80 percent less energy and 50 percent less water. At barely over two pounds, it’s almost in a class all its own among two-door, ultralight tents. Sleeping in it with my wife for four nights backpacking in the Wind River Range, I found the semi-freestanding, hubbed, and color-coded DAC Featherlite pole assembles in seconds and the tent pitches quickly and intuitively. While its biggest tradeoff is space, the 28 square feet and 39-inch peak height compare with two-door tents that weigh several ounces more. Excellent ventilation, design features like dual zippers on the doors and spacious interior pockets make it a leader in this tiny category.
Read my complete review of the Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 Solution Dye.
BUY IT NOWYou can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 Solution Dye at rei.com, or another version of the Tiger Wall Solution Dye tent at backcountry.com or rei.com.
You deserve a better backpack. See “The 10 Best Backpacking Packs”
andthe best ultralight backpacks.
Sea to Summit Alto TR2
$599, 2 lbs. 9 oz./1162g
backcountry.com
The semi-freestanding, two-door, double-wall Alto TR2 weighs barely more than two-and-a-half pounds, but on a five-day hike in Washington’s Pasayten Wilderness it proved far more livable than its 27 square feet of floor space suggests. The recipe is vertical walls, a generous 42.5-inch peak height—and most uniquely, a bridge pole with arms that swing upward, boosting headroom. It kept two of us dry in rain, ventilates very well, stood up to moderate wind, and has smart design details like high-low ventilation and two-way zippers on both the interior and vestibule doors. Pitching it requires a little practice and time, but that’s a minor tradeoff for this nice balance of low weight with stability and comfort.
Read my complete review of the Sea to Summit Alto TR2.
BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase the Sea to Summit Alto TR2 at backcountry.com or seatosummit.com, or another version of the Sea to Summit Alto tent at backcountry.com or seatosummit.com.
Looking for a three-person tent? Take a look at the Sea to Summit Telos TR3 ($699, 4 lbs. 4 oz., fly and footprint pitch 3 lbs. 6 oz., at backcountry.com or seatosummitusa.com), which has a floor area of 39.5 square feet and a cavernous peak height of over 52 inches; or the Sea to Summit Telos TR3 Plus ($749, 4 lbs. 9 oz., fly and footprint pitch 3 lbs. 6 oz., at backcountry.com or seatosummitusa.com), built for pushing your adventures into wintry conditions.
Lighten up with my expert tips in “Ultralight Backpacking Tents: How to Choose One.”
Nemo Dragonfly Osmo 2P
$500, 2 lbs. 10 oz./1191g
nemoequipment.com
There are exactly two fully freestanding, two-person tents on this list with two doors and vestibules that weigh under three pounds, so if that’s what you’re shopping for, you already have a short list. With 29 square feet of floor space, a 41-inch peak height and beaucoup headroom, and spacious vestibules, the Dragonfly’s space-to-weight ratio puts this shelter in an elite class with the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 (below). But more importantly, it’s very appealing to backpackers who want to reduce their pack weight without reducing their living and sleeping space. Besides some nice details, the Dragonfly Osmo 2P is also an ounce lighter and 50 bucks cheaper than its main competitor.
Nemo has updated the Dragonfly for 2023 with the Dragonfly Osmo in one-, two-, and three-person models. It’s virtually identical to the model reviewed here but now made with 100 percent recycled Osmo fabric.
Read my complete review of the nearly identical previous version, the Nemo Dragonfly 2P.
BUY IT NOWYou can support my work on this blog , at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a Nemo Dragonfly Osmo 2P at nemoequipment.com, or another version of the Dragonfly Osmo at backcountry.com or nemoequipment.com.
Score a backcountry permit in popular parks like Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Grand Teton
using my “10 Tips For Getting a Hard-to-Get National Park Backcountry Permit.”
Slingfin 2Lite
$505, 2 lbs. 10 oz./1191g
slingfin.com
Among the various small companies manufacturing ultralight tents with unique designs, few offer the appealing balance of livability, strength, and two doors found in the 2Lite from Slingfin. Pitching with standard DAC tent poles or trekking poles (trimming the weight to 2 lbs. 6 oz.)—with unique guylines that, when installed internally or externally, reinforce the tent’s strength—it stood up to winds of 30 to 40 mph on a hike of nearly 130 miles through the High Sierra, mostly on the John Muir Trail. With a 28.5-square-foot interior, a 41-inch peak height, 89-inch length, and dual 10.5-square-foot vestibules, the 2Lite Trek offers more space and features than found in other tents around 2.5 pounds.
Read my complete review of the Slingfin 2Lite.
BUY IT NOWYou can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking these affiliate links to buy a Slingfin 2Lite at slingfin.com and the 2Lite Trek Conversion Kit at slingfin.com.
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Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2
$550, 2 lbs. 11 oz./1219g
backcountry.com
Sporting features—including two awning-style doors that can be rolled up for maximum ventilation and stargazing, better buckles, and abundant interior pockets—the Copper Spur HV UL2 remains one of the leading choices for backpackers seeking an ultralight tent that doesn’t compromise on sturdiness or livability. DAC Featherlite hubbed poles create steep walls that make the tent feel roomier than its 29 square feet, 40-inch peak height, and 88-inch length. It pitches easily, the vestibules are spacious, ventilation excellent, and the Copper Spur keeps the weather on the outside. If you’re looking for a freestanding, two-door, ultralight tent that doesn’t feel like a two-person coffin, you have very few options, and this tent remains one of the best.
Read my complete review of the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2.
BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog, at no cost to you, by clicking any of these affiliate links to purchase a Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 at backcountry.com or rei.com or another version of the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL series at backcountry.com or rei.com.
See all reviews of backpacking tents, backpacking gear and ultralight backpacking gear at The Big Outside.
Don’t miss my picks for “The Best Backpacking Gear” of the year. And make sure you’re packing everything that’s important with “An Essentials-Only Backpacking Gear Checklist.”
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Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned backpacker, you’ll learn new tricks for making all of your trips go better in my “12 Expert Tips for Planning a Backpacking Trip,” “A Practical Guide to Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking,” and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.” With a paid subscription to The Big Outside, you can read all of those three stories for free; if you don’t have a subscription, you can download the e-guide versions of “12 Expert Tips for Planning a Backpacking Trip,” the lightweight and ultralight backpacking guide, and “How to Know How Hard a Hike Will Be.”
NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See my Gear Reviews page at The Big Outside for categorized menus of all of my reviews and my expert buying tips.
