The Finest Ultralight Tents of 2024

Narrowing in on that elusive 5-pound base weight? You’re most likely fastidiously scouring the net for the lightest ultralight tent, backpack, and sleeping bag, however beware — these flimsy, unassuming items of drugs must be chosen with care. The lightest mannequin in the marketplace will not be one of the best, or the most secure, transfer. There’s rather a lot to think about when shopping for your core ultralight gear.

From full-blown thru-hikes to quick weekend missions, we’ve clocked some critical miles in a broad variety of ultralight tents. We all know the sinking feeling of mid-trip tent failures, and what to search for in a shelter that lasts for months of abuse. Creator and Senior Editor Chris Carter has vital expertise with varied ultralight tents, having put round 10 totally different fashions to the take a look at prior to now yr alone. An alumnus of every of the Triple Crown trails in america (PCT, CDT, and AT), Chris arguably sleeps higher beneath a skinny Dyneema sheet than a strong roof.

Via-hikers going the space are maybe one of the best demographic to ballot about featherlight gear. To pinpoint one of the best ultralight backpacking tents, we gathered sage recommendation from thru-hikers who’ve tracked the hardest, longest miles with their gear. These devoted dirtbags haul their package for hundreds of miles by a spectrum of climate, terrain, wildlife, and obstacles.

At a trek’s finish, gear is both a benediction or extraneous deadweight. Along with our workforce’s private expertise, we rummaged by our rolodex of long-distance backpackers, and picked their brains to seek out one of the best ultralight tents in the marketplace.

Whether or not you’re establishing a light-weight backpacking setup or making ready in your inaugural thru-hike, this information is for you. Our evaluations beneath are a mix of interviews with die-hard thru-hikers, and our private expertise with various totally different fashions.

When you’re undecided the place to begin, hop right down to our comparison chart, buyer’s guide, and FAQ on the backside of the web page earlier than scrolling by our roundup.

Editor’s Observe: We up to date our Ultralight Tents information on April 4, 2024, to incorporate the Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo — a budget-friendly shelter that also manages to solely tip the scales at 1 pound, 10 ounces.

The Finest Ultralight Tents of 2024

Ultralight Tents Comparability Chart

How We Examined Ultralight Tents

From devoted ultralight weekend warriors, to light-weight backcountry hunters and full-blown thru-hikers residing in tents for months on finish, the GearJunkie squad has spent numerous nights cuddled up in ultralight shelters.

They’ve trekked to a number of the most far-flung, distant corners of the globe, and weathered galeforce winds, snowy whiteouts, and excellent star-speckled nights in all types of featherlight tent designs. They know the significance of a shelter for consolation and security on any backcountry mission, and gained’t accept something however one of the best.

Creator Chris Carter has paid his dues on lots of of backpacking journeys over simply as many miles by all method of situations. Chris has thru-hiked the Triple Crown of lengthy trails in america: the Pacific Crest Path, the Continental Divide Path, and the Appalachian Path, and continues to backpack with an ultralight loadout everywhere in the world.

He’s frustratingly specific concerning the shelter he hunkers down in every night time on a protracted journey, and closely scrutinized every candidate for this information. Relaxation assured — solely probably the most deserving, sturdy, practical tents earned any actual property on this roundup. He scoured on-line ultralight boards, bugged his broad swath of thru-hiking connections, and attended varied gear reveals to slim in on the streamlined number of 12 tents you see right this moment.

We acknowledge that the ultralight tent market is natural and continually evolving. We now have due to this fact slotted this information into an iterative replace schedule, and are continually on the prowl, scoping out new fashions the second they hit the market, and testing them to see in the event that they deserve recognition.

Purchaser’s Information: Learn how to Select an Ultralight Tent

Ultralight tents mean you can really slim in on absurdly minuscule base weights, however nonetheless should maintain as much as the pains of life on path. Your shelter is your first line of protection towards life-threatening parts, and also you shouldn’t fudge on security for the sake of weight financial savings. Above we coated a broad vary of ultralight tent designs, and it’s necessary to noticeably think about your wants and private consolation threshold earlier than leaping to a choice.

Beneath we’ve outlined some necessary issues when selecting the proper mannequin in your wants. The most effective ultralight tents assist gram-conscious adventurers trim again the burden of their load. The tradeoff? These designs require extra consumer care and, for some fashions, extra time to arrange than beefier builds.

