The Best Backpacking Tents of 2026

Read Review: The Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2

The Quick & Dirty: The tent that most backpackers should invest in. A high-quality architecture, updated waterproof fly material, and friendly touches all get high marks, while the price and lack of ability in using wide sleeping pads ding it.

A longtime GearJunkie favorite, the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 ($600) received a fabric update this year, shedding a few ounces, eliminating unnecessary PFAS, and making the Copper Spur more environmentally friendly and “more waterproof.”

Tester Matt Bento was eager to get hands-on with the newest version and is very happy to report that the Copper Spur remains one of the best tents for most backpackers. There are lighter, larger, and tougher tents out there, but when you consider the Copper Spur’s weight, floor and vestibule space, and ease of setup, it easily keeps the top spot.

Out of the bag and onto the dirt, Bento and his partner got the Copper Spur up and well-staked with the rain fly secure in 9 minutes and 45 seconds (we timed them). This is very respectable, considering neither of them had set up a previous version of the tent or bothered to check the instructions. Thanks to color-coded clip-in points and a hubbed pole system, this tent sets up easily, even in the dark or when the weather is changing.

Once erected, the Copper Spur is one of the more livable tents out there. The 29 square feet is a proper rectangle, not tapered like some tent shapes. Head-to-head or head-to-toe, both occupants have plenty of space for their pads and sleeping bags, plus vestibules on either side for gear storage. Dual zippers make it easy to keep the no-see-um netting as closed as possible while reaching for something in the vestibule, or to keep everything wide open for stargazing on a cool, bug-free night.

The Zpacks Duplex Light and the NEMO Hornet Elite are both lighter than the Copper Spur, but the Duplex has less space, and the Hornet feels less durable, and both cost at least a hundred dollars more. Like many of our top choices, the Copper Spur strikes the perfect balance between performance and price. While you could comb the internet (or even just this guide) for a tent that outperforms the Copper Spur in weight savings or floor space, the balance of weight, durability, weatherproofness, and ease of setup is why it continues to hold our top spot.

The Quick & Dirty: A budget-friendly freestanding shelter that sets up with your trekking poles, helping keep weight, bulk, and price down. There’s a bit of a learning curve to setting it up, however, and the living space is a little snug.

At $260, the Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo won’t break the bank on your way into the backcountry, and while it’s not the most spacious, featured, or easiest tent to set up, it does offer quite a lot of value for the money. Additionally, it’s impressively lightweight at 1 pound, 10 ounces — lighter than every other suggested tent except one.

The Lunar Solo accomplishes its low price (and weight) in a few ways: First off, it’s a trekking pole shelter, meaning that it isn’t freestanding, and you’ll need to supply your own stick. It’s also a single-wall tent, which means that, like a lot of ultralight shelters, you’ve got just the rain fly above you and will need to manage condensation accordingly.

Don’t let that scare you off, though. The Lunar Solo is a joy to use once you get the hang of it. The canopy lofts on your trekking pole set at ~125 cm, and the six stake points, each of which is adjustable on LineLocs. Inside, the bathtub floor is suspended from the fly and gives you a solid 6″ of basin. With a single suspension point above your head, the walls cant down at a steeper angle than most tent-pole supported tents, but I could easily sit up in the center and sleep without hitting the walls.

The 20D sil/poly canopy is pretty basic and will need to be seam-sealed to prevent rain from leaking in. You can opt to have Six Moons do this for you at $35, or do it yourself (I rely on the Gear Aid version in the handy applicator bottle). You also won’t get stakes with the tent, which helps keep the price down, but is a bit annoying to source.

At less than half of my top pick, the Lunar Solo is a solid budget option in a world of rapidly more expensive backpacking tents. Those after a similar option with a bit more headroom should also consider the Durston X-Mid 1 — a $269 tent with more floor space but some additional door zipper issues.

The Quick & Dirty: This tent boasts a unique architecture that provides ample floor and head space and is available with carbon poles to help keep the weight down while backpacking. It’s a bit tough to set up, and the door zippers require attention.

The Durston X-Dome 2 ($469) brings the unique trapezoidal floorplan of the brand’s super-popular X-Mid designs to a freestanding version, and it’s executed nearly perfectly. The entire design uses silicone-coated polyester for a sag-free pitch and tweaks the inner’s orientation for maximum headroom (and some spacious vestibules).

I tested the X-Dome with the carbon poles, which Durston reworked with the manufacturer to develop a new construction process that greatly reduced the breakage previous generations experienced. It’s this type of hands-on design work that separates the brand from the big dogs, and they have worked perfectly as I used the tent through the end of summer and into fall in the Pacific Northwest.

The fly-first set-up option on the X-Dome makes it extremely versatile, and it differs from the ‘Fast Fly’ set-up of the Copper Spur in that it doesn’t require a groundsheet. With the fly up, you can tuck away inside while you set up the inner, and keep your kit dry in the process. That’s smart. The setup of this tent is a little more of a head-scratcher, but after the first few trips, I had it dialed in.

The twin-peaked design of the fly and angled inner provide some near-vertical walls on the interior of this tent, and issues with sleeping bags touching the walls were non-existent. The vestibules are also quite large and can accommodate your pack and anything else you need to stow.

I’ve seen folks experiencing issues with the zippers on other Durston tents, including this one, but luckily Dan Durston gave me the lowdown at this year’s PCT Days: Be sure to close the vestibule doors before setting up and tensioning the tent, and don’t readjust the door stake-out without having that door closed. This should significantly prolong the life of the door zippers.

At $469, the X-Dome 2 is competitively priced compared to tents like the Copper Spur and SlingFin Portal 2, and has more interior space than both, at a lighter weight. If you can manage the slight learning curve, this is a stellar option for backpacking tents.

The Quick & Dirty: This tent is a great option at an approachable price point, with space enough to truly accomodate two backpackers. It’s a highly durable design, which also means it’s a bit heavy and bulky for longer trips.

It seems that tent manufacturers are finally catching on to the old backpacking adage that 2 is 1 and 1 is none when it comes to tent capacity. Thankfully, the REI Co-op Half Dome 2 Plus ($369) heard the call and updated its iconic design with 45 years of feedback to add additional space and make a true 2-person shelter.

Now 4” longer, 4” wider, and 2” taller than the Half Dome 2, this updated shelter has space to spare and accommodates modern 25” wide sleeping pads. When our own Will Brendza set up the Half Dome 2 Plus for the first time in the fading Colorado light recently, it only took him 3 minutes to set up completely single-handed. 

Instead of crossing poles as many backpacking tents do, the Half Dome 2 Plus uses two pole hubs on the ridge pole to separate them, creating more head and shoulder room. While pole hubs aren’t my favorite in a backpacking tent, REI did make it easier to ensure the poles are securely in place by adding small windows on each hub, and in practice, they work quite well.

REI didn’t forget the little things, either: there are ample mesh storage pockets and hang loops on the interior of the tent to wrangle your gear. Two vents on the fly have rigid props to siphon in more airflow. And, in a feature I’m seeing more often, the rainfly can be secured halfway back to allow for clear-evening star viewing.

Get this tent if you want a trusted design improved to accommodate two hikers in real comfort. The price is a good bit below our best pick, and while weight is the trade-off, splitting it between two hikers makes it well manageable.

The Quick & Dirty: This ultralight shelter is freestanding and made from high-tech fabrics to keep the weight at an absolute minimum. It’s best suited to long-distance hikers who can justify the trade-off in comfort and expense with the impressive low weight and bulk.

Zpacks has long been a leader in utilizing new materials and designs, resulting in tents that are minimalist without being uncomfortable and ultralight without being flimsy. The most recent version of the popular Duplex, the Zpacks Duplex Lite ($669), manages to shave off a few ounces and is a spacious abode for one or a tight bivvy for two. For someone looking for a fast and light shelter with a traditional floor and bug net, the Duplex Lite is as good as it gets.

This tent is a bathtub floor design with two doors and two vestibules, supported by two trekking poles. According to thru-hiker Jackson Sims-Myers, this setup requires ample use of stakes or other anchors to keep the tent erect, but with a little practice and occasional creativity, it’s easy to bombproof. The rain fly doors are zipperless, saving weight and eliminating a point of failure. 

At 2 ounces under a pound and 25 square feet of floor space, this tent has the best weight-to-space ratio for a tent with a floor. This is due in part to the design that’s been tweaked and refined over the years, and two different densities of Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF). The DCF in the fly weighs 0.55 oz/sq. yd. And a tougher 0.75 ounces per square yard for the floor. In Sims-Myers’ experience, DCF is more durable and longer-lasting than silnylon. 

The Duplex Lite is smaller than previous versions, and if you’re over 6 feet tall, you’ll want to consider something else. Zpacks has a few tents that are specifically designed for taller people, but unfortunately, this isn’t one of them. Also, be aware that this is a tight fit for two, and plan accordingly. The Big Agnes Copper Spur takes the best overall because it’s a more livable tent for two people, but if you can stomach the price and you’ll mostly be flying solo, this is the tent to get. 

