Choosing the best hiking tent

When researching hiking tents you will find an abundance of choices on the market. How can you possibly narrow them down? The best approach is a process of elimination. Budget and weight are the two primary considerations when eliminating hiking tents.

Weight

Consider that Scouts should carry no more than 20 percent of their body weight when hiking. Backpack, tent, and sleeping bag make up a high proportion of that weight, so a lightweight tent is critical to achieving the target weight. Arguably, weight becomes less of a consideration for the older Scouts, but any weight saved is worthwhile regardless as the older Scouts are then able to carry shared patrol equipment such as first aid kits, food, or cooking equipment.

As this article is being written during the COVID-19 pandemic, current restrictions are a tent per person, so weight becomes even more important. The previous practice of splitting a tent across multiple packs is not currently an option. With that in mind, eliminate any tents that weigh over 2 kg in your research.

Budget

As a general rule, quality hiking tents get more expensive as they get lighter. Ultralight pegs, poles, and materials are significantly more costly to manufacture and the market is significantly smaller than for the cheaper tents. There are, however, a few great exceptions that strike a really good balance between weight and cost.

Quality

Poor quality tents won't perform in wind or rain, putting the occupants at risk of exposure to the elements in poor weather. It is better to pay a bit more for a quality tent. If well looked after, a quality tent can last a lifetime.

Cheapest

Oztrail Tasman 2 Person Dome Tent

Oztrail Tasman

  • Weight 2.0 kg
  • Price $34.95 (on sale at the time of writing down from $54.99)
  • Style: Dome
  • Pack size: 54 cm x 13 cm x 13 cm
  • Climate rating: 2 season
  • From Freddys

A great basic tent suitable for use in moderate to warmer weather. It offers a spacious design with good headroom and is a reasonable weight at 2 kg. Although waterproof, it likely won't do all that well in a heavy prolonged downpour.

Best all-rounder

Coleman Ridgeline 2 Person

Coleman Ridgeline

  • Weight: 1.75 kg
  • Price $134.90
  • Style: Tunnel
  • Pack size: 44 cm x 15 cm x 15 cm
  • Climate rating: 3 seasons
  • From Snowys

Several of our Scouts own one of these and feedback has been positive. A downside is that it doesn't have a lot of headroom, so it is necessary to crawl in and out. It's 3 season rating means it is able to handle colder weather, even very light snow.

Clever ultra-light

Drop + Dan Durston X-MID 1 Person Tent

Dan Durston X-Mid 1P

  • Weight: 0.8 kg (without required trekking poles)
  • Price USD $200
  • Style: Pyramid trekking pole tent
  • Pack size: 30.5 cm x 12.7 cm x 12.7 cm
  • Climate rating: 3 seasons
  • From Drop.com

For those looking to save weight as much as possible, this tent is ideal, weighing just 800 grams. Assembly requires two trekking poles (see below for options), so they will add to the overall weight, but they serve a very useful purpose when hiking. Two poles will add 300 to 400 grams, which still makes this the lightest tent in the group. Setup is very easy, just peg out 4 corners, then insert, extend and lock the trekking poles.

Trekking pole options: