With the holidays just around the corner, you may be wondering what to get that special person in your life who loves the outdoors. Or, you might be looking to give your loved ones some ideas for yourself!
Whether you are new to backpacking or a seasoned adventurer looking for a tent upgrade, you can be sure to find some quality options both online and in stores all over the country.
There are a few key qualities and characteristics to consider when looking for a new tent no matter where you look: price, weight, size and extra features. For our purposes here, all tents in this article are sized as a two-person backpacking tent.
We’ve narrowed our list down to a variety of tents ranging from budget-friendly options all the way to premium best-in-class options, giving you a great jumping-off point for finding your next piece of gear.
Best 2-man tents for backpacking
Entry level tents: less than $200
If you are just exploring backpacking for the first time and want to be independent with your own gear — or if you’re just looking for some budget-friendly options — these tents are a great place to start.
Kelty Late Start 2
Price: $160
Weight: 4lbs., 8 oz.
Floor area: 29.5 square feet
Pros – This tent is on the lighter side for budget-friendly tents and helps lighten the load of your pack. The mesh is so fine you can easily see through it to gaze at stars on a clear night. It is quick to assemble and does a great job staying dry during storms.
Cons – With this being a two-person tent, access in and out of the tent is limited to only one door. There is only one vestibule for gear storage, and it happens to be a bit smaller than other budget-friendly tents.
The North Face Stormbreak 2
Price: $185
Weight: 5 lbs., 14 oz.
Floor area: 30.56 square feet
Pros – This freestanding tent offers two doors and two vestibules for easy access. It provides ample headroom and lots of interior storage pockets. The Stormbreak 2 is incredibly easy to assemble and does a great job keeping the interior dry during wet weather.
Cons – Unlike other tents on the market, the footprint for this tent must be purchased separately. This tent is a bit on the heavy end for backpacking but gets the job done!
REI Co-op Trail Hut 2
Price: $199
Weight: 5 lbs., 15 oz.
Floor area: 31.7 square feet
Pros – This tent’s rain fly doors have multiple configurations and flexible styles to fit your needs. The footprint is included with the tent purchase, thereby reducing the need to buy more things to complete the tent. Vestibules are spacious and provide ample room to store gear.
Cons – The biggest downside of this tent for backpacking is the weight. Coming in at nearly six pounds, it adds noticeable weight to your pack. There is also limited storage space with interior pockets on the inside.
Mid-range tents: $200 to $400
If you are ready to pull the trigger on an above-basic tent, these options will meet your needs of optimum functionality for just the right price.
REI Co-op Half Dome SL 2+
Price: $329
Weight: 4 lbs., 11.5 oz.
Floor area: 33.75 square feet
Pros – This tent offers impeccable interior space and sleeps quite comfortably. The footprint is included with your purchase and offers color coding with the poles to provide easy assembly.
Cons – For the price, this is not necessarily a light option but makes a great tent for shorter trips. Due to its spacious size, it does not pack down very small.
Gossamer Gear The Two
Price: $375
Weight: 1 lb., 15 oz.
Floor area: 26.25 square feet
Pros – Yes, you read that correctly, this tent is less than two pounds! There are two doors for easy access and spacious vestibules to store gear. There is plenty of interior storage space and is quite durable. This is an amazing price for such a lightweight tent.
Cons – Due to the single wall design, condensation can be an issue in certain environments and cooler temperatures. Part of the lightweight design is using trekking poles to prop up the tent instead of manufactured poles — this makes carrying trekking poles essential to the tent design.
Mountain Hardwear Nimbus UL 2
Price: $400
Weight: 2 lbs., 4 oz.
Floor Area: 28.1 square feet
Pros – This tent has enough space for two people to comfortably share the space while being light enough for one person to carry it on their own. The overhead pocket offers easy access to store lightweight items such as gloves or your headlamp.
Cons – The single door makes access to the tent limited, especially if sharing with a companion for the night. The stakes that come with the tent are low quality but can be easily replaced. The interior pockets do not provide much usability due to size and placement within the tent.
Premium: $400+
These tents hone in on performance and aim to find the perfect balance of light weight and optimal functionally.
Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL 2
Price: $450
Weight: 2 lbs., 8 oz.
Floor Area: 28 square feet
Pros – Most lightweight tents struggle with condensation issues, yet this one shines above with its double wall construction. Two doors provide easy access, and the interior pockets are massive, providing excellent storage on the inside.
Cons – The vestibules are on the smaller side compared to comparable tents. Due to the lightweight nature of the tent, the materials are less durable and more likely to malfunction or break if not properly taken care of.
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2
Price: $550
Weight: 3lbs., 2 oz.
Floor Area: 29 square feet
Pros – The fly doors are versatile and can be configured in a variety of ways, including creating an awning with the use of trekking poles. The tent door has two zipper tracks instead of the typical one track with two zippers. This perfectly places the zippers in an intuitive place on the door in case you need to quickly zip/unzip to retrieve your things.
Cons – The biggest downside for many lightweight tents, including this one, is the fragility of the materials used to construct the tent.
Nemo Hornet Elite Ultralight 2P
Price: $600
Weight: 2 lbs., 1 oz.
Floor Area: 27.3 square feet
Pros – This incredibly lightweight tent also packs down really well to fit into your pack. It is very simple to pitch and set up. As a bonus, the tent contains recycled materials to be more sustainable with production.
Cons – The two biggest cons for this tent are the price and the durability. While this is the most expensive tent listed, it may also be the least resilient to windy conditions.
Regardless of your skill-level and backpacking experience, you are sure to find a tent that suits your needs!
Happy camping!
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Featured photo courtesy Pixabay/Pexels
Amy has lived most of her life in Washington state and enjoys baking and adventuring with her dog, Ki. Her favorite thing about the Pacific Northwest is the four seasons and the access to mountains and other outdoor activities.
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