Read Review: SlingFin Portal Review: The One Tent to Do (Almost) Everything

The Quick & Dirty: This tent comes from a core mountaineering brand that took the lessons learned and applied it to this two-person backpacking tent. Innovative support systems protect it against harsh weather, which makes it slightly heavier than average.

The SlingFin Portal 2 ($610) is a notch above most backpacking tents when it comes to weathering storms, and it’s unsurprising given the brand’s design roots in mountaineering-style shelters. This 2-person tent leans heavily into the shoulder seasons, and its internal guyline system is one of the most unique I’ve used in a backpacking tent to date.

I first broke in the Portal 2 on an off-trail alpine trek across the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington State. The 3-pound, 5-ounce out-the-door weight is slightly more than the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 I typically carry, but the tradeoff is in weather resistance. The tent is almost free-standing (you’ll need to pin out the vestibule doors somehow), which allowed me to set up directly on top of a flat slab of granite.

It uses a common three-pole design, sets up quickly, and supports the silicone-impregnated flysheet (which can be affixed to the poles directly for better load transfer). Inside the tent body, a crossed set of guylines at the foot and head ends provides a serious amount of torsional support, and this is really what gives the tent its poor-weather chops. When an early autumn storm blew in overnight, the Portal stood strong.

There are also many livability choices tucked into the tent: seven hanging pockets provide pretty much all the space you could ever want, the door zippers are single-handed operated, and the ‘Kick Stand’ vents on the vestibules open up a healthy amount for great ventilation.

Those considering the Portal 2 may also be looking at the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Crosspeak 2 (undeniably lighter but almost double the price) and the REI Co-op Arete ASL 2 (at double the weight but with a significantly larger floor space for livability). I think the Portal 2 bests both of them when compared line by line, and it’s my September to November and March to May tent of choice.

The Quick & Dirty: This tent is sold as a comfortably spaced three-person, but can accommodate a fourth (or hiking pup). The design is tougher than the base model, with stronger poles and more waterproof fabrics. It’s also heavier than average and a bit pricey.

The MSR Hubba Hubba HD 3 ($700) is the tent of choice for groups, be it family or friends. The brand built a true three-person tent by really building a four-person tent, a trick that only requires a sleeping pad shuffle. Our testing team had consensus after testing it for a fall and winter: This is the tent to bring for the whole crew.

The Hubba Hubba design has been a long-time favorite in the brand’s lineup, but it recently got an update with a better pole architecture that steepens the walls at the ends. This is tweaked even further in this HD version, which uses more waterproof fabrics in both the fly and tent body. The DAC NFL poles are also thicker than the lighter version, giving this tent a stronger backbone.

There’s more fabric overall in the tent interior, which helps it withstand more “HD” conditions in the shoulder seasons. This can also make the tent a bit stuffy if used in hotter climates consistently. If that’s you, I’d recommend pivoting to the Hubba Hubba LT, almost the same tent, save for more mesh and ventilation.

The experience backpacking with the HD version is excellent, and we tested it in the Pacific Northwest through the fall and into the winter, camping in the desert and snow alike. The tent is oversized for two campers, comfortable for three, and can accommodate four if everyone rotates their sleeping pads 90 degrees. I found the tent’s weatherproofing to be robust and better than average backpacking tent levels.

Total weight on the Hubba Hubba HD 3 is 5 pounds, 3 ounces, which is a little on the heavier side. Comparably, the ‘3XL’ version of the Big Agnes Copper Spur weighs 4 pounds flat and offers 1 extra square foot of space. I think the rugged build isn’t just for shoulder-season hikers (though it is great for them), but is better able to withstand group use in the long run. That’s a lot of midnight bathroom break zipper pulls over the lifetime of the tent.

The Quick & Dirty: This tent is the middle-child choice in the brand’s lineup, and balances weight with livability. A good alternative to the Big Agnes Copper Spur.

One of the litmus tests of a solid shelter is how intuitively I can set it up right out of the box. With color-coded “Jake’s Foot” pole clips, pre-bent poles with hubs, and a simple rainfly, the NEMO Dragonfly OSMO ($550) can be deployed in mere minutes.

NEMO’s proprietary OSMO polyester ripstop fabric boasts four times better water repellency, and three times less stretch than previous iterations, this is a massive upgrade. Like the Hornet Elite Osmo, the lightweight Dragonfly weathers gnarly storms like a champ.

