Best backpacking tents of 2023 that are lightweight yet sturdy (2024)

Vango

Weight: 2.6kg

Packed dimensions: 47 x 15cm

Off on a DofE hike, or know someone who is? Each level of the award is challenging and involves walking for various mileages - so you’ll need a light but comfortable tent to catch precious kip in. Vango is among the most trusted names in outdoor equipment, and this 2.6kg tent is more than up to the job of keeping you safe from the elements as you clock up those miles.

The tunnel tent claims to sleep three people but for those carrying bulky equipment, whittle this number down to two to leave space for your stuff. It uses a light, single-hoop structure with tension bands to make the most of every inch of space and packs down to 47 x 15cm - you have to see it to believe it.

Kelty

Weight: 1.36kg

Packed dimensions: 38.1 x 15.2 x 15.2cm

A cracking design paired with an excellent name: welcome to the Kelty Dirt Motel. It’s a no-frills kind of place; you’ll have to check yourself in and there’s no room service, but if all you’re after is a temporary roof over your head, step this way.

The lightweight tent brushes the scales at 1.36kg and once up, there’s enough space to sit up as well as lay down so you won’t need to exit the tent to get dressed. It’s set up to share with a friend with two porches and two doors to get in and out of.

Hiking in a heatwave? Sleep under just the inner mesh and do a spot of stargazing, safe in the knowledge that should a sudden thunderstorm occur, the waterproof fly topsheet will keep you dry as a bone.

Forclaz

Weight: 1.3kg

Packed dimensions: 39 x 11 x 10cm

If you’re the kind of explorer who’ll go out (almost) whatever the season, this trekking tent has got your name all over it. Made in the French Alps, the Y-shaped tent offers enough headroom and space to bed down for an evening in the wild. Covered in a waterproof flysheet, there are pockets to stash your stuff and there’s even enough room to keep your backpack (up to 70L) inside with you, away from marauding wildlife.

Decathlon

Weight: 4.7kg

Packed dimensions: 59 x 20 x 20cm

Pop up tents seem like a good idea at the time - practically set up in two seconds flat, what’s not to like? Well, we’ll tell you. The pack up can be like wrestling with a demon made of tarpaulin or requiring a master’s degree in origami.

No such trouble with Decathlon’s time-saving design, which promises easy dismantling as well as construction. It’s an eco-design too, thanks to the greige and rope dyeing processes (leaving them in their raw state sidestepping the need for harmful chemicals).

A handy thing to have in the hall cupboard for hiking and fishing trips as well as weekends away, the single internal chamber has space for two but we think it’ll be more comfortable for one sleeper - and it should be easy to carry solo at 4.7kg.

Naturehike

Weight: 1.8kg

Packed dimensions: 50 x 15cm

In a world full of green or blue tents, why not opt for something that stands out against the hillside?

Available in a vibrant violet hue (although white and two shades of green are also available), this lightweight tent is low and wide, offering enough space for one to sleep or sit cross legged inside with a max height of 100cm.

It’s a dinky little thing at just 1.8kg, and the flysheet offers a fantastic wraparound shield, keeping your inner tent protected from the weather, whatever the conditions outside.

Packed down, the tent measures 50 x 15cm.

Coleman

If you’re looking for a roof over your head for just a few days, Coleman’s Darwin tent is an attractive option - thanks mostly to the fact that, when packed, it weighs just 2.8kg and measures 46 x 15.5 x 15.5cm, only slightly bigger than a 10-inch iPad.

Once constructed though, the spacious interior has enough room to insert a double airbed. It has plenty of other magic tricks up its sleeve, from a roomy porch area to store your stuff and shoes, as well as a place to sit and relax before you head out to the festival.

Pitch time, it’s not as fast as a pop-up tent but it’s still fairly quick, using a ring and pin pole attachment to get the extended dome structure up and ready to party.

Clostnature

To claim this tent can sleep six is a stretch of the imagination, unless you’re counting your childhood set of Sylvanian Families. It does, however, offer plenty of space for two but with no outside area of porch, you’ll have to pack light or store your stuff elsewhere to be comfortable inside.

That said, it has lots going for it, from the fast set-up time of 10min (even on your own) and just 2.37kg in packed weight. It’s also waterproof and has factory-sealed seams to protect against the infamous British weather.

The inner tent is the star of the show here, with a shorter second layer, the flysheet, protecting the mesh panels from the elements. Also available in forest green.