Backpacking Tents

Shelters Designed for Nights in the Wilderness

Whether hiking the John Muir Trail or trekking the Appalachian Trail, when it comes to that moment when the night arrives and you can pause your journey, the shelter of a tent will provide you with a dry and comfortable place to close your eyes and reflect in detail on all the stunning views and unusual events that you witnessed that day.  A one-person backpacking tent is the lightest option for these solo adventures and they provide you with enough room to sleep comfortably and store your gear in the vestibule.  A lightweight two-person tent can also be a good option for solo backpackers.  They provide more interior space and you will have more room for gear storage.  They also have features such as multiple doors and vestibules, and of course, they can fit two individuals in close quarters when called upon.  An ultralight tent will lighten the load making the climb up and the descend down less arduous on a very long trek.  

THE BASICS

Season Rating- Three-season shelters are built for spring, summer, and fall trips where you’ll need shelter from the rain and adequate ventilation to keep the condensation in the interior to a minimum. Although three-season tents can handle light snow, they are not made for heavy snow or harsh winter conditions.

Free Standing- A free standing design means that after attaching the poles to the tent body, it has a solid structure and it can stand completely on its own.  The key benefits of a free standing tent is that they are simple to setup and that they are easy to move from one area of a campsite to another.

Semi-Free Standing- With a semi-freestanding design, you must stake out one end of the tent to give the tent a solid structure. A semi-freestanding tent is designed to keep weight at a minimum.

Non-free Standing- Non-freestanding tents use stakes, guylines, and trekking poles to give structure to the tent. They save weight by cutting out the tent poles, but require more time and space to pitch.

Packaged weight – It refers to the weight of all parts of the tent which includes the tent body, rainfly, poles, guylines, tent stakes and stuff sack, plus any accessories it comes with.

Minimum trail weight - It includes the tent body, the rainfly, and the poles. This measurement usually excludes tent stakes, guy lines, and stuff sacks.

Footprint- These simple ground cloths go beneath your tent to provide an extra layer of protection and will help extend the life of your tent floor.