All issues thought-about, these featherlight tents are an important choice for long-distance trekkers, thru-hikers, and different seasoned outside vacationers eager to slim down the burden of their provides.

It’s necessary to notice, this information focuses on area of interest mega-light tents designed for very minimal base weights. For extra informal backpacking journeys that afford a bit extra consolation, take a look at our complete information on common backpacking tents. And, if you happen to’re merely scoping out a tenting tent for automobile tenting adventures or base camp luxurious, be sure you scroll by our information on the finest tenting tents in the marketplace.

Seasonality

Backpacking tents are usually constructed for three-season or four-season situations. A 3-season tent will suffice if you happen to plan on utilizing your tent throughout the spring, summer season, and fall.

The infrastructure of a three-season tent can deal with rain and light-weight snow. Sometimes, these builds are not preferrred for heavy snow, super-high winds, or vicious storms — like the cruel or blizzard situations you would possibly face whereas ski mountaineering. A four-season tent is a better option for full-on winter, the burden of snow, and robust winds.

That stated, ultralight shelters are designed with the calls for of high-altitude stretches on long-distance journeys like thru-hikes in thoughts. Our authors have weathered some critically gnarly situations in these flimsy shelters, together with driving whiteouts in sub-zero temps.

Capability & Doorways

People aiming for ultralight tents normally spend money on a one- or two-person design. Three- and four-person ultralight tents exist too. As an illustration, the three-person Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL3 Solution Dye ($500) is 2 kilos, 10 ounces.

Your preferrred tent dimension relies on the variety of campers, their total dimension, and the way a lot gear must be saved. Manufacturers categorize their tents primarily based on the variety of folks, however the dimensions — size, width, peak, and vestibule dimension — range from tent to tent.

The tent’s peak peak, which is the place the tent is the tallest, additionally differs between every mannequin. Get out your tape measure as you analysis. It’s additionally a good suggestion to go to an area retailer the place the tent could be arrange so that you can take a look at in particular person.

You’ll wish to think about whether or not one or two doorways are extra practical for you. Two doorways could be useful for every sleeper to have their very own exit and entry. However, eliminating a door can reduce weight and price.

Ultralight tents that require solely a single trekking pole for development have the largest problem on the subject of maximizing area. Producers have employed some critical geometric wizardry with these designs to extend area in each the vestibule and the enclosed sleeping space with out including vital weight. HMG’s Mid 1 options considered one of our favourite vestibule designs on a single trekking pole shelter, rising its area by inserting the stakeout level additional away from the mesh insert on the vestibule itself.

No matter ultralight tent you determine to go together with, be sure that there may be enough room inside in your backpacking sleeping pad and sleeping bag of option to comfortably deploy inside whereas leaving loads of area for different gear. Taller, bigger hikers have to hold this in thoughts if they have a tendency to rock longer or wider pads and luggage.

Single-Wall vs. Double-Wall

Tents are both a single-wall or double-wall design. Single-wall tents are lighter weight, nonbreathable, waterproof, and don’t embrace a rainfly. They usually don’t provide as a lot storage for gear however do typically have some type of a vestibule.

A double-wall tent truly incorporates two gadgets: a breathable tent that’s paired with a water-proof rainfly. The setup normally gives vestibule area to stash gear. The package weighs extra and requires extra time to arrange in comparison with a single-wall tent. Single-wall tents are much less breathable and produce extra condensation.

Ultralight, sturdy supplies — just like the Zpacks Duplex Tent’s Dyneema Composite Material (DCF) — price greater than heavier-set materials. As an illustration, the two-person Zpacks Duplex weighs 19.4 ounces and prices $669. DCF has an exceptional strength-to-weight ratio and is extremely waterproof.

In distinction, the single-person Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL ($370) is constructed with ripstop nylon and weighs almost 33 ounces. Their quantity isn’t apples to apples, however the lighter materials actually comes at a premium.

Gossamer Gear’s The One options an attention-grabbing nylon ripstop SIL/PU material that sheds water properly and crams down tiny, however stretches out at night time after your preliminary setup — significantly within the rain. We’ll usually have to regulate the guyline’s pressure in tents like these quickly after they’re pitched. This material isn’t fairly as premium as DCF, however will get the job completed and has an exceptional pack dimension.

