The 10 Very Best Tents for Camping and Backpacking

A good thing to keep in mind when buying a tent is “What is it I need protection from?” Katie Gerber, a Colorado-based wilderness guide and the author of Adventure Ready: A Hiker’s Guide to Planning, Training, and Resiliency, says. “Someone who is hiking in a place where it’s not raining a lot and there aren’t bugs is going to want a super light tent or maybe even a tarp that doesn’t have bug netting in it. And if you’re gonna be in places where it’s really wet, you would want a double-wall shelter because it cuts down on condensation.”

Whether you’re heading out on your first-ever family car-camping trip or hitting the John Muir Trail for two weeks with just a backpack for company, there’s an appropriate shelter for that. To help you find the best one, I talked to outdoor-gear experts, guides, and backcountry enthusiasts while also testing out numerous different tent brands and designs for myself.

Continue reading to learn more about the best tents, written by Katherine Gillespie.