Looking to find the best camping tent for you? There’s a lot to consider when choosing a tent, including the weather, the surface you’ll be camping on, and whether you’re backpacking, canoe camping, or car camping. Here are the best camping tents for your money, simplified:

How to choose the best camping tent for beginners:

The best tent for you depends on what you want to use if for, your budget, and more! Here area few of the things we’ll consider when helping you choose the best camping tent for you:

• Activity: will you be backpacking, car camping, canoe camping, packrafting, or kayak camping? Certain tents are better for certain activities. If you’re basecamping out of your car in a state park for a week, you probably want a larger tent with more space to set up. However if you’re backpacking in the North Cascades, you’re going to want a lightweight tent that is easy to setup and tear down.
• Location & Weather: Are you headed somewhere rainy and stormy? Make sure you get a tent that can handle constant downpour. Are you sea kayak camping the coast? Consider that you might be camping on sand, and will want a free standing tent. A free standing tent is a tent does not need stakes to be useable.
• Budget: How much are you willing to spend on a tent? Different tents are better suited to different activities, and finding the best all-around tent for every activity while also staying within budget is difficult (… but not that difficult, it’s the REI Halfdome 2+). Here we’ll cover budget options as well as more expensive choices. The primary difference when it comes to price will be weight; a cheaper tent is not necessarily more likely to break or tear, but it is going to be heavier and larger than more expensive choices, and more difficult to pack.
• Comfort: Certain tent features make for a more comfortable camping experience than others. A large vestibule, or space to put gear under the rainfly but not inside the tent, two doors instead of one, vents, and more can make for a more comfortable camping experience.

Note: This article contains affiliate links! This means if you decide to purchase something based on my recommendation, I make a small kickback at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own (as will be come very obvious very shortly)

REI Halfdome 2+: Best all Around Beginner Camping Tent

The REI Halfdome is a classic test and true tent. This is the tent I used for a three-week fall expedition paddle on Isle Royale National Park with my partner. It sleeted on us.

The Halfdome features a double door entrance, and is perfect for two people canoe or kayak camping looking to share a tent. The weight runs at almost 5 pounds, which when backpacking can be divided to almost 2.5 pounds per person, a very reasonable weight for a beginner level 2-3 night backpacking trip. The vestibule space is adequate, and for the price ($330) you cannot beat the quality.

Make sure you watch the setup video online before taking the tent out! A lot of the negative reviews of this tent seem to be due to getting wet at night due to improper setup. When setting up your tent, try and choose a flat spot where it does not appear water naturally runs through in a rainstorm. Even the best tent will be washed out if the ground turns into a river.

Some dew on the inside of the rainfly is to be expected every morning when camping– this is condensation from your breathing, not the tent leaking! Properly staking out your tent to keep the rainfly separate from the bug net will reduce discomfort due to condensation.

One thing to note with any REI brand product is that they DO NOT offer a lifetime warranty, whereas almost every other brand listed here does, and will completely replace your product if broken even years after the fact. Particularly with newer REI products, I have anecdotally noticed that they seem less structurally study than their (Nemo, Big Agnes) counterparts. I think that with REI products it can be hit or miss. Personally, If I were looking for a jack-of-all trades tent to get into the outdoors a little more seriously, the halfdome would still be my first purchase.

All in all, the REI halfdome 2+ is easily the best all-around tent on the market for beginner campers looking to car camp, backpack, and more.

pros: easy setup, warm, double doors, great value for price

cons: heavy for one person use, REI’s warranty policy vs quality of product compared to a more expensive brand

MSR Hubba Hubba 2: Best all around tent

The MSR Hubba Hubba 2 has is is more expensive than the Half Dome, but at just 3 lbs 4oz packed weight total perhaps well worth the splurge with excellent reviews across the board. In general, the MSR Hubba Hubba is regarded as one of the best backpacking tents on the market for couples or small groups.

MSR has a reputation for superior longevity of gear than the REI branded products, plus a more comprehensive warranty policy. The Hubba Hubba makes for a great backpacking tent for adventurers looking for a high quality tent with longevity.

On our 70-day British Columbia sea kayaking expedition, Andy and I used an MSR Remote 3, the mountaineering version of the Hubba Hubba tent. It’s significantly more expensive, but for living in in all weather paddling for over two months straight this tent was absolutely worth it. I would recommend the Remote 3 pretty much exclusively for winter camping or expedition style trips.

pros: easy setup, warm, double doors, lightweight

cons: price

Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL 2: Best Lightweight Backpacking tent

The Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL 2 is the best backpacking tent on the market. I’ve owned this tent for six years and subjected it to heavy heavy use. It’s survived four seasons of overnight kayak guiding both in the Apostle Islands and in the San Juan Islands. It’s been backpacking in Armenia and on the Border Route Trail, and been my home for a 3-week expedition paddle of the Apostle Islands. I’ve mostly used it solo, but I’ve shared it on a few occasions, more successfully with other small woman than with my taller partner, but it can be done in a pinch.

After this most recent season of overnight kayak guiding (year six of beating this tent up) the shock cord is loosing a little tension, but not so much that it’s unusable. This tent is perfect for backpacking, and my only hesitation in using it for sea kayak camping is that it is not freestanding and needs to be staked out for a successful night.

When setup fully, this tent can weather storms that take out neighboring trees and hail (I unfortunately know from experience). I’ve also used it in the snow.

