The Best Tents for Backpacking in the Summer
Summer is the stress-free time of our lives—a season where all people enjoy their free time with their families or loved ones, away from stress. You’re here because you’ve probably ticked the box beside camping on your bucket list of various activities that you are planning to do in the summer. And if we are talking about camping, it will not be complete without bringing a tent.
You are probably looking for one of the best backpacking family tents on the market, and you have come to the right place. Below, we have listed the best family tents that are rated on performance based on a handful of vital metrics, including their comfort and weather resistance—this will help you figure out the best family tent for your adventure.
Best Overall
NEMO Dragonfly 2
The NEMO Dragonfly 2 has the features that are needed for comfortable camping. It’s lightweight and spacious enough, which makes it a convenient tent to take for camping. It has two double side doors, two-toned mesh if you want some privacy and a wind-resistant lower sidewall. The material throughout the tent is durable, and the trapezoidal rainfly stays tight and noise-free in the wind, which is a rare feature in a tent. With 41 inches of headroom and 29 square feet of interior space and a length of 88 inches, this design makes a comfortable space for people who are six feet tall to have a comfortable sleep and have enough head-to-toe length when lying down and enough room for sitting up.
Pros and Cons
- Exceptional vestibule area
- Sturdy in wind
- Many storage pockets
- Tapered width is narrow at feet
- Expensive
Buy 3-person NEMO Dragonfly 2 at Amazon: $500.80
Buy 2-person NEMO Dragonfly 2 at Amazon: $449.95
Buy 1-person NEMO Dragonfly 2 at Amazon: $399.95
Best Ultralight Backpacking Tent
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 has a full packaged weight of 3 pounds 1 ounce, the tent stuffs down to 6 x 19.5 inches, and it is spacious enough for two people to comfortably sleep, and still fits back into its bag pouch. This tent is also lightweight, its fabrics are light and thin but still embody a quality feel. In addition, this tent is resilient to windy and rainy conditions, providing warmth and shelter when it’s raining cats and dogs outside. And thanks to its fly that sits low to the ground and a tall bathtub floor, it does a superb job of blocking splashing water as well as blowing dust.
Pros and Cons
- Above-average space-to-weight ratio
- Comfortable for two people
- Massive storage pockets
- Sturdy
- Fly and tent doors don’t align well
- Tapered foot
Buy Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL at Amazon: $549.95
Best Lightweight Backpacking Tent
Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2
With a packaged weight of 2 pounds 8 ounces, the Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 is one of the lightest tents on the market, and it is quite an option if you like the idea of ultralight but you still want to feel the comfort and have an easy setup. It’s lighter than the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 and easily defeats popular options like Nemo’s Dagger and MSR’s Hubba Hubba NX which are all in the freestanding category; its light weight makes it a true competitor in the semi and freestanding subcategories.
Pros and Cons
- Two large side doors
- Excellent headroom for a tent this size.
- Lightweight
- The center ridgepole makes the tent more livable inside.
- Made with high-quality materials
- Strange door and fly zipper configurations
- The semi-freestanding structure is difficult to set up on rock and splashback can hit mesh walls in heavy rain.
- No tension adjusters at the foot of the fly
Buy Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 at Amazon: $399.95
Best Affordable Family Tent
Coleman Cabin Tent
If you want to go camping with ease in one setup, only rarely go camping in a year, and don’t want an expensive tent, the Coleman Cabin Tent is for you. This family tent is in the pop-up style, which makes it easy to set up. This tent is 84 square feet and is six feet tall at the center. It has three large windows, easy access to vents in the ceiling, and two storage pockets. For its weather resistance, it works well in both warm and cold weather. Its single walls are seam sealed, while the floor and tent walls are made of thick 150D polyester.
Pros and Cons
- Super easy setup
- Affordable
- Low headroom
- Poor overall construction
Buy Coleman Cabin Tent 4-Person at Amazon: $158.51
Buy Coleman Cabin Tent 6-Person at Amazon: $248.64
Buy Coleman Cabin Tent 10-Person at Amazon: $260.36
The Guide to Picking the Perfect Tent for You
Weight
You’re looking for a tent that you can just put in your backpack. So it’s important to check the weight. Although lightweight tents tend to be a bit more expensive and have cons regarding durability, if they’re handled with care, they will surely be a convenient tent that will last for years for your next adventures.
Weather
Checking the weather in your area is also important when choosing the best family tent. You have the “three-season” or “four-season” option to choose from. This usually refers to how much ventilation the tent has. If you opt for better ventilation, a three-season might be the one for you, but note that this type will usually be hard on retaining heat. On the other hand, if you live in a chilly country, you might want to choose four-season.
Durability
If you’re planning on going to extreme places for camping or long-term use is one of the features you’re looking for, then you might want to pick the most durable tents. Like all other things, tents have their weak points. Durable tents tend to weigh a bit more, but they can surely withstand harsh weather and will last a long time.
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