The fabric utilized in tent development is both inherently waterproof or handled with a DWR (sturdy water-repellent) coating to dam precipitation. If the material is handled, it’ll finally want a refresh, relying on the situations confronted, consumer care, and quantity of use. A separate footprint, or groundsheet, isn’t required for an enclosed single-wall tent.

Ultralight supplies are fairly sturdy, however they have a tendency to interrupt down in the event that they’re roughly dealt with. Investing in an ultralightweight bundle means the hiker must be aware with gear care.

Minimalist Shelters

Minimalist shelters, just like the Hexamid Pocket Tarp, are primarily rainflys that shield you from pouring parts — however not buzzing bugs. The groundsheet is bought individually. Some designs have a zipper-free doorway that rolls up and could be clipped again. Campers can pair their superlight shelter with a private bug web if the area is buggy.

To trim grams, some campers decide to go away behind the first compartment of their double-wall tent package. As a substitute, they solely use the footprint, poles, and rainfly.

An alternative choice is a hammock tent: a hammock with a protecting mesh enclosure and an elective rainfly, which is essential if there are deadly bugs round like scorpions or ticks.

Weight and Packed Dimension

A dwelling’s ounces hinge on the supplies — like the material and zippers — dimension, and whether or not poles, a rainfly, and footprint are included.

One of many lightest double-person tents in the marketplace is the Zpacks Duplex, tapping in at 19.4 ounces. By comparability, the one-person ultralight Gossamer Gear The One is 20.6 ounces.

The Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL 1 is 33 ounces. To essentially slim down cargo, a minimalist choice just like the Zpacks Hexamid Pocket Tarp with Doorways is 5.2 ounces.

There are not any laborious guidelines about what defines an ultralightweight tent. People with a objective to lower haul weight want to think about the accumulative ounces of their whole package. Typically, light-weight tents vary from 48 to 72 ounces. Ultralight configurations are lower than 48 ounces.

You’ll want to pick a feathery tent that also delivers the options that you simply want — like built-in insect safety or not. Be forewarned, the lighter a tent is, the extra sophisticated the setup is and the much less headroom there may be.

The packed dimension of a tent doesn’t correlate with its weight as a lot because it does with the supplies used. Materials like nylon ripstop SIL/PU utilized in GG’s The One are inclined to squeeze right down to smaller packed weight than tents product of DCF (like HMG’s Mid 1) within the above picture — although the DCF fashions might boast a lighter weight.

Ensure that the packed dimension of your UL tent suits comfortably with the remainder of your loadout in your ultralight backpack. Many packs that accompany these ultralight kits fall within the 35-45L vary, and each ingredient’s quantity must be thought-about.

Pitching Ultralight Tents

The lightest tents and shelters are non-freestanding, that means they don’t embrace tent poles to be hoisted up. As a substitute, one or two trekking poles plus stakes are used to raise the tent. The tent is held upright by tensioning the tent material between the trekking poles and stakes firmly planted within the floor.

Some gentle designs, just like the Big Agnes Fly Creek UV UL 1, are freestanding and quick to select up and alter location — they only weigh a bit extra. Many of the designs we examined for this information use trekking poles because the spine of their construction.

In comparison with a freestanding tent, one of these skeleton takes extra time to assemble, as a result of the bottom must offset the stake good — particularly if it’s windy or wet out. This may be troublesome, significantly within the alpine the place it might be too rocky to drive stakes in on the good areas.

In a pinch, giant rocks can be utilized to get the corners and guylines of your tent the place they must be. When you can’t slide a big rock into the cords popping out on the stakeout factors, you’ll be able to insert a stake into the twine, and place it horizontally on the bottom with a big rock between the stake and the tent. If you pressure the cords, the stake gained’t be capable to slide beneath the rock. This was our writer’s technique on many an evening on thru-hikes when pitching his tent above the treeline.

We prefer to deliver a few totally different lengths and strengths of stakes for the totally different stakeout factors round our tents. We typically use shorter, lighter stakes for the 4 corners of trekking-pole-style tents and the guylines, and produce two longer, thicker choices for staking out the perimeters of the tent, which bear extra stress and have to have a extra strong buy within the floor.