At $400, this tent is medium pricey, but at 2 pounds a really solid choice for any solo backpacker or paddler looking for a long term tent setup.

pros: easy setup, warm, durable, lightweight, good price for value

cons: not free-standing, space might not be adequate for taller folks

Nemo Dragonfly 2: Most Versatile Camping Tent

At $500, the Nemo Dragonfly 2 is more expensive than the Fly Creek, slightly heavier, but freestanding and with more livable space. Double door exits allow for increased comfort, and the Dragonfly is freestanding, but functionally the Dragonfly is an extremely similar tent to the Fly Creek.

I would say the Fly Creek makes more sense for someone looking primarily for a small lightweight tent to use solo, while the Dragonfly makes more sense for someone looking for more comfort at camp and the ability to comfortably share the tent with a second person.

pros: easy setup, warm, durable, double doors, freestanding

cons: lighter-weight options on the market, but honestly this tent is just a solid choice

Eureka Midori 2/3: Budget Versatile Car Camping Tent

The Eureka Midori comes in both a two and three person model, with the larger of the two weighing in at six pounds and cost running $230 USD. (Compare to the two person, weighing just over five pounds packed and costing $200). The Midori is an excellent budget tent wit a double door entrance and freestanding setup.

The mission of the Midori tent is to provide both an easy setup and a lot of space, and the tent definitely achieves that. I purchased the three person this summer for car camping. I was hoping it would make a good tent for 2-3 person backpacking trips, overnight sea kayaking trips, and car camping. I always hate leaving a more expensive expedition tent set up as a basecamp at a campground.

For my purposes, the Midori three proved a little comically large for my sister and I, but I think this tent would be perfect for a couple on a budget looking for a solid tent to start car camping with, and use on short backpacking or canoe camping trips. I also personally tent to value saved packing space over roomy tents– I’m short and small, and paddle a smaller sea kayak without a ton of room to spare, and prefer a barebones camp setup.

pros: easy setup, double doors, freestanding, affordable

cons: heavier than more expensive options

Kelty Late Start 2: Best Budget Backpacking Tent

Looking for the best cheap backpacking tent? The Kelty Late Start 2 comes in at just over 4 pounds packed weight, at just $160, making it easily the best budget backpacking tent on the market. The Late State is single door entry, free standing, and extremely hardy– we use these tents for guest at the outfitter I guide overnight sea kayaking trips at, and there is no better way to test the longevity of a tent than letting inexperienced strangers use them every day of the summer. Happy to report they’ve held up great!

The Late Start 2 can function as a roomy solo hiker/paddler tent, but is still a genuinely comfortable night for two people (definitely more-so than the Fly Creek!). The Late Start is extremely easy to set up and tear down and freestanding. For a true solo budget backpacker, the Late Start 1 rings in at $130 and 3.5 pounds making the Kelty Late Start line the best budget-friendly backpacking tent.

pros: easy setup, durable freestanding, affordable

cons: heavier than more expensive options, single doors

REI Wonderland 6: Best Car Camping & Basecamp Tent

Looking for the best car camping tent for long trips? Looking no further than the REI Wonderland 6, which might be the best car camping tent to live inside, which I know because I did this summer! From May to September, my partner and I lived inside an REI Wonderland 6 with the mudroom attachment when we were not actively guiding overnight sea kayaking trips (and thus living in different tents). You can read about my experiences with #tentlife here.

The REI Wonderland 6 is awesome. You could easily fit two side by side queen air mattresses inside, or in our case, one mattress and stacked storage bins. The ceiling is tall and zip-able vent windows allow for substantial airflow. Add the mudroom attachment to the tent for a covered outdoor living space– here we put camp chairs and a table next to stacked locking bins to make up a kitchen. During our several months camping, it down poured on us several times, once or twice with high winds and hail. The Wonderland 6 stayed completely livable, bone dry, and barely moved in the biggest gusts.

The REI Wonderland 6 is the best car camping tent for long term camping. It takes a little bit of time and effort to set up, but for camping stays longer than a week it is totally worth it– for anything shorter the Wonderland is almost definitely overkill. Also worth considering is the REI Wonderland 4, slightly smaller, or the intense (…in tents…) Wonderland X, which would be great for living out of or field work.

pros: tall, excellent weatherproofing, extremely spacious

cons: involved setup, might literally be too big for some campgrounds, many other reviews complain of y-pole defects

Normally I don’t give negative reviews too much thought on outdoor gear (often times it appears to be user errors) but many purchasers have complained about the poles snapping on this tent. While our tent held up fantastically for literally five months of continuous use, when tearing down we did notice one of the poles had bent. At the time I wrote at off as five months of continuous use on the tent, but it’s worth noting a potential defect like that.

Additionally, if I find myself looking to live in a tent for a summer again, I’ll definitely be investing in a canvas wall tent with a wood burning stove or a bell tent setup. The canvas breathes better than nylon and feels more like a home.

Hennessey Hammock Expedition: Best Lightweight Budget Sleep System

Not looking for a tent at all? Hammock camping has gained popularity anywhere there are trees to hang from! Pros of hammock camping include larger variety of “tent pads” available, potential to be the driest set up, and with practice with your setup, increased comfort.

The Hennessey Hammock Expedition is tested and true, and at just over two pounds and $160, a hammock setup can be the cheapest ultralight sleep system on the market.

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Overall, the best tent for you depends on your needs. Someone looking to solo backpack primarily is going to want a different tent than someone primarily looking to car camp.

Looking for more gear advice? Check out…

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