- Excellent Rainfly
- Dual entry - No Climbing Over Each other
- Awesome height for maneuvering
- Expensive footprint - We just used our tarp
- Some complained of zippers getting stuck during rain. We did not experience this.
- Easy assembly, ,
- UV and Waterproof
- Vestibules for extra storage space, ,
- Secure bathtub style floor
- 5.7 pounds packed
- Some people have complained about the zippers
- Lightweight with plenty of space
- 2 doors for easy entry and exit
- 2 vestibules for extra storage space
- Reliable zippers and stitching
- Heavier rainfly
- Also the rain fly material seemed to be a bit small to easily zip it all up. It almost felt like the zipper might break zipping it up
- Condensation build up in humid weather
- The vent on the fly can be noisy especially in windy conditions
- Easy setup with simple pole and clip on tent attachments
- Dual ventilation on the tent and the rainfly helps in the warmer months
- Compression sack helps to squeeze the tent down to a manageable size
- Not great in heavy rain and strong winds
- Strong waterproofed Fly and Bottom
- Lightweight at under 4 pounds
- Comfortably fits 2 people with all your gear/3 people for a tight fit
- Poles seem a bit cheap and flimsy
- Good space for 2 people plus gear
- Bathtub style flooring and tough stitching keep water out.
- LED lights for easier night time setup
- Inexpensive under $70
- Heavy for a 2 person tent at 5 and a half pounds
- LED's need charging which is not always available for the lightweight backpacker
- Under $50
- Comfy for one person with a full size air mattress
- Good circulation
- Very easy and basic setup
- Great rain and weather protection
- Tight fit for 2 people plus sleeping bags and gear
- Some leakage under extreme weather conditions
- Manageable weight at just under 6 pounds
- Good ventilation without the rainfly
- 2 vestibules on each side for extra storage room
- Bad zipper
- Low ventilation with the rainfly
- Condensation build up
- Easy setup
- 10 feet of Vestibule space,
- Durable coated floor and rainfly,
- Ultralight tent at 3 pounds
- Extra internal pockets
- Only 1 door
- Small space for 2 people
- Not a lot of ventilation with the rainfly on
- Affordable price
- Good water protection
- Pop Up for easy set up
- Poorly designed rainfly collects water in puddles
- Hard to break down for 1 person
- Cheap poles and zippers break easily
- Nice big mesh windows
- ALPS' limited lifetime warranty
- Good size for 2 people plus gear
- Weatherproof coated rainfly and floor
- Fiberglass poles take away some durability
- No vestibule
- Bad ventilation with the rainfly
- Heavy for a lightweight tent
- Lightweight at 4 pounds
- Strong inner tent and rainfly construction
- Breathable
- 2 doors for easy entrance and exit
- Very easy setup
- Inside not as roomy as we'd like
- Problems with the zipper catching on tent material
- Inexpensive tent,
- Ultralightweight
- Good weather coating on the floor and the side walls
- Super simple setup
- Usually found for under $30
- Built cheap
- the material tends to rip easily
- Too tight for 2 people
- Good size for 2 people
- Plenty of mesh for air circulation
- Easy setup
- Water-resistant floor, and fly
- Made cheaply,
- Tears easily
- Zippers easily broken
People | 2 |
Seasons | 3 |
Weight | 2 lbs. 12 oz. |
Packed Dimensions | 4" x 19.5" |
Assembled Dimensions | 88"L x 52/42"W X 40"H |
Rainfly | Yes |
Current Price | Price not available |
Many of our complaints about two-person tents are the fact that they are just not actually big enough to sleep two people comfortably. Luckily the Big Agnes Copper Spur makes sharing a tent with even your worst enemy.
People | 2 |
Seasons | 4 |
Weight | 5.7 lbs |
Packed Dimensions | 7"L x 7"W x 17"H |
Assembled Dimensions | 82.6"L x 35.4"W x 39.3"H |
Current Price | $75.65 |
The Luxe Tempo 2 person, 4 season tent is a great freestanding, easy set up tent that’s perfect for year-round outdoor adventures. The fixed, freestanding pole system is one continuous pole where the sections are all joined by shock cord making it simple to set up for even the novice backpacker.