Let’s talk about living space. The Dragonfly is, in many respects, the streamlined, lightweight cousin of the wildly popular Dagger OSMO. It sheds weight with a tapered floor plan and sloping roof, making the tent feel noticeably more confined than the Dragonfly or Copper Spur. I’ve clocked some serious miles while sharing a tent with partners and could feel the squeeze in this snug shelter.

I like the tent’s overall design, which allows for a smooth camp setup and efficient transport. The tent’s stuff sack is what NEMO calls a Divvy Cube. This rectangular pouch allows you to easily split the tent’s weight with a partner, carrying the poles and stakes while still packing down efficiently in your pack. I’m always dividing up the weight on group trips and appreciate this simple, unique touch.

An interior gear loft and adequately large gear pockets provide solid storage, and an overhead Nightlight Pocket diffuses a headlamp’s light to illuminate the tent with a soft orange glow. Pretty nifty. The Dragonfly was warm and condensation-free during rainy nights, and the new fabric significantly alleviates previous complaints about this tent sagging when wet.

Overall, I loved the newest model of this crowd favorite. It provides stellar weather protection and lightweight durability for long trips in the wild. It’s not the most spacious tent out there, but if that isn’t a deal-breaker for you, it’s hard to go wrong with this lightweight offering from NEMO.

Read Review: Ultralight Tent to Weather Serious Storms: Durston X-Mid 1 Review

The Quick & Dirty: This freestanding trekking-pole shelter saves weight by setting up with your sticks, and has a unique architecture that provides good headroom for hikers.

With a unique geometric design, stellar weather resistance, and an approachable price point, the Durston X-Mid 1 ($269) is making a significant splash in the ultralight backpacking community. It’s now one of my favorite ultralight shelters for trips where featherweight minimalism isn’t the biggest concern.

First, it’s extremely intuitive to pitch, requiring less than half the time of some other ultralight shelters tested. The tent can be miraculously pitched with a minimum of four stakes and requires little to no guesswork about stake location. Few, if any, other trekking pole shelters boast this ability.

This is due to its rectangular design with offset trekking pole locations between a diagonal sleeping area. Without getting too much into the weeds of this mathematical layout, this effectively maximizes sleeping and vestibule space, utilizing a shape that handles wild wind and snow like a champ.

The 2,500 mm sil/PEU-coated polyester used doesn’t sag when wet and holds up longer to UV exposure than other commonly used fabrics. This adds some weight but boosts durability, and it’s nice to not worry about tightening up stakeout points mid-rainstorm late at night.

There are few complaints about this lightweight phenomenon, but some slight cons stood out. The X-Mid is on the heavy side for an ultralight shelter (30.8 ounces), which is a turnoff for many in the ultralight community. The guy lines can also be a bit difficult to tighten, and the storage pockets in the mesh insert are a bit small.

These gripes aside, the Durston X-Mid is one of the better trekking pole-style backpacking tents you can buy. Its thoughtful design and quality materials make this a reliable, spacious escape from the elements for rugged backcountry forays.

The Quick & Dirty: The Big Agnes choice if the Copper Spur is just too heavy for you, and this tent trims a whole pound to do it. A good option for long-distance hikers willing to compromise on a little comfort.

If the Copper Spur is your all-arounder, the Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 ($500) is its ultralight-leaning cousin, and at almost a whole pound less than my top pick, it’s a great option for those looking to trim weight — without going full-on and investing in a Dyneema shelter.

There are some significant design differences to trim that weight, however, and the most noticeable is going to be the difference between the freestanding design of the Copper Spur and the semi-freestanding layout of this tent. The foot end of the Tiger Wall is supported by a single pole end compared to the two in the Copper Spur, meaning the corners of this shelter will need to be staked out to fully set it up (along with the vestibule doors).

That design choice does make the foot end of the Tiger Wall lower volume, meaning taller hikers may run into some issues. For myself (at a stately 5’10”), it’s just long enough to avoid constantly brushing the end of my sleeping bag against the walls. The floor space on this tent is 28 square feet, which is on the lower end for 2-person shelters. In practice, I could get two 20″ sleeping pads tucked into the Tiger Wall UL2, but there’s not much wiggle room otherwise.

The 39″ peak height certainly stands out compared to other tents I’ve tested for this guide, as it’s the lowest overhead you’ll see here. The pole architecture does incorporate a mid-span spreader pole, but it isn’t the widest, and follows the tapering trend of the tent toward the foot end. The real test of overhead height always comes when redressing after waking up, and in the Tiger Wall, it’s best to let your tent mate get up and at ’em before you do the same.

