Quick Lightweight Hiking Tents Recommendations:
If you are short on time, check out this list of recommended top lightweight hiking tents below or scroll down to see a broader overview of each tent. I have included my top 8 after doing another round of research to see what is available on the market.
- Zpacks Duplex @550g
- Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 @1.13kg
- Nemo Hornet @905g
- Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 @595g
- Gossamer Gear The One @600g
- Tarptent StratoSpire Li @740g
- Durston X-Mid 2P @1100g
This article will give you an overview of the best lightweight hiking tents on the market right now and what their pros and cons are. For more information, follow the links provided in the section. If you want to know more about how to choose the right tent for your needs, keep scrolling down.
When it comes to choosing the right hiking tent for you, you will need to consider a few additional things. These things are how much weight are you willing to carry, tent capacity for your height and needs when you will be using it, and most importantly think about the features you want.
For a complete guide on how to pick the right tent for your needs, click here.
Zpacks Duplex – 550g
The Zpacks Duplex hiking tent is one of the most popular ultralight hiking tents on the market. It is praised by many serious thru-hikers and with good reason. The Zpacks offers the comfort of a roomy, ventilated tent for your next hiking adventure. It uses high quality, lightweight materials such as Dyneema to keep you dry and keep the weight down. The material can stand windy and stormy conditions.
One of my favourite features of this tent are the two entrances. This makes it easy to ventilate the tent while sleeping in warm weather.
For a two person tent, the Zpacks Duplex offers plenty of space inside for one person and a backpack. If you are tall, you might want to sleep diagonally. The fabric might be a bit close to your face otherwise.
What I like:
- Ultra-lightweight.
- Best reviews for lightweight backpacking tent.
- Spacious.
- Two doors/vestibules.
- Mesh pockets.
What I don’t like:
- Sensitive to condensation.
- Single wall tent.
- Awkward construction.
Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 – 1.13kg
The Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 is another great ultra-lightweight hiking tent, popular amongst thru-hikers. The tent offers excellent weight to space ratio and is fully freestanding. This means you can sleep without the rainfly and look at the night sky. Another bonus about this tent is thus the double-wall, making it a bit sturdier than other tents, and better to manage condensation. Bear in mind though, that condensation will happen anyway if the rainfly touches the inner tent.
This high-quality tent offers strong quality materials and is fully waterproof. It performs well in storms and windy/rainy weather and has a bathtub flooring material. There are two vestibules for easy ventilation and entry.
What I like:
- Very spacious.
- Easy to set up.
- 3 interior mesh pockets.
What I don’t like:
- Zipper gets stuck in storm flap sometimes.
- On the shorter side.
- Pre-cut guy lines.
- Stuff sack on the smaller side.
Nemo Hornet – 905g
Nemo is a well-known gear manufacturing company for camping gear. The Nemo Hornet is an ultra-lightweight tent option.
The Nemo Hornet offers a moonroof for sky gazing at night, double-wall, dual vestibules and featherlight poles. As a double-wall tent, it gives you the option to leave the rain fly off, however, this tent is only semi-freestanding. This means that you will still need to use the guy lines to set up the tent.
The inner tent has two spacious side entrances and offers plenty of mesh pockets for storage. Nemo used a bathtub bottom, ensuring the waterproofing of the material.
What I like:
- Ultra-lightweight.
- Dual vestibule system.
- Mesh pockets.
- Stargazing option.
What I don’t like:
- On the smaller side – would consider the Big Agnes Hornet 2 for 1 person.
- Vestibule on the smaller side.
Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 – 595g
The Big Agnes Fly Creek is one of the lightest semi-freestanding tents on the market. The double-wall tent offers plenty of space for the weight and even has mesh pockets on the inside and on the ceiling. Even though there is only one entrance, the vestibule area offers plenty of space to leave your pack. The front door design does make it a bit more awkward to get comfortable, but once inside there is plenty of headroom. It is said to be on the shorter side, so if you are tall, you might want to look at something else.
This lightweight hiking tent is again one of the more popular hiking tents out there on long distance hiking trails. The main reason for this is the weight and the compact packing size. Depending on your preferred style, this tent offers a different design than most others, with a front access instead of a side door.
What I like:
- Ultralight.
- Two doors/vestibules.
- Mesh pockets.
- Spacious for 1 person.
What I don’t like:
- On the short size.
- Not as easy to access.
Gossamer The One – 600g
As a specialist lightweight gear manufacturer, Gossamer Gear developed the Gossamer The One as one of its ultra lightweight hiking tents. This one-person tent is perfect for taller people and offers a decent size tent for a very light 680g packed weight.
The Gossamer One offers an alternative to the Zpacks Duplex with its similar design and construction but is easier to set up. It doesn’t have all the guy lines on the side that keep the tent volume.
There is one vestibule but leaves plenty of room at the entrance. For a single wall tent, it is completely waterproof. You can leave one side fully open, which is covered with a full mesh wall.
The more I research about this tent, the more it has become one of my favourites. Especially looking at the weight-comfort ratio. It offers a lot for a very low weight.
What I like:
- Good for tall people.
- Great ventilation.
- Large vestibule.
What I don’t like:
- Condensation management.
- Only available in the US.
Tarptent StratoSpire Li – 740g
One of the most popular new lightweight hiking tents for 2020, the Tarptent StratoSpire Li is a spacious and durable tent that will perform well in a storm. You will need 2 trekking poles to set up this tent, but it offers 2 large vestibules and plenty of headroom.
Made from Dyneema, the tent weighs a total 740g. That is pretty good for a double-wall tent that is also stormproof. For the inner tent, you have the option to select mesh only inner fly or a solid mesh with Dyneema floor.
This is another excellent lightweight hiking tent. Although the price is a bit high, the quality you get is priceless.
What I like:
- Lightweight.
- Great weather protection.
- 2x large vestibules.
What I don’t like:
- Expensive.
Durston X-Mid 2P – 1080g
The Durston X-Mid 2P ultralight 2 person tent is a high quality, simple and very spacious trekking-pole shelter. Developed by a well-experienced thru-hiker, Dan Durston, this tent provides functionality, comfort and durability.
Some say that this is one of the best lightweight hiking tents out there right now, and especially because it is designed by an experienced thru-hiker.
The 2 large vestibules make it easy to store your gear. Plus it is very roomy inside, and comfortable to sit up. Because this tent is large enough for 2 people, it is also a good option for tall people.
Offering double-wall protection, the Durston X-Mid 2P can also endure a storm and is designed to set up easily in tough conditions. The only thing you will need is 2 trekking poles.
The shelter is made from no-sag materials (Sil/PU coated ripstop polyester), has fully taped seams and has enough ventilation to protect from condensation.
What I like:
- Good for tall people.
- Great ventilation.
- 2x large vestibule.
- Double-wall protection.
- Unbelievable price
What I don’t like:
- A bit heavier than other tents.
- Only available in the US.
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