When you head out for several days of hiking or on a trek, self-sufficient, the quality of your sleep is essential for good recovery and simply your overall comfort. Choosing the right hiking tent is therefore paramount — it must meet your needs and offer solid protection. Of course, every hiking tent model has its own pros and cons. Here are a few criteria to help you choose a hiking tent based on how you plan to use it, so you can select your "home" for future expeditions.
Choosing a hiking tent — what use case?
Before going through all the tent types in detail, it is worth thinking about how you will use your tent. Here are broadly the questions you should ask yourself:
- Which seasons will you be using it in?
- A weekend in the Alps or a 15-day expedition in Nepal?
- Will you sleep in it alone, or with 2 or 3 people?
- What protection against bad weather?
- What budget?
Once you have all these points in mind, choosing your hiking tent will be much simpler — 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 roughly 3 types of tents, each with their own pros and cons: the tarp, the single-wall tent, and the double-wall tent.
The tarp
It is essentially a simple tarpaulin that can be set up in different ways — fixed to a pole or a tree trunk, or strung on a line between two trees. It is obviously basic shelter that works perfectly for summer hikes of short duration. For decent comfort, you need to add a groundsheet and a bivvy bag.
Advantages:
- Very low weight and bulk
- Simplicity and versatility
Disadvantages:
- Low protection against bad weather
- No protection against insects, snakes…
Single-wall tent
This is the most classic and oldest tent design. It is a very simple tent with a single layer of fabric for the roof and walls. It is above all lightweight and offers decent protection, but condensation builds up heavily inside and it therefore needs to be very well ventilated. It is primarily aimed at solo hikers on a tight budget and expeditions in fairly mild weather conditions.
Advantages:
- Weight
- Decent protection against bad weather but not against cold
- Ease of use
Disadvantages:
- Condensation
- Compact size
Double-wall tent
It consists of two layered fabrics. The outer layer protects against bad weather, while the inner layer insulates against cold, insects, and 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 are by far the most common today.
The tunnel tent is often lower at the foot end and has a more restricted volume, but it 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 it also depends on the person's build. The tunnel tent is, on the other hand, quite sought-after in strong wind conditions, given its low wind profile.
Choosing a freestanding or non-freestanding hiking tent?
A freestanding tent holds up on its own once the poles are in place — staking the pegs is not compulsory. This makes it possible, for example, to pitch the tent on ground that is too hard or too soft for pegs, or to move the tent once erected in order to find a better bivvy spot.
There are semi-freestanding tents that stand up on their own but require pegs to tension the fabric.
Protection level of a hiking tent
Tents are rated by the number of seasons to give you 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 low wind.
3-season tent (spring to autumn): it can withstand heavy rain and strong wind but cannot bear the weight of snow and does not protect against severe cold.
4-season tent (all year round): it faces all types of bad weather — snow, storms — and is designed for expeditions in extreme winter conditions.
What remains the most difficult to estimate or predict is wind resistance. You can nevertheless get a good idea by paying attention to the tent's shape and its wind profile height. Likewise, the more guylines and pegs there are to stake out, the better your tent will hold up in windy conditions.
Ventilation and airflow
Almost all tents have adjustable ventilation or fixed vents. 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 guaranteed 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 are the one who will be carrying it! Generally, the weight of a double-wall tent is in the region of 850 to 1,250 grams per person the tent can sleep. A tarp and a single-wall tent are much lighter, coming down to around 500 grams per person.
Bulk is also worth considering, as you will need to attach your tent to your backpack or even fit it inside. If you are in a group, split the tent between you by separating the layers, or assign one person the pegs and poles, for example.
The weight and bulk 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 only an optimisation within a given tent type or range.
Once your needs are defined, it becomes much easier to choose the right 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. You should not cut corners at all costs, because a poor tent quickly takes the joy out of hiking. And after all, if you are heading out for long consecutive days on the trail, it is surely to get a little happiness out of it…
