The Best Backpacking Tents for Serious Adventure

The MSR Hubba Hubba shows up on a lot of lists, but is sometimes outshined by other models. So why is it my pick? I love the 30D ripstop floor material. I don’t want to have to baby my equipment, so while the 30D is a little heavier, I want that durability built in. The single-pole design is nice too, and makes for quick setup. With a minimum weight of 3.5 pounds, it falls right in that sweet spot of packability, while the 29 sq. ft. of floor area is perfectly suitable for two backpackers, or a single with room for gear. For me, it just doesn’t miss on anything.

Some adventures have to happen on a budget, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The REI Co-op Passage offers a lot of the same features you want for serious backpacking adventure, but at a price that is easier to manage for the part-time backpacker. The REI option is the only model in the list that comes in over four pounds, and even then it’s only by a couple of ounces. We aren’t talking about double the weight of the other options. And like the Marmot, the added weight does come with the second largest footprint and peak height of our options. The reality is, you’re going to get the vast majority of the performance, for a fraction of the money. Does that work for everyone? No. But for many of us, close is good enough.

Anyone that knows backpacking tents is familiar with the Copper Spur from Big Agnes as it has set the bar in the category for a long time. Dozens of other backpacking tent designs have been molded after the Copper Spur, and with good reason. Aside from the reputation of Big Agnes products, the Copper Spur has woven proprietary design elements and materials into the tent to make it an absolute performance powerhouse. The TipLok Tent Buckle system is one such feature that combines pole-tip capture, rainfly attachment, and tensioner into one element.

Hilleberg is a name that speaks for itself. Their products have been used around the world by some of the most hardcore adventurers the planet has ever seen. When it comes to backpacking tents, I don’t think any other brand offers the sheer selection that Hilleberg does. For our purposes, I selected the Anjan 3. The second-lightest tent on the list, you aren’t worried about what it adds to your pack. The Anjan design really stands out in warmer climates because of the ventilation design of the tent. We’ve all spent miserable days in tents with stagnant air, where you just can’t seem to get any fresh air in. The Anjan has been designed to maximize ventilation when needed. While it seems like a minor detail, for anyone that has experienced stale days in a tent, it can be the difference between torment and tolerance.

A little of this, a little of that, a price tag that’s a little easier on the wallet, put it all together and you have the Marmot Nighthawk. At just under four pounds it is on the heavier side, but if you want a little extra space, it also boasts the largest floor area, and the highest peak height by almost six inches! At least that extra weight is getting you some extra size. The Nighthawk also uses a criss-crossing pole design, unlike some of our other options, which no doubt helps add to the space, and the weight. It’s not the lightest and it isn’t the cheapest, but it is the biggest of the backpacking tents listed, and if you don’t mind a few extra ounces to get a few extra square feet, you’ve found your tent.