In practice, I find the Tiger Wall UL2 fits into the slice of backpacking tents that many end up choosing: best for solo hikers who want a good bit of interior space, and the ability to tuck in a companion on occasional trips.

The Quick & Dirty: A backpacking tent with some breathing room, and not too much extra weight or bulk. There are less expensive three-person tents out there, however.

The NEMO Dagger OSMO 3P ($650) is the most comfortable and spacious of the brand’s dedicated backpacking tents (the Hornet is the superlight offering, and the Dragonfly is between the two). This tent was updated in 2025 with more headroom and larger vestibules, and is overall a better tent with a highly sustainable build.

The Dagger balances the needs of backpackers who don’t want to sacrifice livability for weight savings. The tent makes full use of the 4 pounds, 7 ounces you’ll carry in the 2026 three-person version. The pole architecture has been tweaked this year to bump up the ceiling 2” and make the doors 4” taller, giving this tent serious breathing room.

GearJunkie Editor Will Brendza took the new Dagger OSMO into the backcountry of Colorado and into Canyonlands National Park to give it a proper shakedown, and found the setup to be a breeze, with the single pole system almost assembling itself after unpacking it.

The rainfly was a little trickier because some rubber hoods needed to align with the center pole and secure down, but a solid tug got them in place. The fly also secures in a novel manner, with a twist lock to secure the corners. 

This tent doesn’t leave out any of NEMO’s classic livability perks, like plenty of internal pockets, including a mellow yellow sleeve for infusing your tent with a soft light from your headlamp. The ‘Landing Zone’ storage tub in the vestibule is a removable basin for wrangling your shoes and such, ensuring you don’t end up with a surprise slug in your trail runners come morning.

The Dagger OSMO certainly isn’t the lightest backpacking tent out there, but it also doesn’t claim it. Brendza also ran into some issues with the lightweight zippers on the doors: there are two per door, and the lower one can be a bit fiddly to undo without two hands. That said, this is one livable backpacking tent, and a solid option to consider.

The Quick & Dirty: A new version that sheds quite a bit of weight by using updated materials. The pole architecture is a bit tough to master, though, and the rainfly isn’t a favorite.

Not only did the Marmot Limelight UL 3-Person Tent ($589) go on a diet compared to the original model, but it retained the novel internal gear cubbies that make it a dream to store your extra kit in. This three-person tent will fit that many hikers in a pinch, but I think it’s a better fit for two.

The original Marmot Limelight 3P weighed 7 pounds, 1.9 ounces, and the new ultralight version clocks in at 3 pounds, 9.3 ounces, saving just under 4 pounds. The floor space is a little smaller, but the vertical height did increase a bit in the UL version. 

The Limelight UL’s design is similar to the Big Agnes Copper Spur’s, save for the unique sidecar storage areas in both vestibules. These spaces help you wrangle odd kit you want to have close at hand, and if you’re ever worried about finding critters in your boots, you’ll find these spaces to be well worth it. 

A few usability issues stand between this tent and my overwhelming recommendation, and they’re particularly fidgety. The two crosswise poles are joined at the peak of the tent by a small plastic union piece, and the third pole that supports the rainfly is tough to get seated, as it builds a good bit of tension in the tent.

In addition, the rainfly corners attach to the tent body with very small hooks that make it difficult to attach. Compared to the buckle system that the Copper Spur uses, this system seems less effective. 

Even still, if having easy-access internal storage space is high on your gotta-have-it list, I think the Limelight UL 3 is certainly a tent to consider.

The Quick & Dirty: A high-performance tent with a high-performance price. Ultralight fabrics keep this tent lightweight but surprisingly rugged against tough weather.

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear CrossPeak 2 ($950) is the first freestanding backpacking tent from the ultralight brand, and after taking it to Patagonia this winter, I can attest that they about nailed it. Yes, it’s made of ultra-premium Dyneema material (and at an ultra-premium price to boot), but if you’re after a lighter-than-average shelter with impressive poor-weather performance, the investment might just make sense.

The CrossPeak 2 borrows a good bit from HMG’s trekking-pole-supported Unbound 2P, but supports the shelter with three DAC 8.7 mm aluminum poles. These add a bit of weight, but it’s all a wash thanks to the 0.55 Dyneema Composite Fabric fly and bathtub floor, which bring the weight down to 2 pounds, 2 ounces. That’s a full pound lighter than the leading 2-person backpacking tents like the Big Agnes Copper Spur or NEMO Dragonfly.