People | 2 |
Seasons | 3 |
Weight | 5.9 lbs |
Packed Dimensions | 8"L x 8"W x 17.5"H |
Assembled Dimensions | 90"L x 60"W x 46"H |
Current Price | $161.71 |
The ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 2-Person Tent is the perfect lightweight tent to fit 2 average size people with a couple of bags quite easily. The Lynx provides mostly mesh walls to keep fresh air flowing throughout the night while providing a view of the night sky.
Read our full review of the ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 2P Tent
People | 2 |
Seasons | 3 |
Weight | 3.4 |
Packed Dimensions | 6"L x 6"W x 18"H |
Assembled Dimensions | 84"L x 50"W x 39"H |
Current Price | Price not available |
The MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2 Backpacking Tent is a great lightweight backpacking tent, perfect for the solo backpacker or for 2 people who don’t mind tighter space. Setting up the Hubba takes less than 5 minutes to do.
People | 2 |
Seasons | 3 |
Weight | 4.4 |
Packed Dimensions | 6"L x 6"W x 16"H |
Assembled Dimensions | 80"L x 51"W x 43"H |
Current Price | Price not available |
The Topnaca Naturehike 2 person, 3 season tent offers amazing quality at under $100. This lightweight tent helps keep your pack light weighing in at under 4 pounds.
People | 2 |
Seasons | 3 |
Weight | 5.4 lbs |
Packed Dimensions | 5.9"L x 5.9"W x 18.5"H |
Assembled Dimensions | 82.7"L x 55.1"W x 43.3"H |
Current Price | Price not available |
The Campla 2 person backpacking tent is a great shelter that is extremely durable even for a long term backpacking trip. For $60 you get a really great tent. There’s enough space to easily fit 2 people with gear with a mesh ceiling to enjoy the night sky.
People | 2 |
Seasons | 3 |
Weight | 6.3 lbs |
Packed Dimensions | 6"L x 6"W x 24"H |
Assembled Dimensions | 84"L x 60"W x 48"H |
Current Price | $57.92 |
The Sundome 2 Person Tent is perfect for the single backpacker who doesn’t mind a little extra weight to carry for the extra space you get. Setup is very easy by simply running 2 poles through the included continuous pole sleeves and should take even a novice backpacker less than 10 minutes to set up.
People | 2 |
Seasons | 4 |
Weight | 5.7 lbs |
Packed Dimensions | 10"L x 4"W x 16"H |
Assembled Dimensions | 83"L x 82"W x 45"H |
Current Price | $115.98 |
The Geertop 2 person, 4 season tent is an extremely robust tent especially for those camping in the snow. The weight is manageable clocking in just under 6 pounds.
People | 2 |
Seasons | 3 |
Weight | 3.8 lbs |
Packed Dimensions | 12"L x 3"W x 14"H |
Assembled Dimensions | 88"L x 55"W x 43"H |
Current Price | $149.95 |
The Kelty Salida is a very durable 2 person tent. At first glance, the Kelty 2 doesn’t seem like much but once you dive into the details you’ll see why this lightweight, 2 person tent was awarded the 2011 Backpacker Editor’s Choice Award.
People | 2 |
Seasons | 3 |
Weight | 5 lbs |
Packed Dimensions | 3"L x 3"W x 30"H |
Assembled Dimensions | 90"L x 53"W x 35"H |
Current Price | Price not available |
The Coleman Pop Up Tent is a great tent for camping beginners. Set up could not be easier as it literally pops open and be handled easily by one person. Folding up, on the other hand, takes some practice and can be tricky to be done by one person.
People | 2 |
Seasons | 3 |
Weight | 7.7 lbs |
Packed Dimensions | 6"L x 6"W x 24"H |
Assembled Dimensions | 90"L x 60"W x 48"H |
Current Price | Price not available |
The ALPS Mountaineering Meramac 2 Tent is a great lightweight tent with enough space to snugly fit a queen sized air mattress. Perfect for summertime backpacking or car camping. No vestibule on this one so everything’s going inside.
People | 2 |
Seasons | 3 |
Weight | 5 |
Packed Dimensions | 16.9"L x 5.5"W x 16.9"H |
Assembled Dimensions | 92"L x 48"W x 88"H |
Current Price | No products found. |
The Weanas 3 season backpacking tent is a great lightweight backpacking tent that can be purchased in several different sizes in 2,3,4 person tents. Weighing in at around 4 pounds it is one of the lighter tents we’ve tried and setting it up was a breeze.
