When you head out for several days of hiking or on a trek, under your own steam, the quality of your night's sleep is essential for good recovery and simply for your comfort. Choosing the right hiking tent is therefore paramount — it must meet your needs and offer solid protection. Of course, each hiking tent model has its own advantages and disadvantages. Here are some criteria for choosing a hiking tent based on how you will use it, to help you select your "home" for your future expeditions.
Choosing a hiking tent — what is it for?
Before scrutinising every type of tent, it is worth thinking about how you intend to use yours. Here, broadly, are the questions you should ask yourself:
- What seasons will you use it in?
- A weekend in the Alps or a 15-day expedition to Nepal?
- Will you sleep in it alone, or with 2 or 3 people?
- What weather protection do you need?
- What is your budget?
Once you have all these points in mind, it will be much easier to choose your hiking tent. Don't forget that it is an important piece of kit for your multi-day hiking trips, providing shelter and protection for the night.
Tent type and shape
There are broadly 3 types of tent, each with their own advantages and disadvantages: the tarp, the single-wall tent and the double-wall tent.
The tarp
It is essentially a simple tarp that can be pitched in various ways — fixed to a pole or a tree trunk, or strung along a line stretched between two tree trunks. It is obviously basic shelter, perfectly suited to short summer hikes in fair conditions. For reasonable comfort, you will need to add a groundsheet and a bivvy bag.
Advantages:
- Very low weight and bulk
- Simplicity and versatility
Disadvantages:
- Poor weather protection
- No protection against insects, snakes…
Single-wall tent
This is the most classic and oldest type of tent. It is a very simple tent with a single layer of fabric for the roof and walls. It is above all lightweight and offers good protection, but condensation builds up heavily inside and it therefore needs to be very well ventilated. It is primarily suited to the solo hiker on a tight budget and to expeditions in fairly mild weather.
Advantages:
- Weight
- Reasonable weather protection but not against cold
- Ease of use
Disadvantages:
- Condensation
- Compact size
Double-wall tent
It consists of two superimposed layers of fabric. The outer layer provides protection against the elements and the inner layer insulates against the cold, insects and of course condensation. It is inevitably heavier and more expensive than other models.
Advantages:
- Full weather protection
- Insulation against cold and condensation
Disadvantages:
- Weight and bulk
- Longer pitching time
In terms of tent shape, tunnel and dome forms now dominate the market by a wide margin.
The tunnel tent is often lower at the foot end and has a more restricted volume, but has the advantage of being freestanding and lighter.
The dome tent offers a spacious and fairly uniform volume, is freestanding and heavier.
Personally, I find the dome tent more comfortable in terms of access, though this also depends on the person's build. The tunnel tent, on the other hand, is quite sought after in high-wind conditions, given its low wind profile.
Choosing a freestanding or non-freestanding hiking tent?
A freestanding tent stands on its own once the poles are in place: it is not necessary to peg out the stakes. This makes it possible, for example, to pitch the tent on ground that is too hard or too soft for stakes, or to move the tent once erected to find a better bivvy spot.
There are semi-freestanding tents that stand on their own but require the stakes to be pegged out in order to tension the fabric.
Weather protection rating of a hiking tent
Tents are classified by number of seasons to give an idea of the weather protection they offer.
2-season tent (spring, summer): recommended for summer outings in mild weather conditions with little rain and light winds.
3-season tent (spring to autumn): can withstand heavy rain and strong wind, but cannot support the weight of snow and does not protect against significant cold.
4-season tent (all year round): handles all types of severe weather — snow, storms — and is designed for expeditions in extreme winter conditions.
What remains most difficult to estimate or predict is wind resistance. You can nonetheless get a good idea by paying attention to the tent's shape and its wind profile height. Likewise, the more guy lines and stakes you have to peg out, the better your tent will hold in windy conditions.
Ventilation and airflow
Practically all tents have adjustable ventilation or fixed ventilation. The better ventilated a tent is, the less it will accumulate odours over time and the less prone it will be to condensation. However, an overly ventilated tent is a recipe for poor protection against the cold.
Weight and bulk
It is always important to pay attention to the weight of your tent — because you will be carrying it! Generally, the weight of a double-wall tent is around 850 to 1,250 grams per person the tent can accommodate. A tarp and a single-wall tent are much lighter, coming down to around 500 grams per person.
Packed size is also a consideration, as you will need to attach your tent to your rucksack or stow it inside. If you are in a group, share out the tent by separating the components — for example, one person carries the pegs and poles.
The weight and packed size of a tent matter, but should not be the primary selection criterion. It is above all the intended use and the hiking seasons that should guide you first when choosing a hiking tent. Weight is merely an optimisation within a given tent type or range.
Once your needs are defined, it is much easier to choose a hiking tent while keeping your budget in mind. Choosing a tent is always an important decision, as it is generally a long-term purchase and essential for your comfort. Do not cut corners at all costs, as a poor tent quickly spoils the pleasure of hiking. And after all, if you are setting out on long consecutive days of walking, it should be to come away with a little happiness…
