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The 10 Best Camping Tents in 2022
Is there anything better than an adventure in the great outdoors? Cooking over an open fire, sleeping out under the stars – sometimes a good camping trip is like balm for the soul.
Of course, it might not feel that way when you wake up sopping wet in your tent in the middle of the night. Every good camping trip depends on a great tent. Without one, you’ll be at the mercy of the elements.
These are the best camping tents we’ve seen this year. Whether you’re a solo backpacker looking for a place to rest your head on the Appalachian Trail, or a weekend warrior planning a family outing at a local campground, these tents will keep you safe and dry.
Best Buy
1. Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL Ultralight Backpacking Tent
The Big Agnes Fly Creek HV Ultra Light Tent is a backpacker’s dream. Almost shockingly lightweight at 1lb 11oz, this tent slips so seamlessly into your pack you’ll barely notice it’s there. Set-up is quick and easy, with an innovative aluminum pole design that’s a snap to pack and unpack.
The newest model of this tent has been redesigned with steep walls and a vertical door for extra headroom and maximized floorspace. There’s plenty of room in there for you and all your gear.
A footprint is available, but not included. This tent comes with an effective waterproof full-coverage rainfly to keep you safe from wind and rain. The dry-entry vestibule is also a nice touch, allowing you to keep the door open during a light rain and stay dry.
Weatherproof as well as breathable, this is a great all-around three-season tent, perfect for any conditions short of bitter winter cold and snow. The Big Agnes Fly Creek HV Ultra Light Tent also comes in a three-person model, but this one is ideal for a solo adventurer on a long-distance backpacking trip.
2. The North Face Mountain 25 Tent
Then VE 25 tent from The North Face is a three-person expedition tent that’s designed to get you through some tough conditions. Howling wind. Pummeling snowstorms. Subzero temperatures. That kind of thing. It’s as close to bomb-proof as a tent can be.
There have been a few iterations of this tent over the years and it’s a perennial favorite among serious mountaineers. The North Face VE 25 comes with DAC stakes, reflective guy lines, glow-in-the-dark zipper pulls, dual doors, and a polled front vestibule. Its polyurethane port window has been cold-crack tested to -60°F.
If you’re planning a weekend camping trip at your local state park, the North Face VE 25 is probably overkill. If you’re planning on scaling Everest, this might be a good tent to consider.
It’s also an incredibly lightweight tent. The only strike against it is it’s realistically a pretty tight squeeze for three people. You’d be better off thinking of it as a two-person tent, especially if you plan to keep your gear inside.
3. REI Co-op Kingdom 6 Tent
When everybody doesn’t get their personal space on family camping trips, it causes problems. The REI Co-Op Kingdom 6 Tent is the solution to that problem. Measuring 100 x 120 inches, this is a big tent with room for a family to spread out.
This tent includes a center divider wall that zips in to create two rooms, and has multiple interior storage options for all your family’s gear and belongings. It’s 6-foot 3-inches tall, so most folks will be able to stand and move freely inside, no problem.
The Kingdom 6 is marketed as a six-person tent, which – after a bit of quick math – seems a little tight. Let’s say it sleeps four very comfortably, or six if you really don’t mind being in close quarters with your tentmates. That said, the vertical walls and rectangular floor plan really do maximize the space.
The tent has two doors and a seam-sealed waterproof polyester fly. It’s designed to be freestanding and two people will have no trouble setting it up. Plus, color coding on the tent, poles, footprint, and fly really simplifies the setup.
4. Coleman Sundome Tent
This is a classic design, brought to you by the folks who probably make your camp stove and lantern. Coleman has been one of the leading names in quality, budget-friendly gear for more than a century, and the Sundome tent is a great addition to their lineup.
The Coleman Sundome has a simple setup and classic dome shape and square floorplan that makes it quick to assemble. Two people can do it in 10 minutes flat. This design is also great for wind resistance, and this sturdy little tent can really take a pounding from the weather.
We mainly looked at the two-person version of the Sundome, but this tent also comes in configurations that sleep three, four, or six. It has great ventilation and a sturdy waterproof rainfly; and the floor is designed with welded corners and inverted seams to keep water from finding its way in. Overall, this is a perfect tent for backyard sleep-overs and weekend car-camping trips.
5. MSR Papa Hubba NX Tent
The MSR Mutha Hubba NX 3-Person Tent is a great companion on group backpacking trips. Made with 20D ripstop nylon and MSR’s “Xtreme Shield” waterproof coating, this tent is durable, lightweight, and watertight.
The tent tips the scales just a hair under four pounds, which is pretty great for a three-person backpacking tent. The Mutha HubbaNX is considered a three-season tent, so it’s not made for extreme cold, but it will keep you cozy and dry on rainy spring and fall adventures.
MSR also gets extra points for its innovative rainfly/vestibule design. You enter and exit through the vestibule using a side zip on the fly, so it’s easy to get in and out without exposing the interior to moisture.
Of course, like a lot of tents that are supposedly big enough for three people, you can expect it to be a tight squeeze. The floor dimensions are 84 x 68 inches, which is ideal for two people and their gear. But if you’re a group of three, let’s hope you all like to cuddle.
6. Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Canvas Tent Deluxe
Canvas tents have a reputation for being heavy. Which they are. The Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Canvas Tent Deluxe tips the scales at 57.78 pounds, so it’s safe to say that you’re not going to take it backpacking.
But canvas is also rugged and durable. This is a tent that will last decades if you take good care of it. It also offers a quick set up, with a simple-yet-innovative pole design that’s as sturdy as it is easy to use.
Canvas doesn’t usually get much credit for its water-resistance, but this tent is eminently waterproof. The Kodiak Flex-Bow tent is made from marine-grade, 100-percent cotton duck Hydra-Shield canvas. It’s about as water-tight as a tent can get, but it’s also breathable.
With a 10 foot x 14 foot floor plan and standing over 6 feet tall, this is a tent the whole family can sleep in and walk around in comfortably. If you want a tent that you can take on family camping trips for years and years, this is a great one.
7. Quechua Waterproof Pop Up Camping Tent
How many times have you labored over pitching your tent in the pouring rain and thought, “wouldn’t it be great if there was a tent that set itself up?” This is that tent.
You take the Quechua Waterproof Pop Up Camping Tent out of its case. You open the clips, pop it open, and presto: instant tent. The whole process takes less than a minute. It’s kind of amazing. The tent is also waterproof while providing excellent air circulation for comfort.
The Quechua Waterproof Pop Up Camping Tent sleeps two people very comfortably. At 7 pounds, it’s a little heavier than you might like for backpacking, but this tent more than proves its worth in harsh conditions.
Quechua is a French company that makes durable high-end gear. This tent has been tested and tempered in all kinds of conditions, from tropical showers to gale-force winds, and it holds up like a champ.
8. Terra Nova Laser Compact Season 1
Terra Nova Laser Compact Season 1 is an effective and beautifully-designed four-season tent for all your solo adventures. The low-profile design resists the wind nicely, and its 30D rainfly and 70D groundsheet fabrics resist both moisture and tearing.
Terra Nova is a UK-based company, with this tent designed for folks who go backpacking in harsh locales like the Scottish Highlands and need to do so without getting drenched or frozen. It does its job admirably.
At 3lb 4oz, there are lighter one-person tents out there, but there are plenty of heavier ones too. There’s lots of room inside for a single camper to stretch out with all their gear. And with a peak height of just over 39 inches, most people will be able to sit up comfortably.
The Terra Nova Laser Compact Season 1 has several unique features that make it stand out. Magnetic closure on the rain fly is a nice touch, and there’s a loop at the base of the fly that can transform it into a canopy with the use of a trekking pole.
9. Eureka Copper Canyon LX4 Person Tent
Eureka makes some of the best quality tents at a budget-friendly price point, from lightweight backpacking tents to heavy-duty models for family adventures.
The Copper Canyon LX 4-Person Tent falls into the latter category. It’s a four-pole cabin-style tent perfect for a weekend trip to your favorite campground. Set up is easy enough for one person to do it in a few minutes.
The tent’s 7-foot peak is plenty roomy enough to stand in and its 96 x 96 inch footprint with near-vertical walls provide space for the whole family. It has an extended canopy to keep you dry and oversized windows so you all can breathe.
With ample storage pockets and a power port for an extension cord, the Copper Canyon LX is a great family camping tent. One minor complaint is that the floor material is a little thin, so be careful to clear the area under your tent before you set it up.
10. UST Highlander 2
The UST Highlander 2 is a two-person backpacking tent that’s ideal for couple adventures and thru-hikes. The oversized door and vestibule make it easy to get in and out of and the storage pocket system and hidden vestibule provide ample room for your hiking gear.
Backpacking tents have a lot to live up to. They must be waterproof, easy to pack and set up, and above all, they need to be lightweight. With a 3lbs 2oz minimum trail weight (or 4lbs 4oz fully packed with the footprint) the Highlander is incredibly light for a two-person tent.
You can further reduce your pack weight by utilizing trekking poles to support the tent in place of two of the four aluminum poles that come with it. The Highlander 2 also has guylines for stability, a waterproof rainfly, and two awnings that can be accessed from inside the tent.
It’s also one of the roomiest backpacking tents we’ve seen recently, with ample headroom and plenty of space for two people and their gear. Even so, it packs down to a compact size that fits easily inside your backpack.
Camping Tent FAQ
That depends on your needs! For family camping trips, you’ll want something large, spacious, and easy to set up, but you probably don’t need to worry too much about weight. But if you’re going on a solo backpacking trip, you’ll want to find the lightest tent that packs down to the smallest size.
You tend to get what you pay for when you buy a tent. There are plenty of cheap tents out there, but no matter how much you spend, make sure you’re getting the quality you need. It’s tough to get a well-made tent for under $200.
A tent should, above all, be waterproof and durable. Make sure it has quality seams and is sealed to make it watertight. Other considerations, depending on your priorities, include the tent’s size, weight, breathability, number of doors and windows, and whether it has a removable rain fly.