People | 2 |
Seasons | 2 |
Weight | 3.3 |
Packed Dimensions | 4.8"L x 2.8"W x 23.6"H |
Assembled Dimensions | 78.7"L x 59.9"W x 39.4"H |
Current Price | Price not available |
The Techcell 2 Person Waterproof Camping Tent is a low cost 2 person tent that works well for beginning campers or a backup for more experienced camping families. Although the Techcell is sold as a 2 person tent, to fit two people inside would be a tight fit. It’s more appropriate for 1 person with gear.
People | 3 |
Seasons | 3 |
Weight | 11.70 |
Packed Dimensions | 8"L x 7"W x 31"H |
Assembled Dimensions | 91"L x 83"W x 57"H |
Current Price | Price not available |
The Yonovo Instant Dome Tent is a great summertime tent. The mesh roof allows plenty of cool breezes and inside can easily fit 3 people comfortably or 2 with an air mattress. 4 would definitely be pushing it on this one
The time of year you decide to go camping will determine the kind of tent you choose.
A good backpacking tent should give you protection from extreme weather conditions along with keeping you warm, dry, and safe.
3 season tents are meant for spring, summer, and fall and provide enough circulation to ventilate the warmer air.
3 season tents are typically lighter weight made from lower density nylon and polyester.
Always be sure to check the DENIER and THREAD COUNT rating, meaning the number next to the “D” and “T” in the materials description (30D nylon, 330T Polyester).
The higher the number, the heavier the tent will be.. but also the more durable it is.
Rip-stop nylon is also heavier.
Most 3 season tents are built with extra mesh walls for more ventilation with a lightweight rain-fly to be added on as needed.
These are known as double walled tents for the 2 walls of layering.
For those lightweight backpackers traversing the cold and snow, go with a 4 season tent.
A bivy sack will also work great for colder conditions.
As opposed to the 3 season tent, the 4 season will not offer the extra ventilation.
4 season tents are built for winter so they will be made with heavier materials with little to no mesh screens.
A 4 season tent can get very hot in the warmer months but can be fine in the early spring and mid to late fall months.
Don’t feel constrained if you have a 4 season tent to not use it outside of winter, although we do caution against a 3 season tent in the colder months of the year.
Doors and Vestibules
If you plan on traveling with 2 people, then look for an ultralight 2 person backpacking tent with 2 doors.
There are plenty of 2 person tents with one door, but they are very inconvenient for 2 people to easily get in and out of.
2 Person backpacking tents with 2 doors make entry and exit much easier instead of constantly having to crawl over each other.
Ideally, in a tent, you want to do as little walking around as possible.
2 doors make it easier to get in and out of with less stepping around.
Also having the option to open both doors and create a cross draft in the warmer months will make your tent a nice place to lay and enjoy the outdoors.
Air ventilation is one of the most important qualities in a tent, otherwise, condensation and body heat can build up making the tent more uncomfortable.
Also look for tents with VESTIBULES as these give campers more storage space and provide a nice overhang to enjoy the outdoors while protected from sun and rain.
Vestibules will also help the durability and longevity of your tent.
By keeping your muddy, smelly gear outside you help preserve the interior of the tent and keeping it livable, not to mention extra space to lay out.
Freestanding Tent vs. Staked Tent
A lot of people will go for freestanding tents simply because they are easier and quicker to pitch.
Even a beginning camper can have a freestanding tent setup in less than a minute.
Because of their simple design, they can also be set up almost anywhere and seem to be more durable.
The downside to a freestanding tent is that they’re heavier, and not good in windy conditions.
Regular, non-freestanding tents on the other hand use guylines, stakes and trekking poles.
They weigh a little less but pitching them requires more time and space, not to mention the extra stuff you have to bring to set them up in the 1st place.
The biggest advantage of a staked tent is its flexibility when setting up and when packed down.
Staked tents are also better in extreme weather.
There is a small learning curve when it comes to setting up a staked tent.
But once you’ve got the knowledge, the process of setting up and breaking down any tent can be quite easy.