The 7 Absolute Best Tents for Camping

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Protect yourself and your gear as you venture outdoors this summer.

Ahhh... when the weather turns there's nothing quite like a night in the great outdoors. And we're not talking about your back deck where you have the comfort of your outdoor sofa, sectional, or patio set. We're talking about the wilderness outdoors, where only the weirdo outdoorspeople venture—out where you only cook by fire, or whatever portable grill you can pack in.

When it comes to the outdoors, it's common knowledge that you need The Big Three—food, water, shelter—and here we're talking about that all-important creature comfort: Shelter. More specifically, we're talking about the best tents for camping. Because these days, it's way beyond a good ole A-Frame. Consumer tents are so overbuilt that the process of finding one to buy becomes half the battle of getting outdoors. So, we sent our outdoor experts out to find and test the best tents on the market. This is what they came back with and what's worth your hard-earned dollars.

But before we get into the list, a few words what exactly makes a tent one of the Best Tents for Camping:

Weather coverage: Rain, wind, snow, whatever shitty weather you encounter is problem number one when sleeping outdoors. Whether you're backpacking or car camping, you need full weather coverage, and that comes best from a full-cover rain fly. Every option we have here features a rain fly that covers the actual tent, and every rain fly we feature here goes all the way to the ground. We don't recommend anything less, as it's the only way to guarantee full coverage.

Practicality: We talk mostly about the vestibule—where the rain fly hangs over the tent door. This is a great flex space you can use to store dirty gear, open up for air flow, or use as an open-air awning. A spacious, usable vestibule is what really differentiates great tents from good ones.

Packability: Especially for one- and two-person tents, which might be used for backpacking, you need something that packs down relatively small. The general rule of thumb is that between two and three pounds-per-person makes a suitable backpacking tent. (Anything that's one to two pounds-per-person is "ultralight" and 4x more expensive.) For the casual camper, you want a good carry bag, and a manageable weight.

Durability: We mentioned that all tents are overbuilt these days, and we stand by it. Stick to the popular brands, and you'll be fine. Rain flies and ground tarps (also called footprints) might only last a few years, but they are replaceable. A proper tent (like any on this list) should last for a decade or more of casual use.

If you're looking for solo lodging, there's no reason to get anything more than a backpacking tent. (Some would argue there's no point in getting anything larger than a Bivvy.) It's just you, so you're limited on what you can carry. Plus, you just don't need a ton of room. Space for you, your gear, and a vestibule for dirty shit is all you need.

The North Face keeps it simple, and surprisingly affordable, with the Stormbreak. You've got a full, all the way to the ground, rain fly—so this tent will handle the nastiest of weather. There's a nice vestibule for dirty gear. The side entrance is a lot better than a foot entrance. It's from one of the best names in gear, and it only costs $150.

The only issue with this tent is that it's a bit on the heavy side (3lb. 7oz.) if you're backpacking. Not ideal, but it's tough to find much lighter, unless you go forr $500+ ultralight options.

Ideally, though you should travel with at least one other human being. It's safer, and if you're backpacking it lightens the load. Our favorite two-person tent is Marmot's Limelight, almost totally down to its funky shape.

First, the shape gives you a little interior corner to put your gear, instead of at your foot or head. For backpacking, it doesn't make the tent terribly heavy, and you'll each be carrying about 2.5lbs. But for car camping, where you've probably got more gear with you, it makes a world of difference. Secondly, the shape adds a bit more depth to the vestibule. So again, you've got a lot of space to put gear.

That, plus two big D-shaped doors make this tent really nice to use on more slow-paced trips. But the weight makes it absolutely manageable for backpacking.

Once you get up to four-person tents, you're solidly out of the backpacking category, so weight becomes less of an issue. You still want a full coverage rainfly and easy set up. But the vestibule becomes especially important. You want something that can be used as an extension of your space, not just somewhere you put dirty gear.

This Kelty Rumpus gives you plenty of space for a family of four—or three friendly adults, four absolute best friends. The vestibule gives you an extra 45ft² of space, perfect for gear storage and setting up a little entryway. And since there's only three color-coded poles, you'll be able to set this thing up just as fast as the two backpacking options we mentioned before it.

It's a great priced, practical tent. Perfect for first-time campers, base camp dirtbags, or master outdoorspeople.

Shop Snow Peak

Defending Snow Peak is damn-near a full-time job. Yes, a lot of the gear is expensive, and none of it is really a need. But the Amenity tent series is actually a damn good value.

When we're talking about a vestibule being an extension of a tent, this is the blueprint. The Amenity's vestibule acts like a front porch. The door panel can be rolled up or staked up to pretty much double the amount of useable space. The design is seriously clever, and the quality construction more than justifies the higher-than-average price. This is a tent you can easily use for a decade or more, at which point the $400 investment becomes pretty sound.

If you're an avid camper, don't want to buy a new tent after a few years, or hate fooling around with a tarp for camp cover, this is a great buy.

And wouldn't you know it, for larger tents, it's the same models that stand out.

The same things that stand out on the four-person model, stand out here. Kelty's Rumpus is a great price, great size, and features a nice, prominent vestibule.

Shop Snow Peak

And again, Snow Peak's Amenity series is the upgrade pick. It's the same idea, a good-sized tent, great-sized vestibule, and high-quality materials. It's easy to set up, and the perfect campsite luxury.

Four-Person Model Two-Person Model

If you're a four season camper—a mountaineer, ski bum, or just a serious enjoyer of the coldest season (weird)—you need something that can hold up in winter. And that costs a lot.

Mountain Hardware, however, makes mountaineering tents that are absolutely worth the price. The Trango series starts with a domed shape, which is ideal for heat retention and wind resistance. There's mesh windows that can be opened if you need ventilation. There's skirts on the vestibule to protect from wind and weather. And most important of all, it features an easy color-coded four-pole system.

Luke Guillory is the Associate Commerce Editor at Esquire.

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