Today’s tents are lighter, more innovative, and better designed than ever—no matter how you prefer to sleep outside. Here are the ones you should consider this summer, whether you’re flying solo or car camping.
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Rather than dedicated poles for structure, the Spike relies on something most backpackers carry anyway—trekking poles. With one wedged in the apex and a stick at the tail, pegging the nine guy-out points sets it rigid and secure. And it’s surprisingly roomy: 30 square feet and enough height to sit up in. Best of all, it weighs less than a pound.
[$200; nemoequipment.com]
Designed with the help of top mountaineers Melissa Arnot Reid, Dave Hahn, and Adrian Ballinger, the new Katabatic boasts stronger fly-tent connection points, a vestibule design that keeps the elements out, and a steep fly that effortlessly sheds rain and snow and doesn’t flap in the wind. The tiny footprint makes it easy to set up in tight spots.
[$699; eddiebauer.com]
Weighing in at just five pounds, the Copper Spur HV2 Expedition is the exception to the rule that beefing up a tent for winter makes it useless for summer backpacking. In winter, the tent’s nylon walls block the chill, and thicker poles shrug off the snow. But when the weather gets warm, vents in the roof and door keep things from getting sweaty.
[$500; bigagnes.com]
The Sunda is for those who aren’t sure they want to sleep in a hammock. It can be set up as a two-person backpacking tent, with two doors and two vestibules, but hook into the built-in ropes at the tent’s head and toe and the Sunday happily swings from two trees. A large fly keeps it covered, and a reflective lining blocks solar heat and defuses headlamp rays.
[$399; kammok.com]
This car-camping skyscraper stands 6’8″, with enough inside headroom for a six-footer to stand up straight. The single door is almost as tall and superwide, and cross poles push the walls out to near vertical, making almost the entire nine- by nine-foot floor area usable. With color coding and a simple pole design, it’s not even that hard to set up.
[$350; kelty.com]
REI’s most popular tent is now even better, with extra inches in every direction and steeper walls, which make it feel positively palatial. Designers also upgraded the vestibule and added more mesh for better ventilation. But they didn’t tinker with what made it a classic in the first place: easy setup, lightweight (at 4.9 pounds), and a price that’s hard to beat.
[$229; rei.com]
The Meteor has everything we look for in a backpacking tent and more. Setup is simple, and with a 42-inch clearance, three guys can sit and play cards. There’s plenty of room in the two vestibules for packs and boots, and the fly rolls back for stargazing. More compelling: Similar tents that weigh the same (5.2 pounds) would cost at least $150 more.
[$300; sierradesigns.com]