Be sure that to apply establishing your ultralight tent earlier than setting off in your journey. It takes time to grasp how a lot pressure it’s best to put within the guylines, what to regulate your trekking poles to, and find out how to keep away from a clumsy off-center pitch. Freestanding tents could be rather more simple to arrange, and there are further issues when pitching a trekking-pole-style tent.

Trekking Poles in Ultralight Tents

As mentioned above, it may be a problem to grasp the artwork of pitching a trekking-pole-style shelter. An ideal pitch largely boils right down to applicable trekking poles. If you will be relying on some of these tents within the backcountry, your poles must be sturdy sufficient to deal with brutal blasts of wind and rain, and lengthy sufficient to succeed in the required size to correctly pitch the tent.

These tents require you to broaden your trekking poles for much longer than you’ll have them set for mountaineering, and never each pole can lengthen to the lengths wanted to succeed in the tent’s peak. Additionally, you probably gained’t be capable to use fixed-length poles if you happen to plan on bringing some of these tents alongside.

Choose poles which have broad grips that match solidly within the bolstered pouches on the peaks of your tent. Skinny grips shift round and will even slide out of the tent in sturdy wind. The clasps in your poles must be sturdy, as heavy wind might pressure your poles to break down if they’re weak, making the tent tumble in round you at midnight. Not a pleasing alarm clock — we converse from expertise.

Bathtub Ground

Ceaselessly, ultralight setups have a bath ground, which prevents groundwater from seeping in throughout a climate occasion. A bath ground implies that the waterproof material comprising the ground extends a couple of inches off the bottom and up the tent partitions.

These are necessary parts of ultralight tents, and must be product of sturdy, extraordinarily waterproof material. Some flooring in fashions like many Zpacks tents and HMG’s Mid 1 (photographed above) mean you can alter the peak of the ground to permit kind of airflow into the tent and assist regulate condensation buildup.

Vestibule & Inside Storage

Ultralight tents will usually have storm doorways that roll again or clip ahead to guard gear reasonably than a zipper-enclosed vestibule door. Evaluate your physique measurements to the tent’s width and size. If it’s stormy out and also you’re hunkered down for some time, it’s good to have a bit of additional room to deliver some or the entire gear inside.

In any other case, the vestibule could be a good spot to go away the boots or pack in a single day. Stashing these within the vestibule helps hold particles and pebbles that might poke by the tent ground out of your residing area.

Some ultralight tents might need small, inside mesh pockets to retailer a couple of gadgets like a cellphone or headlamp. Typically, ultralight tents don’t have as many storage compartments as light-weight or heavier tent designs.

Guylines

Guylines are necessary options on ultralight tents for various causes. For trekking-pole-style tents, they function a fast and simple approach to pull the sidewalls out additional, instantly boosting the interior quantity. For freestanding and double-wall shelters, this doesn’t apply fairly as a lot, however they nonetheless can afford a bit extra inside area.

Maybe extra importantly, nonetheless, guyline factors mean you can additional safe your tent to the bottom within the case of tempestuous storms or sturdy wind. A correctly guyed-out tent can face up to some critically gnarly climate. Many tents include a small spool of guyline twine within the field you could stuff within the backside of the stake bag in case they’re wanted. Others, like HMG’s Mid 1, require you to offer your individual cordage in order for you the extra safety.

Tent Stakes and Pole Splints

Like the whole lot within the ultralight cult, the controversy on one of the best floor stakes for an ultralight loadout is fierce and continually evolving. Each iota of weight is scrutinized for every gear class — particularly if there may be any steel within the system.

The dialog round which stakes are finest for which objective is so nuanced and intense, that many ultralight tent producers have stopped transport stakes with their tents altogether. That is beneath the idea that the majority UL backpackers have already dialed in on their specialised stake package of alternative — and within the case of our writer — they’re not unsuitable.

We possess quite a lot of stake kits that we deliver for various ultralight backpacking situations, and every serves its objective in particular climates and environments. It could take too lengthy to dig into the minutia of every package’s fashions and functions, however the one we use probably the most is our MSR Floor Hog combo. These stakes have confirmed themselves worthy over hundreds of miles, and strike a wholesome stability between energy and weight.

