8 Best Hiking Tents for Overnight Treks and Backpacking Trips

Last updated: December 2, 2020

Choosing the right hiking tent is not an easy task as there are so many things to consider. There are also so many different hiking and backpacking tents available on the market right now which makes picking the best one even more time consuming.

We’ve done much of the research for you and have short-listed 8 of the best hiking tents that you can currently buy. From small, lightweight 1-person tents to larger 4-person tents suitable for hiking expeditions. All these tents are of the highest quality standards, designed to last for many years.

Best 1-Person Hiking Tent: Vango Nevis 100	Best 2-Person Hiking Tent: Companion Pro Hiker
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We have grouped our 8 favourite hiking tents into best 1-person, 2-person, 3-person and 4-person lightweight hiking tents, starting with the best 1-person hiking tents.

If you’re looking for a compact-sized, 1-person hiking tent, the following two tents are very good options to consider:

1. Vango Nevis 100

The Vango Nevis 100 is a popular one-person tent that is designed with durability and efficiency in mind. This green-colored, double-skin model is a single pole backpacking tent, ideal for the solo hiker or traveler. It features a small porch area that provides space and cover for your backpack. Made with breathable polyester, the inner tent has a part mesh door for ventilation.

One issue with sleeping in tents is the build up of condensation during the night. The Nevis 100 has multiple ventilation points to allow for a bit of air circulation through the tent, minimising the risk of potential condensation. This is a tent feature that should not be taken for granted. The tent also has an interior divided storage pocket that you can use to store your personal belongings such as wallets and keys.

Vango has made the tent bag with an oversized opening and compression straps making it so much easier to pack away in a compact manner. Overall, the lightweight and easy to set up Nevis 100 from Vango provides reliable shelter for adventurous hikers on a budget.

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2. OZtrail Nomad 1-Person Hiking Tent

The OZtrail Nomad hiking tent iss light on the load and easy on the pocket. Weighing only less than 2 kilos, it’s a no-frills kind of tent that’s easy to pitch so that you can go on enjoying the outdoors.

Although it’s a single-person tent, it’s actually quite roomy. You can put your baggage and gear inside the tent and you’d be able to stretch comfortably. This tent’s design doesn’t come with a vestibule, but it does have interior pockets which you can use to store some of your gear.

Its polyester is coated with UVTex so it deflects UV rays, and it also helps make the tent rainproof. The OZtrail nomad also has two vents which take care of any condensation problems. The tent door is rather large, so you won’t trip when coming in when it’s dark. It has an angled opening that makes it easy for you to crouch down to zip it up close.

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Priced slightly higher, the following 2-person hiking tents are excellent options for two hikers or individuals looking for a bit more space:

3. Companion Pro Hiker 2

Perhaps the best entry-level 2-person hiking tent on the market is the Companion Pro Hiker. Set at a very competitive price, this tent is very well constructed and offers a great set of useful features. It’s a tent with two conveniently sized entrances and two vestibules that provide easy access through mesh doors. The interior is quite spacious and can be properly ventilated through the two vents in the rain fly. The roof contains an additional four vents.

With superior weather protection, various handy interior pockets, a compression bag and a gear loft, the Companion Pro Hiker 2 is a great little home for people who occasionally like to go out hiking or backpacking but don’t want to spend a fortune on a tent.

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4. Zempire Zeus Hiking Tent

If you’re sharing a tent with someone who values his or her personal space even in the outdoors, then this tent will suit you nicely. It has separate entrances and vestibules for each occupant so you don’t have to disturb your companion as much when you come in or out of the tent.

It’s a lightweight and also a durable tent. It has a twin hub pole design that makes for a sturdy frame while creating lots of space indoors. It has a waterproof floor, a full mesh inner wall to allow air circulation and large interior pockets. The polyester is UV treated to 50 SPF. You can also hang your lantern or flashlight in the center of the tent.

Its zippers have inward-facing teeth so that it won’t easily clog with sand and grit, which is useful when you’re camping close to or at the beach. Its cam locks will hold guy ropes securely even in severe rainy weather.

Pitching this tent is easy; the poles are color coded so you can easily set it up in five minutes. This tent is free standing but it also comes with its own lightweight but sturdy alloy pegs.

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The Vango Nevis 300 and the Talus 3 are great hiking tents that can fit up to three people:

5. Vango Nevis 300

One of the most affordable 3-person tents on the market is the bestselling Vango Nevis 300, a lightweight compact tent that is equipped with a side vestibule and two doors for easy access. The doors are designed such that rain will not drop into the inner tent when they are open. The pole comes with a tension band system to increase the stability of the tent during strong winds.

The inner tent and external flysheet can be easily pitched together, making it easier to set up this tent. They durable flysheet is 100% waterproof and comes with mesh-covered vents for improved ventilation to reduce unwelcome condensation. Given the affordable price and the rather compact internal space, the Nevis 300 is often used as a 2-person tent rather than a 3-person tent.

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6. OZtrail Hiker 3-Person Dome Tent

An entry level dome tent, the Oztrail Hiker 3 is the lightweight but compact choice for overnight and backpacking trips on a budget.

At 3.5 kgs, it is very easy to carry around. It has 40% more indoor space which fits 3 adults or 2 single mattresses with some space to spare. It comes with Duraglass Fibreglass poles which are easy to set up and help keep the tent sturdy but flexible in cold or tropical weather. It also has reflective guy ropes so that you don’t trip into them when stumbling around in the dark at night.