When I recently took this shelter to Patagonia to hike the Huemel Trek, it packed down compactly and set up easily on the first try. The poles are set up in a familiar pattern, and when supported by your trekking poles, the entire tent stiffens significantly, allowing it to withstand the strong winds I encountered. I’d say this tent is a solid 3+ season shelter due to how well it handles a storm.

Interior space isn’t lacking, with steep walls at the ends that keep sleeping bags dry and a decent vestibule that can wrangle your pack and shoes. The floor plan measures 48″ at the head end and 45″ at the foot end, allowing this tent to accommodate two wide sleeping pads. There aren’t many internal storage options on this tent, as you’d see on a more mainstream option, so your smaller kit will likely end up on the floor.

As a single-wall shelter, the CrossPeak will require some additional know-how in managing condensation when camping. In practice, I’ve found that setting up beneath trees — where a bit of warmth can be trapped — helps limit the amount of moisture built up. During testing, I also left a door open on the CrossPeak whenever the forecast allowed, which all but eliminated condensation issues. Still, a small absorbent towel can be a great accessory in single-wall tents like this.

I won’t deny that the $950 price tag is a tough one to swallow. But for the space-age material, it’s about the going rate, and this tent is designed for individuals who want to purchase a single shelter that covers a wide range of their needs.

Read Review: Sea to Summit Launches Tents: First Look at the Telos TR2

The Quick & Dirty: A Big Agnes Copper Spur alternative that is a little overcomplicated but does offer a good amount of headroom inside.

The Sea to Summit Telos ($449) is all about interior space, and this gives even tall users (like our 6’4″ editor-in-chief) plenty of headroom to lie down or sit upright. It also proved to have strong architecture. Our test faced very strong winds, pushing 50 mph, and the Telos did not collapse at all, even when receiving heavy gusts.

However, our testers did not love everything about the Telos. The biggest complaints surrounded the tent’s unique storage system. Sea to Summit opted to use two bags and a “light bar” tube (a separate narrow stuff sack for the poles that has a light-diffusing material to create a night light when a headlamp is placed in it).

We agreed that the light bar idea was overly clever and that we would probably never use it. Furthermore, you stuff the tent body into one bag, the fly into another, and the poles into the tube. This allows users to split the load or drop elements of the tent from the trip (as you can set up the fly without the body for ultralight use).

However, our testers found it unnecessary and confusing. We all agreed that you’d likely end up losing parts this way. In short, while Sea to Summit really thought through this design, we would prefer a simple stuff sack and pole bag. All that said, the Telos is an excellent backpacking tent that offers good ventilation, excellent interior space, two doors, and two vestibules.

The Quick & Dirty: A budget-wise shelter that works well as both a camping or backpacking tent, but doesn’t overly excel at either. The feature set is rich, however, and it’s a durable choice.

The NEMO Aurora 2 ($300) straddles two categories — camping tents and backpacking tents. You could argue that it’s too small for car camping and too heavy for backpacking, or you could argue that it’s a great, versatile tent at an affordable price.

With a 4-pound, 11-ounce packed weight, the Aurora 2 isn’t the heaviest tent on the list (that would be the REI Co-op Arete ASL 2) and has a bigger footprint than the Arete. It also has two openings and two vestibules, so there is plenty of gear storage and living space for base camp scenarios.

The Aurora has many features that add convenience and organization (and weight). Pockets on all sides keep headlamps or toiletries easily accessible, and overhead loops can accommodate string lights.

A two-pole system with aluminum hubs makes setup a breeze, and the design provides tons of headroom, creating a spacious place to wait out a storm (or recover from a late-night DJ set). The near-vertical sidewalls do make the tent more vulnerable to high winds, but with the rainfly on and all the guylines staked out, the tent takes on a more wind-resistant profile. 

Compared to my top picks, the Aurora 2 falls short as a backpacking tent. The 3-pound Big Agnes Copper Spur has a larger vestibule area and is just as suitable for long-term living at a backpacking-friendly weight. The top ultralight pick weighs just above a pound, packs down to a fraction of its size, and is far and away a better choice for long-distance travel.

For $300, a crossover tent is a pretty good deal for the infrequent camper. Just because the price is lower, don’t think this tent is “cheap.” It’s as high-quality as anything NEMO manufactures. For shorter backpacking trips, road trips, and car camping adventures, the Aurora 2 will keep you dry, keep the bugs out, and save you some money.