There are extra featherlight choices on the market — like Vargo’s Titanium Shepherds Hooks (0.3 ounces) or Suluk 46’s absurd Atani Titanium Tent Stakes (0.17 ounces) — however until we are attempting to go as gentle as attainable, the Floor Hogs are good for many UL backpacking journeys we set out on. If we plan to rock a freestanding tent (which we normally do when mountaineering with a accomplice and sharing the tent’s weight), we merely deliver the requisite variety of ultralight MSR Mini Ground Hogs (0.35 ounces).

If we expect we should pitch the tent in gentle snow or insane climate, we swap these out for his or her longer, sturdier older sibling: MSR’s regular Ground Hogs (0.5 ounces). For deep snow on winter aims, you’d should improve to beefier snow stakes like MSR’s Blizzard Stakes, or REI’s Snow Stakes.

When mountaineering with a trekking-pole-style tent — which is 90% of the time for us — we deliver a combo of 4-6 Mini Floor Hogs, and two common Floor Hogs for the aspect stakes. The stakes on the base of those tent’s doorways and sides bear probably the most weight and are tensioned tight towards the trekking poles. They must be pushed deep into laborious floor in order that they don’t pull out while you cinch your tent tight, or when it’s hit with a robust gust of wind.

If we’re backpacking with a freestanding tent, we are going to nearly at all times throw in a lightweight pole splint in case considered one of our poles snaps or cracks mid-trip. Merely slide these splints over the damaged space, and you’ll nonetheless pitch your tent till you get to a spot the place you’ll be able to exchange the poles. Splints have saved us on various journeys, and we don’t like to go away house with out them.

Air flow and Dealing With Condensation

Ultralight tents usually characteristic partitions constructed of mesh, storm doorways that furl again, or no partitions in any respect for airflow. Partitions which can be constructed of mesh lower the general temperature contained in the tent and assist battle condensation. As talked about, single-wall tents with a strong artificial development expertise extra condensation and really feel clammy beneath precipitation.

Ultralight tent designers have completed the whole lot they will to restrict condensation buildup, however the actuality of the matter is — these partitions are going to sweat. Vents on the partitions (like within the picture above), broad mesh panels, and variable bathtub ground heights can decrease the distress, however in our expertise, some condensation is inevitable.

There are a selection of the way to mitigate moisture buildup in ultralight tents, and you’ll battle the condensation calamities if you happen to work with the wind and pitch your tent in an applicable location. Here’s a little bit of knowledge we’ve accrued by trial and error throughout our numerous nights within the backcountry:

• Ventilate your tent as a lot as attainable by sleeping with all of the doorways rolled again or with the rainfly off if it’s not raining. This helps humid air and moist vapor out of your breath to simply escape.
• Keep away from tenting beneath the open sky as a lot as attainable. When you can, pitch your tent beneath a tree’s cover.
• Orient your tent in order that the vents are going through the course of the wind. This permits the wind to flow into by your tent simpler and boosts air flow.
• Attempt to not cling moist garments or footwear as much as dry inside your tent every time attainable. Drying them inside your tent boosts humidity. If you have to hold them inside, retailer them in a dry sack so the moisture is contained. Ensure you have loads of lashing factors in your backpacking backpack so you’ll be able to tie moist gear as much as dry within the solar as you hike the subsequent day. Below the identical token, cook dinner and boil water outdoors your tent as a lot as attainable.
• Keep away from tenting proper subsequent to streams, rivers, lakes, or marshy areas with larger humidity when you’ll be able to assist it. We all know — It’s enjoyable to camp subsequent to a babbling brook, although, so don’t sacrifice the great thing about a possible campsite simply so your tent is a bit dryer. For us, the condensation price is normally price it for the expertise.
• If attainable, don’t pitch your tent in low valleys or depressions of a panorama the place chilly air lingers at night time.
• As considered one of our previous thru-hiking mentors would say, “Merely maintain your breath all night time. It’s the one approach to hold ultralight tents dry.”

In all honesty, there’s no golden rule for eliminating drippy condensation. Our greatest recommendation is to embrace it as a part of the brutal however lovely pleasure of backpacking — and pull your tent out to dry within the solar while you plop down for lunch the next day.

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