Like the rest of the Oztrail line-up, the tent’s polyester fly has heat taped seams to keep out the moisture and is also UV-resistant in order to protect you from the sun’s cancer causing rays. It’s also insect-proof because its windows are made from No-See-Um mesh that keeps the bugs out but allows the fresh outdoor air to circulate in. This same fabric reduces condensation inside the tent.

It has two large vestibules at the front and back which you can utilize as storage area for your family gear. It comes with interior storage pouches where you can put your essentials in for easy retrieval later.

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Looking to accommodate up to four travelers? The following two 4-man hiking tents are popular, top quality tents to consider:

7. Blackwolf Classic Dome 4+ Tent

Consider this as an updated version of the classic dome tent. The frame is made from Fibreflex which makes it sturdy than most tents today. Short of a typhoon, the tent will keep stable even through the more stormy wind weather. The poles are color coded so that it’s easy to set up.

At 9 kgs, it’s definitely not the lightest, but it has added features that make up for its extra load. It has a HD Polyethylene floor fabric and a polyester fabric that’s been treated with their Twilight technology. This basically means that the inner tent has dark interiors so that you can sleep early or stay in bed late the next day without being woken up by the bright morning light. And if that’s not enough, it also comes with internal window covers for added privacy.

It has a front vestibule, a rear door and rollaway side vents for better indoor ventilation. It also has the No-See-Um inner mesh to keep the bugs out. There’s also a zippered power cord access for your mobile phone charging needs or for your indoor lantern. And if you need a place to store your small items, there is an interior side pocket for that too.

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8. Coleman Instant Up 4-Person Darkroom Tent

Consider this as a luxurious upgrade to your standard multi-person tent, with great features and quality standards. Its front door can be raised up as a 2-pole awning to provide shade while its outer vestibule is big enough to even pull in a couple of chairs for lounging or convert to a cooking area if you need one. There’s even a doormat included.

Its hub frame design can be set up in two minutes. The indoor space is large and can comfortably fit in a queen airbed. It features a Coleman circle ventilation for added flow, as well as interior organizers and a hammock for storage.

The best part of this is the darkroom aspect of the tent design. The tent fly has a special coating that blocks out 95% of light while reducing the indoor heat by 5%. So you can sleep early during the evening and wake up even later the next day.

It also comes with its own LED lights in four different settings. So whether you’re in the mood for some romance or for some relaxing bedtime reading, it’s all there at just a flick of a switch. A battery pack is also included.

With a weight of over 16 kilos, this is a rather heavy duty tent. It’s going to be even heavier if you switch out its lightweight tent pegs for sturdier, heavier ones. Its pegs are good enough for grass but if you’re camping on hard ground, you need to use stronger pegs.

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Choosing the right hiking tent is important as it’s not an item that you’d want to replace after using it just once. Here are some of the most important factors to consider when choosing the best tent for your hiking adventures.

1. Weight

A key difference between a hiking tent and a holiday tent is that a hiking tent is much lighter. You need to be able to comfortably carry a hiking tent around, so weight is a crucial decision factor. Some prefer the lightest tent possible, sacrificing a bit of internal space. Others prefer a bit more comfort and are happy to carry a bit more weight around if need be.

2. Capacity and Interior Space

Hiking tents come in various sizes and dimensions and it depends on your personal needs what type of tent is best for you.

For example, if you usually go hiking or backpacking in a group of three friends, you could either for for a 3-man hiking tent or a three 1-man tents. A 3-man tent would typically be cheaper than three individual tents but obviously you would have less space and privacy. The other benefit of a 3-man tent in this scenario is that you would only have to carry one packed tent around with you and you can take turns between the three of you.

Alternatively, you can also choose a 3-man tent for two people to sleep in, or a 4-man tent to accommodate three people. It all depends on how much comfort and space you think you will need.

Interior space is also an important decision factor. If you’re a bigger person, don’t go for a super compact 1-man tent. There are in fact quite some variations between brands when it comes to internal space so make sure that you choose a hiking tent that is comfortable enough for you to sleep in.

3. Season Rating

Perhaps not the most crucial decision factor when hiking in Australia, season rating can still be something to consider. Most hiking tents are marked as 3-season tents, meaning they’re suitable for spring, summer and autumn. If you’re planning to use your tent in cold winter conditions and/or for mountaineering, make sure it’s a 4-season tent that can handle low temperatures and snowfall.

4. Freestanding or Non-Freestanding?

Freestanding tents are easier and faster to set up. They are often preferred for overnight hiking or backpacking trips to save time. They typically come with a fixed pole rather than pegs allowing you to set up pretty much anywhere you like.

Non-freestanding tents are usually lighter (no poles) but are more difficult and time-consuming to set up. They also require more real estate. The process of setting up your tent is something you can practice and get used to though.

5. Design and Features

Even with lightweight hiking tents there can still be crucial differences in the way they are designed. One door or multiple doors, single wall or double-walled, air vents, interior pockets, and so forth. We recommend hiking tents that are simple yet durable.

The more bells, whistles and other features, the more complicated it is to set up the tent and the more things that can actually break. Having said that, basic features such as interior pockets and vestibule can come in very handy.

6. Price

Price is always important, no matter what you’re buying. You’ll find that most tents are priced similarly, with a few exceptions. If you’re planning to use your tent a lot and possibly in harsh conditions, don’t be afraid to spend a bit more. It’s an old saying, but it’s usually true, you get what you pay for.